Engineering Commons^™

Benchmarking Oecd Countries’ Sustainable Development Performance: A Goal-Specific Pca Approach, Shyam Lamichhane

Master's Theses

In this thesis, the current status of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) countries’ sustainable development performance towards reaching the recently announced 2030 Agenda (17 UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)) was investigated. Over 90 social, economic and environmental sustainability indicators were considered for the performance assessment of OECD countries towards reaching the targeted SDGs. The current weighted averaging approach used in the recent SDG Index and Dashboards Report was used as the benchmark and its limitations were discussed. To overcome the limitations, a novel Goal Specific Principal Component Analysis (GS-PCA) approach was proposed to create composite sustainability index …

Final Design Report For Human Powered Vehicle Drivetrain Project, Derek Fromm, Luke Opitz, Michael Juri, Olivier Côté

Mechanical Engineering

The Cal Poly Human Powered Vehicle Club is building a bike to surpass 61.3 mph in 2019. The club and their mentor, George Leone, have proposed a senior project to design, build, and test the drivetrain for this year’s human powered vehicle. Research into human powered vehicles and their drivetrains has shown that the power that a rider can output and the efficiency at which the rider can pedal depend extensively on the design of the drivetrain. Despite the existence of standard bicycle drivetrain designs, the senior project team has found that the best design to meet the club’s requirements …

The 3d Scaffold Design Of De Novo Anterior Cruciate Ligament Graft, Dominique Angibeau

Honors Capstones

No abstract provided.

The Role Of Gene Expression Noise In Mammalian Cell Survival, Kevin Farquhar

Dissertations and Theses (Open Access)

Drug resistance and metastasis remain obstacles to effective cancer treatment. A major challenge contributing to this problem is cellular heterogeneity. Even in the same environment, cells with identical genomes can display cell-to-cell differences in gene expression, also known as gene expression noise. Gene expression noise can vary in magnitude in a population or in fluctuation time scales, which is influenced by gene regulatory networks.

Currently, it is unclear how gene expression noise from gene regulatory networks contributes to drug survival outcomes in mammalian cells. An isogenic cell line with a noise-modulating genetic system tuned to the same mean is required. …

Thermal Gradient Characterization And Control In Micro-Fabricated Gas Chromatography Systems, Austin Richard Foster

Theses and Dissertations

In order to make gas chromatography (GC) more widely accessible, considerable effort has been made in developing miniaturized GC systems. Thermal gradient gas chromatograpy (TGGC), one of the heating methods used in GC, has recieved attention over the years due to it's ability to enhance analyte focusing. The present work seeks to develop high performance miniaturized GC systems by combining miniaturized GC technology with thermal gradient control methods, creating miniaturized thermal gradient gas chromatography (µTGGC) systems. To aid in this development a thermal control system was developed and shown to successfully control various µTGGC systems. DAQ functionality was also included …

Successful Factors For Native And Community College Transfer Students In Engineering Technology At A Four-Year University, Leendert Craig

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Students who attend community colleges often transfer to 4-year universities seeking to earn a degree typically not offered at the community college level. Tennessee has 2 programs: the Tennessee Promise and the Tennessee Reconnect programs that offer students tuition-free access to the state’s community college system. Previous studies have been conducted to compare transfer students’ performances to that of native students and typically compared the students in all disciplines. This study seeks to compare transfer students (students who enter the participating university with 40 or more credit hours) to native students (students who initially enrolled or transferred into the 4-year …

Paper Prototyping Comfortable Vr Play For Diverse Sensory Needs, Louanne E. Boyd, Kendra Day, Ben Wasserman, Kaitlyn Abdo, Gillian Hayes, Erik J. Linstead

Engineering Faculty Articles and Research

We co-designed paper prototype dashboards for virtual environments for three children with diverse sensory needs. Our goal was to determine individual interaction styles in order to enable comfortable and inclusive play. As a first step towards an inclusive virtual world, we began with designing for three sensory-diverse children who have labels of neurotypical, ADHD, and autism respectively. We focused on their leisure interests and their individual sensory profiles. We present the results of co-design with family members and paper prototyping sessions conducted by family members with the children. The results contribute preliminary empirical findings for accommodating different levels of engagement …

