Engineering Commons^™

Preface-Jes Focus Issue On Electrolysis For Increased Renewable Energy Penetration, B. Pivovar, M. Carmo, K. Ayers, X. Zhang, J. O'Brien

Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering Faculty Publications

(First paragraph) Today represents a particularly exciting time, as our planet’s energy system is undergoing major changes due to dramatically decreasing renewable energy prices and increasing societal concerns over greenhouse gas emissions, criteria pollutants (arsenic, mercury, NOx, particulate matter), and climate change. These factors are pushing society toward deep decarbonization of our energy system, perhaps the most challenging issue facing the planet today. Unfortunately, wind and solar energy, while both promising generation sources, come with intermittency challenges and have limitations in their abilities to impact industrial and transportation sector demands where fossil fuel energy carriers based on chemical bonds have …

Human-Like Rewards To Train A Reinforcement Learning Controller For Planar Arm Movement, Kathleen M. Jagodnik, Philip S. Thomas, Antonie J. Van Den Bogert, Michael S. Branicky, Robert F. Kirsch

Mechanical Engineering Faculty Publications

High-level spinal cord injury (SCI) in humans causes paralysis below the neck. Functional electrical stimulation (FES) technology applies electrical current to nerves and muscles to restore movement, and controllers for upper extremity FES neuroprostheses calculate stimulation patterns to produce desired arm movement. However, currently available FES controllers have yet to restore natural movements. Reinforcement learning (RL) is a reward-driven control technique; it can employ user-generated rewards, and human preferences can be used in training. To test this concept with FES, we conducted simulation experiments using computer-generated ``pseudohuman{''} rewards. Rewards with varying properties were used with an actor-critic RL controller for …

Research: South Dakota State University, Fall 2016, Christine Delfanian, Emily Webber

State of Discovery South Dakota State University's Research Magazine

CONTENTS:

Cattle primary host for new influenza virus [page] 1
Statisticians evaluate probability models for crime scene evidence [page] 2
Beef reproduction research to increase sperm, embryo survival [page] 4
Chemicals in ice core reveal climate-changing events [page] 6
New pediatric drug delivery method uses corn, milk proteins [page] 8
Strategic application key to biochar application [page] 8
Outstanding Scholars:
Collaborative projects brings pioneer women to life [page] 9
Nurses to learn substance abuse intervention technique [page] 9
Dietitian targets weight management, goal-setting to improve health [page] 10
Photovoltaic group helps Pakistani scientists harness sun's energy [page] 10
New capabilities …

A Comparison Of Specularly Reflective Boundary Conditions And Rotationally Invariant Formulations For Discrete Ordinate Methods In Axisymmetric Geometries, Jian Cai, Somesh Roy, Michael F. Modest

Mechanical Engineering Faculty Research and Publications

In simulations of periodic or symmetric geometries, computational domains are reduced by imaginary boundaries that exploit the symmetry conditions. Two boundary conditions are proposed for Discrete Ordinate Methods to solve axisymmetric radiation problems. Firstly, a specularly reflective boundary condition similar to that is used in Photon Monte Carlo methods is developed for Discrete Ordinate Methods. Secondly, the rotational invariant formulation is revisited for axisymmetric wedge geometries. Correspondingly, a new rotationally invariant boundary condition specially designed for axisymmetric problems on wedge shape is proposed to enforce the rotational invariance properties possessed by the radiative transfer equation (RTE) but violated by three-dimensional …

On The Optimal Threshold Voltage Computation Of On-Chip Noise Sensors, Tao Wang, Chun Zhang, Jinjun Xiong, Pei Wen Luo, Liang Chia Cheng, Yiyu Shi

Electrical and Computer Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Runtime noise management systems typically rely on on-chip noise sensors to accurately capture voltage emergencies. As such, the threshold voltage for noise sensors to report emergencies serves as a critical tuning knob between the system failure rate and false alarms. Unfortunately, the problem of optimal threshold voltage computation remains open in literature despite its importance. The problem is further complicated by process variations, which introduce significant variations in load currents and thus in noise across different chips. A uniform noise margin may not work optimally for all the chips. In this paper, we first formulate the problem of minimizing the …

