Other Engineering Commons^™

Helmholtz Reciprocity In Bidirectional Y-Junction Couplers, Hosuk Lee

Optical Science and Engineering ETDs

This thesis explores the light propagation characteristics in Y-junction couplers based on the Helmholtz reciprocity principle. The Helmholtz reciprocity principle is a crucial concept in optical system design, and it has primarily been understood based on input-output symmetry. However, this study emphasizes reciprocity needs to consider the entire system, beyond the traditional input-output symmetry reciprocity interpretation. For this study, we specifically examined the direction-dependent asymmetrical outputs, in the Whistle-geometry Ring Laser (WRL) structure. And the WRL results cannot be fully explained by simple input-output symmetry for reciprocity. The Y-junction coupler in the WRL structure makes different output characteristics based on …

Algorithmic Sculpting Of Complex Fused Silica Surfaces For Nondestructive, Mode-Matched Cavity Quantum Electrodynamics: Adaptive Co2 Milling And Simulation-Guided Ultrafast Inscription, From Fiber Fabry-Perot Cavities To Monolithic Architectures, Meagan E. Parker

Optical Science and Engineering ETDs

Quantum sensors achieve exceptional measurement sensitivity through coherent, well-isolated quantum systems, but practical deployment is hindered by destructive readouts that require repeated state preparation and create long system dead times. Optical cavities enable continuous, nondestructive measurements with minimal back-action, yet integrating high-finesse cavities into scalable quantum devices remains limited by existing fabrication methods. To overcome these constraints, an adaptive CO₂ laser-milling platform was developed. Guided by glass thermodynamics and melt dynamics, this closed-loop system uses in-situ phase-shifting interferometry to sculpt complex fused-silica surfaces with sub-nanometer root-mean-square roughness. The platform was validated by fabricating extended-length fiber Fabry–Pérot cavities and monolithic micro-cavity …

Non-Traditional Rare-Earth-Doped Oxide Glass As A Gain Medium, Jared S. Tolliver

Optical Science and Engineering ETDs

There is a need for mid-infrared(MIR) lasers in defense, medical, and environmental monitoring. A large part of this technological development is the study of gain media. One class of materials of special interest is glasses with a low maximum phonon energy. These have the fiberization and broad spectral features of glass, whereas glasses with high maximum phonon energy exhibit higher rates of multi-phonon relaxation and can be opaque in the MIR, both of which are detrimental to laser operation. Recent advances in container-less processing have allowed for the study of new glasses that aren’t possible with conventional fabrication techniques. One …

Kinetic Sculpture For The San Luis Obispo Botanical Garden, Yotam Barr, Reynaldo Farias, Natalie Krueger, Priscilla Puei Ci Lam

General Engineering

Flower Power designed, fabricated, tested, and installed a wind-driven metal lavender and bee sculpture for the San Luis Obispo Botanical Garden Children's Garden. The project provides a colorful kinetic installation that complements the existing poppy sculpture while remaining child-safe, durable outdoors, manufacturable with campus resources, and low cost to the sponsor. The final sculpture consists of a steel main stem installed in a sleeve-style concrete foundation, three green branch clusters, independently rotating purple lavender bud assemblies, decorative leaves, and a bee. The sculpture was fabricated from steel tube, sheet metal, bearings, printed ASA components, paint, and foundation materials. The installed …

Somatic Prosthetics For Planetary Resonance, Disha Dharesh Kumar R

Masters Theses

This thesis investigates how industrial design can transcend extractive technological paradigms in favor of relational interfaces that foster planetary attunement. Framing the climate crisis as a 'crisis of imagination', the research challenges the Western bifurcation of nature and culture by drawing on Indic cosmologies- which recognize stones, plants, and ecosystems as conscious at different levels and participants in a shared cosmic field. By synthesizing research in Biosemiotics, Quantum Information Pansycishm, and Neuroscience, the project redefines intelligence as a distributed, more-than-human phenomenon.

The research materializes as a speculative design artifact: a device that functions as a somatic prosthetic for planetary resonance. …

Center For Manufacturing Excellence Capstone Project: Critter Catchers, Wilson R. Eatherly, Sophie C. Smith, Joyce W. Nkanor

Honors Theses

The Haley Barbour Center for Manufacturing Excellence annually presents seniors with the opportunity to do a capstone project that encapsulates their skills learned throughout undergraduate coursework. The interdisciplinary teams are made up of engineering, accounting, and business students. These students bring their skill sets together to come up with a business plan for the project they have been placed on. This team, Critter Catchers, chose to manufacture non-lethal animal traps meant to be a safe alternative to traps on the market that may injure animals. The trap was made primarily out of wood and operated by means of a pressure-triggered …

