Engineering Commons^™

Enhancing The Strength Properties Of Fly Ash By Adding Waste Products, Alfred J. Susilo

Theses and Dissertations--Civil Engineering

For this study, the main material to be investigated is Class F fly ash that originates from the combustion of Appalachian coal. Alone, fly ash exhibits poor strength properties and is susceptible to liquefaction when subject to dynamic loading. This research is focused on investigating the effect of adding materials that would otherwise be considered as waste products to the fly ash. Materials to be considered include crumb rubber, shredded carpet and shredded paper. The benefits from this research are twofold. First, provide a method to stabilize fly ash. For large masses of fly ash such as those found at …

Tier 1 Highway Security Sensitive Material Dynamic Risk Management, Steven Douglas Kreis

Theses and Dissertations--Civil Engineering

Each year, over 2 billion tons of hazardous materials are shipped in the United States, with over half of that being moved on commercial vehicles. Given their relatively poor or nonexistent defenses and inconspicuousness, commercial vehicles transporting hazardous materials are an easy target for terrorists. Before carriers or security agencies recognize that something is amiss, their contents could be detonated or released. From 2006 to 2015, the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) recorded 144,643 incidents involving a release of hazardous materials. Although there were no known instances of terrorism being the cause, accidental releases …

The Influence Of Cholesterol-Related Membrane Fluidity On The Shear Stress Control Of Neutrophil Adhesion And Its Implications In Hypercholesterolemia, Michael L. Akenhead

Theses and Dissertations--Biomedical Engineering

Hypercholesterolemia is a significant risk factor in the development of cardiovascular disease and is associated with chronic leukocyte adhesion in the microvasculature. While the underlying mechanisms behind this have yet to be determined, it may be possible that hypercholesterolemia impairs the fluid shear stress (FSS) inactivation of neutrophils through the rigidifying effect of cholesterol on membrane fluidity. FSS restricts surface expression of CD18 integrins through cathepsin B (ctsB) proteolysis, which minimizes neutrophil adhesivity. If hypercholesterolemia blocks FSS mechanotransduction, then the inhibition of CD18 cleavage may link pathologic blood cholesterol elevations with dysregulated neutrophil adhesion. We hypothesized that elevated cholesterol contributes …

Modeling The Compressibility Behavior Of Hard Red Wheat Varieties, Aaron P. Turner, Michael D. Montross, Samuel G. Mcneill, Michael P. Sama, Mark E. Casada, Josephine M. Boac, Rumela Bhadra, Ronaldo G. Maghirang, Sidney A. Thompson

Biosystems and Agricultural Engineering Faculty Publications

The bulk density of grain in a storage structure varies vertically and horizontally due to the overburden pressure created by the cumulative weight of the overlying material. As the overburden pressure increases, the stored material compacts. This compaction is believed to be caused by rearrangement of kernels along with higher intergranular stress between particles, leading to kernel deformation. This compaction is of primary concern when estimating the amount of grain in a storage structure. In this comprehensive study, confined uniaxial compression tests were conducted on 27 different samples of hard red winter wheat, at three moisture levels, over the range …

Error Analysis Of Stored Grain Inventory Determination, Aaron P. Turner, Michael D. Montross, Joshua J. Jackson, Samuel G. Mcneill, Mark E. Casada, Josephine M. Boac, Rumela Bhadra, Ronaldo G. Maghirang, Sidney A. Thompson

Biosystems and Agricultural Engineering Faculty Publications

Estimation of the quantity of stored grain is important for crop insurance, financial statements, and inventory control. Traditionally, the height of grain has been measured using weighted tape measures, and the volume is subsequently computed using standard geometric shapes (cylinders and cones) along with visual correction of the grain surface. Field measurements by four trained USDA Farm Service Agency and crop insurance agents on older farm-sized bins (8.2 to 11.0 m, or 27 to 36 ft, in diameter) resulted in standard deviations between 0.02 and 0.30 m for the equivalent height when the grain surface was not level. The largest …

Correlating Bulk Density (With Dockage) And Test Weight (Without Dockage) For Wheat Samples, Rumela Bhadra, Mark E. Casada, Josephine M. Boac, Aaron P. Turner, Sidney A. Thompson, Michael D. Montross, Ronaldo G. Maghirang, Samuel G. Mcneill

Biosystems and Agricultural Engineering Faculty Publications

In grain bins, the compaction of stored grain is caused by the overbearing pressure of the bulk material in the bin. To predict the amount of grain in the bin, compaction values must be determined based on the average bulk density (BD) of the stored material. However, BD is determined following the Federal Grain Inspection Service (FGIS) guidelines for measuring test weight (TW), which require that dockage be removed prior to measuring wheat TW. Thus, this creates a problem for predicting grain compaction and conducting inventory studies, because the average BD of the grain in a bin for these calculations …

