Thermoelectric materials are playing an increasingly significant role in the global effort to develop sustainable energy technologies. Consequently, the demand for materials with greater thermoelectric efficiency has stimulated the development of state-of-the-art interstitially doped skutterudite-based materials. However, since intermetallics are often embrittled by interstitial substitution, optimal skutterudite-based device design, manufacture,...
Coal-fired power plants constitute a significant source of energy production for the United States, and are projected to do so for decades to come. Most of the scrutiny coal-fired power plants receive is in the form of environmental concerns regarding green house gas emissions of carbon dioxide, sulfur dioxide, and...
Steam distillation is the traditional method used for the extraction of peppermint oil. This process is able to remove approximately 20% of the oils from the leaves of the plant. It is a very costly and un-sustainable process due to the release of carbon emissions. Solvent free microwave extraction promises...
The stupendous growth in wireless and mobile devices in the recent years has prompted researchers to look at innovative approaches that enable effective use of the available resources. In this thesis, we propose a medium access control (MAC) protocol, referred to as EM-MAC, that enables wireless devices with multi-channel access...
With continued development of the electronic industry, the demand for highly efficient heat removal solutions requires innovative cooling technologies. A computational fluid dynamic (CFD) study, including heat transfer, is performed for an axisymmetric, confined jet impingement experiencing boiling and coupled with vapor extraction. Boiling occurs at the target surface while...
Spent nuclear fuel (SNF) resultant from the generation of nuclear power is a chemically and radiologically diverse system which is advantageous to chemically process prior to geologic disposal. Hydrometallurgy is the primary technology for chemical processing for light water reactor spent fuels, where spent fuel is dissolved in an acid...
Innovation is a key element for a product to achieve market success, but identifying it within product or even defining the term is a difficult task. Identifying innovation has been approached in many different ways. Experts in design engineering may identify innovative designs based on an analysis of a product's...
Bulk metallic glasses (BMGs) offer a great deal of potential through their near-theoretical strength, potentially high toughness and unique forming and molding traits. However, there are still a number of outstanding issues that bar their widespread use. This thesis describes the investigation of three research questions each designed to further...
In 2008, the Department of Energy (DOE) and Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NCR) decided that the Next Generation Nuclear Plant (NGNP) would be the Very High Temperature Reactor (VHTR). In support of the licensing and validation effort of the VHTR, Oregon State University was tasked with designing, building, and operating a...
The objective of this work was to determine and optimize the resolution of a neutron sensitive Multi-Channel Plate (MCP) detector in order to determine its capabilities in radiography and tomography. The Oregon State University, Neutron Radiography Facility added an MCP Detector in 2012 in order to analyze these capabilities. The...