Recovery Of Water And Salt From Hyper-Saline Mine Water Using Freeze Crystallization, Gabrielle Casey

Chemical Engineering Undergraduate Honors Theses

The Freezerbacks researched, designed, and economically evaluated a full-scale freeze crystallization process as well as two alternative full-scale processes: 5 stage multiple effect evaporation and reverse osmosis. All three processes were designed to treat hyper-saline mine water that was sent into evaporation pond systems. These systems were designed for Freeport-McMoRan’s mines that need to treat impacted water.

The Freeport-McMoRan copper mine in Miami, Arizona was visited in order to gain insight about the problem. The mine is no longer actively mining copper and is in the process of reclaiming land used. An essential part of restoring the land is treating …

Development Of A Ws2 Catalyst For Hydrogen Evolution And Improvement Via Platinum Nanoparticle Decoration, Alexander O'Brien

Chemical Engineering Undergraduate Honors Theses

In response to a growing global need to improve utilization of green energy, the concept of renewable energy storage via electrolytic hydrogen production has gained popularity in recent years. However, the prohibitive expense of the bulk platinum catalysts currently used for the hydrogen evolution reaction prevents such a concept from being widely adoptable. This research focuses on a possible alternative catalyst, nanolayer WS₂, which is capable of promoting the hydrogen evolution reaction while maintaining economic viability. Bulk WS₂ was prepared in semiconducting, nanolayer form through liquid phase exfoliation. Prepared catalyst inks consisting of this material demonstrated successful …

Silver-Based Microbial Check Valve For Spacecraft Potable Water Systems, Rogelio E. Garcia

Chemical Engineering Undergraduate Honors Theses

As human space exploration increases, the development of a more efficient potable water treatment system suited for spacecraft becomes crucial. This Waste-management Education Research Consortium (WERC) challenge was designed to explore the viability of microbial control through the utilization of silver ions as a biocide for possible integration into the Tranquility Node 3 water purification system aboard the International Space Station (ISS). Current systems using iodine risk causing hyperthyroidism from overexposure; however, silver can be safely ingested without this side effect. After researching silver delivery methods including electrochemical ion production, controlled release, or a combination of the two, our team …

Desalination: Freeze Crystallization, Ibrahim Guiga

Chemical Engineering Undergraduate Honors Theses

The Freezerbacks researched, designed, and economically evaluated a full-scale freeze crystallization process as well as two alternative full-scale processes: 5 stage multiple effect evaporation and reverse osmosis. All three processes were designed to treat hyper-saline mine water that was sent into evaporation pond systems. These systems were designed for Freeport-McMoRan’s mines that need to treat impacted water.

The Freeport-McMoRan copper mine in Miami, Arizona was visited in order to gain insight about the problem. The mine is no longer actively mining copper and is in the process of reclaiming land used. An essential part of restoring the land is treating …

Removal And Reuse Of Phosphorus As A Fertilizer From Cafo Runoff, Hannah Young

Chemical Engineering Undergraduate Honors Theses

Eutrophication is the process in which nutrient saturated waters promote algal blooms on the surface of the water. This limits the amount of dissolved oxygen content in the water, effectively limiting the range of species that can survive in a body of water. Concentrated animal feeding operations (CAFO) can contribute to this issue. The animals in a CAFO produce large amounts of nutrient-rich waste streams that can enter natural waterways if not properly managed and increase the problem of eutrophication. The ability to treat these waste streams and recover the excess nutrients would allow for not only the reduction of …

