Engineering Commons^™

Design Of Force Versus Displacement Test Stand, Andrew Fritchley

Honors Theses

Performing mechanical design around sensors is a critical skill which all engineering students should be familiar with. Of equal importance is gathering and correctly interpreting electrical data from engineering tests. The aim of this project is to design a force versus displacement test stand for applications related to the measurement of spring force-displacement correlation. The design uses a strain gauge load cell, and a magnetic linear encoder to provide accurate, repeatable force and travel measurements. A mechanical design to mount each sensor was created based initial project constraints. Finite element analysis was performed on all critical components to ensure that …

Structural Reinforcement Of Streamline Tubing, Peter Grohs

Honors Theses

Structural integrity of suspension components is important to the safety and the longevity of vehicles. Streamline tubing, an aerodynamically shaped material used in high performance vehicle controls, can be prone to failure if not properly analyzed for its asymmetric geometry. The component was redesigned as a composite structure using modern materials to make a highly aerodynamic product stiffer, stronger, and lighter per unit weight than a conventional all steel design. Finite element analysis was conducted and five prototypes using different materials were constructed and tested. This method of maximizing component lightness and stiffness using the beneficial properties of each material …

Optimization Of Toaster Pastry Icing Preparation And Application, Rebecca Martus

Honors Theses

The Kellogg Company is interested in optimizing the way the icing for a baked good is prepared and applied during production. The current method has not been significantly changed since the item was first introduced over 50 years ago. A new process was developed to make a more efficient preparation and application of the icing operation. New equipment was identified based on established methods in the food industry. The new equipment and process was verified after the mass and energy balances were calculated. A capital and operating cost analysis was performed to determine if the introduction of the new process …

Solid State Light Conversion, Jumana Turkistani

Honors Theses

Demand for innovative and energy-efficient technology has increased as an environmentally sustainable society has become priority. Technological development of solid-state light plays a part in meeting that demand. Our research has revealed that LED (Light Emitting Diode) lighting uses less energy and is a more cost effective and environmentally responsible choice than incandescent and fluorescent lighting. Converting from incandescent and fluorescent dominated lighting to LED lighting may be cumbersome but can result in a classroom milieu that is attractive, cost/energy effective, easy to manipulate as well as facilitative to learning. For this project, a small-scale mockup of the light fixtures …

Natural Polymer Barrier Coatings For Oil And Grease Resistance, Andrew Kathan

Honors Theses

Many barrier coating formulations currently used for oil and grease resistance development in the paper industry have issues with sustainability, biodegradation, or have health concerns associated with them. This thesis tests two starches as barrier coatings to develop oil and grease resistance for food grade packaging sheets. Starch is compatible with almost all papermaking chemicals, is biodegradable, and is easily treated in wastewater systems making it a great candidate to create a more sustainable barrier coating. Cooked hydrophobic starch esters have a unique shear-thinning rheology that allow for high solid starch coatings to be applied with a reduced risk of …

Cost-Effective Techniques For Continuous Integration Testing, Jingjing Liang

School of Computing: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Continuous integration (CI) development environments allow software engineers to frequently integrate and test their code. While CI environments provide advantages, they also utilize non-trivial amounts of time and resources. To address this issue, researchers have adapted techniques for test case prioritization (TCP) and regression test selection (RTS) to CI environments.

To date, current TCP techniques under CI environments have operated on test suites, and have not achieved substantial improvements. In this thesis, we use a lightweight approach based on test suite failure and execution history, and “continuously” prioritizes commits that are waiting for execution in response to the arrival of …

Multiple-Photon Excitation Of Nitrogen Vacancy Centers In Diamond, Peng Ji, Ryan Balili, Jonathan Beaumariage, Silpa Mukherjee

University Faculty Publications and Creative Works

We report the observation of multiphoton photoluminescence excitation (PLE) below the resonant energies of nitrogen vacancy (NV) centers in diamond. The quadratic and cubic dependence of the integrated fluorescence intensity as a function of excitation power indicates a two-photon excitation pathway for the NV- charge state and a three-photon process involved for the neutral NV0 charge state, respectively. Comparing the total multiphoton energy with its single-photon equivalent, the PLE spectra follows the absorption spectrum of single photon excitation. We also observed that the efficiency of photoluminescence for different charge states, as well as the decay time constant, was dependent on …

Mechanical Characterization Of Polysilicon Mems: A Hybrid Tmcmc/Pod-Kriging Approach, Ramin Mirzazadeh, Saeed Eftekhar Azam, Stefano Mariani

Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering: Faculty Publications

Microscale uncertainties related to the geometry and morphology of polycrystalline silicon films, constituting the movable structures of micro electro-mechanical systems (MEMS), were investigated through a joint numerical/experimental approach. An on-chip testing device was designed and fabricated to deform a compliant polysilicon beam. In previous studies, we showed that the scattering in the input–output characteristics of the device can be properly described only if statistical features related to the morphology of the columnar polysilicon film and to the etching process adopted to release the movable structure are taken into account. In this work, a high fidelity finite element model of the …

