Engineering Commons^™

Numerical Study Of The Impact Of Dme Blending On Emissions From A Compression Ignition Engine, Hongwei Lei

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Translate

Compression ignition (CI) engines and diesel fuel are commonly used for long-distance transportation, marine transportation, and construction equipment due to their high thermal efficiency and relatively low cost. Meanwhile, compression ignition (CI) engine emissions such as CO, NOx, and soot cause human health issues, climate change, and pollution problems. To reduce emissions, especially by restraining the formation of soot, some new energy resources are researched for replacing diesel fuel.

Dimethyl ether (DME) is one kind of new energy resource with four main advantages: high cetane number, low auto-ignition temperature, simple chemical structure, and high oxygen content. A wide range …

Microstrip Array Antenna For Wireless Power Transfer, Sahereh Sahandabadi

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

In this thesis, a triangular microstrip patch antenna is used to transfer wireless power at 2.4 GHz. First, the simple patch antenna is studied and its performance is investigated. Then, the new design is introduced to boost the efficiency and transmission coefficient of the simple patch antenna. Since the simple patch aimed to operate at 2.4GHz, its dimension is optimized to be 56mm with a reflection coefficient of -28.2 dB at the resonance frequency. An identical patch acting as a receiver is then placed in a 50mm distance to the main patch acting as a transmitter to enable us to …

Performance Analysis And Improvement Of Electrochemical Impedance Spectroscopy For Online Estimation Of Battery Parameters, Marzieh Abaspour Ghadi

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Battery internal impedance measurement is of great importance for a battery management system, which is tasked with ensuring the safety, efficiency, and reliability of a battery pack. Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) is an active method of estimating battery impedance parameters, where an excitation signal spanning a wide frequency spectrum is applied to the battery to measure its response. Even though the EIS approach is accurate and reliable, it is limited to laboratory experiments due to its dependence on high-precision measurement systems. In order to benefit from the EIS approach in real-time applications, e.g., the battery management system of an electric …

Finite Element Analysis Of Complex Vectorbloc Beam-Column Connections, Labiba Kalam

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Steel modular construction provides an efficient alternative to traditional construction practices. A key component to modular construction is the connection between the individual modules, which hold the building together against applied loads such as gravity, snow, and wind. The VectorBloc connector is an innovative cast steel connector that is used in the connections between steel modules made from hollow structural steel (HSS) members. The current VectorBloc connector, called VB4, is limited in its uplift capacity and thus faces challenges when applied to structures facing high uplift forces. Thus, a new design of the VectorBloc connector, called VB6, with a focus …

Predictive Model Of Air Dam Deflection Under Aerodynamic Loads, Chang Kyun Kang

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Plastic components are widely used on the exterior body of automotive vehicles. When the vehicle is moving, these components experience deformation caused by air flow. Simultaneously, the deformation affects the flow of air around the vehicle. This research is focused on developing virtual simulation techniques for determining the vehicle air dam behaviour under aerodynamic loads. The main objective of this research is to develop a fluid-structure interaction (FSI) methodology for predicting deflection of the air dam.

Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) and Finite Element Analysis (FEA) codes are coupled so that fluid pressure and air dam displacement parameters are exchanged. The …

Development Of Superior Energy Absorbing Devices With Adaptive Capabilities Utilizing Hybrid Cutting/Clamping Deformation Modes, John Magliaro

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The primary objective of this research was to investigate cutting deformation modes, employing higher-bladed cutters (i.e. 6 or more evenly space blades), with an emphasis on superior energy absorbing capabilities in comparison to axial crushing, the current state-of-the-art. A series of test cases involving AA6061 extrusions were identified utilizing analytical models of the steady-state cutting force and mean crushing force and selecting geometries where the ratio of the former force normalized with respect to the latter exceeded unity. Quasi-static testing confirmed that the total energy absorbing capacity could be exceeded while simultaneously reducing the peak force under quasi-static loading for …

Wake Characteristics Of Wall-Mounted Finite Solid And Foam-Covered Cylinders, Subhadip Das

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The wake characteristics of a wall-mounted finite foam-covered cylinder are explored by comparing the flow properties with the wake of a solid cylinder. The velocity data are acquired experimentally using planar particle image velocimetry (PIV) and numerically by large eddy simulation at Reynolds number of 35100 based on the flow depth and 13100 based on the cylinder diameter. The wake characteristics may vary significantly if the approach flow properties change and also depend on the relative height of the boundary layer thickness with respect to the cylinder height. Therefore, it is a necessity to achieve a fully developed approach flow …

Implementation Of An Improved Image Enhancement Algorithm On Fpga, Prit Ghanshyambhai Patel

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Image processing plays very crucial role in this digital human world and has rapidly evolved with the development of computers, mathematics and the real-life demand of variety of applications in wide range of areas. This wide range of areas includes remote sensing, machine/ robot vision, pattern recognition, medical diagnosis, video processing, military, agriculture, television, etc. Image processing has two important components which are image enhancement and information extraction. Since image enhancement works at the front end with the initial raw inputs, it works like a backbone in image processing. When it comes to implementing these image enhancement techniques and developing …

Efficient Design Of Integrated Underbody And Battery Pack For Battery Electric Vehicles, Gabriele Rosso

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Climate change and the consequent more restrictive regulations are pushing the industry towards higher efficiency and lower emissions means of transport. The road transport sector is deeply affected, leading the main Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs) to start the transition to alternative powertrains, among which Battery Electric Vehicles (BEVs) are the faster-growing.