Fabrication And Characterization Of Conductive Melt Electrospun Fibers, Brandon Ross

Graduate Theses & Non-Theses

Conductive polymer nanocomposites are a type of particle reinforced plastic composite where the doping material is electrically conductive. The diverse properties of an engineered composite material allow for the material properties to be fine-tuned for the specific application. This research focuses on using carbon allotropes, such as two-dimensional graphene and one-dimensional carbon nanotubes, to achieve direct current electrical conductivity through a polymer fiber. Melt electrospinning is the process used for creating the micrometer scale fibers by melting thermoplastic materials. High electrostatic fields apply a force to the polymer melt and a single fiber is drawn out. The resistivity of the …

Statistical Models Of Domestic And Sme Daily Gas Consumption - Applications To Gas Network Planning And Management, Ronan Oliver

Doctoral

This research is centred on three pillars of EU energy policy that aim to improve: 1) energy efficiency, in order to reduce CO2 emissions and therefore limit climate change; 2) security of energy supplies, in order to protect economic output and vulnerable citizens in extreme weather; and 3) market integration, in order to increase energy supplier competition and consumer choice in each member state. To help deliver on these policies, the EU has recently mandated that: 1) gas smartmeters are to be provided to consumers to help improve energy efficiency; 2) network operators ensure adequate gas supplies during extreme cold …

Data Fusion For Vision-Based Robotic Platform Navigation, Andrés F. Echeverri

Master's Theses (2009 -)

Data fusion has become an active research topic in recent years. Growing computational performance has allowed the use of redundant sensors to measure a single phenomenon. While Bayesian fusion approaches are common in general applications, the computer vision community has largely relegated this approach. Most object following algorithms have gone towards pure machine learning fusion techniques that tend to lack flexibility. Consequently, a more general data fusion scheme is needed. The motivation for this work is to propose methods that allow for the development of simple and cost effective, yet robust visual following robots capable of tracking a general object …

Fitplay Games: Increasing Exercise Motivation Through Asynchronous Social Gaming, Dario Carlos Gonzalez

Theses and Dissertations

Many factors contribute to people's physical inactivity, but among the leading factors is a lack of motivation. Fitness trackers have been shown to encourage an increase in exercise, but they are frequently abandoned within a few short months. For this thesis I developed and asynchronous-play social gaming platform, FitPlay Games, to fill the gap in motivation left by current fitness trackers. By providing users with a variety of asynchronous cooperative and competitive gaming styles, this platform enable them to find a motivation technique that works best for their lifestyle and fitness prowess. The platform encourages prolonged use of fitness trackers, …

Rotational Strength And Stiffness Of Shallowly Embedded Base Connections In Steel Moment Frames, Kevin N. Hanks

Theses and Dissertations

Shallowly embedded column base connections with unreinforced block out concrete are a common method of connecting steel columns to their foundation. There has been little research done to accurately quantify the effects of this block out concrete on the connection strength and rigidity, and therefore there is nothing to aid the practicing engineer in accounting for this in structural analysis. Due to this lack of understanding, engineers have typically ignored the effects of shallow block out concrete in their analysis, presumably leading to a conservative design. Recent research has attempted to fill this gap in understanding. Several methods have been …

Special Issue: Selected Papers From Idetc 2015, Venkat N. Krovi, Andrew P. Murray, James Schmiedeler

Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Faculty Publications

This second IDETC Special Issue, containing 19 papers from researchers in seven countries on three continents, seeks to cap- ture the current interest topics and latest results from the 39th ASME Mechanisms and Robotics (M&R) conference. The topics span the synthesis and analysis of novel mechanisms and robots as well as their validation in a variety of applications. The papers are organized with contributions to the core theoretical methodol- ogies of M&R (five papers) appearing first. The application areas that follow are micro air vehicles (MAVs) (two papers), modular robotics (three papers), origami applications (three papers), medi- cal robotics (three …