An Area Based Fan Beam Projection Model, Richard E. Steele, Jiehua Zhu

Honors College Theses

Area based projection models for computed tomography mitigate raw data errors by treating X-Rays as beams, whereas traditional line based projection models treat an X-Ray like a line, thus generating significant error. In an existing area based fan beam projection model, a rotation matrix, Q, simulates the rotation of the emitter detector pair to reduce computational load, but this introduces approximations by using an approximated rotation matrix. We eliminate approximations by deriving an exact formula for the entries of Q. Using a rotation of axes and by considering the neighboring cells' contributions to the area, the result has formulations for …

An Investigation Of The Efficacy Of Corn Cob Hemicellulose As A Gas Barrier And Dry Strength Agent On Previously Uncoated Linerboard, Zachary Witherspoon

Honors Theses

Two types of xylan, water soluble and insoluble, were extracted from corn cobs and made into liquid coatings and applied to uncoated linerboard with a fine, #8 Meyer rod, with the intention of creating a gas barrier and increasing strength properties. The xylan coatings were plasticized with sorbitol and crosslinked with citric acid, and the crosslinking reaction catalyzed with sodium hypophosphite. A 1% konjac glucomannan comparison coating was created (with the same plasticizer and crosslinker) to serve as an alternative coating based on previous research in the department, but it failed as a paper coating due to the presence of …

Land, Air, Sea, Rover (Lasr) - Unmanned Vehicle, Gabriel Prescinotti Vivan

Honors Theses

This senior design project encompassed the optimization of a previously built quadcopter, as well as the design of new components for additional functions and increased range of operations. The previous vehicle was designed to operate as a helicopter, land rover, and submarine. Although the vehicle operates successfully in these three environments, it is not very successful on transitioning between them, i.e. cannot take off from underneath water. This year’s project goals included optimizing the current vehicle so that it could transition seamlessly between its functions and adding an additional function: to be able to rover at the bottom of a …

Optimizing Frosted Mini-Wheats' Finished Food Cooling Process, Jessica Graves

Honors Theses

Analyzing energy intensive processes in industry is crucial for improving sustainability, lowering costs, and increasing profit margins on products. Material and energy balances were performed to identify process losses in the cooling of Frosted Mini-Wheats. Existing cooling technology was compared to alternate technology available on the market, and a cost analysis was performed to compare all options explored. Recommendations were made to the system to potentially reduce the line's energy usage and downtime, with the objective of creating a more sustainable and efficient process.

Music Keyboard Based On Flexible Hybrid Electronics, Anthony Hanson

Honors Theses

With the idea of creating a product using flexible hybrid electronics, the group decided to create a musical keyboard like a synthesizer. This is implemented using a printing technique called screen printing. This allowed the group to make several copies of the same sensors with a consistent thickness, roughness, and size. These keys, made of silver, are used as capacitive proximity sensors. When another conductive material comes within range of the key to change the polled capacitance by 2.7 pF, the note corresponding with that key is outputted.

In the interest of making this project a useful tool for someone …

Electromagnetic Radiation Shield For Spacecraft, Oseas Hudy-Velasco

Honors Theses

To protect astronauts from high-energy radiation during long-duration missions, an electromagnetic radiation shield was designed and sized for the Orion spacecraft with physical dimensions at a 1:100 scale and magnetic fields and particle energies at a ∼1:10833.3 scale. The electromagnetic radiation shield was simulated in the multi-physics software Comsol using the Magnetic Fields and Particle Tracing modules. The scale model used a DC amperage of 60 A with a 9-turn solenoid wound in three layers and the full-size system used a DC amperage of 6500 A and a 5-layer solenoid of 390 turns per layer. These models generated magnetic fields …

Compressed Air Systems Evaluation And Improvement, Lukas Swoboda

Honors Theses

This project was centered on recommending a new air compressor system for the Fluid System Connectors division of Parker Hannifin in Otsego, Michigan. The recommended compressor for the plant is a 250hp variable speed drive Ingersoll Rand Compressor. It is recommended that this compressor, along with two 35hp compressors already purchased by Parker be tied together using an automated system. In addition to the compressor, a flow controller was recommended to be implemented into the system.