The large, heavy, and safety-critical battery pack asks for a specific optimized solution for a lightweight and high-performance vehicle platform.

In this research, a first benchmarking analysis is presented to study the current state-of-the-art for BEV underbody and battery pack designs. Following this investigation, a classification scheme was designed …

Mixed Reality Application For Inspection And Validation In Industrial Environments: Human Performance And Brain-Computer Interface Advantages Over Gestures, Silvio Da Col

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Shortening product development cycles demand increasingly efficient methods and tools for the planning of complex production systems. Recently, augmented reality (AR) technologies have been introduced in manufacturing planning functions. Working in augmented environments, users usually select virtual objects with hand gestures that are associated with arm fatigue.

In the first study, a mixed reality (MR) application for inspection and validation of a production line has been developed. The application allows to show the virtual environment in Augmented/Mixed Reality, and it allows to import three-dimensional (3D) CAD with information and structure in a specific position. The application makes the user interacting …

Water Penetration Of Veneer Made With Various Clay Bricks, Kshitij Ghanate

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Rainwater penetration through building enclosures is one of the critical factors affecting building performance and durability. Understanding and assessing rainwater penetration within and through the veneer is crucial to controlling and avoiding moisture-related problems such as biological growth and corrosion in interior structural elements.

Adding a layer of clay bricks as a cladding to the windward surface of a building envelope is customary in Canadian residential building construction. Cladding made of clay bricks (often known as clay brick veneer) serves multiple purposes, such as providing additional thermal insulation, aiding in weather resistance, and improving the building’s aesthetics. Though clay brick …

Modelling And Control Of Non-Glare Zone Width Of Adaptive Driving Beam (Adb) In Different Driving Scenarios, Yihing Chen

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Adaptive driving beam (ADB) is an advanced vehicle forward lighting system that automatically adapts its beam patterns to create a non-glare zone around vehicles, providing good long-range visibility for the driver without causing an uncomfortable glare for other road users. The performance of the ADB system is affected by the non-glare zone width. A narrow non-glare zone could create indirect glare in the side rear-view mirrors of preceding vehicles during sharp turns, while widening it results in poor road illumination. This research studies the trade-off relationship between glare and road illumination when altering the width of the non-glare zone in …

Quantification Of Velocity At The Sparkplug In A Lab Scale Combustion Chamber, Mayur Panduranga Kodikal

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Lean burn has been considered an effective strategy to improve the thermal efficiency of spark-ignition engines. Under lean or diluted conditions, however, the combustion speed is reduced. Therefore, to speed up the combustion, in-cylinder turbulence is induced which may impede the spark initiation. This research aims to quantify the turbulence in a constant volume optical combustion chamber.

An Improved Delayed Detached Eddy Simulation (IDDES) study was done to understand the turbulence characteristics of the flow in the optical chamber. Spark anemometry was used to obtain a relationship between the spark plasma evolution and freestream velocity. Finally, this technique has been …

Development Of A Stochastic Reactor Model Network Towards Combustion Systems, Nupur Gupta

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Due to their negative health implications, the reduction of emissions from combustion processes is imperative. In order to reduce emissions, predicting and understanding their thermo-chemical formation in different types of combustion systems are necessary. Modern combustion systems, such as internal combustion engines and gas turbine engines, require innovative numerical methodologies that aid in the understanding of underlying chemical kinetics and mixing time-scales, all while being computationally inexpensive. However, current inclusive methodologies for predicting emissions and ignition events rely on computationally expensive computational fluid dynamics. The main objective of this thesis is to present a newly developed stochastic reactor model network …

Data Imputation Using Differential Dependency And Fuzzy Multi-Objective Linear Programming, Mohammadreza Safi

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Missing or incomplete data is a serious problem when it comes to collecting and analyzing data for forecasting, estimating, and decision making. Since data quality is so important in machine learning and its results, in most cases data imputation is much more appropriate than ignoring them. Missing data imputation is often based on considering equality, similarity, or distance of neighbors. Researchers use different approaches for neighbors' equalities or similarities. Every approach has its advantages and limitations. Instead of equality, some researchers use inequalities together with a few relationships or similarity rules. In this thesis, after recalling some basic imputation methods, …

