Engineering Commons^™

A Multi-Constraint Predictive Control System With Auxiliary Emergency Controllerfor Autonomous Vehicles, Farhad Partovi Ebrahimpour

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

In the last few years, several research groups and companies have worked on developing autonomous vehicles. Among the first automation layers, the safety layer plays a significant role in this field. However, considering safety should not diminish the importance of the efficiency of the vehicle in terms of path tracking with the desired speed. This thesis introduces a multi-constraint predictive control algorithm along with a safety layer to guarantee object avoidance in emergency situations. First, there is a quick review of autonomous cars and their functionalities. In the following, a controller switching mechanism is proposed and designed. It switches the …

Lane Detection Of Autonomous Vehicles Using Clustering And Augmented Sliding Windows Techniques, Keerti Chand Bhupathi

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

In this thesis, detection of solid lines and dashed lines of lanes using augmented sliding window technique, clustering technique and combination of both augmented sliding window and clustering is discussed. The lane points are extracted using image processing techniques. The performance of lane detection using these techniques is analyzed. Lanes are simulated in a laboratory for the input data set. The input data set consists of curved lines of dashed and solid lines which split and merge. Further, partially obscured lanes are also tested with the algorithm. The center of the lanes from vehicle to horizon is found based on …

Examination Of The Adhesiveness Of The Nanotube Layer On Anodized Commercially Pure Titanium Samples Using The Micro-Limiting Dome Height Test And The Tensile Test., Joshua Manohar Chinthapalli

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

Titanium oxide (TiO2) nanotube is one of the most extensively studied nanotubes due to its wide applications in electronics and medical fields. In this study, we used electrochemical anodization to create nanotubes on commercially pure titanium (Cp-Ti) samples and examined the adhesiveness of the nanotube layer on the sample surface. Particularly we conducted micro-limiting dome height (µLDH) tests on anodized Cp-Ti foils of 38 µm thickness and 4 mm diameter at room temperature, 100℃, and 200℃. We also conducted tensile tests on standard tensile specimens of anodized Cp-Ti plate at room temperature, and 200℃. The Hitachi S-4500 Field Emission Scanning …

Model-Based Network Reconstruction From Cascade Dynamics, Katherine Irena Chwistek

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

Network representation provides a natural framework for the study of real world complex systems. From social networks and animal groups to interneuronal communications and power grid systems, complex patterns of interaction can be captured and modeled using networks in a simple mathematical form. In many cases, however, a faithful network representation of the system is not readily available. For this reason, network reconstruction has become a growing topic of interest in recent years, the goal of which is to discover the hidden interaction patterns among individuals by fitting input-output data from multiple experiments to candidate network topologies.

During a cascade, …

Experimental And Computational Characterization Of Sodium Nitrate @ Silica Nano Capsules For Thermal Energy Storage Applications, Wataru Hashimoto

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

In this investigation, a nanocapsule composed of a sodium nitrate core and a silicon dioxide shell is synthesized, characterized, and analyzed utilizing a mixture of analytical and computational tools. The sol-gel method was selected as the process of nanoencapsulation. Analytical characterization techniques employed in this investigation include differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) to measure melting temperatures and enthalpies of fusion, dynamic light scattering (DLS) to calculate particle size distributions, scanning electron microscopy (SEM) to analyze surface characteristics, transmission electron microscopy (TEM) to perform shell characterization, and energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS) to determine chemical composition. Preliminary results indicated a decrease in …

Transportation Analysis And Related Design Optimization Of The Fermilab High-Beta 650 Mhz Cryomodule, Josh F. Helsper

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

The Proton Improvement Plan-II (PIP-II) at Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory(FNAL) will create a new and vastly improved accelerator, which will be the source of high energy particles for the experiments taking place at FNAL. The new linear accelerator (LINAC) contains several types of cryomodules, which are individual particle accelerators. The last cryomodule in the LINAC will be the High-Beta 650 (HB650), which will operate at 650 MHz. Each module is approximately 15 meters in length, 1.5 meters wide, weighs 13 tonnes, and shares many design features with three of the other cryomodules. The HB650 consists of two primary sections, the …

Laminate-Like Behavior Of An Additively Manufactured Polymer With Underlying Bioinspired Architecture, Flavio Jonuzaj

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

Laminates are a class of composite materials in which several unidirectional laminae are stacked together to create a material with a clear layer-by-layer architecture. Traditionally, each lamina is itself a composite consisting of aligned fibers, such as cellulose, graphite, or glass, embedded within a polymer, ceramic, or metal host matrix. These materials are unique in the sense that their engineering properties can be greatly varied simply by changing the stacking order of lamina within the laminate. While there are several traditional manufacturing approaches for laminates, recent research has focused on assessing the feasibility of using additive manufacturing techniques to create …

