Nuclear Engineering Commons^™

Integrating Gis With Interim Payment Valuation In Road Construction Projects: A Conceptual Framework, Abdulrahman I. Iro, Juma M. Matindana, Julian Ijumulana

Tanzania Journal of Engineering and Technology (TJET)

Abstract

Interim Payment Valuation is a critical process in road construction contract administration, yet conventional valuation practices remain heavily dependent on manual measurements, fragmented documentation, spreadsheets, and professional judgement. These limitations can affect measurement accuracy, transparency, traceability, and the timeliness of payment certification. Although Geographic Information Systems have increasingly been applied to construction planning, quantity measurement, progress monitoring, infrastructure management, and decision support, their integration with contractual and financial processes for interim payment valuation remains insufficiently explored. This study therefore develops a conceptual framework for integrating GIS with Interim Payment Valuation in road construction projects. A PRISMA-guided structured literature review …

Voltage-Related Power Quality Issues And Impacts On Distribution Networks With Sensitive Loads - A Review, Godwin Elinazi Mnkeni, Jackson Justo, Aviti Thadei Mushi, Bakari M. M. Mwinyiwiwa

Tanzania Journal of Engineering and Technology (TJET)

Voltage disturbances are the most important power quality (PQ) complications that customers and power utilities face in this smart era. The growing adoption of sophisticated electronic equipment and integration of renewable energy sources (RES) into power grids has increased the susceptibility of power distribution networks (PDNs) to voltage sags, swells, interruptions, flicker, and voltage imbalance. These disturbances, mainly caused by upstream faults, switching operations, and RES integration, compromise voltage PQ and system reliability. Consequently, they accelerate equipment degradation, increase electronic waste (e-waste), raise reactive power demand and maintenance costs, increase power losses, and impose substantial economic losses on customers and …

Localized Nuclear Utility For Erau Environmental Improvement, Timothy Schroeder, Jacob Blanton, Christopher Anderson

Sustainability Conference

The reliance of Embry Riddle Aeronautical University (ERAU) on energy supplied by Florida Power & Light (FPL), which currently draws large amounts of power from fossil fuel sources, is continuously suboptimal both environmentally and financially. This study proposes assessing the feasibility of deploying a campus scale nuclear reactor tailored to ERAU’s power consumption profile. This serves as a path toward reducing greenhouse gas emissions and limiting dependence on external fossil fuel generation. The methods used are primarily literature review(s), and numerical analysis on comparable use cases. The literature reviews focused on design theory and yield of nuclear reactors on a …

Design And Characterization Of Radiation-Hardened Gaas Hbt-Based Optical Transceivers, Collin Burt

Electrical and Computer Engineering ETDs

Optical transceivers are desirable for their galvanic isolation and natural immunity to electromagnetic interference compared with direct electrical connections. This is true in normal operating environments as well as radiation environments. This work realizes and characterizes GaAs HBT-based optical transceivers across temperature and a range of radiation environments including high dose rate, total ionizing dose, neutron, and heavy ion. The transceiver designs are discussed and specific environmental design considerations are highlighted. Final results for each environment are provided and compared with existing transceivers.

Input Independent Observers For Bilinear Systems Using Convex Optimization, M. Aminul Haq, W. Steven Gray

Electrical & Computer Engineering Faculty Publications

An asymptotic state variable observer is proposed for a continuous-time bilinear dynamical system with the distinguishing feature that the error dynamics are globally asymptotically stable and independent of the applied input. Only the speed of convergence of the error dynamics may be input dependent. The approach is to apply classical Lyapunov stability theory using a convex optimization algorithm and linear matrix inequality (LMI) tools to in effect isolate the stability property of the error dynamics from the input. The LMIs are used to turn the nonconvex problem into a convex problem. The method is demonstrated on an induction motor drive.

Comparison Of End-Point Energies Of Bremsstrahlung Photons From 28 Ghz Ecr Ion Source In Three Measurement Locations, Mwingereza John Kumwenda Dr

Tanzania Journal of Engineering and Technology (TJET)

Bremsstrahlung photons measurement show elevated energy emission beyond critical energy in 28-GHz ECR and its nature is not revealed. Thus, the aim of this study is to unveil the nature of high end-point energies at the three measurement locations. Bremsstrahlung photons from a 28-GHz ECR ion source were measured at Busan center of Korean Basic Science Institute (KBSI). The gamma-ray detection system consists of three round type NaI(Tl) scintillation detectors placed 62 cm radially from the beam axis at the three measurement locations namely injection, centre and extraction sides of an ECR ion source, and a NaI(Tl) scintillation detector placed …

