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Applications For Elections | Electrical And Computer Engineering, Usu College Of Engineering

College of Engineering News

Elections are upon us! The USU student chapter of IEEE is run by volunteer students, and we're glad to have you participate with us. Consider the positions that will be available for this coming election and how you can contribute.

The positions of Chair and Vice Chair will be decided based on votes from the entire electrical engineering department. The runner up will be the Vice Chair. The elected Chair and Vice Char will then review the applications for other positions.

Usu Biological Engineer Patents Method To Make Natural Blue Dye | College Of Engineering, Usu College Of Engineering

College of Engineering News

Feb. 22, 2016 – A Utah State University researcher has taken a big step toward making a safer, more natural dye that can be used in the food, textile, cosmetic and other industries.

Dr. Jixun Zhan, an associate professor of biological engineering at USU, has secured a patent for an innovative method to produce the deep blue dye known as indigoidine. The tint was originally synthesized from a bacterial strain found inRhode Island and offered a promising alternative to the synthetic dyes used to color jeans, leather, food and paper.

Investigation Of Polyaniline And Its Composites As Interlayers In Organic Solar Cells, Omar Abdulrazzaq Al-Azzawi

Theses and Dissertations

Significant attention has been given during the last few years to overcoming technological and material barriers to the development of organic photovoltaic devices (OPVs) with cost efficiency comparable to that of inorganic photovoltaics (PVs). If OPVs are to become commercially viable, major improvements are necessary. In this work, polyaniline (PANI) protonated with various levels of camphorsulfonic acid (CSA) and dissolved in m-cresol has been used as a hole-transport layer (HTL) in organic bulk-heterojunction solar cells. Polyaniline was first synthesized using oxidative polymerization based on the MacDiarmid method. The polymerization parameters, such as polymerization temperature and polymerization pH control agent, were …

Midwest Guardrail System (Mgs) With An Omitted Post, Jessica L. Lingenfelter, Scott Rosenbaugh, Robert W. Bielenberg, Karla A. Lechtenberg, Ronald K. Faller, John D. Reid

Nebraska Department of Transportation: Research Reports

The objective of this research study was to evaluate the MGS (31” tall W-beam guardrail) with an omitted post according to the safety performance criteria provided in MASH. A single full-scale crash test was conducted with the 2270P pickup truck in accordance with MASH test no. 3-11. The small car test, test no. 3-10, was deemed unnecessary as the pickup truck test would result in higher rail loads, a greater propensity for rail rupture, and a greater risk of failure. The test installation utilized standard 6-ft (1.8-m) long steel guardrail posts with 12-in. (305-mm) deep blockouts. A single post was …

Alkali Silica Reaction (Asr) Mitigation For Arkansas Region, Lois Farouk Kamel

Theses and Dissertations

The objective of this research is to mitigate and prevent the alkali silica reactivity (ASR) in highway construction projects. ASR is a deleterious reaction initiated when the silica content of the aggregate reacts with alkali hydroxides in the mix in the presence of relatively high moisture content. The ASR results in the formation of an expansive white colored gel-like material which forms the destructive tensile stresses inside hardened concrete. Different types of local aggregates available in the State of Arkansas were mixed, mortar bars and concrete specimens were poured according to the ASTM specifications. Specimens' expansion was measured versus time, …

Development Of Lightweight Concrete Mixes For Construction Industry At The State Of Arkansas, Mohammed Abdulwahab Almansouri

Theses and Dissertations

As the construction industry evolved, the need for more durable, long lasting infrastructure increased. Therefore, more efforts have been put to find new methods to improve the properties of the concrete to prolong the service life of the structural elements. One of these methods is the use of lightweight aggregate as an internal curing agent to help reducing self-desiccation and shrinkage. This research studied the effects of using locally available lightweight aggregate (expanded clay), as a partial replacement of normal weight aggregate in the concrete matrix. The concrete mixtures contained lightweight aggregate with a replacement percentage of 12.5, 25, 37.5, …

Segway: A Simple Framework For Unsupervised Sleep Segmentation In Experimental Eeg Recordings, Farid Yaghouby, Sridhar Sunderam

Biomedical Engineering Faculty Publications

Sleep analysis in animal models typically involves recording an electroencephalogram (EEG) and electromyogram (EMG) and scoring vigilance state in brief epochs of data as Wake, REM (rapid eye movement sleep) or NREM (non-REM) either manually or using a computer algorithm. Computerized methods usually estimate features from each epoch like the spectral power associated with distinctive cortical rhythms and dissect the feature space into regions associated with different states by applying thresholds, or by using supervised/unsupervised statistical classifiers; but there are some factors to consider when using them:

• Most classifiers require scored sample data, elaborate heuristics or computational steps not easily …

Application Of Generalized Snoek's Law Over A Finite Frequency Range: A Case Study, Konstantin N. Rozanov, Marina Y. Koledintseva

