Engineering

Parker Rosquist, Brigham Young University Engineering This paper presents a newly discovered class of foam-based nano-composite materials with self-sensing properties. By embedding nano-particles in high-elongation foams, materials are created that display piezoelectric characteristics when any deformation is applied. When used in place of regular padding materials, they become impact sensors for a range of applications. The physics behind the phenomenon, and the optimization of the material response, are explored in this article.

Jeremy Hunt, Brigham Young University Engineering Unnatural amino acid incorporation is a power tool in the synthetic biology toolbox that allows for unique residue chemistry to be incorporated into proteins. This technology has many promising applications in areas such as protein-protein interaction, biotherapeutics, biosensing, and biocatalysis. One challenge of uAA-incorporation is the current inability to properly predict the impact of the novel uAA-residue chemistry on proper protein folding and function. Therefore, a screening technology would be desirable to rapidly assess the viability of uAA-incorporation sites. Cell-free protein synthesis (CFPS) provides a promising basis for rapid screening technologies. The open environment of CFPS has a variety of advantages over conventional in vivo systems, such as direct monitoring, selective protein expression, and facile deployment of synthetic pathways. Another primary benefit CFPS has over in vivo expression is the ability to directly express proteins from PCR-generated products, known as linear expression templates (LETs). The use of LETs decreases the labor and time to expression of recombinant proteins. Thus, LET-based CFPS is a propitious system for rapid screening of uAA-incorporation. Here we demonstrate uAA-incorporation using LET-based CFPS and identify how this technology can significantly reduce time and labor to rapidly express proteins containing uAAs.

Dayton Minore, Brigham Young University Engineering Microwave scatterometers, which use radar backscatter measurements from satellites to infer wind vectors near the ocean’s surface, have the ability to monitor global wind speeds at high resolutions. Such data is used for weather forecasting and climate research. However, scatterometer observations can be contaminated by land proximity. Consequently, current methods do not use measurements within 30 km of the coast (about 10.6 million square kilometers worldwide) in the data set. This unused data can be utilized by a recently developed algorithm that can measure winds as close as 5 km to the coast. The author proposes that areas near land can be systematically targeted for special processing, providing valuable near coastal wind data. To demonstrate the effectiveness of the targeting method on a global scale, a sample 4-day data set will be processed. The data is to be stored and published in compatible file formats to current wind data, so that it will be easily usable by wind-vector users.

Craig Daniels, Brigham Young University Engineering Martensite is a steel phase that has a body-centered tetragonal crystal lattice. It significantly affects the material properties of steel, particularly hardness and strength. Electron Backscatter Diffraction (EBSD) is a microscopy technique that is used to characterize the crystal and grain structure of metals by analyzing diffraction patterns. Martensite is traditionally difficult to identify using EBSD techniques because its diffraction patterns are too similar to the ferrite phase, which is body-centered cubic (BCC). The martensite crystal is modeled as BCC, but with an imposed tetragonal strain. “High resolution” EBSD can reveal the absolute strain of the crystal lattice, and is sensitive enough to measure the strain imposed in the model. This technique uses cross-correlation to compare experimental diffraction patterns to kinematically simulated patterns, and returns the absolute strain tensor. The tensor is rotated into the crystal frame, and the principle strains are used to create a tetragonality index. This tetragonality index can then be used to identify martensite. Further, the lattice parameters of martensite are related to the carbon content. A theoretical tetragonality index can be created using only lattice parameters. If the experimental index can be fitted to the theoretical index, this technique could be used to characterize the carbon content of steel at a sub-grain level.

Zola Adjei, Brigham Young University Engineering The research project is aimed at developing a tool to monitor the progress of rehabilitation efforts in Lake Malheur in Harney count, Oregon. The application of remote sensing techniques, which will be used to detect chlorophyll-a distribution from water algae growth in the lake. Concentrations of chlorophyll-a act as an indicator for algal blooms, which compete for nutrients and oxygen and can have significant detrimental effects on a body of water. To better identify the trend in growth activities of algal colonies, remote sensing will be effective in developing a model to map the path and region of high activities of algal growth and subsequently monitoring fish habitation on the entire Malheur Lake. The method uses satellite images which measure the reflectance of pigment concentrations, which can then be quantified as concentrations of chlorophyll-a using appropriate software and algorithms. The algorithms are based on relationships between the chlorophyll-a concentration measured in-situ and the reflectance measured in the satellite images. The algorithm that would be tested relies on the ratio of suitable bands in the electromagnetic spectrum. The Oregon Fish and Wildlife services have set preliminary actions by taking chlorophyll measurements earlier this year that will be used to help draw the relationship between the measured and satellite derived chlorophyll-a concentrations. There exists a research group in the Civil and Environmental engineering department that have employed this process on the Deer Creek lake in Utah and other surrounding water bodies which has shown successful outcomes in monitoring these lake’s water quality parameters including chlorophyll-a to help support the survival of fishes, restore their habitats and preserve cultural history. There will be a comparison done to the performance of remote sensing models in a large, shallow lake in Oregon, compared to models developed in deep, narrow lakes.

Bradley Hackett, Utah Valley University Engineering The Arduino microcontroller is very robust and is capable of performing a wide variety of functions to fit the needs of almost countless different projects. Many robots that are being built use a microcontroller, and the Arduino microcontroller is a good fit for many robots. The microcontroller is also standardized so it can be learned easily, and maintained easily as well, especially in a team environment. The simplicity of the Arduino offers a much more accessible design and development environment. This environment allows for very complex projects such as robotics to be approached in a manageable way. The SERA Bot is a robot which is designed efficiently and yet still has complexity, using the Arduino microcontroller. The S.E.R.A Bot is an acronym which stands for Searching Exploring Roaming Autonomous robot. The first task this robot can do is to communicate over Bluetooth to an Android tablet or phone to remotely control the robot by driving the motors or sending command signals to the Arduino microcontroller. The next task it is capable of is to use Light Dependant Resistors or LDRs to follow a light source or find the most brightly illuminated area of a room. The third task is object avoidance which is implemented using a simple ultrasonic distance sensor to detect if there is an object close in front of the robot. The last function of this robot is the ability to locate a beacon which emits a loud detectable sound, and is implemented using three amplified condenser microphones. The purpose behind this project is mainly to incorporate many simple functions to one robot. Many robots do one simple task, but the focus is to create a versatile robot, with enough complexity to be useful, but simple enough to be efficient.

Raymond Bilodeau, Brigham Young University Engineering Extreme piezoresistivity was discovered in a silicone/nickel nanostrand (silicone/NiNs) nanocomposite. A quantum mechanical tunneling percolation model has been developed which bridges the gap between quantum effects at the nanoscopic scale and bulk material response at the macroscopic scale. To further improve on this theory, a measurement technique was adapted for use in measuring the average distance (in nm) between the NiNs in the silicone matrix. The measurements produced strong correlation to newly developed theories on the nature of the nickel-silicone interaction. The predictions of the previously developed model were also compared to these new experimental measurements and the model is being adapted to more accurately represent the real data.

Braden Hancock, Brigham Young University Engineering In Evolutionary Multi-objective Optimization (EMO), the mechanism of epsilon-dominance has received a lot of attention because of its ability to guarantee convergence near the Pareto frontier and maintain diversity among solutions at a reasonable computational cost. The main weakness of this mechanism is its inability to also identify and exploit knee regions of the Pareto frontier, which are frequently the regions of the frontier that are most interesting to the user. Many attempts have been made to resolve this issue, but each has resulted in either decreased computational efficiency or slower convergence. We therefore propose a new mechanism – Lamé-dominance – as a replacement for epsilon-dominance in EMO. The geometry of the Lamé curve naturally supports a greater concentration of solutions in directions of high tradeoff between objectives. This adaptable resolution of solutions in knee regions of the Pareto frontier will result in significant savings in time and money for complex optimization routines in large n-objective design scenarios.