As-Applied Estimation Of Volumetric Flow Rate From A Single Sprayer Nozzle Series Using Water-Sensitive Spray Cards, Michael P. Sama, John T. Evans, Aaron P. Turner, Surya Saket Dasika

Biosystems and Agricultural Engineering Faculty Publications

The objective of this study was to test the feasibility of using coverage measurements from water-sensitive spray cards to estimate the volumetric flow rate at an individual sprayer nozzle. TeeJet VisiFlow Even Flat Spray Tips were selected due to their uniform distribution of coverage. Spray distribution for each nozzle was validated using a spray patternator table with 2.5 cm sampling widths. A rotary test fixture translated water-sensitive spray cards through the spray dispersion (water at ambient conditions) at a constant angular velocity and a radius of 1.2 m. The test fixture measured volumetric flow and pressure at the nozzle and …

A Review Of Non-Destructive Methods For Detection Of Insect Infestation In Fruits And Vegetables, Nader Ekramirad, Akinbode A. Adedeji, Reza Alimardani

Biosystems and Agricultural Engineering Faculty Publications

Insect damage in fruits and vegetables cause major production and economic losses in the agriculture and food industry worldwide. Monitoring of internal quality and detection of insect infestation in fruits and vegetables is critical for sustainable agriculture. Early detection of an infestation in fruits can facilitate the control of insects and the quarantine operations through proper post-harvest management strategies and can improve productivity. The present review recognizes the need for developing a rapid, cost-effective, and reliable insect infestation monitoring system that would lead to advancements in agriculture and food industry. In this paper, an overview of non-destructive detection insect damages …

Nozzle Sensor For In-System Chemical Concentration Monitoring, Joseph S. Dvorak, Timothy S. Stombaugh, Yongbo Wan

Biosystems and Agricultural Engineering Faculty Publications

Chemical concentration is a vital parameter for determining appropriate chemical application. This study describes the design and testing of a sensor that attempted to monitor concentration of chemicals upstream from each nozzle body. The sensor is based on an LED and photodiode pair. Its ability to detect chemical concentration within the main carrier was tested with a 2,4-D formulation, a glyphosate formulation, and a powdered Acid Blue 9 dye. The liquid herbicide formulations of glyphosate and 2,4-D were tested across common application concentrations of 0% to 12.5% by volume. The powdered dye produced a much stronger effect on the sensor …

Impedance Characterization Of Ysz Based Nox Sensors, Ling Cui

Doctoral Dissertations

Yttria-stabilized zirconia has been utilized as an electrolyte of SOFC (Solid Oxide Fuel Cell) studies for years. It is also preferred as the electrolyte for solid state electrochemical sensor which is able to measure nitrogen oxides in the exhaust system. Electrochemical Impedance Spectroscopy method yields the change in impedance which is caused by an electron exchange of NO x gases at the sensing electrodes. From the EIS data, the fractional change in the phase angle is calculated for detecting sensor sensitivity.

Considering the fabrication of a sensor, several variables have been investigated which include the choice of electrolyte processing, sensing …

Improving Nano-Drug Delivery By Using Near-Real Time Sensing And Feedback, Pratik Adhikari

Doctoral Dissertations

Personalized medicine, seen as the solution to address the variability among the individuals, is the movement which proposes customization of medical procedures based on the need of the patient during the stages of prevention, diagnosis, treatment, and follow up. As the technology in medicine expands and newer methods of diagnosis and treatment are introduced in the clinic, real time data from the procedures is critical to assess the performance at point of care. Real time feedback, through collection of data at point of care would help make informed clinical decisions, potentially improving the efficacy of the treatment. In this dissertation, …

Electron Beam Induced Deposition Of Highly Conductive Copper Nanowires From Bulk Liquids, Amjad M. Syam

Theses and Dissertations--Electrical and Computer Engineering

Electron-beam induced deposition (EBID) is a position-controlled technique that can directly fabricate nanometer-sized structures in functional materials. In the standard process, a gaseous precursor delivers the desired substance to the substrate for deposition. However, the material purity from these precursors is typically poor, which often negatively affects the functional properties of the deposit. Recently, bulk liquid precursors have been investigated as promising reactants for high purity deposition without the need for post-processing. In this work, EBID from bulk liquids is shown to yield highly conductive nanowire deposits. Aqueous solutions containing copper sulfate (CuSO₄) and sulfuric acid (H_{2 …}