Given that leaks are also a problem in the system, it is recommended that the majority of air leaks in the system be fixed …

Evolution Of Mg Az31 Twin Activation With Strain: A Machine Learning Study, Andrew D. Orme

Undergraduate Honors Theses

Machine learning is being adopted in various areas of materials science to both create predictive models and to uncover correlations which reveal underlying physics. However, these two aims are often at odds with each other since the resultant predictive models generally become so complex that they can essentially be described as a black box, making them difficult to understand. In this study, complex relationships between microstructure and twin formation in AZ31 magnesium are investigated as a function of increasing strain. Supervised machine learning is employed, in the form of J-48 decision trees. In one approach, strain is incorporated as an …

Christian Morrill Awarded Scholar Of The Year, Usu College Of Engineering

College of Engineering News

Christian Morrill, an engineering ambassador and biological engineering student, was named Scholar of the Year at the 60th annual Robins Awards.

Weau Usu Chapter Qualified For The National Student Design Competition | College Of Engineering, Usu College Of Engineering

College of Engineering News

The Water Environment Association of Utah (WEAU) USU student chapter has qualified for the national student design competition hosted by the Water Environment Federation (WEF).

Initial Beam Access Schemes For Millimeter Wave Cellular Networks, Mohammed Jasim

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Millimeter wave technologies present an appealing solution for increasing data throughputs as they provide abundant contiguous channel bandwidths as compared to conventional microwave networks. However, millimeter wave technologies suffer from severe propagation limitations and channel impairments such as atmospheric attenuation and absorption, path and penetration losses, and blockage sensitivity. Therefore, phased arrays and beamforming technologies are necessary to compensate for the degraded signal levels due to the aforementioned factors. Namely, base stations and mobile stations utilize directional transmission in the control- and data- plane for an enhanced channel capacity, which results in initial access challenges due to the absence of …

Sensor Technologies For Intelligent Transportation Systems, Juan Guerrero-Ibáñez, Sherali Zeadally, Juan Contreras-Castillo

Information Science Faculty Publications

Modern society faces serious problems with transportation systems, including but not limited to traffic congestion, safety, and pollution. Information communication technologies have gained increasing attention and importance in modern transportation systems. Automotive manufacturers are developing in-vehicle sensors and their applications in different areas including safety, traffic management, and infotainment. Government institutions are implementing roadside infrastructures such as cameras and sensors to collect data about environmental and traffic conditions. By seamlessly integrating vehicles and sensing devices, their sensing and communication capabilities can be leveraged to achieve smart and intelligent transportation systems. We discuss how sensor technology can be integrated with the …

Strategic Implications Of Blockchain, William R. Adams

Undergraduate Honors Theses

This thesis introduces blockchain, the underlying technology of cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin, and discusses how best to conceptualize it relative to other technologies. Following an explanation of the fundamentals of blockchain, also known as the distributed ledger, I identify the characteristics of the technology. Building upon blockchain’s inherent strengths and limitations, I explore potential business applications of blockchain. Finally, I recommend that leaders continue to track the development and adoption of blockchain technology, even if they decide that implementing it does not align with their organization’s strategy at present.

Industry Requirement Gap Analysis For Sustainable Construction Technology, Parya Nickbeen

Civil Engineering ETDs

As sustainable construction becomes a standard necessity in the construction industry, construction engineering and management programs seek to integrate sustainable construction concepts and skills into their degree programs. The aim of this research is to identify industry-required competencies and recognize the possible gaps between industry skills demands and the education provided by academia for sustainable construction technologist jobs. In this study, industry requirements for sustainable construction technologist (mid-level) positions were identified through the analysis of job advertisements, literature review, job analysis (i.e., Developing a Curriculum-DACUM- process), and surveys. Results from the DACUM process provided a categorization of 4 main duties …

A Review Of The Seismic Isolation Design Procedure, Francisco Garcia

Honors Program: Senior Projects (Public)

The current design procedure for seismic isolation bearings for bridges is a simplified method that assigns the bearings with an elastic stiffness. Bridges subjected to ground motions actually act in a hysteric, nonlinear fashion when force is plotted against displacement. The goal of this research was to gain further insight as to whether simplifying seismic isolation bearings to a simplified stiffness is adequate or not. Design procedures were followed in the modeling of a bridge with seismic isolation. Linear modal time history analyses and with nonlinear direct integration time history analyses of ground motions were compared. At the conclusion of …

1920 - California's Greatest Opportunity - Reclaiming An Empire--The Valley Of California, Col. R. B. Marshall

Miscellaneous Documents and Reports

Col. Marshall proposed a state-wide engineering project that would provide irrigation water to 12,000,000 acres of land in the Sacramento, San Joaquin, Santa Clara, Livermore and Concord valleys, as well as water for Los Angeles, San Francisco and Bay cities. The water would come from the Sacramento and San Joaquin rivers. He envisioned an increase in the State valuation of $6,000,000,000. Additionally hydro-electric current generation would furnish all the power necessary for construction as well as supply more power than would be needed for use on electric railroads, in municipal lighting, for manufacturing, and for domestic use in homes, and …