Jake Seiter, University of Utah Engineering Mining has always been among the most hazardous of occupations, and with the increasing demand for coal and minerals, safety in mines assumes even greater importance. Worldwide, underground miners are being exposed to noise and respirable dust hazards associated with roof bolt drilling. These hazards are now being understood to cause irreparable damage to the health of miners.

Derek Chang, University of Utah Bioengineering Atrial fibrillation (AF), the most common cardiac arrhythmia, is a rapid, irregular heart beat arising from uncontrolled and asynchronized electrical activation in the atria. This disruption of the normal electrical signaling hinders the contraction of the heart, leading to decreased blood flow, possible clot (thrombus) formation, and an increased risk of stroke. The left atrial appendage (LAA) is a small muscular pouch of highly variable anatomy within the left atrium. The LAA plays a prominent role in thrombus formation in patients with AF because of decreased blood flow within this structure. Thus, we hypothesized that the shape of the left atrial appendage is different in AF patients with a documented history of stroke. We used statistical shape analysis to determine which LAA shape variations contribute to stroke based on a cohort of AF patients who had both MRI and CT scans and a documented history of stroke. We manually delineated the boundaries of the LAA from each patient’s CT and MRI scans to analyze the resulting LAA segmentations for shape variations across imaging modalities and history of stroke. The results showed that patients who have AF and a history of stroke have an LAA with a narrower insertion site into the left atrium and are larger in size. In contrast, patients who have AF, but no history of stroke, have an LAA with a wider insertion site, which are smaller in size. By isolating specific LAA shape variants indicative of an underlying risk of stroke, we can use this shape classification scheme to better tailor AF therapies to each individual patient.

Jacob Robinson, Brigham Young University Mechanical Engineering Figure skating is a competitive sport that requires athletes to practice up to 5 days a week year round performing 50 to 100 jumps per day. This results in high, repetitive impact forces on the skater’s body which may lead to overuse injuries. While the negative effects of figure skating are well documented, the cause of these injuries is still unclear because the complexity of artistic figure skating limits current instrumentation from accurately measuring impact forces. This project has sought to fill this void by developing a force measurement system that will allow the figure skater to perform their jumps without any hindrance while accurately measuring the magnitude of the impact forces in the vertical and horizontal directions. Using strain gauges attached to the stanchions of the ice skate combined with a data collection system that attaches to the bottom of the boot, we have developed a prototype that accurately measures the forces produced in the ice skate. This will lead to a fully developed ice skate measurement system which will be used by researchers to investigate the impact forces generated in figure skating jumps and landings.

Autumn Pando, Brigham Young University Mechanical Engineering The wrist is one of the most common sites for joint injury. Over two-thirds of 75,000 annual repetitive joint injuries occur at the wrist. Excessive or abnormal wrist forces are thought to be one of the main contributing factors, yet no characterization of normal wrist forces exists. The purpose of this research is to fill this lack by creating a systematic, quantitative characterization of wrist forces and torques experienced in daily life. This database will aid further research in developing better and more personalized treatments as well as improving design considerations for human-machine interfaces. Ten healthy subjects participated in the experiment. Subjects performed 25 activities representative of daily life (e.g. hygiene maintenance, food preparation, using technology). Electromyographic (EMG) sensors recorded wrist muscle activity and electromagnetic motion sensors recorded wrist kinematics. Each subject performed a calibration task prior to the experimental protocol to determine the proportionality constant between EMG activity and torque. Wrist force and torque were determined from EMG activity using a constant of proportionality (identified by calibration), muscle length, and muscle velocity. Co-contraction was computed from torque. Wrist muscle usage, forces, torque magnitudes, torque angles, and percentage of co-contraction at varying levels of contraction were characterized. The results indicate muscle use, forces, and torques are unevenly distributed.

Connor George, Utah State University Electrical and Computer Engineering The SABER instrument, aboard the TIMED satellite, measures optical data regarding parameters of the Earth’s atmosphere with respect to altitude. Approximately once per minute, SABER performs a limb-scan measurement on the Earth’s atmosphere from which altitude emission profiles of key atmospheric gasses, including hydroxyl at wavelengths of 1.6 μm and 2.0 μm, are derived. Most hydroxyl profiles within the SABER dataset contain a single peak in the airglow altitude profile centered near an altitude of 87 km, but a significant portion of the profiles display two or more local maxima. MATLAB code was written to analyze the geophysical and temporal global distribution of the multiple-peak profiles. Graphs have been created which display relationships between the percentage of multiple-peak profiles and the local time, the cardinal orientation of the SABER device, and the latitude and longitude at which the atmospheric profile was measured. Patterns have been observed in multiple-peak profile distribution with respect to these variables. Possible causes of the multiple-peak occurrences in the hydroxyl altitude profiles include waves, geometrical effects of the SABER instrument, and/or chemistry of the atmosphere. In addition to graphing software, analysis software was written which counts the number of peaks present in any given altitude profile, and which ascertained the percentage of profiles displaying multiple-peak characteristics. A small (<1%) portion of hydroxyl altitude profiles were found to have abnormal distributions due to erroneous or noisy data collected by SABER. Software has also been written to remove such exceptions from the dataset. Additional investigation into the relationship between multiple-peak occurrences and cardinal direction orientation of the SABER device is required in order to further identify the causes for multiple peak profiles. An investigation into seasonal patterns for multiple-peak profiles is to be conducted. As the dataset grows, exception software will be updated to identify invalid altitude profiles. Also, ozone has been found to have multiple-peak altitude profiles similar to those of hydroxyl, and studies complementary to those performed on hydroxyl altitude profiles will be performed on ozone.

Mitchell Dabling, Utah State University Civil and Environmental Engineering Water management and flood control are essential elements of civilization. Linear weirs (e.g. ogee crest, sharp crested, and broad crested weirs) are often used in irrigation channels or reservoir spillways to regulate the discharge and upstream water level during flood flows. As hydrologic data sets increase in size and accuracy, the highest probable maximum flood (PMF) discharge is becoming increasingly more accurate, and in many cases much larger than previous estimates. Because of this, an older weir may need to be rehabilitated to ensure it can pass the updated PMF discharge safely without upstream flooding. A nonlinear weir (e.g. labyrinth or piano key weir) can replace a linear weir in a channel or spillway to pass significantly more discharge without requiring increased channel width. The Utah Water Research Laboratory at Utah State University, with the help of Utah Mineral Lease Funds, has developed and published design data for multiple configurations of nonlinear weirs. In 2012, the Utah Division of Water Resources used this data to design a labyrinth-style nonlinear weir that will replace the spillway currently in use at Millsite Reservoir in Emery County. This rehabilitation project will significantly decrease the flooding potential of the surrounding area.

Kimberly Uchida, University of Utah Bioengineering and Oncological Sciences Programmed cell death 4 (PDCD4) loses its function as a tumor suppressor when co-expressed with a specific binding partner, protein arginine methyltransferase-5 (PRMT5). A better understanding of the regulation of PDCD4-PRMT5 interaction may lead to cancer therapies targeted at restoring the tumor suppressive function of PDCD4. Using Xenopus laevis (frog) eggs to generate extract trapped in either interphase or mitosis, we found that PDCD4-PRMT5 interaction is regulated by the cell cycle. Full-length PDCD4 bound PRMT5 more robustly in interphase than in mitosis. However, a truncated version of PDCD4, that retained the PRMT5 binding site, bound PRMT5 equally in interphase and mitosis. These results indicate that there may be a component of full-length PDCD4 that occludes the PRMT5 binding site in mitosis. Furthermore, we found that both full-length and the truncated PDCD4 are preferentially phosphorylated in mitosis, but preferentially methylated in interphase. From these results we speculate that phosphorylation of PDCD4 in mitosis allows PDCD4 to fold upon itself and effectively block the PRMT5 binding site. Additionally, phosphorylation may prevent methylation even when PRMT5 can bind PDCD4, explaining the lack of PDCD4 methylation in mitosis. Such an inhibitory mechanism may be useful in therapeutically restoring the tumor suppressive function of PDCD4. Future research will be aimed towards completing our understanding of PDCD4-PRMT5 interaction in the cell cycle, such as proving our model in human cells.