Size Specific Transfection To Mammalian Cells By Micropillar Array Electroporation, Yingbo Zu

Doctoral Dissertations

Electroporation serves as a promising non-viral gene delivery approach, while its current configurations carry drawbacks associated with high-voltage electrical pulses and heterogeneous treatment on individual cells. Here, we developed a new micropillar array electroporation (MAE) platform to advance the delivery of plasmid DNA and RNA to mammalian cells. By introducing well-patterned micropillar array on the electrode surface, the number of pillars each cell faces varies with its cell membrane surface area, despite their large population and random locations. In this way, cell size specific electroporation is conveniently done and contributed to a 2.5~3 fold increase on plasmid DNA transfection and …

Development And Application Of Urban Landslide Vulnerability Assessment Methodology Reflecting Social And Economic Variables, Yoonkyung Park, Ananta Man Singh Pradhan, Ungtae Kim, Yun-Tae Kim, Sangdan Kim

Civil and Environmental Engineering Faculty Publications

An urban landslide vulnerability assessment methodology is proposed with major focus on considering urban social and economic aspects. The proposed methodology was developed based on the landslide susceptibility maps that Korean Forest Service utilizes to identify landslide source areas. Frist, debris flows are propagated to urban areas from such source areas by Flow-R (flow path assessment of gravitational hazards at a regional scale), and then urban vulnerability is assessed by two categories: physical and socioeconomic aspect. The physical vulnerability is related to buildings that can be impacted by a landslide event. This study considered two popular building structure types, reinforced-concrete …

Timing And Carrier Synchronization In Wireless Communication Systems: A Survey And Classification Of Research In The Last 5 Years, Ali A. Nasir, Salman Durrani, Hani Mehrpouyan, Steven D. Blostein, Rodney A. Kennedy

Electrical and Computer Engineering Faculty Publications and Presentations

Timing and carrier synchronization is a fundamental requirement for any wireless communication system to work properly. Timing synchronization is the process by which a receiver node determines the correct instants of time at which to sample the incoming signal. Carrier synchronization is the process by which a receiver adapts the frequency and phase of its local carrier oscillator with those of the received signal. In this paper, we survey the literature over the last 5 years (2010–2014) and present a comprehensive literature review and classification of the recent research progress in achieving timing and carrier synchronization in single-input single-output (SISO), …

Revealing Student Misconceptions And Instructor Blind Spots With Muddiest Point Formative Feedback, Cindy Waters, Stephen J. Krause, Janet Callahan, Barry Dupen, Mary B. Vollaro, Peggie Weeks

Materials Science and Engineering Faculty Publications and Presentations

Of interest to all engineering disciplines, well-designed formative feedback has the potential to enhance both instructor teaching and student learning. Delivering fundamental courses year after year, can ultimately lead faculty to use stale notes or slides from past years. This approach may save time, but does not meet the shifting needs of our students who have high expectations from their instructors. One simple method to improve teaching is to employ muddiest point reflections. Muddiest point reflections involve simply asking students to anonymously reflect on what was “muddy”, i.e. confusing, during class and to rank their level of confusion which not …

Carbon Dioxide Adsorption Studies On Fly Ash Zeolites, Denitza Zgureva

Coal Combustion and Gasification Products Journal Archive

In this study, the potential of fly ash zeolites (FAZ) Linde (LTA) and faujasite (FAU) to adsorb carbon dioxide (CO2) was investigated in view of the results of implementation in postcombustion carbon-capture technologies. Adsorption isotherms of selected samples were measured at 273.15 K by a Micromeritics Tristar II 3020 surface analyzer. The highest adsorption capacity was obtained for FAZ with a FAU structure synthesized by a two-stage fusion hydrothermal process from fly ash (FA) that was composed of 65 wt% amorphous components. The adsorption capacity for this sample reached a value of 136.40 mg CO2/g FAZ at atmospheric pressure, a …

Analysis Of Scientific Investigations Related To Reclamation Of Surface Mining Control And Reclamation Act Permitted Coal Mines With Coal Combustion By-Products, Kimery C. Vories

Coal Combustion and Gasification Products Journal Archive

In the United states, the placement of coal combustion by-products (CCBs) (i.e., fly ash, bottom ash, boiler slag, flue gas desulfurization material, and fluidized bed combustion material) in coal mines has been an area of controversy. Federal and state governments, universities, the National Energy Technology Laboratory, and industrial research organizations have taken an active role in encouraging and promoting technological advances, research, and technology transfer related to the use of CCBs at coal mines. CCBs have been placed at Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act of 1977 (SMCRA) permitted mines since 1977 to serve the following purposes: (1) a seal …