Simulation Analysis Of Patient Wait Times For Computed Tomography And Magnetic Resonance Imaging Considering Covid-19 Impact, Selena Celic

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Due to world-wide increasing population and life expectancy, the volume of chronic illnesses and number of patients admitted into hospitals is growing. Hospital services can be extremely important and expensive—particularly for Computed Tomography (CT) and Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) diagnostic imaging. Ontario hospitals follow a public healthcare system with four patient priority levels and wait time targets for each of the four priority levels. Along with increasing needs for diagnostic imaging services, COVID-19 was declared a pandemic virus on March 11th, 2020, by the World Health Organization (WHO), which was followed by the Premier of Ontario declaring a state of …

Machine Learning Based Prediction Of Reinforced Concrete Members’ Shear Friction Capacity, Farah Mohamed

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Shear friction theory describes the mechanisms by which shear forces are transferred across concrete-to-concrete interfaces. Shear transfer across a plane involves a complex interaction of several phenomena, such as concrete surface condition and cohesion, concrete strength, and steel reinforcement strength and reinforcement ratio. Existing empirical equations for shear friction have been developed using limited sample data sets;thus, their accuracy is limited to the range covered by the data. In order to overcome this limitation, the present thesis proposes two machine learning models drawn from an extensive database to predict the shear friction capacity in reinforced concrete (RC) with a high …

Hardware In The Loop Design And Evaluation Of Battery Management Algorithms, Joan Anibal Benitez

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Batteries are one of the most used and viable energy storage systems that we use nowadays due to its high efficiency and low environmental impact. Today, batteries are the most important elements in the transportation industry and the electronic development field. To maximize battery performance and extend battery life, it is important to have a Battery fuel gauge (BFG) that accurately tracks its State of Charge (SOC), that consequently helps estimate the equivalent circuit model (ECM), and have its parameters estimated by the battery management system. Without accurate ECM modeling and parameter estimation it is not possible to have an …

Demand Response For Electric Vehicles Using Options, Hui Yang

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Electricity spot prices in emerging electricity markets exhibit high volatilities and occasional distinctive price spikes due to the non-storable nature of electricity. Furthermore, the inherent variability and uncertainty of renewable energy generation require balancing supply and demand all the time for electric power systems. In the context of reliable electricity service, demand response (DR) programs allow end-users to adapt their electricity usage to changes in the price of electricity over time. DR programs include price-based and incentive-based DR programs. Real-time pricing (RTP) is a price-based DR program, which charges customers electricity rates based on the utility’s real-time production costs. Electric …

Cognitive Load Estimation Using Heart Rate Variability Measures For Driver Monitoring Systems, Safoura Kavousi

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The society of automotive engineers define six levels of automation in vehicles from Level-0 (no automation) to Level-5 (full automation). Until the Level-5 automation is achieved, driver monitoring systems play a major role in road safety in partially automated vehicles. A driver monitoring system uses sensors to extract various psychophysiological measurements from the driver in order to monitor their readiness to safely operate the vehicle. Some driver monitoring systems use webcam type cameras to extract various features related to the alertness of the driver, such as, head-pose patterns, eye-closing patterns, and facial features. The use of physiological features such as …

Thermal Efficiency Analysis On Lean Burn Spark Ignition Engine, Joshua Patrick Jayaseelan

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Advanced spark ignition (SI) engines can operate under lean conditions in order to improve the efficiency and reduce the emissions. Under extensive lean conditions, the ignition and complete combustion of the charge mixture is a challenge, because of the reduced cylinder charge reactivity, leading to combustion instabilities, thus making the empirical investigations in the vicinity of and beyond the lean limit of current engines, unviable. With further improvements to the ignition and combustion control, the lean operation limit may be extended in future engines. To circumvent this limitation to an extent, in this work, the potential of extremely lean mixtures …

Numerical Studies On Liquid Water Transport In Pemfc Cathode With Biomimetic Flow Field Designs, Duy-Khang Dang

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The performance and durability of proton exchange membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs) are greatly influenced by their water management capability. Therefore, novel flow field designs have been developing by researchers for the improvement of PEMFCs. Among those designs, novel biomimetic designs or so-called nature-inspired designs have captured special attention from researchers due to their capability of distributing fluids effectively with their prominent characteristics such as low pressure drops and efficient fluid distribution. This thesis presents a numerical investigation of the liquid water transport in PEMFC cathode with various biomimetic flow field designs. It includes a symmetrical biomimetic flow field design based …

Hrotate: Hybrid Relational Rotation Embedding For Knowledge Graph, Akshay Mukundbhai Shah