Kay (Beau) Freckleton, University of Utah Mechanical Engineering Current quad-rotors provide excellent maneuverability and opportunity for data collection in large scale areas such as agriculture, but lack the capability to maintain flight for an extended period of time. This is due primarily to a lack of energy supply, requiring operators to replace the battery source before the quad-rotor completes its designated purpose [1]. In this paper, we introduce a mechanism to enable flying robotic rotorcraft, such as quadrotors and helicopters which utilize vertical takeoff and landing, to perch similar to a bird. The mechanism is passive, using only the weight of the rotorcraft for actuation. Such a mechanism will dispel the need for multiple batteries by allowing the quadrotor to perch amid its designated flight course, recharge using solar energy, and complete data collection over large scale areas in less time. In previous research to this same end, biomimetic approaches were pursued, resulting in designs that looked similar to the legs and feet of birds. The design in this paper utilizes a Sarrus mechanism to convert rotorcraft weight into perch grip. We began by designing the mechanism for a range of cylindrical perch sizes. Using MATLAB, we developed a program to optimize the various mechanism dimensions needed to perch within this range while also maximizing the mechanical advantage of grip force. Using SolidWorks, a 3-dimensional model was created and manufactured with these dimensions. In testing, the mechanism successfully allowed a small RC helicopter to perch on a 4cm diameter rod with some resistance to external forces. However, in crash tests, the mechanism was unable to withstand certain moment forces and developed large fractures. Further research will focus on decreasing these moment forces’ ability to weaken the mechanism while optimizing perching capability.

Beatson, Bridget; Bolanos, Diana; Jackson, Corinne (Brigham Young University)
Faculty Advisor: Vargis, Elizabeth (College of Engineering, Biological Engineering Department)

Origami, traditionally known as the art of paper folding, is not limited solely to paper media. The concepts used in folding paper can also apply to more pliable materials such as fabric. As with paper, different fabric-based origami designs exhibit properties such as shape compliance, increased surface area per unit volume, and selective stiffness. This study explores selected fold patterns in various incontinence product fabrics, aiming to increase fluid wicking performance and thus reduce sag due to saturation. The most suitable materials from various adult incontinence product brands were tested then utilized to develop new concepts for integration into an innovative and revolutionizing product. For the liquid dispersion layer, the concept of pleated fabric was incorporated into the design, mimicking the origami characteristics of peaks and valleys. Tests were performed on suitable materials to measure the spread of fluid in the modified layer as would be actuated by human urination. Final results from this testing indicated significantly broader dispersion of the synthetic urine utilized for testing as compared to that of the unmodified materials. When incorporated into a final product, this would allow for larger distribution of the fluid, thus increasing the product's holding capacity and enabling a more even distribution of the weight of the fluid, helping to reduce sag. This result could greatly increase the comfort and functionality of adult incontinence products.

Mark Langeveld (University of Utah)
Faculty Advisor: Langeveld, Mark (University of Utah, Engineering)

Introduction:

The risk of getting type 2 diabetes has been widely found to be associated with lower socioeconomic position across countries. Not only the financial burden but also the clinicians often having the long waitlists for one-on-one assessment of chronic disease patient's behavior makes it difficult for timely treatment and monitoring supplies. Among the top 10 diseases that are causes of death, Diabetes is the most self-manageable chronic disease. Type 2 diabetes patients often require insulin therapy as well as self-managing on eating well and exercising. A mobile app can be applied as a self-managing mechanism that treats chronic complications of diabetes. I will describe my work to analyze five commercially available mobile apps that are effective in improving diabetes-related outcomes.

Method:

I analyzed with technology reviews of iterative mobile app design of each mobile app(Glucose Buddy, Diabetes care4Life, Diabetes Diary, BlueStar Diabetes, Gather Health) and reviewing comments from peer and public review. I organized the findings by test process with diabetes patients through three categories for this report: 1. App features (on which platform that the app is available, what the app does, cost, etc.) 2. App usability and quality of tracking presented as an average of three scores given by the University of Utah healthcare researchers 3. Summary of the evidence from the evaluation of each category of patients who are motivated and who were not: monitoring glycemic control, glucose control, blood pressure, HbA1c improvement, weight, and diabetes treatment satisfaction

Result:

The record comprised 30 patients, of which 10 completed the mobile app module for 6 weeks. Demographics were similar for users and nonusers. Of the application users, the behavior improvement of pre-test and posttest scores were better for users compared with non-users (+1.8%). Of the users, 92% reported that the application had significant improvement (p < 0.05) in an outcome compared with HbA1c and glycemic control. The usability score of each app evaluated by healthcare researchers was (Glucose Buddy: 72.3 (out of 100), Diabetes care4Life: 45, Diabetes Diary: 16, BlueStar Diabetes: 85, Gather Health: 60) Without additional support from a health care provider, 5 mobile apps demonstrated an improvement in fasting blood glucose, 2-hour post-breakfast blood glucose, diabetes knowledge, and self-care behaviors compared with controls.

Conclusion:

I have analyzed and created a prototype of a mobile app that fills the gap between efficacy, cost, and features from the limited statistical evidence. Patients were satisfied with the use of the mobile health app for Diabetes, and the use of the program significantly improved their behavior and knowledge retention. Tailoring the traceable evaluation of mobile app to patient preferences and needs and updating the tools could empower and guide the patients to effective mobile apps in improving diabetes outcomes.

Gibbons, Andrew; Clingo, Kelly; Emmett, Darian; Fullwood, David; Bowden, Anton (Brigham Young University)
Faculty Advisor: Fullwood, David (Brigham Young University, Ira A. Fulton College of Engineering; Engineering and Technology); Bowden, Anton (Brigham Young University, Ira A. Fulton College of Engineering; Engineering and Technology)

Spine dysfunctions such as stenosis and herniated discs have traditionally been diagnosed using X-ray or MRI imaging techniques; but these methods capture a snapshot of the problem, without revealing the positional dependence of the causes and effects. In order to provide a richer dataset to physicians, an NIH-funded project has begun with the aim of tracking details of spinal motion for people with healthy and symptomatic backs. Novel nanocomposite strain gauges will be used to capture skin deformation during typical back motion, and correlate these data with back motions that are known to reveal chronic subcutaneous trauma. This paper focuses on the optimal placement of strain gauges for maximum resolution of the underlying biomechanics.

An array of reflective markers was placed on a healthy individual's lower back between the L5 and T10 vertebrae. A QUALISYS motion capture lab was then used to determine the coordinates of these markers during flexion, rotation, flexion with rotation, and side bending. These motions were repeated 3 times for 10 seconds. The distances between markers were calculated for each motion and the strain values between resting and flexed positions were determined. Initial validation was performed by comparing a maximum tensile strain of 0.54, between the L5 and L1 vertebrae in flexion, with a previously reported value of 0.5 in the literature.

This paper will report the development of an optimal arrangement of sensors for resolving the relevant biomechanics of the spine, based upon a detailed analysis of the optical marker results. Future work will utilize these results to develop a skin mounted, wearable sensor array that can measure the real-time kinematics of the spine and compare them with a database of healthy and low back pain subjects using a machine-learning paradigm. We hope to use the system to identify mechanical sources of low-back pain.