Electrical And Material Properties Of Hydrothermally Grown Single Crystal (111) Uo2, Christina L. Dugan, George Glenn Peterson, Alyssa Mock, Christopher Young, J. Matthew Mann, Michael Nastasi, Mathias Schubert, Lu Wang, Wai-Ning Mei, Iori Tanabe, Peter A. Dowben, James Petrosky

Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering: Faculty Publications

The semiconductor and optical properties of UO₂ are investigated. The very long drift carrier lifetimes, obtained from current-voltage I(V) and capacitance-voltage C(V) measurements, along with the well-defined optical properties provide little evidence of an abundance of material defects away from the surface region. Schottky barrier formation may be possible, but very much dependent on the choice of contact and surface stoichiometry and we find that Ohmic contacts are in fact favored. Depth resolved photoemission provided evidence of a chemical shift at the surface. Density functional theory, with the Heyd-Scuseria-Ernzerhof (HSE) functional, indicates a band gap of a 2.19 eV …

The Water Entry Of Multi-Droplet Streams And Jets, Nathan B. Spiers, Zhao Pan, Jesse Belden, Tadd T. Truscott

Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Faculty Publications

Water entry has been studied for over a century, but few studies have focused on multiple droplets impacting on a liquid bath sequentially. We connect multi-droplet streams, jets and solid objects with physical-based scaling arguments that emphasize the intrinsically similar cavities. In particular, the cavities created by the initial impact of both droplet streams and jets on an initially quiescent liquid pool exhibit the same types of cavity seal as hydrophobic spheres at low Bond number, some of which were previously unseen for jets and droplet streams. Low-frequency droplet streams exhibit an additional three new cavity seal types unseen for …

Algal Biofuel: The Future Of Green Jet Fuel In Air Transportation, Rajee Olaganathan

Publications

The aviation industry is one of the major contributors for the greenhouse gases. As air travel has become inevitable in this modern era, and fossil fuel usage is not sustainable, it is essential to produce renewable fuel and commercialize it to reduce the greenhouse gas emissions. In order to produce an alternate aviation biofuel a lot of industrial and academic collaborations have been developed worldwide. The main concern of this collaborative research is to produce aviation biofuel from renewable resources with low environmental impacts, and which is sustainable at an economically viable price. This mini-review briefly discusses the biotechnological approaches …

Non-Premixed Transversely Oscillating Plane Jet Flames In Co-Flowing Air Streams, Reuben Mwanza Kivindu, Rong Fung Huang, Ching Min Hsu

Journal of Marine Science and Technology–Taiwan

This study examined the flame behavior and thermal structure of non-premixed transversely oscillating plane jet flames. A V-shaped fluidic oscillator was installed with deflection plates to merge alternately issued pulsating jets, and induce transverse oscillations of the merged jet. Co-flowing air streams were supplied with two planar air jets arranged next to the burner. Isothermal jet frequencies were detected using single hot-wire anemometry. Flame behaviors were studied using photographic techniques. Flame temperatures were measured using a finewire type-R thermocouple, and combustion concentrations of products were measured using a gas analyzer. The Strouhal number for the transversely oscillating jet shows an …

The Investigation Of The Two-Phase Thermosyphon Performance Limit, Chih-Chung Chang, Zun-Long Huang, Yuan-Ching Chiang, Sih-Li Chen

Journal of Marine Science and Technology–Taiwan

In a steel plant, waste heat recovery systems of hot-blast furnace are characterized by high-temperature exhaust gas from a hot stove that flows through heat pipe heat exchangers. By heating gas in a hot stove and combustion air in a blast furnace, stable and balanced heat exchange efficiency is achieved in this system. The thermosyphon, which is also known as a gravitational heat pipe, uses latent heat to transfer the heat. In this article, heat pipe performance limits, including entrainment and boiling limits, are experimentally and theoretically investigated. Heat pipe tube lengths of 130 mm, 200 mm, and 300 mm …

Design Of An Intelligent Damping Controller Of Statcom With Hvdc For Large Offshore Wind Farm, Kai-Hung Lu, Hsin-Chuan Chen, Yu Su, Qiangqiang Xu

Journal of Marine Science and Technology–Taiwan

This paper proposes the design of an Intelligent Damping Controller (IDC) for a Static Synchronous Compensator (STATCOM), linking to a high voltage direct current (HVDC) transmission line, where a permanent magnet synchronous generator (PMSG)- based offshore wind farm (OWF) is connected. This IDC consists of a critic network with the proposed Functional Link based Recurrent Fuzzy Neural Network (FLRFNN) and Genetic Algorithm Hybrid Time Varying Particle Swarm Optimization (GAHTVPSO) algorithm. A single-machine infinite-bus and a multi-machine hybrid power system were used for test the system stability. GAHTVPSO approach is developed to adjust the learning rates to improve the learning capability. …