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Knowledge Graph (KG) represents the real world's information in the form of triplets (head, relation, and tail). However, most KGs are generated manually or semi-automatically, which resulted in an enormous number of missing information in a KG. The goal of a Knowledge-Graph Completion task is to predict missing links in a given Knowledge Graph. Various approaches exist to predict a missing link in a KG. However, the most prominent approaches are based on tensor factorization and Knowledge-Graph embeddings, such as RotatE and SimplE. The RotatE model depicts each relation as a rotation from the source entity (Head) to the target …

Methods Of Determining And Predicating Community Annoyance Due To Aircraft Noise, Kevin Zielinski

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

As the importance of the aviation industry continues to grow, airports continue to expand, andincrease operations; noise generated from aircraft is becoming a growing concern to people livingwithin the communities surrounding the airports. Community members have shown concern throughcomplaints and annoyance due to the disturbances that aircraft noise cause in their everyday life. Thepurpose of this study is to determine which factors most affect community annoyance towards aircraftnoise. There are two main factors to be considered when analyzing annoyance due to aircraft noise.The first is the acoustic factors caused by the aircrafts themselves, such as the noise the aircraft emitsor …

Structural Performance Of Shelf Angle Connection With Innovative Detailing, Shivam Sharma

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Recent legislations are demanding more efficient thermal insulation of the building envelopes. However, most of the energy used for heating is lost through openings and small air gaps resulting from various penetrations of highly conductive elements through the building envelope. These thermal bridges can also give rise to mould growth and condensation problems. One such example is the anchoring of shelf angles to the load bearing structures, as they have to cut through the exterior insulation used to enhance the thermal performance of a building envelope.

Steel through-bolts have been conventionally used by the construction industry to anchor shelf angles …

Reaction Wheels Fault Isolation Onboard 3-Axis Controlled Satellite Using Enhanced Random Forest With Multidomain Features, Mofiyinoluwa Oluwatobi Folami

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

With the increasing number of satellite launches throughout the years, it is only natural that an interest in the safety and monitoring of these systems would increase as well. However, as a system becomes more complex it becomes difficult to generate a high-fidelity model that accurately describes all the system components. With such constraints using data-driven approaches becomes a more feasible option. One of the most commonly used actuators in spacecraft is known as the reaction wheel. If these reaction wheels are not maintained or monitored, it could result in mission failure and unwarranted costs. That is why fault detection …

Hydrogen Production During The Dark Fermentation Of Glycerol, Guochen Zhang

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The focus of this thesis was on the production of H2 from glycerol by mixed anaerobic cultures through dark fermentation. Laboratory scale experiments were conducted to demonstrate H2 production from glycerol. The impact of various factors was evaluated using different analytical and statistical methods. Three pH levels (5.5, 6.5, and 7.5) were examined to determine the effects of the initial pH on H2 production from glycerol. A hydrogen yield of 0.33 ± 0.03 mol H2 mol–1 glycerol was observed in cultures with the initial pH set at 5.5.

Further experiments were focused on increasing the H2 yield using long chain …

Finite Element Analysis Of Complex Vectorbloc Beam-Column Connections, Labiba Kalem

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Steel modular construction provides an efficient alternative to traditional construction practices. A key component to modular construction is the connection between the individual modules, which hold the building together against applied loads such as gravity, snow, and wind. The VectorBloc connector is an innovative cast steel connector that is used in the connections between steel modules made from hollow structural steel (HSS) members. The current VectorBloc connector, called VB4, is limited in its uplift capacity and thus faces challenges when applied to structures facing high uplift forces. Thus, a new design of the VectorBloc connector, called VB6, with a focus …

Subjective Evaluation Of Vehicle Semi-Active Suspension For Improved Ride And Handling, Zachery Sinasac

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The number of passenger cars currently equipped with semi-active suspensions has been steadily increasing in recent decades. These suspension systems provide an improvement in ride and handling when compared to passive suspensions. Currently, the approach to evaluating and tuning semi-active suspensions has been limited to objective methods or time-consuming alterations made on physical components. To alleviate the time and costs and improve the fidelity of such methods, a novel solution to subjectively evaluating vehicle semi-active suspensions is presented. The subjective evaluation method herein involves the use of a state-of-the-art dynamic driving simulator with drivers to subjectively evaluate and tune virtual …

Development Of A Novel Quartz Crystal Microbalance Based On Distribution Of Mass Loading Area For Improving Mass Sensitivity, Siddharth Swaminathan

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The growing concerns regarding atmospheric toxins and their detrimental effects on life establishes the necessity to identify and monitor them. Environmental monitoring demonstrates an effective method to controlling the impact of atmospheric pollutants using gas sensors. The Quartz Crystal Microbalance (QCM) is one such device which has been widely used for detecting microgram level mass changes in gas and liquid phase. In this research a novel approach to designing QCM electrode configurations based on distributing the mass loading area to improve the mass sensitivity is proposed. Conventional QCM designs comprise a circular electrode configuration with an evenly distributed mass loading …