Dor-E: Final Design Report, Arav Singh, August Hogen-Esch, Bruce Le, Patrick Mcgee, Spencer Major

Mechanical Engineering

I. PROBLEM STATEMENT

The Chumash Heritage National Marine Sanctuary contains a diverse array of benthic habitats that remain largely undocumented due to the financial and logistical barriers of deep-sea exploration. Traditional high-end autonomous underwater vehicles and remotely operated vehicles capable of reaching 1000-meter depths require significant surface support infrastructure and hundreds of thousands of dollars in funding. Furthermore, navigating protected ecological zones demands strict adherence to "Leave No Trace" principles. Conventional benthic landers and submersibles routinely leave metallic debris behind; many submersibles use galvanic timed releases that corrode in seawater over a set period of time or heat-activated bolts to …

Manufacturing Systems: Characteristics And Dynamics, Alan J. Fitzmorris

Graduate Theses and Dissertations (2019 - present)

This research answers three basic questions. First, what are the behaviors (dynamics) of a manufacturing system in the context of system performance? Are these dynamics best described as linear deterministic, periodic, nonlinear deterministic, or stochastic? Second, what are the complexity (chaotic) characteristics of a manufacturing system, namely the maximal Lyapunov exponent, correlation dimension, and Kolmogorov-Sinai entropy? Third, is there a relationship between complexity characteristics and manufacturing system performance? This research involves four high level steps: data analysis, system dynamics analysis, system complexity analysis, and correlation analysis. The data analyzed consists of concrete plant and shipbuilding shop time series performance data. …

Project Management Practices In Manufacturing: An Analytical Case Study, Margaret Randle, Robert Reynolds

Honors Capstones

Global industries are undergoing significant transitions in organizational models, technological innovation, and non-economic indicators of product quality, including sustainability and operational efficiency. The current workforce needs to not only develop competency of these technical skills, but also an adaptive, system-oriented approach to problem-solving as well. This case study, which highlights a manufacturing company’s project of increasing production efficiency, presents concepts learned through the textbook Project Management: Achieving Competitive Advantage by Jeffrey K. Pinto. The study thoroughly breaks down the full project lifecycle and the integration of systems of people, data, and initiatives in a framework that can be used to …

Insect Inspired Behavioral Strategies For Improving Multi-Agent System Resilience In The Presence Of Contagious Faults, James E. Hand

Doctoral Dissertations and Master's Theses

As Multi-Agent Systems (MASs) become increasingly involved in every aspect of everyday life the need to maintain reliability and resilience within these systems grows. However, in equal measure bad actors wishing to maliciously control or alter these systems are growing in both scale and capability. Thus, there is a present need for control schemes and agent behaviors that provide security against these threats while also avoiding large degradation in system performance as a tradeoff. Current research has covered a wide breadth of avenues and strategies that provide measurable resilience to faulted agents. However, these strategies often require group consensus, specialized …

Quantification Of The Depth-Of-Field In A Self-Aligned Focusing Schlieren System, Alexander Ephraim

Doctoral Dissertations and Master's Theses

This thesis investigates self-aligned focusing schlieren (SAFS) as a step toward future volumetric and quantitative measurements of three-dimensional compressible flows. Conventional schlieren imaging provides valuable visualization of density gradients, but it records only a line-of-sight projection and therefore does not directly resolve the spatial distribution of structures through the depth of the flowfield. SAFS addresses part of this limitation by introducing depth sensitivity, but its depth response has not been well characterized quantitatively. To help lay the foundation for future volumetric and quantitative SAFS methods, this work addresses two related problems. First, calibrated quantitative schlieren imaging is applied to an …

A Theoretical Framework For Recursion In Complex System Governance, Gilbert Goddin

Engineering Management & Systems Engineering Theses & Dissertations

The purpose of this research was to construct an original theoretical framework for understanding recursion in Complex System Governance (CSG), grounded in the propositions and axioms of systems theory and management cybernetics. This framework addresses a research gap for cybernetic recursion relating to the governance of complex systems. Leveraging the CSG framework (Keating & Katina, 2019; Keating, 2022), holonic principles (Koestler, 1970; Mella, 2009), management cybernetics (Beer, 1979; Beer, 1984; Beer, 1995), and metacybernetics (Yolles, 2021; Yolles & Fink, 2015c; Yolles & Frieden, 2021), recursion is theorized as a governable capability, whereby metasystemic governance anticipates emerging complexity and purposefully regulates …

Development Of A Benchmark Building Condition Index Utilizing Discrete Facility Subsets For Use In Risk Prioritization Analysis, Christopher A. May