Coal Ash By-Product From Shanxi Province, China, For The Production Of Portland–Calcium Sulfoaluminate, Tristana Y. Duvallet, Thomas L. Robl, Kevin R. Henke, Yongmin Zhou, David Harris

Coal Combustion and Gasification Products Journal Archive

Twenty bulk samples were collected from ponded coal combustion ash in Shanxi Province, China, as part of an investigation of their beneficiation potential. The samples were shipped to the University of Kentucky, where they were chemically analyzed. The samples were highly consistent in chemistry, falling within the ASTM C-618 class F compositional range. The particle size of the ponded ash was relatively coarse, with only ,7% by weight on average, falling below 200 mesh (75 mm) particle size. The bulk of the material (.80%) was within 50 by 200 mesh (equivalent to 300 by 75 mm). X-ray diffraction investigation combined …

Effect Of Coal Fly Ash Leachate On The Bioluminescence Intensity Of Vibrio Fischeri, Shiro Ikeda, Irena Kostova, Hideaki Sekine, Yoshika Sekine

Coal Combustion and Gasification Products Journal Archive

Coal fly ash is a residue of coal-fired thermoelectric power plants (TPPs) and is mostly dumped in ash ponds or landfill sites, even though it potentially contains significant amounts of water-soluble hazardous contaminants. Bioassay using the bioluminescent bacterium *Vibrio fischeri* is known to be applicable for assessing the short-term and sublethal toxicity of complex mixtures without the need for precise chemical characterization. However, this type of bioassay is potentially adversely influenced by the pH-induced protein denaturation of cells. Because coal fly ash leachates often have alkaline or acidic properties, when applying the *V. fischeri*-based bioassay to the samples, we need …

Influence Of Coal-Fired Power Plant Emissions Regulations And Consequent Engineering Controls And Coal-Supply Modifications On Fly Ash Chemistry And Petrology: Examples From Kentucky Power Plants, Madison M. Hood, John G. Groppo, Michelle N. Johnston, James C. Hower, Herek L. Clack, Diego S. De Medeiros, Silvio R. Taffarel, Cesar M.N.L. Cutruneo, Luis F.O. Silva

Coal Combustion and Gasification Products Journal Archive

The chemistry and petrology of fly ash are controlled by a number of factors: (1) chemistry of the feed coal (and added fuels, such as petroleum coke, tires, biomass, etc.), (2) particle size of the fuel feed (controlled by pulverized fuel vs. cyclone combustion, maintenance of pulverizers, etc.), (3) design of the boiler and pollution-control system, and (4) temperature of the flue gas at the collection point. In general, for any electrostatic precipitator or baghouse system, the concentrations of volatile trace elements in fly ash will increase with a drop in the flue gas temperature and a decrease in the …

Cardiovascular Dieseases: From Data Generation To Analysis, Thomas Wischgoll

Computer Science and Engineering Faculty Publications

Cardiovascular diseases remain the leading cause of death in Western societies. This presentation will provide insight into the use of expert knowledge and models to derive diagnostic tools that have the potential to aid in the diagnosis of diffuse cardiovascular diseases that tend to be more difficult to detect in CT angiograms. In order to develop these methods more basic research is needed to prove the validity of the approach, including validation of accuracy as well as approach itself. For that, specimens of porcine hearts were prepared and then analyzed followed by a statistical comparison between computed and optical measurements. …

A Semi-Automated Computer Program For Assessment Of Skeletal Maturity In Children, Sara Gharabaghi, Thomas Wischgoll

Computer Science and Engineering Faculty Publications

In pediatric patients, skeletal maturity is an important tool for detection of hormonal, growth or genetic disorders. The Fels method is a well-known visual assessment method in which the skeletal age is estimated by grading 98 skeletal indicators in the hand-wrist radiographic (x-ray) image. These indicators are features that reflect the three-dimensional shape of the bones and change during the maturation process. Generally, the Fels indicators could be categorized into three main groups of the status of ossification, the ratios of bone widths, and epiphysealdiaphyseal fusion.