Mehr, Judd; Alvarez, Eduardo; Cardoza, Adam; Ning, Andrew (Brigham Young University)
Faculty Advisor: Ning, Andrew (Brigham Young University, Mechanical Engineering)

Wind power is an attractive alternative energy source because it is sustainable, clean and cost effective. However, wind energy is difficult to harvest because wind is irregular, seasonal, and often far away from urban areas. Several organizations have sought to solve this problem by designing wind harvesting aircraft, called windcraft. Windcraft are aircraft that are tethered to the ground, propel themselves into the air, enter steady flight in a crosswind, and allow the propellers to spin freely. The wind keeps the windcraft aloft and forces the propellers to turn backwards, turning them into turbines. Power generated from the turbines is sent down the tether and stored. Windcraft provide several advantages beyond those of conventional wind turbines, including high portability due to its smaller weight.

This research employs aerodynamic analysis to determine the forces on the turbines and lifting surfaces of a windcraft modeled after the Makani M600, an 8-rotor prototype produced by Makani Technologies. The analysis is a combination of modeling methods with varying fidelity, including the vortex lattice, vortex particle, and blade element momentum methods. The vortex lattice method models the lifting surface as a sheet of vortices that have the same capability to push on the oncoming flow as the lifting surface would. The vortex particle method uses a set of discretized fluid motion equations in a form that allows for the solution of the strength of the vortex at each point in the flow. The blade element momentum method uses two theories, the blade element theory and the momentum theory, to calculate the power, thrust and axial air velocity of a propeller or turbine. The modeling methods are validated by using experimental data from The Mexico Project and NASA. We implement basic design space exploration to display this model's compatibility with design optimization.

Swomitra, Mohanty; Willis, Christina ; Larson, Shaylee (University of Utah)
Faculty Advisor: Mohanty, Swomitra (Engineering, Chemical Engineering)

The World Health Organization has cited tuberculosis (TB) as a global health emergency. As this is a disease that mainly affects those in developing countries, it is important to provide a rapid and affordable means of diagnosis. Emerging work has shown breath biopsy to be a promising resource for diagnosing a variety of diseases, but is particularly promising for TB, as it negates the need for sputum collection that can cause many problems in young or ill patients and can provide results at point of care.

The breath of a patient diagnosed with TB contain volatile organic biomarkers (VOBs) that are given off by the bacteria that cause the disease. Detection of VOBs with via metal-functionalized titanium dioxide sensors has been successful in very sick patients, however it is limited in its ability to detect low analyte levels and has unknown specificity in a complex human breath matrix. Preliminary results indicate that the use of an engineered electroactive solution (EAS), a liquid-phase complex which utilizes a functional metal in solution, can improve the current sensing platform by simplifying the electrode configuration and allowing the use of more complex electrochemical techniques (in this case square wave voltammetry (SWV)). Because the margins of detection can be quite small, successful optimization of SWV parameters is vital. The proposed project will explore a means of optimizing these parameters by collecting a variety of sample data in order to determine how the electrochemical activity of the EAS is altered when biomarkers are introduced.

Jensen, Sally; Lignell, David (Brigham Young University)
Faculty Advisor: Lignell, David (Ira A. Fulton College of Engineering, Chemical Engineering)

Radiative heat transfer is central to many chemical engineering processes. Turbulent combustion accounts for 80% of the world's energy. Understanding radiative heat transfer is important for efficient design, regulating pollutant emissions, and doing hazard analyses of these processes. Radiation depends on temperature as well as local composition fields. It is important for combustion because it affects heat transfer to surrounding environments. This in turn impacts fire spread in wild fires as well as heat transfer in power plant boilers and other such applications. Radiation also directly affects the temperature field. The temperature field in turn feeds back to the radiation and impacts the formation of pollutants, such as soot, NOx and other species. Modeling is difficult because computing the absorption coefficient depends on the spectral properties of molecules. Computing these requires millions of spectral bands, which is too expensive to compute for normal applications. A common method that is currently used to predict radiation is the Weighted-sum-of-gray-gases model. Doctors Solovjov and Webb developed a new method called the Rank Correlated Integration of the Spectral Line Weighted-sum-of-gray-gases (rcSLW) model. It is a complex model that is difficult to implement, but it is accurate. It has been implemented in python and in C++. The model has been provided on github to allow for easy access by the community. We will present an overview of the rcSLW model and code interface as well as show selected results applied to systems of interest with respect to combustion.

Bundy, Brad; Crop, Tyler (Brigham Young University)
Faculty Advisor: Bundy, Brad (Ira A. Fulton College of Engineering, Chemical Engineering)

Cell-free protein synthesis (CFPS) has proven to be a novel and effective method for recombinant protein production. However, one key disadvantage in this process is the need to store the requisite cell extract and energy source for the reaction at below-freezing temperatures. Our lab has developed a lyophilization-based system to overcome this problem. We have shown that lyophilization of the cell extract and energy system needed for the reaction are possible while still maintaining equivalent protein production capabilities of the reaction. This lyophilization-based system provides a solution to the high costs associated with the storage of these reagents, increases the shelf-life of the reagents, and, when mixed with water, allows for on-demand protein production in remote locations around the world.

Cutler, James; Stanley, Andrew; Ning, Andrew (Brigham Young University)
Faculty Advisor: Ning, Andrew (Brigham Young University, Mechanical Engineering)

Wind farms are severely affected by negative wake interactions between turbines. By opti- mizing the tilt angle of the turbines in a farm, wakes may be deflected away from downstream turbines, increasing the overall energy production. In this study, we will optimize the tilt angle of turbines in a wind farm to maximize energy production. We will use an analytic wake model modified to consider wake deflection from tilt, and gradient-based optimization. We will consider optimizing the tilt angle of each turbine assuming that it will remain fixed for the lifetime of the farm. We will also consider active tilt control. Preliminary results with a simple five turbine row show that a large tilt angles of 35_ in the front upstream turbine increases the power production of the five turbines by about 20% compared to the power production with no tilt in the front turbine. Although these preliminary results only consider one wind direction and exaggerate the gains from wake deflection through tilt, we expect that considering a whole wind farm and wind distribution will still result in significant gains.

Brad Bundy; Nelson, Andrew; Welton, Meagan (Brigham Young University)
Faculty Advisor: Bundy, Brad (Brigham Young University, Chemical Engineering)

Cell-free protein synthesis (CFPS) is the process of making proteins without the limiting environment of a cell. The CFPS system allows us to modify and engineer proteins in ways that have not been done before. This technology has the potential to significantly impact the fields of protein therapeutics, unnatural amino acid insertion, and biosensors. Our research looks into optimizing the process of CFPS. Specifically, we want to understand what the impact of adding bubbles to a cell-free reaction is on CFPS yields. We want to know if adding bubbles to the CFPS mixture prior to incubation will increase the oxygenation of the reaction and affect protein production rates. This knowledge will help us optimize the CFPS process for future applications.

Hunt, J. Porter; Barnett, R. Jordan; Robinson, Hannah; Wilding, Kristen; Bundy, Bradly C. (Brigham Young University)
Faculty Advisor: Bundy, Bradly (BYU Ira A. Fulton College of Engineering, Chemical Engineering)

Amino acid concentration assays assist both healthcare providers and patients in determining treatment plan options and diagnosis for diseases ranging from genetic conditions to eating disorders. Cell free protein synthesis provides a rapid, inexpensive platform where a single amino acid assay gives the concentration in that sample. As a biosensor, this assay has proven to provide sensitive and accurate results and has an extensive range of applications. Progress towards a simple product that anyone could use to test amino acid concentrations represents a major contribution to the healthcare industry.