Effect Of Thiols For Nitrogen Reduction To Ammonia, Zakary R. Ford

Chemical Engineering Undergraduate Honors Theses

Ammonia is an important chemical used for fertilizers and also a potential carbon-free hydrogen storage medium. The Haber-Bosch process is the main production process, which requires large energy- and capital-input. Therefore, it is crucial to develop an alternate scalable synthesis that provides a less energy intensive and more economical route for synthetic ammonia production. In this paper, a 1Fe1Ni film was functionalized with C₃OH and C₆OH for the electrochemical synthesis of ammonia. This work will provide some insight into how thiol ligands can increase the selectivity of the catalyst for nitrogen reduction reaction and can be …

Effects Of Ambient And Laser Light On Water Evaporation From The Surface Of Polyurethane Swabs Doped With Surfactant, Collin Campbell

Chemical Engineering Undergraduate Honors Theses

Polyurethane swabs are a common instrument for environmental sampling in the food, medical, and forensic fields due to their high recovery of organisms like viruses, spores, and bacteria. For sampling microbes in food and medical facilities, storage of the collected samples occurs under the absence of light to promote growth for more accurate testing. In the forensic fields, microbial growth results in sample contamination so the inhibition of this growth requires the drying of the swabs. This work studies the evaporation rates of water from polyurethane swabs under zero watt incident light, 30 W fluorescent bulb, 50 mW 532 nm …

The Synthesis, Purification, And Characterization Of The P3 Peptoid, Myles Joyce

Chemical Engineering Undergraduate Honors Theses

The relatively young field of nano-systems has vast applications over various different fields. Peptoids (peptide analogues) and their uses are consistently investigated components of these nano-studies. A particularly interesting group of peptoids are able to self-assemble into secondary structures under the right conditions. The P3 peptoid is able to form microspheres if properly synthesized and purified. Microspheres are frequently studied due to their low surface area to volume ratios. This unique aspect of microspheres makes them an excellent candidate for drug delivery systems; however, these systems must also be robust so that the desired compound can be encapsulated within the …

Task 1: Silver-Based Microbial Check Valve For Spacecraft Potable Water Systems, Eric Beitle

Chemical Engineering Undergraduate Honors Theses

As human space exploration increases, the development of a more efficient potable water treatment system suited for spacecraft becomes crucial. This Waste-management Education Research Consortium (WERC) challenge was designed to explore the viability of microbial control through the utilization of silver ions as a biocide for possible integration into the Tranquility Node 3 water purification system aboard the International Space Station (ISS). Current systems using iodine risk causing hyperthyroidism from overexposure; however, silver can be safely ingested without this side effect. After researching silver delivery methods including electrochemical ion production, controlled release, or a combination of the two, our team …

Recovery Of Water And Salt From Hyper-Saline Mine Water Using Freeze Crystallization, Clara Somerville

Chemical Engineering Undergraduate Honors Theses

The Freezerbacks researched, designed, and economically evaluated a full-scale freeze crystallization process as well as two alternative full-scale processes: 5 stage multiple effect evaporation and reverse osmosis. All three processes were designed to treat hyper-saline mine water that was sent into evaporation pond systems. These systems were designed for Freeport-McMoRan’s mines that need to treat impacted water.

The Freeport-McMoRan copper mine in Miami, Arizona was visited in order to gain insight about the problem. The mine is no longer actively mining copper and is in the process of reclaiming land used. An essential part of restoring the land is treating …

Removal And Reuse Of Phosphorus As A Fertilizer From Cafo Runoff, Kristin Moore

Chemical Engineering Undergraduate Honors Theses

Eutrophication is the process in which nutrient saturated waters promote algal blooms on the surface of the water. This limits the amount of dissolved oxygen content in the water, effectively limiting the range of species that can survive in a body of water. Concentrated animal feeding operations (CAFO) can contribute to this issue. The animals in a CAFO produce large amounts of nutrient-rich waste streams that can enter natural waterways if not properly managed and increase the problem of eutrophication. The ability to treat these waste streams and recover the excess nutrients would allow for not only the reduction of …

Scale Model And Flow Visualization Of Jack Rabbit Ii Chlorine Field Test, Charlotte Williams