Miniature, Submersible Electromagnetic Pumps Of Molten Lead And Sodium For Gen-Iv Nuclear Reactors Development, Ragai M. Altamimi

Nuclear Engineering ETDs

Heavy metals and alkali Liquid Metals are suitable coolants for Generation IV terrestrial nuclear reactors for operating at elevated temperatures for achieving plant thermal efficiency more than 40% and the thermochemical generation of hydrogen fuel. In addition, the low vapor pressure of these liquids eliminates the need for a pressure vessel and instead operates slightly below ambient pressure. A primary issue with the uses of these coolants is their compatibility with nuclear fuel, cladding and core structure materials at elevated temperatures more than 500oC. Therefore, in pile and out-of-pile test loops have been constructed or being considered for quantifying the …

Vi Energy-Efficient Memristor-Based Neuromorphic Computing Circuits And Systems For Radiation Detection Applications, Jorge Iván Canales Verdial

Electrical and Computer Engineering ETDs

Radionuclide spectroscopic sensor data is analyzed with minimal power consumption through the use of neuromorphic computing architectures. Memristor crossbars are harnessed as the computational substrate in this non-conventional computing platform and integrated with CMOS-based neurons to mimic the computational dynamics observed in the mammalian brain’s visual cortex. Functional prototypes using spiking sparse locally competitive approximations are presented. The architectures are evaluated for classification accuracy and energy efficiency. The proposed systems achieve a 90% true positive accuracy with a high-resolution detector and 86% with a low-resolution detector.

Computational Models To Detect Radiation In Urban Environments: An Application Of Signal Processing Techniques And Neural Networks To Radiation Data Analysis, Jose Nicolas Gachancipa

Beyond: Undergraduate Research Journal

Radioactive sources, such as uranium-235, are nuclides that emit ionizing radiation, and which can be used to build nuclear weapons. In public areas, the presence of a radioactive nuclide can present a risk to the population, and therefore, it is imperative that threats are identified by radiological search and response teams in a timely and effective manner. In urban environments, such as densely populated cities, radioactive sources may be more difficult to detect, since background radiation produced by surrounding objects and structures (e.g., buildings, cars) can hinder the effective detection of unnatural radioactive material. This article presents a computational model …

Aerial Radiation Detection Identification And Measurement System Detector Material Comparison Study, Benjamin C. Troxell, Kacey D. Mcgee, Christina L. Dugan

Faculty Publications

The 20th Chemical Biological Radiological Nuclear and Explosives Command (CBRNE) currently utilizes an airborne sodium iodide gamma and beta detection system to map radiation fields over large areas of interest. The 20th CBRNE explored emergent detector technologies utilizing two detection materials; thallium-activated cesium iodide and high purity germanium (HPGe). These detectors were simulated at various altitudes and compared to background measurements. The sodium iodide detector failed to provide isotopic discrimination at distance. The thallium-activated cesium iodide CsI(Tl) detector provided sufficient absolute efficiency and energy resolution to identify isotopics at distance. The HPGe detector provided the best energy resolution. However, current …

Phase Change Temperature Sensor For High Radiation Environment: Material, Additive Technology And Structure Development, Al Amin Ahmed Simon

Boise State University Theses and Dissertations

Performance of any sensor in a nuclear reactor involves reliable operation under a harsh environment (i.e., high temperature, neutron irradiation, and a high dose of ionizing radiation). In this environment, accurate and continuous monitoring of temperature is critical for the reactor's stability and proper functionality. Furthermore, during the development and testing stages of new materials and structural components for these systems, it is imperative to collect in-situ measurement data about the exact test conditions for real-time analysis of their performance. To meet the compelling need of such sensing devices, we propose radiation-hard temperature sensors based on the phase change phenomenon …

Enercon Station Vacuum Pump Replacement, Clint Hembree, Jared D'Amico, Connor Moore, Paul Jeffrey Fontenot, Sydnee Castello, J.J. Clements

Senior Design Project For Engineers

This details the progress of the ENERCON pump replacement project as completed by the Kennesaw State University interdisciplinary senior design group. This project is a two-semester capstone effort for the engineering program at Southern Polytechnic School of Engineering, overseen by Dr. McFall during Fall 2020 and Dr. Khalid during Spring 2021 semesters. The 2020-2021 KSU Interdisciplinary Senior Design team was tasked with completing an Engineering Change Package (ECP) for existing vacuum pumps at ENERCON Station. The mechanical, electrical, and civil students worked together, performing evaluations on existing plant systems to ensure the plant could support the new vacuum pumps. By …