Qian,Rui (Brigham Young University)
Faculty Advisor: Salmon, John (BYU - Ira A. Fulton College of Engineering, Mechanical Engineering); Killpack, Marc (BYU - Ira A. Fulton College of Engineering, Mechanical Engineering)

The cooperation between humans and robots may become more intuitive as technology develops. It is foreseeable that soon physical human-robot collaboration may be applied in the area of co-manipulation of objects, especially in search and rescue. It comes naturally for a human dyad to adapt and respond to changes with each other while moving objects. However, it still can be difficult for a robot to determine the motion it should take to best collaborate with a human. In order to optimize robots imitation of humans and improve their efficiency to assist humans, the research aims to design algorithms for robots to move objects in more human-like ways by first analyzing behavioral characteristics of human-to-human collaborations.

During our experiments, we will designate one person per group as a leader and one as a follower to carry a stretcher-like table as a simulated object with force-torque sensors through different obstacles. As the follower will not be explicitly told the intention of the leader, the forces and torques that the follower feels through the object become important for understanding the leader's intent. With standardized specific goals and qualifiers, data will be gathered on the force and torque people exert on the object and motion of table; we will then analyze the correlation and characteristics between the data and people's actual intentions. The data will later be implemented as an algorithm on the robot to help it identify human's intentions and to complete the cooperative task efficiently and smoothly.

Zane, Regan; Kamineni, Abhilash; Nimri, Reebal (Utah State University)
Faculty Advisor: Kamineni, Abhilash (College of Engineering, Electrical and Computer Engineering Department); Zane, Regan (College of Engineering, Electrical and Computer Engineering Department)

Transportation electrification will bring a positive effect on sustainable environments and robust economies. Electric Vehicles (EV) are emerging in today's market as a solution. However, the battery technologies on EV cannot compete with fuel and diesel cars in terms of energy storage capacity, and time needed to recharge (equivalently refuel). These limitations directly reflect on the consumers' convenience, the max miles the Vehicle can perform for, and hence EV adoption. Wireless power transfer (WPT) systems are seen as a solution to ease consumers' transition to EV. A high-level diagram of WPT is shown in Figure (**).

Major advancements in WPT technology has enabled the commercialization of stationary WPT solutions — materials technology has been a major impediment. Hence, academia and industry are jointly considering more advanced solutions in WPT, namely Dynamic Wireless Power Transfer (DWPT). Implementing DWPT systems will permit on the go charging for EV the upper hand over present charging (equivalently fueling) methods and encourage EV adoption. This document reflects on some of the challenges of realizing an effective DWPT that maintains power transfer between the primary pad and secondary pad, and a proposed solution to allow dynamic charging. Also, the proposed DWPT offers compatibility with SAE J2954 (Wireless Power Transfer for Light-Duty Plug-in/Electric Vehicles and Alignment Methodology) WPT3Z3 pad.

A comprehensive approach was taken in the design of the primary pad to validate the power transfer requirements for the designed pads. The proposed solution consists of a custom primary pad and a custom secondary pad for dynamic charging. This document will refer to the custom primary pad and a custom secondary pad as DGA and DVA, respectively. DGA offers compatibility with WPT2Z3 for dynamic charging and DVA offers compatibility with the Universal Ground Assembly (UGA) for stationary charging.

Howlett, Dylan (Brigham Young University)
Faculty Advisor: Fullwood, David (Brigham Young University, Mechanical Engineering); Bowden, Anton (Brigham Young University, Mechanical Engineering)

Identifying motion of the human spine, and irregularities in movement can be vital for diagnosing a back injury patient. Modern methods of identifying injuries include an expensive X-ray or MRI scan, simple inspection by a trained professional, or very primitive two point instruments. We have developed a strain gauge with high flexibility that is able to withstand repeated high-strain. This gauge is able to properly measure the motion of the lumbar spine, allowing health professionals and patients to monitor the state of their back. This paper presents a survey of different manufacturing methods for these gauges, including screen printing, extrusion and compression molding. The gauges are analyzed for their piezoresistivity vs strain and optimized for the desired application.

Liu, Xintong (University of Utah)
Faculty Advisor: Ji, Mingyue (College of Engineering, Department of Electrical and Computing Engineering)

One of the significant challenges of the machine learning faces today is how to deal with the privacy constraint of the user in a large-scale and distributed communication network. A myriad of data produced by billions of distributed devices need to be sent into the central cloud and to be managed, but what happens if the user does not want to send his/her data to the central cloud. It is reasonable that many users expect the data they send is being protected and maintain privacy. So, we are thinking about whether it is possible to create an individual machine learning in the application of Federated Learning so that the user's data will be protected from the privacy constraints. In this case, the raw data will not be known by anyone except the owner of these data. So, there would be all unknown input data pass through the private machine learning model, and the generated result, which is still hidden data will be sent back to the user. The main topic of the presentation is the designed codes which produces a private configuration with non-linear computation for the learning model and enable privacy constraints for the user's data.

Craig, Michael W. ; Valle, Hugo E. (Weber State University)
Faculty Advisor: Valle, Hugo (Weber State university, Computer Science)

The purpose of Project Atmosniffer is to develop a scientific and commercial air-quality monitoring and recording tool.
This project has undergone many transformations over the years since its birth and is continuing to be improved during the period of my contributions. Project Atmosniffer has provided me a unique opportunity to enhance my computer science (CS) core skills. From networking, ticket tracking, version control, data analysis, and hands-on experience in the lab.
The atmosniffer has changed much of its hardware. The current version of the Atmosniffer device, upgraded the following components: microprocessor, gas board, dynamic sensor, OLED screen. The new version offers new features like a new CO2 sensor and WiFi connectivity.
More details covering the CS skills utilized in the development of new components and features of the Atmosniffer device will be presented.

Baker, Spencer; Charles, Steven (Brigham Young University)
Faculty Advisor: Charles, Steven (Ira A. Fulton College of Engineering, Mechanical Engineering)

Essential tremor is one of the most common movement disorders and affects millions nationwide. Its debilitating effects and lack of satisfactory treatments accentuates the need for new tremor-suppressing methods. Alternative treatments are possible but would be more effective if tremor propagation from neurological activity to joint movement was better understood. The purpose of this research was to further develop previous investigations and discover the effects deep upper limb muscles on tremor propagation.
A model of the upper limb was developed to simulate tremor propagation from neural drive to muscle force, joint torque, and degree of freedom movement. An analysis of the model revealed four tremor propagation principles. (1) Musculoskeletal dynamics spread neural drive to multiple outputs, act as a low-pass filter in the tremor bandwidth, and cause a phase shift between muscle activity and joint movement. (2) Tremor spreads primarily due to inertia and secondarily due to moment arm geometry. (3) Tremor spreads narrowly. (4) The degree of freedom most affected by the tremor is wrist flexion-extension.
These conclusions provide new information regarding the propagation of tremor from superficial and deep upper-limb muscles, lay the foundation for determining the muscular source of tremor, and will assist in future tremor treatments.

Howell, Ashley (Brigham Young University)
Faculty Advisor: Killpack, Marc (Ira A. Fulton College of Engineering, Mechanical Engineering); Salmon, John (Ira A. Fulton College of Engineering, Mechanical Engineering)

Human-robot co-manipulation of objects to complete specific tasks, such as carrying a stretcher in a search and rescue operation, is an open ended problem in the foreseeable future. Since many motions of the shared object, like rotation and translation, initially feel identical, it can create disagreement between the human and the robot on where to move the object. Programming a robot to determine what kind of movement a human is suggesting and acting accordingly requires extensive data on how humans interpret such communications. This project focuses on designing and constructing a stretcher like object that will be used in a series of experiments in which two humans will carry it through a random arrangement of obstacles. Sensors on the object will gather data on the different ways humans move and interact with it through forces and torques. Indications of these movements will be used to instruct a robot on how to "follow" with the goal of adding no additional cognitive load to the human leader.