Engineering Management & Systems Engineering Theses & Dissertations

Within the healthcare facilities management arena, key performance-based condition indices such as a calculated Building Condition Index (BCI) are currently utilized as a governing indicator of facility health and performance. However, BCI alone does not adequately support enterprise-level risk prioritization and fails to provide a validated facility-to-facility risk prioritization model. Assets within the same enterprise receiving similar sustainment funding experience different rates of degradation depending on asset type and construction age thus impairing the BCI rating scale. Statistical analysis of facility metrics indicates a strong correlation between facility degradation drivers and prediction of a subset-based benchmark BCI. The research validates …

Bridging Mission And Execution: Integrating Participatory Design In Early-Phase Mission Engineering For Stakeholder Alignment And Mission Clarity, Rafi Soule

Engineering Management & Systems Engineering Theses & Dissertations

This dissertation develops and evaluates an integration-centered approach to early-phase Mission Engineering that improves mission clarity under ambiguity. Stakeholder interpretations diverge, and interoperability constraints are not surfaced early. These conditions reduce mission clarity and weaken mission-to-system mapping readiness. The dissertation proposes an integration-centered approach that strengthens early mission framing through two complementary mechanisms: (1) a participatory design-inspired, artifact-first workflow that surfaces and repairs interpretation divergence, and (2) closed-corpus, RAG-enabled retrieval that grounds mission-to-system mapping in traceable evidence. The study was organized around a construct spine linking shared understanding, stakeholder alignment, and interoperability feasibility to mission clarity. A three phase mixed-methods …

Downstream Effects Of Post Aerobic Digestion And Divalent Cation Treatment: Dewaterability, Phosphorus Mitigation, And Process Odors, Maya Marisol Quijano Garcia

Civil & Environmental Engineering Theses & Dissertations

This study evaluated post-aerobic digestion (PAD) with aeration, mixing, and divalent cation addition to improve phosphorus capture, dewaterability, and odor control in thermal hydrolysis process (THP)–treated anaerobic digestate at the Hampton Roads Sanitation District’s Atlantic Treatment Plant. A three-day PAD process was operated under constant air flow (5 LPM) and dissolved oxygen (DO)-setpoint (0.2 mg/L) aeration conditions with Ca(OH)₂ or Mg(OH)₂ dosing. Aeration and mixing alone increased polymer demand by 14–46 % relative to untreated influent, indicating enhanced extracellular polymeric substance release. Chemical conditioning partially mitigated this increase but did not restore polymer demand to baseline levels. Dewatered cake total …

Cavitation-Aware Design Of Hydrofoil Sections For Marine Propeller Blade Development, Samuel G. Bacon

Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering Theses & Dissertations

Cavitation is a major design constraint for marine propeller blade sections because it can reduce hydrodynamic performance, increase vibration and noise, and contribute to surface damage. This thesis develops and applies an exploratory computational framework for cavitation-aware hydrofoil-section design relevant to marine propeller blade development. The framework combines section-level CFD validation, CST-based geometry parameterization, pressure-based pre-screening, matched-load comparison, and focused predicted inception envelope or cavitation-bucket analysis.

The CFD methodology was validated against published YS-920 hydrofoil water-tunnel data using selected fully wetted, near-inception, and cavitating reference cases. The validation results showed that the adopted framework reproduced the key experimental trends needed …

Deep Learning Based Control System For Multi-Zone Hvac Residential Buildings, Mohammad H. Z. Alghalayeeni

Mechanical Engineering Theses

Heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) systems are major contributors to residential energy consumption. However, most homes continue to rely on single zone thermostat control, which regulates temperature based on a single sensor and cannot account for thermal variations across multiple rooms. This often leads to uneven thermal conditions and inefficient energy use in multi-zone residential buildings. This thesis presents a deep reinforcement learning based approach for improving HVAC zoning control through dynamic airflow distribution. A physics based multi zone thermal model of a residential house was developed to simulate heat transfer processes including conduction, convection, solar and internal heat …

Comprehensive Evaluation Of Co₂ Eor Numerical Modeling In The Clinton Sandstone Of The Appalachian Tri-State Region Using Compositional Reservoir Simulation (Cmg Gem), Bushra Aref Alqattan

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

ABSTRACT

The Clinton Sandstone of the Appalachian Basin represents a mature hydrocarbon-producing formation with potential for carbon dioxide (CO₂) enhanced oil recovery (EOR). This study develops a compositional reservoir simulation model using the CMG software suite (WinProp, Builder, and GEM) to evaluate the performance of CO₂ injection in improving oil recovery within the Clinton formation.