Support Vector Machines And Artificial Neural Networks: Assessing The Validity Of Using Technical Features For Security Forecasting, James Dipadua

Dissertations

Stock forecasting is an enticing and well-studied problem in both finance and machine learning literature with linear-based models such as ARIMA and ARCH to non-linear Artificial Neural Networks (ANN) and Support Vector Machines (SVM). However, these forecasting techniques also use very different input features, some of which are seen by economists as irrational and theoretically unjustified. In this comparative study using ANNs and SVMs for 12 publicly traded companies, derivative price “technicals” are evaluated against macro- and microeconomic fundamentals to evaluate the efficacy of model performance. Despite the efficient market hypothesis positing the ill-suitability of technicals as model inputs, this …

Anisoplanatic Electromagnetic Image Propagation Through Narrow Or Extended Phase Turbulence Using Altitude-Dependent Structure Parameter, Monish Ranjan Chatterjee, Ali Mohamed

Electrical and Computer Engineering Faculty Publications

The effects of turbulence on anisoplanatic imaging are often modeled through the use of a sequence of phase screens distributed along the optical path. We implement the split-step wave algorithm to examine turbulence-corrupted images.

Modeling Pyrolysis Of Large Coal Particles With Many Species, Jianqing Li

Master's Theses (2009 -)

Coal currently supplies 40% of the world’s electricity needs, and is one of the most important energy sources. As the initial stage of coal combustion, pyrolysis is a thermal decomposition process which converts coal into light gases and tars, which are subsequently consumed in combustion reactions, as well as solid char. Recently there has been interest in using slow pyrolysis as a stand-alone process for the production of chemicals and fuels from large (mm-scale) coal particles. Simulations can be used to efficiently study the impact of pyrolysis conditions on gas, tar and char yields, as well as gas and tar …

Exploring Length-Based Vehicle Count Data, Byad Ahmed

Civil and Environmental Engineering Master's Project Reports

The development of Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS) requires high-quality traffic information within most urban areas worldwide, and under growing pressure for improving traffic management, there has been an increasing urge to collecting and monitoring of traffic data. One of the most reliable and recommended technology for drive thru or traffic control is the loop vehicle detection system. On the Portland freeway system, new software has been installed that allows the reporting of vehicle length in bins. This research investigates the use of this data (length based) by exploring time series analyses of the vehicle counts as freight and non-freight movement.

Inverse Structure Functions In The Canonical Wind Turbine Array Boundary Layer, Bianca Viggiano, Moira Gion, Naseem Ali, Murat Tutkun, Raúl Bayoán Cal

Mechanical and Materials Engineering Faculty Publications and Presentations

Wind tunnel measurements for a 3×3 canonical wind turbine array boundary layer are obtained using hot-wire anemometer velocity signals. Two downstream locations are considered, referring to the near- and far-wake, and 21 vertical points are acquired per profile. Velocity increments and exit distances are used to quantify inverse structure functions at both downstream locations. Inverse structure functions in the near-wake show a similar profile for the main vertical locations, but diverge as the moment is increased. In the far-wake, inverse structure functions converge toward a single function for all vertical location and moments. The scaling exponents for inverse structure functions …

Characterization Of Histological Changes In The Microvasculature Of Rat Skeletal Muscle After Spinal Cord Injury, Sally Lin

Master's Theses (2009 -)

The purpose of this study was to determine whether there are histological changes in the microvasculature of rat skeletal muscle following chronic spinal cord injury both above and below the level of injury. This study is important because microvascular structure likely impacts muscle performance and cardiovascular health. To the best of our knowledge, this is the only study to investigate microvascular structure within rat skeletal muscle after spinal cord injury. We hypothesized structural remodeling would occur in both the myofibers and microvasculature, which would then manifest in differences in myofiber cross sectional area and microvascular diameter, wall thickness, wall to …