Inverted Geometry Ceramic Insulators In High Voltage Dc Electron Guns For Accelerators, C. Hernandez-Garcia, G. Palacios-Serrano, P. Adderley, D. Bullard, J. Grames, Md. Abdullah Mamun, M. Poelker, M. Stutzman, R. Suleiman, Y. Wang, S.A.K. Wijethunga

Physics Faculty Publications

A direct current (dc) high voltage photo-emission electron gun operating at 130 kV is utilized at the Jefferson Lab (JLab) Continuous Electron Beam Accelerator Facility to generate spin-polarized electrons for nuclear physics experiments. Over the past decade, JLab has tested and implemented inverted-geometry ceramic insulators in photoguns, connecting the cathode electrode in vacuum to the high voltage power supply using commercial high voltage cables. The results of those tests showed that breakdown voltage was increased using triple-point shielding electrodes and bulk-doped insulators that allow charge drainage. This contribution describes ongoing work to develop a robust insulatorcable connector for reliably applying …

Deconvolution Of Mono-Energetic And Multi-Lines Gamma-Ray Spectra Obtained With Nai(Tl) Scintillation Detectors Using Direct Matrix Inversion Method, Mwingereza John Kumwenda Dr

Tanzania Journal of Engineering and Technology (TJET)

Performance of a NaI(Tl) scintillation detector based on the gamma-ray spectroscopy system is not satisfactory in retaining its original peak (which is delta like function) of various gamma ray spectrum. The method of achieving precise peak for the various gamma ray was conducted by converting the observed pulse-height distribution of the NaI(Tl) detector to a true photon spectrum. This method is obtained experimentally with the help of an inverse matrix deconvolution method. The method is based on response matrix generated by the Monte Carlo simulation based on Geant4 package of mono-energy gamma-ray photon ranging from 0.050 to 2.04 MeV in …

Measurement Of The 160Gd(P,N)160Tb Excitation Function From 4 18 Mev, Using A Stacked Foil Technique, Ryan K. Chapman

Theses and Dissertations

A stack of thin Gd, Ti, and Cu foils were irradiated with an 18 MeV proton beam at Lawrence-Berkeley National Laboratory's 88-Inch Cyclotron to investigate the ¹⁶⁰Gd(p,n)¹⁶⁰Tb nuclear reaction for nuclear forensics applications. This experiment will improve knowledge of ¹⁶⁰Tb production rates, allowing ¹⁶⁰Tb to be efficiently created in a foil stack consisting of other proton induced isotopes for forensics applications. A set of 15 measured cross sections between 4-18 MeV for ¹⁶⁰Gd(p,n)¹⁶⁰Tb were obtained using a stacked foil technique. The foil stack consisted of one stainless steel, one iron, fifteen gadolinium, …

Neutron Displacement Damage In Germanium Tin Photodiodes, Nathan J. Gale

Theses and Dissertations

GeSn is a promising material for photodiodes in the near-to-mid infrared (IR) spectrum because of new growth methods that enable integration with complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) technology. While natural germanium has a threshold wavelength of 1800 nm, 6.9 Sn content extends the threshold wavelength to 2700 nm based on a Sn content dependent bandgap. Also, unlike other semiconductors that require liquid nitrogen cooling to act as an IR sensor, GeSn can be operated at room temperature, enabling a wide variety of applications. In this study, photodiodes ranging from 0 to 6.9 tin content were subjected to 1 MeV (Si) …

The Potentials Of Faecal Sludge Treatment Using Local Conditioners In Tanzania: A Review, Doglas Benjamin1

Tanzania Journal of Engineering and Technology (TJET)

Worldwide, every day human beings generate millions of tons of Faecal Sludge (FS), which is rich in water, nutrients, energy, and organic compounds. Yet FS is not being managed in a way that permits us to derive value from its reuse, while at the same time, millions of farmers struggle with depleted soils and lack of water. In most of the developing countries, energy for cooking is mainly derived from cutting of trees, either as wood or charcoal. Resource recovery and reuse from FS can create livelihoods, enhance food security, support green economies, reduce waste and contribute to cost recovery …

Uranium Dioxide Actinide Detection Device Support Design For Space Applications, Jennifer N. Ramos

Theses and Dissertations

Attention concerning the proliferation of nuclear weapons and materials has generated many research initiatives to detect, identify, and locate radiation emitted by actinides. In support of this effort, the `Fission Induced Neutron Detection of Nuclear Materials' (FIND'NM) program was established to comprise a joint effort to explore this issue. The objective also co-extends the Air Force Research Laboratory uranium dioxide (UO2) detection sample growth, characterization, and electrical interface research. AFIT's study accomplishes the design and fabrication of a space-tolerant PCB to support a UO2-based neutron detector. Further design considerations are made with the expectation of the platform to be inside …