A three-dimensional reservoir model was constructed using representative geological and petrophysical properties consistent with those of the Clinton Sandstone. Fluid behavior was modeled using a compositional equation-of-state (EOS) approach to accurately capture phase behavior, miscibility development, and CO₂–oil interactions under reservoir conditions. Injection scenarios were …

Machine Learning For Predicting Prosthetic Limb Movements, Jessica Alexandra Cegarra Arraiz

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis develops and evaluates a deep learning-based prediction model capable of identifying intended limb movement from surfaced electromyography (sEMG) signals using sequence learning techniques. sEMG signals change over time due to multiple factors such as muscle fatigue or user variability. Traditional prosthetics control methods rely on static feature extraction, ignoring how signals change over time, thereby limiting their ability to capture the temporal changes of muscle activity. As a result, these approaches often lead to poor accuracy, robustness, and generalization. Limited experimental validation has been conducted on sequence-based machine learning approaches using temporal sEMG data from publicly available datasets …

Ai-Driven Prediction And Reconstruction Of Missing Cased-Hole Logs For Improved Well System Understanding, Samuel Avilez Martinez

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Well logging is a fundamental technique in formation evaluation providing continuous, real-time measurements of geological and petrophysical properties within a well. Through the systematic analysis of well logs, engineers and geoscientists can accurately determine critical formation characteristics, including porosity, permeability, lithology, and fluid composition. Well logging is fundamental for making informed decisions and reducing uncertainties in the exploration and development of oil and gas reservoirs.

Despite its significance, the acquisition of reliable well log data in oil and gas wells is often compromised by various operational, mechanical, and formation-related challenges, as well as pressure, fluid, and equipment constraints. In high-risk …

Ai-Based Porosity Detection In Babbitt Bore Turning, Kaylee Leggett, Hannah Adams Gemmell, Kaisa Shingleton

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

For this project, an external company reached out to the University of Akron requesting assistance with defect detection during their vertical turning operations. As babbitt is removed in a vertical turning process, it occasionally reveals defects, mainly porosity, which can lead to costly downstream failures of the part. Current inspection techniques involve use of dye penetrant, which is time consuming, labor intensive, unergonomic, and a source of human error. The goal of the project is to create an alternative inspection method using an AI-based machine-learning model. After the turning operation, a camera is deployed to perform an in-place inspection, taking …

Analyzing Network Traffic Utilizing Aws Developer Tools And Artificial Intelligence, Michael K. Spatafore

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

Alert fatigue occurs during long hour shifts and high stress situations. Constant notifications and on-call shifts can create overstimulation and desensitization, which leads to delay responses and increased vulnerability. Malicious actors have weaponized alert fatigue by storming a network with a vast number of low-priority events to mask their malicious activity, also known as alert storming. This project focuses on the reduction of alert fatigue by automating log analysis with Large Language Models. The project uses Amazon Web Service and its many features, such as Amazon GuardDuty, Lambda, and Bedrock. Amazon GuardDuty detects anomalies, then lambda sends those anomalies to …

Advancing Edge Intelligence: Strategies For Improving Machine Learning On Embedded Devices, Prakash Dhungana

Theses and Dissertations--Electrical and Computer Engineering

Artificial intelligence (AI) has demonstrated tremendous success in handling complex tasks across multiple domains, a leap largely attributed to complex deep neural network (DNN) architectures. However, the increasing demand for real-time processing, low latency, limited connectivity, and enhanced privacy necessitates edge intelligence, where computation is performed directly on resource-constrained embedded devices rather than relying on cloud infrastructures. While optimized TinyML techniques such as pruning, quantization, and neural architecture search (NAS) have made edge deployment feasible by significantly reducing computation and memory demands, achievable performance remains severely limited by hardware constraints. Furthermore, models deployed in highly dynamic real-world environments suffer from …

Quantum Sensing Of Magnetic And Thermal Fields Using Nitrogen-Vacancy Centers On Spoof Surface Plasmon Waveguides, Maxwell Stonham

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Nitrogen-vacancy (NV) centers in nanodiamonds are solid-state quantum defects capable of detecting magnetic fields and temperature at the nanoscale with high spatial resolution and optical addressability at room temperature. Their spin-dependent fluorescence enables optically detected magnetic resonance (ODMR), a technique widely used for quantum sensing. However, enhancing optical readout efficiency remains a critical challenge for scalable integration and various methods can be used to improve this.