Chemical Engineering Undergraduate Honors Theses

The release of hazardous gases, especially accidental releases, can have a major impact on the surrounding environment and population. The history of accidental hazardous gas releases is filled with plant destruction, civilian injury, and even death. Knowledge of how these gases travel and disperse once released can significantly lessen physical harm and improve emergency procedures. The Jack Rabbit II field test was conducted in pursuit of this knowledge for a chlorine release. In this field test, a purpose-built chlorine tank was surrounded by CONEX trailers assembled in the desert in Utah to model an urban setting. Multiple releases of chlorine …

Recovery Of Water And Salts From Hyper-Saline Mine Water Using Freeze Crystallization, Miriam Gonzalez

Chemical Engineering Undergraduate Honors Theses

In the mining industry, usage of large volumes of water enables mines to conduct multiple processes within one location. Hypersaline brine waters exit the processes of the mine to be utilized for other roles; some of these roles include leaching, recirculation, and extraction operations. These waters are highly concentrated with salt components and are released to different sections of the mine. The salts of highest concentration in the brine are aluminum sulfate and magnesium sulfate heptahydrate, along with low concentrations of many other elements. There are multiple ways to recover purified water from the brine solution: freeze crystallization, evaporative processes, …

Recovery Of Water And Salt From Hyper-Saline Mine Water Using Freeze Crystallization, Patsy Ann Dawson

Chemical Engineering Undergraduate Honors Theses

The Freezerbacks researched, designed, and economically evaluated a full-scale freeze crystallization process as well as two alternative full-scale processes: 5 stage multiple effect evaporation and reverse osmosis. All three processes were designed to treat hyper-saline mine water that was sent into evaporation pond systems. These systems were designed for Freeport- McMoRan’s mines that need to treat impacted water.

The Freeport-McMoRan copper mine in Miami, Arizona was visited in order to gain insight about the problem. The mine is no longer actively mining copper and is in the process of reclaiming land used. An essential part of restoring the land is …

Silver-Based Microbial Check Valve For Spacecraft Potable Water Systems, Scott Perry

Chemical Engineering Undergraduate Honors Theses

As human space exploration increases, the development of a more efficient potable water treatment system suited for spacecraft becomes crucial. This Waste-management Education Research Consortium (WERC) challenge was designed to explore the viability of microbial control through the utilization of silver ions as a biocide for possible integration into the Tranquility Node 3 water purification system aboard the International Space Station (ISS). Current systems using iodine risk causing hyperthyroidism from overexposure; however, silver can be safely ingested without this side effect. After researching silver delivery methods including electrochemical ion production, controlled release, or a combination of the two, our team …

Surface Immobilization Of Terpyridine Compounds, Elizabeth Hallett

Chemical Engineering Undergraduate Honors Theses

The deoxydehydration (DODH) of polyols to alkenes is a promising method of producing high-value chemical feedstocks from biomass-derived materials. Current catalytic systems for DODH require the use of costly reducing agents that generate stoichiometric amounts of chemical waste. Immobilizing catalysts on electrode surfaces using chemical linking groups eliminates the need for sacrificial reductants. In this work, glassy carbon electrodes were modified with 4’-(3,4-dihydroxyphenyl)-2,2’:6’,2’’-terpyridine to investigate o-benzoquinone as a potential linking group for DODH, and possibly for other reactions. Previous studies involving electrodes modified with quinone-containing compounds have primarily been focused on catalyzing the oxidation of NADH; the nature or …

Structural Design Guidelines For Pervious Concrete Pavements, April Smith

Civil Engineering Undergraduate Honors Theses

Pervious pavements have gained popularity in recent years as the transportation industry focuses on sustainability and environmental impact. This research investigated the structural design of pervious concrete pavements. There is no standard design method; therefore, the goal was to lessen ambiguity surrounding the use of pervious concrete for pavement structures. By characterization of the rigid pavement design equation from the 1993 AASHTO Structural Design Guide for Design of Pavement Structures through laboratory exploration and review of existing literature, a guide was created to assist engineers in the design of pervious concrete pavements.