Stimulus And Optode Placement Effects On Functional Near-Infrared Spectroscopy Of Visual Cortex, Nasser H. Kashou, Brenna M. Giacherio

Biomedical, Industrial & Human Factors Engineering Faculty Publications

Functional near-infrared spectroscopy has yet to be implemented as a stand-alone technique within an ophthalmology clinical setting, despite its promising advantages. The present study aims to further investigate reliability of visual cortical signals. This was achieved by: (1) assessing the effects of optode placements using the 10–20 International System of Electrode Placement consisting of 28 channels, (2) determining effects of stimulus size on response, and (3) evaluating response variability as a result of cap placement across three sessions. Ten participants with mean age 23.8 4.8 years (five male) and varying types of hair color and thickness were recruited. Visual stimuli …

Hand-Grasping And Finger Tapping Induced Similar Functional Near-Infrared Spectroscopy Cortical Responses, Nasser H. Kashou, Brenna M. Giacherio, Ramzi W. Nahhas, Sudarshan R. Jadcherla

Biomedical, Industrial & Human Factors Engineering Faculty Publications

Despite promising advantages such as low cost and portability of functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS), it has yet to be widely implemented outside of basic research. Specifically, fNIRS has yet to be proven as a standalone tool within a clinical setting. The objective of this study was to assess hemodynamic concentration changes at the primary and premotor motor cortices as a result of simple whole-hand grasping and sequential finger-opposition (tapping) tasks. These tasks were repeated over 3 days in a randomized manner. Ten healthy young adults (23.8 4.8 years) participated in the study. Quantitatively, no statistically significant differences were discovered between …

Finite Element Analysis Of Superior C3 Cervical Vertebra Endplate And Cancellous Core Under Static Loads, Isaac Mabe, Tarun Goswami

Biomedical, Industrial & Human Factors Engineering Faculty Publications

Subsidence is a type of failure associated with implanted cervical cages or artificial intervertebral discs. It is defined as a loss of postoperative disc height. Actuarial rates show a risk of subsidence at 16 weeks at 70.7 percent. This study examines the changes in the vertebral endplate morphology and the resulting effect on the stresses developed in the endplate and in the vertebral core. A three-dimensional linear elastic model was created from computed tomographic (CT) scans and material properties were assigned according to various studies. Particular care was taken in the superior endplate that was modeled according to experimental measurements. …

Analysis Of A Clinically Failed, Mechanically Intact, Hemi-Toe Implant, Swetha Varadharajan, Richard T. Laughlin, Tarun Goswami

Biomedical, Industrial & Human Factors Engineering Faculty Publications

In this case study a clinically failed, mechanically intact, hemi-toe device was investigated. The clinical indication of the failure constitutes radiolucent line indicating loosening of the implant and possible interactions among the bone-implant initiated by osteolysis may become a factor, producing pain, inflammatory reactions, deformity and discomfort. The patient file was not available to determine these parameters. The device was titanium coated, Cobalt Chromium alloy used for making hemi-toe. Degeneration of hemi implant was due to spalling of the coating from the surface, causing loosening of stem from bone. However, pre-removal X-ray films were not available to confirm. Mechanism by …

Personalized And Adaptive Semantic Information Filtering For Social Media, Pavan Kapanipathi

Browse all Theses and Dissertations

Social media has experienced immense growth in recent times. These platforms are becoming increasingly common for information seeking and consumption, and as part of its growing popularity, information overload pose a significant challenge to users. For instance, Twitter alone generates around 500 million tweets per day and it is impractical for users to have to parse through such an enormous stream to find information that are interesting to them. This situation necessitates efficient personalized filtering mechanisms for users to consume relevant, interesting information from social media. Building a personalized filtering system involves understanding users' interests and utilizing these interests to …

Aligned Carbon Nanotube Carpets On Carbon Substrates For High Power Electronic Applications, Betty Tun-Huan Quinton

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Abstract Quinton, Betty Tun-Huan. Ph.D., Engineering Ph.D. Program, Wright State University, 2016. Aligned Carbon Nanotube Carpets On Carbon Substrates for High Power Electronic Applications. One of the driving forces behind nanotechnology research is the miniaturization of electronic devices. Electrical and thermal transport properties of device materials at micrometer and nanometer scales become very important in such applications. Carbon materials, especially carbon nanotubes (CNTs), have exceptionally low density and superior electrical, thermal, and mechanical properties. Vertically aligned CNTs attached to lightweight carbon substrates may hold the key to fully use these outstanding properties. However, the majority of studies reported to date …

Detecting Php-Based Cross-Site Scripting Vulnerabilities Using Static Program Analysis, Steven M. Kelbley

Browse all Theses and Dissertations

With the widespread adoption of dynamic web applications in recent years, a number of threats to the security of these applications have emerged as significant challenges for application developers. The security of developed applications has become a higher priority for both developers and their employers as cyber attacks become increasingly more prevalent and damaging. Some of the most used web application frameworks are written in PHP and have become major targets due to the large number of servers running these applications worldwide. A number of tools exist to evaluate PHP code for issues, however most of these applications are not …