Electrical and Computer Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Generalized Snoek's law proposed in an integral form by Acher and coauthors is a useful tool for investigation of high-frequency properties of magnetic materials. This integral law referred to as Acher's law allows for evaluating the ultimate performance of RF and microwave devices which employ magnetic materials. It may also be helpful in obtaining useful information on the structure and morphology of the materials. The key factor in practical application of Acher's law is an opportunity to employ either measured or calculated data available over a finite frequency range. The paper uses simple calculations to check the applicability of Acher's …

Composite Nanofibers As Advanced Materials For Li-Ion, Li-O2 And Li-S Batteries, Victor Agubra, Luis Zuniga, David Flores, Jahaziel Villarreal, Mataz Alcoutlabi

Mechanical Engineering Faculty Publications

The quest to increase the energy density and improve the cycle life performance of lithium ion batteries (LIBs) and beyond has led to the development of various suitable and alternative materials for energy storage and conversion. The morphology and electrode architecture in advanced battery materials have been re-designed into nanofibers and composite nanofibers. Nanofiber-based separators and electrodes have demonstrated to improve the energy density and cycling performance of LIBs. The improvement in the structure and morphology of nanofibers in LIBs such as LiSi and LiSn, have once again ignited the interest in these Li:M alloy anodes as alternative anode and …

Pilot Perceptions On Impact Of Crew Rest Regulations On Safety And Fatigue, Lukas Rudari, Mary E. Johnson, Robert C. Geske, Lauren A. Sperlak

International Journal of Aviation, Aeronautics, and Aerospace

The risk of fatigue on pilot performance and safety is well recognized in aviation. In response to increased safety concerns, the Federal Aviation Administration addressed fatigue risk for passenger airline pilots in Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 117, which included accommodations to address fatigue related risk-factors such as circadian rhythm and the phenomenon commonly described as jet-lag. The rule became effective in January 2014. A survey was conducted in March and April of 2014 to better understand pilot perceptions of the new Part 117 rule. This study analyzed survey responses from 92 self-identified pilots to determine the effect …

Improved Sensitivity Mems Cantilever Sensor For Terahertz Photoacoustic Spectroscopy, Ronald A. Coutu Jr., Ivan R. Medvedev, Douglas T. Petkie

Electrical and Computer Engineering Faculty Research and Publications

In this paper, a microelectromechanical system (MEMS) cantilever sensor was designed, modeled and fabricated to measure the terahertz (THz) radiation induced photoacoustic (PA) response of gases under low vacuum conditions. This work vastly improves cantilever sensitivity over previous efforts, by reducing internal beam stresses, minimizing out of plane beam curvature and optimizing beam damping. In addition, fabrication yield was improved by approximately 50% by filleting the cantilever’s anchor and free end to help reduce high stress areas that occurred during device fabrication and processing. All of the cantilever sensors were fabricated using silicon-on-insulator (SOI) wafers and tested in a custom …

Improved Sensitivity Mems Cantilever Sensor For Terahertz Photoacoustic Spectroscopy, Ronald A. Coutu Jr., Ivan R. Medvedev, Douglas T. Petkie

Faculty Publications

In this paper, a microelectromechanical system (MEMS) cantilever sensor was designed, modeled and fabricated to measure the terahertz (THz) radiation induced photoacoustic (PA) response of gases under low vacuum conditions. This work vastly improves cantilever sensitivity over previous efforts, by reducing internal beam stresses, minimizing out of plane beam curvature and optimizing beam damping. In addition, fabrication yield was improved by approximately 50% by filleting the cantilever’s anchor and free end to help reduce high stress areas that occurred during device fabrication and processing. All of the cantilever sensors were fabricated using silicon-on-insulator (SOI) wafers and tested in a custom …

Undergraduate Research Assistant Wins A Eurp Award | Eed, Usu College Of Engineering

College of Engineering News

Jorge Espinoza, an undergraduate research assistant working with Dr. Idalis Villanueva in Engineering Education has been awarded a College of Engineering Undergraduate Research Program (EURP) award for the 2016-2017 academic year to conduct research in developing MATLAB codes to real-time biometric data used in the classroom. Biometrics involves the analysis of metrics reflective of human characteristics. An example of a metric can be physiological markers such as skin temperature and electrodermal activity or biological markers such as hormonal levels.

Webinar: Development Of A Pedestrian Demand Estimation Tool, Kelly Clifton

TREC Webinar Series

Why model pedestrians?

A new predictive tool for estimating pedestrian demand has potential applications for improving walkability. By forecasting the number, location and characteristics of walking trips, this tool allows for policy-sensitive mode shifts away from automobile travel.