The Bridge Newsletter Winter 2016, Missouri University Of Science And Technology

The Bridge Newsletter

-World's only cold-formed steel conference
-2016 Alumni of Influence
-National intelligence leader speaks
-Senne Memoria

Predictions Of Ponderosa Pine Resiliency To Climate Change In The Cebolla Canyon Watershed, New Mexico, Breana N. Chavez

Water Resources Professional Project Reports

This project was designed to understand the potential impacts of climate change on soil moisture and the resiliency of ponderosa pine in the forested region of the Cebolla Canyon watershed (Cebolla), located in eastern New Mexico. Much of the watershed is administered as public domain land by the U.S. Bureau of Land Management (BLM). This project aims to help BLM managers understand how climate change is projected to impact ponderosa pine seedling establishment and mature ponderosa pine productivity in Cebolla.

Current and potential future soil moisture regimes in Cebolla were simulated on three hills using HYDRUS-1D. The soil moisture regimes …

Exploring Access To Portable Water And Sanitation Practices In A Post-Conflict Environment: The Case Of Gulu District, Northern Uganda, Peyton Going

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Over the course of 30 days of fieldwork in October and November of 2016, data was collected through interviews conducted with local government officials, researchers and academics, and village community members of Gulu District.

The aim of this study was to determine the extent to which agencies have improved water and sanitation in the region. The case study of Gulu utilized in-depth interviews with key informants, focus groups, and observations, and sought to determine who the local stakeholders in water and sanitation are, the water sources and sanitation facilities available and their uses, the perception local people have about their …

Multi-Sector Analysis Of The Progress And Challenges Of Soil-Transmitted Helminth Eradication In Rural Udaipur, Jessica Ellis

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

India is home to 240 million children currently at risk of Soil-Transmitted Helminthiasis, which is spread via unclean water, soil, and food, and causes acute pain and malnutrition. While acknowledging the research debates over WASH and mass drug administration, this study seeks to identify the systemic multidisciplinary issues affecting STH elimination efforts in rural Udaipur. Twenty-three interviews were conducted in villages, government departments, NGOs, and medical sectors to identify the challenges within each approach to deworming, and their experiences with multi-sectoral collaboration. The most recurring issues across disciplines were need for invested local leadership, increase in health literacy of adults, …

Measurements By Controlled Meteorological Balloons In Coastal Areas Of Antarctica, Lars R. Hole, Alexis Pérez Bello, Tjarda J. Roberts, Paul B. Voss, Timo Vihma

Engineering: Faculty Publications

An experiment applying controlled meteorological (CMET) balloons near the coast of Dronning Maud Land, Antarctica, in January 2013 is described. Two balloons were airborne for 60 and 106 hours with trajectory lengths of 885.8 km and 2367.4 km, respectively. The balloons carried out multiple controlled soundings on the atmospheric pressure, temperature and humidity up to 3.3 km. Wind speed and direction were derived from the balloon drift. Observations were compared with radiosonde sounding profiles from the Halley Research Station, and applied in evaluating simulations carried out with the weather research and forecasting (WRF) mesoscale atmospheric model. The most interesting feature …

Using Everyday Objects To Engage Students In Standards Education, Margaret Phillips, Paul Mcpherson

Libraries Faculty and Staff Presentations

This paper describes an innovative approach to standards education in an undergraduate mechanical engineering technology design course. The work is focused on making standards appeal to students by using “everyday objects” (e.g. toaster, ladder, grill, etc.) as catalysts to introduce the topic of standards in a way that connects to students’ daily lives. The project involves instructor-librarian collaboration to incorporate information literacy and campus library resources into the standards curricula, so that students not only become familiar with standards resources, but also proficient at searching for and locating the documents. Preliminary results and observations indicate this is an effective approach …

Development Of A Mathematical Model To Estimate Intra-Tumor Oxygen Concentrations Through Multi-Parametric Imaging, Chung-Wein Lee, Keith Stantz, Phd

School of Health Sciences Faculty Publications

Background

Tumor hypoxia is involved in every stage of solid tumor development: formation, progression, metastasis, and apoptosis. Two types of hypoxia exist in tumors—chronic hypoxia and acute hypoxia. Recent studies indicate that the regional hypoxia kinetics is closely linked to metastasis and therapeutic responses, but regional hypoxia kinetics is hard to measure. We propose a novel approach to determine the local pO2 by fusing the parameters obtained from in vivo functional imaging through the use of a modified multivariate Krogh model.