Asphalt Concrete As A Flooring Material, Aleinys Villarreal

Civil Engineering Undergraduate Honors Theses

The need for having a good quality flooring has become something very important in order to enhance people’s spaces and living lifestyle. Some of the most common tile materials are cork, vinyl, concrete, and ceramic. While these four materials mentioned before are still capable materials, asphalt concrete has a distinct pattern that may be an attractive alternative to the standard tile types. To try and find solutions to these problems and give people another material option, asphalt concrete was evaluated as a flooring material.

The reason why asphalt concrete could have this new application is based on the outstanding properties …

The Influence Of Citric Acid On Setting Time And Temperature Behavior Of Calcium Sulfoaluminate-Belite Cement, Edgar Soriano

Civil Engineering Undergraduate Honors Theses

Today the need to opt for alternative cementitious materials is growing due to environmental reasons and construction time frames that portland cement cannot always satisfy. Calcium Sulfoaluminate (CSA) cements are a strong candidate to supplement or replace portland cement in the construction field for certain applications. In the United States, CSA cement has been limited mostly to pavement repairs because of its rapid initial setting time. The chemical compound responsible for this phenomenon is the alumina. This compound and sulfate are present in larger proportions compared to portland cement. The purpose of this research is to study how the use …

Tension Splitting Strength Of Bcsa Concrete Cylinders, Andrew Steven Deschenes

Civil Engineering Undergraduate Honors Theses

The focus of this research was to compare the tension splitting strength (TSS) of belitic calcium sufloaluminate (BCSA) cement concrete to tensile strength predicted by the American Concrete Institute (ACI) and to similarly proportioned portland cement (PC) concrete. BCSA is a rapid-setting cement with higher early strength, higher ettringite content, and lower calcium silicate hydrate (C-S-H) content than PC. PC and BCSA cement concrete cylinders were broken at different ages in both uniaxial compression and TSS. It was found that BCSA had a similar TSS to both the ACI prediction and PC TSS, but the results require further testing for …

Turbulent Effects On Building Pressure Using A Two-Dimensional Finite Element Program, Jonese Woods

Civil Engineering Undergraduate Honors Theses

Much of the knowledge about building aerodynamics today was obtained from physical testing like wind tunnel testing. Physical testing is time-consuming and very expensive. As a result, computational methods like the finite element method are being explored for use in building aerodynamics. Despite several years of research, there is still not a clear understanding of the peak pressure on buildings due to turbulence. Many of the research thus far has focused on comparing different computational methods. However, much work is needed in understanding the capability of the individual methods. In this work, a two-dimensional finite element program is used to …

Exploring The Compactability And Workability Of Rap, Elizabeth Poblete

Civil Engineering Undergraduate Honors Theses

Despite its economic and environmental benefits, the widespread use of Cold In-Place Recycling (CIR) is currently inhibited, to some degree, by a lack of laboratory testing and evaluation, specifically in the areas of compactability and workability of the reclaimed mixture stabilized with asphalt emulsion. The purpose of this study was to explore the influence of admixtures in CIR using modified Superpave Gyratory Compactor (SGC) compaction metrics. The primary stabilization technique considered in this research was asphalt emulsion, an application in which asphalt binder is suspended in water, allowing it to be stored and applied at ambient temperature, rather than the …

Debiasing The Human-Recommender System Feedback Loop In Collaborative Filtering, Wenlong Sun, Sami Khenissi, Olfa Nasraoui, Patrick Shafto

Faculty and Staff Scholarship

Recommender Systems (RSs) are widely used to help online users discover products, books, news, music, movies, courses, restaurants,etc. Because a traditional recommendation strategy always shows the most relevant items (thus with highest predicted rating), traditional RS’s are expected to make popular items become even more popular and non-popular items become even less popular which in turn further divides the haves (popular) from the have-nots (un-popular). Therefore, a major problem with RSs is that they may introduce biases affecting the exposure of items, thus creating a popularity divide of items during the feedback loop that occurs with users, and this may …