Wheeler, Isaac; Lignell, David (Brigham Young University)
Faculty Advisor: Lignell, David (Brigham young University, Chemical Engineering)

Turbulence remains one of the great unsolved problems of classical physics; for this reason it remains one of the primary focuses of study in computational fluid dynamics. Numerically, the governing equations for fluid flow can be solved, but to accurately simulate a turbulent flow (as found in combustion, drag calculations, and a variety of other situations) the equations must be solved at small enough length scales to describe very small structures present in turbulent phenomena. Hierarchical parcel swapping (HiPS) is a proposed model for turbulent mixing; the model is computationally cheaper than a numerical simulation at similar length scales, and allows for variation in diffusion coefficients (Schmidt number Sc). In my presentation I will discuss the implementation of HiPS and its agreement with established turbulent phenomena.

Van Leeuwen, Fiona; German, Emma; Berke, Ryan (Utah State University)
Faculty Advisor: Berke, Ryan (College of Engineering, Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Department)

Stereo Digital Image Correlation (DIC) is a technique to visually analyze deformations and strains in a material. This way of calculating strains is useful due to the implications of the technique being non-contact. One of the methods to improve using this technique is to use scheimpflug (AKA tilt-tip lenses) to increase the depth of field of the image. These lenses are oriented at an angle with respect to the camera sensor, thereby rotating the angle between the image plane and the subject plane. These methods have been verified in fluids research for PIV measurements which are like DIC. The experiment was conducted by first verifying the method by using a single camera. The research currently being conducted is on using two cameras giving a verification for the 3D method. The goal for this research is to measure an increase in depth of field. Using the single camera 2D measurements, it has been shown that at steeper angles from the camera, the better the measurement when a larger scheimpflug angle is used.

Keyword: Depth of Field, Scheimpflug Lenses, Stereo DIC

Tucker, Ryan W.; Bundy, Bradley C. (Brigham Young University)
Faculty Advisor: Bundy, Bradley (Engineering, Chemical Engineering)

Peer-reviewed journal articles publications and their citation rate is the primary measure of research productivity and impact. Many measure of this impact have been developed and this has motivated many researchers to advertise and market their work. However, there are challenges with this system in that much of the scientific literature is not openly available and there are often high fees associated with making an article open access. Here I discuss this challenge and how engineering researchers are working to better make their research more available to the community.

Kjar, Andrew; Heap, Mitchell; Wadsworth, Ian; Vargis, Elizabeth; Britt, David (Utah State University)
Faculty Advisor: Britt, David (College of Engineering, Biological Engineering Department); Vargis, Elizabeth (College of Engineering, Biological Engineering Department)

Quercetin is a flavonoid that exhibits antiviral activity against cytomegalovirus infection, the leading cause of non-genetic sensorineural hearing loss in infants. However, delivering quercetin as an antiviral treatment is challenging as it is sparingly soluble in water and highly susceptible to oxidation once solubilized. This study investigated quercetin encapsulation in micelles formed from self-assembled nanocariiers of differing hydrophobic and hydrophilic chain lengths (specifically, F127, P123, and F68). Samples were investigated weekly for two months using UV-vis spectroscopy and dynamic light scattering to determine quercetin chemical stability and micelle size, respectively. Free quercetin and F68-encapsulated quercetin oxidized within one week in PBS, while quercetin encapsulated by Pluronics F127 and P123 remained stable and encapsulated over two months. Pluronics F127 and F68 have similar PEO chain lengths, but the lower hydrophobic PPO content of F68 was insufficient to allow quercetin-loaded F68 to form stable carriers. As a consequence, F68 also did not protect quercetin against oxidation. The decreased PEO chain length of P123 did not inhibit micelle formation nor oxidative protection. These data suggest the length of the hydrophilic chain is not a determining factor in the chemical stability of encapsulated quercetin. Instead, shielding effects appear to correlate to longer hydrophobic segment lengths, as in F127 and P123.

Conclusions: The ability of the selected Pluronics to encapsulate quercetin in stable micelles and inhibit oxidation was highly dependent on PEO/PPO ratios. This work indicates selection of the appropriate delivery vehicle is necessary to improve quercetin's efficacy as an antiviral and antioxidant for inhibiting CMV and associated SNHL.

Hunt, J. Porter; Wilding, Kristen M.; Barnett, R. Jordan; Robinson, Hannah; Soltani, Mehran; Cho, Jae; Bundy,Bradley C. (Brigham Young University)
Faculty Advisor: Bundy, Bradley (Brigham Young University, Chemical Engineering)

In this research, a cell-free protein synthesis (CFPS) platform is used to create a biosensor aimed towards detecting concentrations of amino acids or enzymes in a sample. A CFPS biosensor is an effective method to detect these molecules due to its rapid, high-throughput nature. Additionally, the biosensor analysis can be done on-site. Potential applications of this assay include monitoring dietary health, adjusting cancer treatments, and the diagnosis of the onset of certain disease.

Moulton, Benjamin (Utah State University)
Faculty Advisor: Hunsaker, Doug (College of Engineering, Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Department)

A morphing allows for more efficient controlled flight. Morphing wings induce a continuous deflection of control surfaces. Deflection can be caused by compliant mechanisms and composite materials. Factors contributing to efficient morphing wings range from a continuous morphing trailing edge to stiffness and flexure. Wing stiffness supports aerodynamic loading. Wing flexure supports transverse deflection, or twist of the wing trailing edge. Graduate students in the USU Aerolab have written an algorithm to optimize where these deflections should occur on the wing. The student seeks to build a morphing wing to demonstrate the success of the optimization code. Different manufacturing methods are explored. 3D printing provides the most promising results. The 3D printing of thermoplastic materials allows for shear and deflection.

Oldham, Keturah; Lignell, David; Stephens, Victoria (Brigham Young University)
Faculty Advisor: Lignell, David (Brigham Young University, Chemical Engineering)

Soot is an important but computationally expensive aspect of modeling combustion. To thoroughly predict the way that soot acts, it is necessary to know the number and size of every soot particle in a situation. Since that is clearly not practical, there are a variety of methods to approximate the soot size distribution: the method of moments, assuming monodispersion, and a sectional method. To facilitate the incorporation of these soot models into various applications, a C++ library including these models was created. As part of this C++ library, a sectional model was implemented. This splits the overall soot size distribution into discrete sections, then calculates the soot chemistry involved with these sections. To implement this into the library, a partial sectional model (including only coagulation) was first implemented in Python and compared to verified values. This model was then written in C++, expanded to include the various other soot mechanisms (e.g., growth, oxidation), and incorporated into the larger soot library. The sectional model as part of the soot library will be tested for validity. In summary, to enable the combustion simulation community to more easily simulate soot, a soot library that includes several models was created and expanded to include a sectional model. The use of these models enables modeling to be more accurate due to the easy inclusion of soot in a comparatively computationally inexpensive manner.

Bundy, Bradley C; Mills, Heather; Nelson, Andrew (Brigham Young University)
Faculty Advisor: Bundy, Bradley (Brigham Young University, Chemical Engineering)

Many advantages are associated with cell-free protein synthesis. It is the fastest way to obtain a protein from a gene, and large amounts can be produced.

A common challenge in cell-free protein synthesis is inconsistency in reaction results, when protein yields appear to vary significantly between trials of the same reaction. Correcting this problem by focusing on and adjusting laboratory technique was the platform of this specific research project. Such adjustments aimed to increase the precision with which reagents were measured and the accuracy of the spectrophotometer results; and to decrease potential error created by air bubbles and non-uniformly mixed reagents.