Methods

To test our idea and its potential to translate into an in vivo setting through the use of …

Asme Student Design Challenge, James Mitchell, Ean Murnan, Alex Wirtz

Mechanical Engineering Design Project Class

The Olympic Summer Games test the abilities of people throughout the world in a wide variety of athletic challenges. The athlete that wins the Olympic decathlon or heptathlon is referred to as the world’s greatest male or female athlete. The 2017 Student Design Competition challenges your technical design skills to create a robot that is fast, strong, and agile. Your team must build a remotely controlled device to compete against others in five different events – a robot pentathlon. Scores from each of the events will be combined to determine the overall champion. Our team will attempt to design a …

Four-Wheel Steering, Theodore Wisniewski, Andrew Sparrow, Phil Rowsell

Mechanical Engineering Design Project Class

This prototype Four-Wheel Steering system is designed for a Formula SAE racecar. Multiple steering geometries can be applied to optimize the handling across a range of speeds. Ackermann steering geometry at low speeds improves the car’s agility in tight, technical race courses. At high speeds the steering transitions to parallel steering geometry, improving stability and giving the driver more precise control over the vehicle. The system fits seamlessly within the rear suspension packaging of the existing WashU Racing vehicle design and minimizes addition of weight by using compact and lightweight electronic linear actuators to steer the rear wheels. In testing …

An Improve Naked Mole Rat Trap, Group Iii, Spencer Egly, Ted Daley, Andrew Thompson

Mechanical Engineering Design Project Class

This project attempts to improve on Dr. Stan Braude’s current Naked Mole Rat trap design. Dr. Braude currently uses his trap to catch and tag naked mole rats for his research. While Dr. Braude is happy with his current trap, he designed them himself over twenty years ago, and believes that they can be improved and modernized for increased ease and convenience. The key project goal is to deliver an improved trap to Dr. Braude that will meet his needs. The modifications that this project will attempt to deliver are a repeatable, solar powered trap that is compatible with his …

Reinventing The Dishwasher, Caryn Devaney, Carter Fraser, Aaron Walters

Mechanical Engineering Design Project Class

Most people aren’t excited to do the dishes. Still, washing cookware like pots and pans is an unavoidable task - and even those who own dishwashers typically choose to handwash them after use. After conducting a wide-ranging market survey, we designed a standalone device which can fill the existing gap between handwashing and dishwashing. We successfully built a single pan dishwasher which simulates hand washing to clean nonstick frying pans.

Mems 411 Design Report Group O: Naked Mole Rat Trap, Drew Pikey, Adam Glassl, Sam Nadell

Mechanical Engineering Design Project Class

Naked mole-rats are mouse size rodents that live in underground colonies in East Africa. They are best known for having a queen and workers like bees. Prof Stan Braude has been studying them in Kenya and Ethiopia for over 25 years and has trapped over 10,000 of these animals, marked and released them. He is the world’s expert at trapping naked mole-rats and yet, he still needs a better trap. Prof. Stan Braude is looking forward to working with a team of real engineers and designers who can help him complete this project.

Automatic Onion Peeler, William R. Luer, Matthew O. Clohisy, Craig A. Claire, Dylan L. Newcomb

Mechanical Engineering Design Project Class

Our senior design report encompasses the design selection, process, and fabrication of an automatic onion peeler. Our design is intended for the peeling of medium yellow onions in restaurant-scale applications. Our machine is easily cleaned and can be safely operated by one person.