There is growing support to improve the quality of the walking environment and make investments to promote pedestrian travel. Despite this interest and need, current forecasting tools, particularly regional travel demand models, often fall short. To address this gap, Oregon Metro and NITC researcher Kelly Clifton worked together to develop this pedestrian demand estimation tool which can allow planners to allocate infrastructure …

Detection Of Malicious Content In Json Structured Data Using Multiple Concurrent Anomaly Detection Methods, Brett N. Miller

Master's Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

Web applications and Web services often use a data format known as JavaScript Object Notation (JSON) to exchange information. An attacker can tamper with these exchanges to cause the Web service or application to malfunction in a way that is detrimental to the interests of the owners of the Web application or service. Many such applications or services are involved in processes critical to safety or are vital to business interests. Unfortunately, such critical applications cannot always be relied upon to validate the data sent to them. This creates a need for protection external to the applications themselves. This need …

Outstanding Undergraduate Teaching Fellow For The College Of Engineering 2015-16 | Engineering Education, Usu College Of Engineering

College of Engineering News

Jose Campos has earned the 2015 - 2016 Outstanding Undergraduate Teaching Fellow (UTF) for the College of Engineering.

Two College Of Engineering Faculty Receive Nsf Career Awards | College Of Engineering, Usu College Of Engineering

College of Engineering News

Feb. 17, 2016 – February was a banner month for Utah State University’s College of Engineering.

Two faculty members were chosen by the National Science Foundation to receive the prestigious CAREER Award. The two grants, approximately $500,000 each, will help advance fundamental research in areas of water resources engineering and computer science.

Combating The Sinister Side Of Crowdsourcing | College Of Engineering, Usu College Of Engineering

College of Engineering News

Feb. 16, 2016 – Sometimes computers just can’t solve the problem. How would a computer, for example, decide which image in a stack of photos is the prettiest, or know which retail store is more fun to shop in? When a task requires a human touch, problem solvers turn to online crowdsourcing tools for the solution.

System Safety Modeling Of Alternative Geofencing Configurations For Small Uas, James T. Luxhoj

International Journal of Aviation, Aeronautics, and Aerospace

As is well known, the integration of small Unmanned Aircraft Systems (sUAS) or “drones” into the National Airspace System (NAS) has captured significant industry, academic, regulatory and media attention. For sUAS that typically fly low and slow, the possibility of a mid-air collision with a nearby general aviation aircraft needs to be studied from a system safety perspective to identify possible hazards and to assess mitigations. The Aviation System Risk Model (ASRM) is a first-generation socio-technical model that uses a Bayesian Belief Network (BBN) methodology to integrate possible hazards to assess a non-linear safety risk metric. Using inductive logic, the …

Thermal Transport Properties Of Dry Spun Carbon Nanotube Sheets, Heath E. Misak, James L. Rutledge, Eric D. Swenson, Shankar Mall

Faculty Publications

The thermal properties of carbon nanotube- (CNT-) sheet were explored and compared to copper in this study. The CNT-sheet was made from dry spinning CNTs into a nonwoven sheet. This nonwoven CNT-sheet has anisotropic properties in in-plane and out-of-plane directions. The in-plane direction has much higher thermal conductivity than the out-of-plane direction. The in-plane thermal conductivity was found by thermal flash analysis, and the out-of-plane thermal conductivity was found by a hot disk method. The thermal irradiative properties were examined and compared to thermal transport theory. The CNT-sheet was heated in the vacuum and the temperature was measured with an …

Overview Of Eps-1 For Spacecraft, Robert J. Twiggs

Robert "Bob" Twiggs STEM Education Collection

A PowerPoint Presentation created by Professor Bob Twiggs on an "Overview of EPS-1 for Spacecraft" from Febuary 15, 2016.

Overview Of Eps-2 For Spacecraft, Robert J. Twiggs

Robert "Bob" Twiggs STEM Education Collection

A PowerPoint Presentation created by Professor Bob Twiggs on an "Overview of EPS-2 for Spacecraft" from February 15, 2016.

Model Tests Of Dragging Hall Anchors In Sand, Yu-Xiao Ren, Zhen-Ming Lei, Li-Qiang Sun, Shu-Wang Yan

Journal of Marine Science and Technology–Taiwan

Hall anchors are often used as the main anchors in great medium ships. However, the methods for determining the holding capacity of Hall anchors when being pulled in soil are rarely proposed. In this study, a series of model tests was carried out using four scaled Hall anchor models to determine the kinematic behavior, trajectory, and development rules of the holding capacity of the anchors relative to dragging distances. Moreover, the holding force coefficients of the Hall anchors in sand were identified after the tests

Methods For Designing Partially Inflated Geotubes, Shu-Wang Yan, Jing Chen, Li-Qiang Sun