Exploration Of Radiation Damage Mechanism In Mems Devices., Pranoy Deb Shuvra

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

We explored UV, X-ray and proton radiation damage mechanisms in MEMS resonators. T-shaped MEMS resonators of different dimensions were used to investigate the effect of radiation. Radiation damage is observed in the form of resistance and resonance frequency shift of the device. The resistance change indicates a change in free carrier concentration and mobility, while the resonance frequency change indicates a change in mass and/or elastic constant. For 255nm UV radiation, we observed a persistent photoconductivity that lasts for about 60 hours after radiation is turned off. The resonance frequency also decreases 40-90 ppm during irradiation and slowly recovers at …

Evaluation Of Eu:Licaf For Neutron Detection Utilizing Sipms And Portable Electronics, Michael A. Ford, Buckley E. O'Day Iii, John W. Mcclory, Manish K. Sharma, Areg Danagoulian

Faculty Publications

With the increasing cost and decreasing availability of ³He, there have been many efforts to find alternative neutron detection materials. Lithium calcium aluminum fluoride (LiCAF) enriched to 95% ⁶Li doped with europium was evaluated here as a replacement material for ³He. Wafers 0.5 cm thick, consisting of LiCAF crystals in a rubberized matrix, were embedded with wavelength shifting fibers (WSF) and mated to silicon photo-multipliers (SiPMs) to measure the photon response in a flux of neutrons from a DD neutron generator. Excellent discrimination was realized between neutrons and gammas, and both pulse-height discrimination and pulse-shape analysis were …

An Exploration Of The Optical Detection Of Ionizing Radiation Utilizing Modern Optics Technology, Sean D. Fournier, Adam Hecht, Cassiano De Oliveira, Jeffrey B. Martin, Richard K. Harrison, Charles Potter

Nuclear Engineering ETDs

Modern ultraviolet (UV) cameras, when combined with UV-transmitting lenses/filter arrangements, can be used to detect radiation dose in air. Ionizing radiation excites nitrogen molecules in ambient air, the resulting decay includes weak emission of ultraviolet photons. Previous work has proven this phenomenon is detectable using highly-sensitive electronically cooled cameras traditionally used in astronomy for low-background imaging. While the ability to detect the presence of radiation (i.e. qualitative measurement) has been demonstrated at Sandia National Laboratories, there are several challenges in correlating images to known dose-fields (quantitative measurement). These challenges include: a low signal to background ratio, interferences due to electronic …

Electrical Characterization Of Irradiated Semiconducting Amorphous Hydrogenated Boron Carbide, George Glen Peterson

Department of Mechanical and Materials Engineering: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Semiconducting amorphous partially dehydrogenated boron carbide has been explored as a neutron voltaic for operation in radiation harsh environments, such as on deep space satellites/probes. A neutron voltaic device could also be used as a solid state neutron radiation detector to provide immediate alerts for radiation workers/students, as opposed to the passive dosimetry badges utilized today. Understanding how the irradiation environment effects the electrical properties of semiconducting amorphous partially dehydrogenated boron carbide is important to predicting the stability of these devices in operation. p-n heterojunction diodes were formed from the synthesis of semiconducting amorphous partially dehydrogenated boron carbide on silicon …

An Exact Analysis For Four-Order Acousto-Optic Bragg Diffraction Which Incorporates Both Incident Light Angle And Sound Frequency Dependencies, Adeyinka Sunday Ademola

Electrical Engineering Theses

This thesis extends the prior work which produced an exact solution to the four-order acousto-optic (AO) Bragg cell with assumed fixed center frequency and with exact Bragg angle incident light. The extension predicts the model that incorporates the dependencies of both the input angle of light and the sound frequency. Specifically, a generalized 4^th order linear differential equation (DE), is developed from a simultaneous analysis of four coupled AO system of DEs. Through standard methods, the characteristic roots, which requires solving a quartic equation, is produced. Subsequently, a derived system of homogeneous solutions, which absorbs the roots obtained using …

Nuclear Power: Black Sky Liability Or Black Sky Asset?, Sherrell R. Greene

International Journal of Nuclear Security

Ready access to abundant electricity is a key enabler of modern life. During the past decade the vulnerability of Critical Infrastructure sectors in the U.S. to a variety of natural hazards and man-made threats has become increasingly apparent. The electrical infrastructure (the “Grid”) is the foundation for all other critical civil infrastructures upon which our society depends. Therefore, protection of the Grid is an energy security, homeland security, and national security issue of highest importance. Geomagnetic disturbances (GMD) induced by solar coronal mass ejections (CMEs), electromagnetic pulse (EMP) attacks, and cyber attacks are three events having the potential to plunge …