Overall, amounts of protein yield became more consistent as procedural steps were performed with greater focus on laboratory technique. These results indicate that adjusting laboratory technique could potentially help to increase consistency in yield amounts and reduce error in cell-free protein synthesis reactions. Further direction for the research includes using the improved and more accurate CFPS reactions to produce protein therapeutics, which is used in the treatment of various diseases.

Jacobs, Matt (Brigham Young University)
Faculty Advisor: George, Andy (Engineering, School of Technology); Miles, Mike (Engineering, School of Technology)

Composites are unique materials in many respects. When fabric woven from carbon fibers is joined with a thermoset resin in a controlled environment, it results in a very strong material. One aspect of this construction that provides great strength lies in the crosslinked chains of plastic polymers, which form strong bonds as the resin cures. It's a two-edged sword, though. Although the resin and the composite are quite strong together, they are very difficult to pull apart once they're formed, in order to be able to use again in the future. As such, composite structures formed with industry-standard thermoset resins have a single-use lifespan. The cheapest thing to do to dispose of them is to simply throw them away. However, by isolating the dry fibers by burning off the resin (a process called pyrolysis), the fibers are able to be processed again in useful ways — they are reclaimed. My research focuses on pyrolysis and ways to optimize its process. I aim to showcase its environmentally-friendly capabilities through making new composite structures with fibers reclaimed via pyrolysis to lessen landfill waste.

For the experimental phase of the research, a roll of unprocessed carbon fiber material will be selected for producing 4 test groups:
Virgin-sized carbon fibers
Fibers that have undergone pyrolysis
Fibers infused to part and reclaimed with pyrolysis, oxygen-free environment
Fibers infused to part and reclaimed with pyrolysis, ambient air environment

Fiber samples will then be processes into 3mm length fibers. Fibers will then be introduced to Matrix at TBD% Fiber volume content, following which, dog bones will be molded from samples for tensile testing. Dog bones will then be tensile tested and analyzed at fracture point.

Response variables involved include:
Oxygen vs deoxygenated atmosphere (during pyrolysis),
Bath vs spray vs no application (method of sizing).
Control variables include:
Fiber & Sizing,
Fiber resin ratio,
Fiber Length,
Pyrolysis Time & Temp.

Post-pyrolysis fibers will then be chopped, blended with plastic (polymer TBD) and extruded, cut into pellets, and injection molded into dog-bones for tensile testing. The resulting mechanical properties of the carbon fiber reinforced plastic compared with standard injection molding polymers as well as fully-cured composite.

Although uncertainties exist in the viability of sizing application and surface treatment for composites recycling, building upon previous work in pyrolysis and utilizing the unique resources available at BYU (composites lab, ready access to aerospace-grade fibers, industry standard processing equipment, scanning electron microscopes, etc.), the work's importance and potential for contributions to the field are clear.

Barney, Nate; Paterson, Chase: Farjood, Farhod; Vargis, Elizabeth (Utah State University)
Faculty Advisor: Vargis, Elizabeth (College of Engineering, Biological Engineering Department)

Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is the leading cause of blindness in the developed world. Often the cause of irreversible blindness is abnormal blood vessel growth, or angiogenesis, into the retina during AMD. This abnormal vascular growth affects a tissue monolayer called the retinal pigment epithelium (RPE). The RPE cells transport nutrients and maintain the photoreceptors of the eye. The loss of cells in the RPE layer can cause photoreceptor death and consequently blind spots in an individual's vision that steadily increase in size as AMD progresses. Early research suggests RPE cell disruption plays a role in abnormal angiogenesis as RPE cells lacking neighbors have higher production rates of angiogenic factors, such as vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF). To better understand the effects of RPE detachment on angiogenesis, cells can be grown and characterized in vitro. This research can lead to an in vitro model of degeneration in the human retina that could be used to investigate specific causes of abnormal angiogenesis and potential therapeutics. Our research to date has shown the benefits of using micropatterning as a technique to simulate the areas of cell-cell detachment. To do so, we used photolithography to create thin PDMS stencils with 100 _m holes. ARPE-19 cells were grown across the stencil until confluent, and the stencil was peeled away to cause controlled cell-cell detachment. The concentration of angiogenic factors can then be analyzed to see the effects of cell-cell detachment. My ongoing research will include the use of human RPE cells and analyzing retinal images that show varying levels of degeneration to create micropatterns that are more representative of retinal degeneration during AMD.

Hansen, Matthew; Kamineni, Abhilash; Zane, Regan (Utah State University)
Faculty Advisor: Kamineni, Abhilash (College of Engineering, Electrical and Computer Engineering Department); Zane, Regan (College of Engineering, Electrical and Computer Engineering Department)

Electric vehicles (EV) are becoming a cleaner, more popular mode of transportation. However, more convenient charging solutions are required for higher EV adoption. One possible solution is wireless charging of in-motion EVs, but that technology still needs to mature before realization. This research explores a novel charging technology for an in-road wireless charging pad that may increase the feasibility of in-motion wireless EV charging. The research is based on a commonly used pad design. The charging pad on-board the vehicle operates without direct input from the in-road pad, which simplifies current EV wireless charging designs. When the vehicle is not near an in-road pad, negligible energy is used by the vehicle's charging pad, increasing overall efficiency. As the vehicle approaches an in-road pad, the electromagnetic effects of the approaching, enabled vehicle pad activate the in-road pad. An innovative scheme is used to synchronize the in-road pad to the vehicle pad, achieving maximum power transfer. Protections against system instability have also been included. The control scheme only observes the electromagnetic effects of the approaching vehicle, eliminating the need for any radio frequency communication between the vehicle and road and between subsequent in-road pads. The result is a modular, secure, reliable, and simple design. The design improvements can be an enabling technology to in-motion wireless EV charging and broader EV adoption, which can result in lower emissions in populated areas.

(Pace, Jenessa; Ence, Elodie; Kunz, Allison; Stevens, Rebecca; Kunz, Amber; Cooper, Izaak; Nelson, Alicia; Asplund, Alyssa; Stock, Julianna) (Brigham Young University)
Faculty Advisor: Williams, Gustavious (Ira A. Fulton College of Engineering and Technology, Civil and Environmental Engineering)

Photogrammetry using Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV) has become more relevant to water resources issues. The models generated can be highly accurate and detailed. The use of ground truth is an integral part of ensuring the accuracy of such models. Ground truth based on GPS-obtained data of visual targets gathered in the field prior to UAV data collection are used to improve post processing accuracy. Proper spacing of ground truth is primarily dependent on the flight path of the UAV during data collection, flight height, and image resolution.
One developing task is creating models of full-pool bathymetric maps for reservoirs - using UAVs for above the waterline and sonar for below. Due to their erratic shapes, capturing the shorelines of reservoirs requires erratic flight paths. Planning ground truth spacing requires special care.
To determine proper ground truth spacing we completed a field survey at Starvation Reservoir, near Duchesne, Utah. We selected a two mile stretch along the north side of the reservoir to test various ground truth spacings. We flew the test stretch with two flights, one taking nadir photos and one with the photos taken at an angle of about 30 degrees, more normal to the shoreline. The primary placement of ground truth points was approximately 0.25 miles apart. After the data was recorded, we created models using Metashape software using different ground truth spacing, using spacings of 0.25, 0.5 and 1 mile. We used Cloud Compare software to determine the error between each model. We assumed that the model generated using 0.25 points/mile was "truth". We used this preliminary information to determine that for bathymetry maps, a ground truth spacing of 1 mile/point was acceptable, we are continuing our research to refine this finding.