Journal of Marine Science and Technology–Taiwan

A widely used technique in constructing dikes for land reclamation is to use tubes made of sewn geosynthetic sheets. These tubes are usually filled with slurry comprising soils, such as sand, silt, and clay. The tension stress that develops in geosynthetic tubes during tube filling is the dominant factor considered in constructing safe dikes. Existing design methods are effective for sausage-shaped tube designs; however, they cannot be directly applied in flat tubes, which are commonly used in dike construction. This paper presents a procedure that can determine the relationships among tube size, pumping pressure, unit weight of the slurry, and …

Mechanism And Model Testing Of Pipelay Vessel Roll Affected By Large Period Swells, Jia Li, Zhen-Ming Lei, Li-Qiang Sun, Shu-Wang Yan

Journal of Marine Science and Technology–Taiwan

Pipelay vessels, such as the Hai Yang Shi You 201, have been seriously affected by large period swells in the East China Sea, where the roll amplitude is extremely large for normal pipe lay. Two conditions that can generate dramatic rolls, namely, parametric and synchronous rolling, were analyzed theoretically in this study. Model tests were also performed on the pipelay vessel Hai Yang Shi You 201 with course angles of 0, 30, 60, and 90°in swells of varying periods and wave heights to examine the aforementioned effect. The test data proved that drastic roll is not caused by parametric rolling, …

Pore Pressure Characteristics In Isotropic Consolidated Saturated Clay Under Unloading Conditions, Shu-Wang Yan, Jing-Jing Zhang, Ying-Hui Tian, Li-Qiang Sun

Journal of Marine Science and Technology–Taiwan

When foundations, such as caissons, spudcans, and mudmats, are pulled out from the saturated soft clay foundation, negative excess pore pressure will develop in the interface between the base and the soil. This phenomenon will significantly increase the uplift force. Therefore, estimating the developed negative excess pore pressure in the interface under unloading conditions is important. The development of excess pore pressure was investigated based on the triaxial extension test under isotropic consolidation condition. The method of using the modified Cambridge model to predict the excess pore pressure was programmed and has been proven to be feasible. By associating Henkel’s …

Multi Agv Scheduling Problem In Automated Container Terminal, Jian Jin, Xiao-Hua Zhang

Journal of Marine Science and Technology–Taiwan

In this paper we propose a dynamic multi automated guided vehicle (AGV) scheduling method based on the scheduling properties of automated container terminal handling systems. In multi-AGV scheduling, the composition of AGV handling time and the precedence order of certain tasks are major constraints. Taking these into consideration, we design a genetic algorithm (GA) for a dynamic multi-AGV scheduling model to minimize completion time and standard deviation of handling time of quay cranes (QC), and validated the proposed model through numerical experiment. We expect this model to be significant for multi-agent scheduling of discrete production systems.

Deployment Approach To Nodes Of The Iot For Monitoring Systems In Ports, Yang-Yang Hao, Yi Wu, Bin Yang, You-Fang Huang

Journal of Marine Science and Technology–Taiwan

In order to solve the conflict between higher monitoring quality and lower application costs of the internet of the things (IoT) monitoring system in ports, a mixed integer non-linear programming model was built. Various key factors, such as network scale, cost, representation level, and the deployment of nodes for the balance degree of the IoT, are comprehensively taken into consideration in this programming model. Furthermore, the quantity and deployment solution was solved through a genetic algorithm; in addition, the selection of nodes was evaluated. Simulation results show that the deployment solution is conducive to solve the quality-cost conflict to some …

Anti-Windup Schemes For Nonlinear Active Disturbance Rejection Control In Marine Steam Turbine, Yuan-Qing Wang, Guang Ren, Jun-Dong Zhang

Journal of Marine Science and Technology–Taiwan

Nonlinear characteristics are very common in marine steam turbine, such as control input constraints and external disturbances. Based on the active disturbance rejection control (ADRC), an anti-windup scheme is proposed to eliminate the undesired effects of nonlinear characteristics in the control system. In this scheme, firstly, a method of setting parameter is designed for nonlinear active disturbance rejection control (NLADRC). Then, two kinds of anti-windup schemes are proposed in this paper for NLADRC in the presence of control input constraints and external disturbances. Finally, simulation study is carried out for a first order delay object with actuator constraints, simulation results …

A Fast Automated Vision System For Container Corner Casting Recognition, Chao Mi, Zhiwei Zhang, Youfang Huang, Yang Shen

Journal of Marine Science and Technology–Taiwan

With the development of container port automation, the automated vision systems for containers have been widely used in automated ports. This paper presents a rapid automated vision system for container corner casting recognition. The histograms of oriented gradients (HOG) descriptors are used to preprocess the image of the container and the vectors of HOG are then built. A trained support vector machine (SVM) classifier is applied to recognize the right corner casting of the container. At last, through symmetry, a flipping mirror algorithm is used for quick left corner casting recognition. The experimental results show this algorithm scans and detect …