Measurement And Analysis Of Iii-V & Ii-Vi Infrared Detectors: Radiometric, Noise Spectrum, And Radiation Tolerance Performance, Vincent M. Cowan

Nanoscience and Microsystems ETDs

Infrared (IR) hybrid detector arrays and discrete detectors operated in the space environment may be subjected to a variety of sources of natural radiation while in orbit. This means IR detectors intended for applications such as space-based intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) or space-situational awareness (SSA) must not only have high performance (high quantum efficiency, h and low dark-current density, J_D, and preferably minimal 1/f noise content), but also their radiation tolerance or ability to withstand the effects of the radiation they would expect to encounter in space must be characterized and well understood. As the effects of …

Integrated Microsphere Whispering Gallery Mode Probe For Highly Sensitive Refractive Index Measurement, Hanzheng Wang, Lei Yuan, Cheol-Woon Kim, Jie Huang, Xinwei Lan, Hai Xiao

Nuclear Engineering and Radiation Science Faculty Research & Creative Works

We report an integrated whispering gallery mode microresonator-based sensor probe for refractive index sensing. The probe was made by sealing a borosilicate glass microsphere into a thin-wall glass capillary pigtailed with a multimode optical fiber. The intensities of the resonant peaks were found decreasing exponentially (linearly in a log scale) with the increasing refractive index of the medium surrounding the capillary. The sensing capability of the integrated probe was tested using sucrose solutions of different concentrations and the resolution was estimated to be about 2.5 x 10^-5 in the index range of 1.3458 to 1.3847. The integrated sensor probe …

Mcnp6 Computational-Based Sensitivity Propagation Analysis Of Continuous Neutron Cross-Sections Using The Godiva (Hmf-001) And The Godiver (Hmf-004) Benchmark Criticality Study Cases, Lawrence James Lakeotes

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

There has been a reduction in funding for theoretical and applied research for improving the nation's database of continuous neutron cross-sections at BNL-NNDC. From 1940 through the late 1980s, research and applied development produced volumes of reliable neutron continuous cross-sections for many isotopes. Currently, the cross-section work has been mainly computational. The focus of this research is mainly centered on the requirements for improving thermal cross-sections to support reactor operations and fuel storage. The research efforts will also helpfully aid in the fast fission spectrum in order to support fast reactor designs for improving safety analysis and feedback coefficients.

This …

Neutron Radiation Effects On Ge And Gesn Semiconductors, Christopher T. O'Daniel

Theses and Dissertations

Two different semiconductor materials received neutron radiation for assessment of radiation damage. The two materials are undoped bulk Ge and epitaxial Ge_0.991Sn_0.009, which is doped heavily with phosphorous. At room temperature, the Ge sample has direct and indirect bandgaps at 0.78 eV and 0.66 eV, respectively. The Ge_0.991Sn_0.009 sample has direct and indirect bandgaps at 0.72 eV and 0.63 eV, respectively. Two samples of each material were exposed to research reactor neutrons, delivering a 1 MeV equivalent neutron fluence of 2.52 × 10¹⁵ n/cm². In order to assess the radiation …

Temperature Dependence Of Electrical Performance Of Tritium Sourced Betavoltaic Cells, Darrell S. Cheu, Tom Adams, Shripad Revankar

The Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF) Symposium

There is an increasing need for devices that can be powered for extended periods of time where it is impossible for maintenance or replacement, such as pacemakers, long term space flight or undisturbed sensors for military use. Since 1971, most devices run off a Lithium-Iodide battery, which gives a high amount of power but could only last approximately 2 to 5 years, requiring frequent replacement. However, replacement is unnecessary for betavoltaic cells as they can last at least 20 years. Commercially available tritium betavoltaic cells provided by City Labs Inc. were tested at a temperature range of -50°C to 150°C …

Computer Aided Diagnosis Of Oral Cancer: Using Time-Step Ct Images, Jonathan T. Scott

Masters Theses

"In medical imaging it is a very common practice to use a technique known as Time-Step imaging in patients who might develop cancer. Time-Step imaging it a very powerful technique, however it can lead to unmanageable amounts of image data. Previously the only way to search all of this data was to manually look through all of the files. This had to be done by trained professionals who knew what to look for within the images and make a judgment about the patient based on the images. This paper discusses the development of an algorithm to have a computer search …