Buxton, Ashley; Ahmed, Jasmin; Smith, Adam; Rowley, Robert; Kingstedt, Owen; Berke, Ryan (Utah State University)
Faculty Advisor: Berke, Ryan (College of Engineering, Menanical and Aerospace Engineering Department)

As nuclear facilities grow older, the Department of Energy (DOE) seeks to understand how materials degrade under irradiation conditions. However, engineering-scale radioactive specimens are expensive to irradiate and difficult to handle. Thus, there is significant interest in new methods to characterize materials using miniaturized specimens. In recent years, several promising techniques have gained popularity (for example: nano-indentation, MEMs-based micro-tension, or nano-pillar compression), but there remains a significant gap in translating measurements at a micro- or nano-scale to material properties at an engineering scale.
In the late stages of ductility testing, localized necking means that two specimens of the same material but differing dimensions can produce drastically different elongation measurements. Barba's Law addresses this through scaling relationships. The law's key assumption is that similarly sized tensile specimens develop geometrically similar necked regions. The presented work utilizes this relationship to bridge ductility tests across length scales.
Throughout this research, full-field displacements are measured using Digital Image Correlation (DIC). In brief, DIC works by recording images of a specimen before and after deformation with a digital camera, then comparing the images to compute deformation. The gauge region is then varied to assess whether Barba's Law can be satisfied with a single long specimen and multiple shorter gauge regions. Multiple physical specimen lengths are then measured to validate the DIC results.

Wheeler, Jesse; Bean, Brennan; Schwartz, Sam; Christensen, Randy; Moon, Kevin (Utah State University)
Faculty Advisor: Moon, Kevin (College of Science, Mathematics and Statistics Department)

Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) often rely on GPS for navigation. GPS signals, however, are very low in power and are easily jammed or otherwise disrupted. Precise measurements of initial position and motion at the time of GPS signal loss would allow navigation for UAV navigation in GPS denied regions. This work presents a method for determining the navigation errors present at the beginning of a GPS-denied period by utilizing data from a synthetic aperture radar (SAR) system. This is accomplished by comparing an online-generated SAR image with a reference image obtained a priori. The distortions relative to the reference image are learned and exploited with a convolutional neural network to recover the initial navigational errors, which can be used to recover the true flight trajectory throughout the synthetic aperture. Our neural network approach outperforms traditional navigation recovery methods as well as other machine learning models.

Walker, Caleb; Justin A. Jones (Utah State University)
Faculty Advisor: Jones, Justin (College of Science, Biology Department)

In recent years there has been a large push towards exploring the possibility of using protein-based materials to replace petroleum-based materials. Proteins such as those found in spider silk have been investigated, and this exploration has led to proteins not only being used for fibers, but also gels, foams, and films. As research progressed in protein-based filaments, hagfish intermediate filaments have started being explored, specifically, how to recreate these proteins synthetically and what material forms could be produced from them. In the last year, significant progress has been made into the production and of these novel proteins as well as studying their material applications.

The biocompatibility and cytotoxicity of protein films made of these novel recombinant hagfish proteins was evaluated through in vitro testing with a NIH/3T3 mouse fibroblast cell line. The films were produced from alpha and gamma hagfish proteins, purified as insoluble bodies from genetically engineered E. coli bacteria. Cytotoxicity of the films was tested through direct contact and extract testing using cell viability ratios, cell morphology, a cell proliferation assay, and a DNA quantitation assay.

This preliminary data is important for further experimentation with the novel hagfish proteins being used in the Jones lab for biomedical applications. The understanding of the cytotoxicity of these proteins is required before further testing can be done in any biomedical aspect, as in vitro studies provide the foundational data for moving forward with in vivo testing. This project is the first step into the biomedical field for these novel proteins and their potential applications.

Bowden, Lucy; Monroe, Jacquelyn; Bowden, Anton E.; Jensen, Brian D. (Brigham Young University)
Faculty Advisor: Bowden, Anton (Engineering, Mechanical Engineering); Jensen, Brian (Engineering, Mechanical Engineering)

Previously our lab has shown that carbon-infiltrated carbon nanotube (CI-CNT) surfaces enhance osseointegration and resist biofilm formation, making them attractive possibilities as orthopedic implant materials. For these applications, CI-CNTs and their underlying substrate material must be able to withstand aqueous physiologic conditions. Due to microstructural changes that occur during CI-CNT production, we hypothesized that stainless steel substrate materials experience a loss of their protective, passivating layer, subsequently corroding when immersed in a simulated biological environment. The purpose of the study was to compare corrosion resistance of CI-CNT coated stainless steel substrates to bare stainless steel control samples after two days of incubation in different physiological analog media.

CI-CNTs were grown on 316L stainless steel samples which were sonicated for 20 minutes in isopropyl alcohol and given a 2 minute heat treatment in air at 800°C, followed by a 20 minute growth at the same temperature in ethylene and argon. Carbon infiltration was done for 5 minutes in the same gases at 900°C. The samples were autoclaved and placed into different media including deionized water, phosphor buffered saline solution (PBS), and DMEM culture media. The samples were then incubated for 48 hours at 37°C.

Macroscopic observation showed no obvious signs of corrosion (e.g., discoloration of the liquid media, cloudiness, physical changes in sample appearance) for any of the control samples, or for CI-CNT coated samples in deionized water. In contrast, the CI-CNT coated samples immersed in PBS and culture media exhibited significant discoloration and a cloudy appearance. Subsequent SEM images of the CI-CNT coated samples which had been immersed in culture media and PBS showed foreign residue. Energy dispersive x-ray analysis characterized this residue as having markedly higher levels of sodium and phosphorus than a baseline CI-CNT coated stainless steel sample. SEM images of the bare stainless steel samples and the CI-CNT samples cultured in deionized water showed no signs of corrosion or residue.

Our preliminary results illustrate that media containing salts initiated corrosion of CI-CNT coated stainless steel samples, likely due to disruption of the passivating layer in the substrate. Future work will explore methods for re-establishing the passivating layer in stainless steel materials.

Burrows, Tessa; Paterson, Chase; Harris, Tom; Jones, Justin; Elizabeth, Vargis (Utah State University)
Faculty Advisor: Vragis, Elizabeth (College of Engineering, Biological Engineering Department)

Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is the leading cause of vision loss and blindness in developed nations. To better treat this disease, an accurate model of the retina is needed to study how its healthy and diseased functions. Modeling Bruch's membrane (BM) — a semipermeable layer separates the specialized cells in the retina from blood vessels and becomes more thick and brittle with age — can aid in identifying how the cells associated with AMD, retinal pigmented epithelial (RPE) cells, grow and respond to stress. This project identifies how the brittleness and thickness of a synthetic BM affects cell function and stress factor production in RPE cells. Previous research compared the growth of RPE cells on Transwell membranes and recombinant spider silk proteins (rSSPs) to model BM, and found rSSPs membranes to support RPE growth. Using rSSPs, nonporous membranes with thicknesses of approximately 36 and 50 µm were fabricated to simulate a thicker and more brittle, aged BM. Control assessments were performed with Transwell support membranes, and with 15 µm rSSPs membranes which have been found to support the growth of RPE cells. RPE cells (ARPE-19) were grown on the membranes to confluency and the permeability of the membrane-cell complex was assessed with a size dependent permeability assay with fluorescent dyes of varying molecular weight. Preliminary results found that 36 and 50 µm membranes have a lower permeability coefficient with 7 days of cell growth and a 10 kDa dye. This project is ongoing, and future work includes protein staining to determine the formation of tight junctions and the expression of vascular growth factors associated with AMD. Differences in permeability across the thicker cell-membrane complexes suggest RPE cells have a reduced ability to transport waste across BM. Using rSSPs provides a tunable substrate to quantify the importance of BM in AMD.