This thesis explores a hybrid quantum sensing platform that integrates NV-based sensing with spoof surface plasmon waveguides designed to enhance optical excitation and emission efficiency through localized spoof plasmon modes supported by subwavelength corrugated …

Analyzing Patterns In Hofstede’S Cultural Dimensions Towards Individual Ai Receptiveness For Affective Experiences, Maggie Yang

Master's Theses

The use of artificial intelligence (AI) has significantly advanced efficient decision-making, with trust in algorithmic decisions shown to vary by cultural upbringing [1]. As AI becomes increasingly embedded in everyday life, it is essential to examine how cultural values affect trust in AI in subjective contexts that extend beyond purely quantitative analysis, like the personal interpretation of art. This work utilizes Hofstede’s cultural dimensions to investigate potential patterns in receptiveness towards AI predictions during art interpretation, providing insight into individual susceptibility to bias in AI-assisted affective analysis.

The study leveraged a cultural dimension survey and a custom Java program connected …

The Resonance Of Desire: A Sonic Exploration And Guide To Recreating Disney’S Signature ‘I Want’ Songs, Aiyanna E. Riley

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This thesis explores the sonic architecture of Disney’s Renaissance-era “I Want” songs and develops a framework for recreating their signature production style. This study analyzes how vocal timbre, microphone choices, layering, stereo placement, and mixing strategies contribute to the immersive qualities that define the Disney sound. Drawing from historical accounts, interviews with industry professionals, and technical literature, the thesis documents production practices unexamined in scholarly work. Inspired by David Gibson’s The Art of Mixing, my analyses prioritize spatial and textural qualities in Disney mixes, highlighting how sound design shapes narrative impact. The study culminates in two original compositions modeled …

Design And Implementation Of Home Energy Management System (Hems) In Smart Grid Through Demand Side Management (Dsm), Nirmala Jegadeesan Ms

Theses and Dissertations

The rising global energy demand, combined with environmental concerns and the depletion of conventional energy sources, has driven the need for the development of smarter and more sustainable energy systems. This research focuses on Home Energy Management System (HEMS) using soft computing techniques to optimize load scheduling, enhance energy efficiency, and integrate Renewable Energy Sources (RES) such as solar and battery storage. The primary goal is to balance supply and demand, reduce peak loads, and minimize energy costs while ensuring consumer comfort and system reliability.

Smart grids provide enhanced capabilities compared to conventional grids by enabling bidirectional flows of energy …

Computational Studies On The Major Antioxidant Enzymes Of Wuchereria Bancrofti Towards The Development Of Anti Filarial Leads, Sureshan M

Theses and Dissertations

Lymphatic filariasis (LF), or elephantiasis, is a mosquito-borne parasitic disease affecting the lymphatic system, primarily in tropical and subtropical regions. It is the second leading cause of long-term disability and a neglected tropical disease. According to WHO, LF threatens 882 million people in 44 countries, with over 9 billion treatments administered. The disease is caused by three nematodes: Wuchereria bancrofti (90% of cases worldwide, including India), Brugia malayi (10% in Southeast and Eastern Asia), and Brugia timori (found in Timor and nearby islands). Lymphatic filariasis (LF) is an ancient disease that continues to challenge scientists and physicians. Current treatments include …

Artificial Intelligence-Based Adaptive Data-Driven Techniques For Disruption Prediction In Tokamak, Priyanka M

Theses and Dissertations

Tokamaks are nuclear fusion reactors designed to generate sustainable energy by confining plasma, yet plasma disruptions remain a major obstacle as they can damage reactor components and interrupt fusion reactions. Addressing this challenge requires reliable models that can classify plasma discharges and predict disruptions in advance. This thesis develops machine learning and deep learning approaches to improve both classification and forecasting.The first contribution is a semi-supervised active learning framework, Nearest Margin-Ranked Batch Mode Active Learning (NM-RBMAL), integrated with an ensemble model.

Unlike traditional classifiers that operate on static training data, this approach continuously adapts to new plasma conditions, reducing model …

Bioprospecting Of Wheat Straw Pyrolysis Aqueous Phase To Combat Multi-Drug Resistant Pathogens, Srividhya K

Theses and Dissertations

Hospital-acquired infections (HAIs) significantly contribute to the emergence and spread of antimicrobial resistance (AMR), primarily through the contamination of high-touch surfaces. Current disinfectants have drawbacks like high environmental persistence, ecotoxicity, and resistance development, prompting the need for environmentally friendly alternatives.

One potential approach is pyrolysis, during which the biomass components are broken down into solid, liquid, and pyro-gas. The aqueous phase of the liquid fraction is usually discarded as waste, but it contains a variety of organic compounds that have the potential for antibacterial and antifungal activity. The present study assessed the anti-infective and anti-biofilm properties of wheat straw pyrolysis …