Shape Tuning Of Silicon Nano-Tip Arrays Through Reactive Ion Etching For Cold Field Emission, Giridhar Tulasi Ram Sankabathula

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

Large area silicon nano-tip arrays have been predominantly used as cold cathode electron sources in the wide range of field emission applications. Various fabrication methodologies have been developed over the decades to obtain sharp-pointed field emitters. In this thesis, we mainly emphasized on reproducing high aspect ratio field emitters and to study their surface topographical changes encountered through reactive ion etching. A discrete set of high-density field emitters have been fabricated over the large area surfaces through a three-step nanofabrication process. The surface curvatures of the obtained emitter tips are finely tuned with multiple oxidation cycles to achieve a tip’s …

Adaptive Object Detection For Autonomous Vehicles, Christopher Wolfe

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

Autonomous vehicles are gradually entering our daily lives. The goal of fully autonomous commercially available vehicles is becoming closer to reality each day as the contributions from researchers and various institutions are being added to the overall body of knowledge. Object detection is a critical component of an autonomous or semi-autonomous vehicle and draws extensively on results from many fields such as image processing and statistics. In this thesis, we consider ideas from the study of real-time computing and control systems to present a novel method of real-time adaptive object detection. We present a conceptual framework of the method as …

Improving The Efficiency Of Planar Goubau Line And Goubau-Line-Based Endfire Antenna, Sreelakshmi Radhakrishnan

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

This thesis presents the use of two dielectric layers in a planar Goubau line (PGL) to improve its transmission efficiency compared to the existing single-layer models, which is less than 70% efficient at lower frequencies up to 5 GHz. Further, as an extension of the thesis, the possibility of obtaining directive radiation pattern with radiation efficiency greater than 89.6% using a Goubau-line-based antenna is studied. While none of the existing Goubau-line-based antennas are able to obtain an endfire pattern with radiation efficiency of above 80%, the proposed model utilizes stubs that are periodically attached to the main line of length …

Optimizing Cluster Sets For The Scan Statistic Using Local Search, James Shulgan

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

In recent years, scattering sensors to produce wireless sensor networks (WSN) has been proposed for detecting localized events in large areas. Because sensor measurements are noisy, the WSN needs to use statistical methods such as the scan statistic. The scan statistic groups measurements into various clusters, computes a cluster statistic for each cluster, and decides that an event has happened if any of the statistics exceeds a threshold. Previous researchers have investigated the performance of the scan statistic to detect events; however, little attention was given to the optimization of which clusters the scan statistic should use. Using the scan …

Studying The Scratching Behavior Of Nb/Nbc Nanolaminate Using Molecular Dynamics Atomistic Simulations, Md Mesbah Uddin

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

The scratching behavior of a Nb/NbC ceramic-metal (cermet) nanolaminate is studied to investigate the tribological properties using molecular dynamics. Many atomistic studies have reviewed the tribological properties of nanolaminates but are limited to only either metal-metal or ceramic-ceramic nanolaminates. This study aims to address how varying parameters such as metal-ceramic thickness ratio, indenter size, and scratching depth affect the tribological properties of cermet nanolaminate under a scratching load. Furthermore, the underlying deformation mechanisms are explored. To study the effect of the metal-ceramic ratio on Nb/NbC nanolaminate, molecular dynamics simulations are performed on different models varying the metal-ceramic ratio. The number …

Fundamental Study Of Supported Metal Catalysts Prepared By Metal In Lithium Solution For Energy Science, Haiping Xu

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

Electrochemical carbon dioxide reduction reaction (CO2RR) is a promising technique for energy conversion and storage from intermittent electricity sources (ie. wind and solar). By coupling electrochemical CO2 reduction (CO2R) to a renewable energy source atmospheric CO2 could be converted back into a fuel such as ethanol, or a commodity chemical such as ethanol or acetic acid. These products could then be consumed for energy or used to generate more valuable chemical products effectively removing CO2 from the atmosphere. To commercialize this process, it is highly desired to prepare catalysts that selectively reduce CO2 at low overpotential with long durability. Research …

Partial Shading In Photovoltaic Cells Using Fuzzy Logic Tuned Particle Swarm Optimization Method Of Maximum Power Point Tracking Control, Nauman Moiz Mohammed Abdul

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

This paper dealt with the study of a newly modified fuzzy adaptive particle swarm

optimization controller and compared it with various existing conventional and advanced

controllers. A traditional PSO controller has the problems of oscillations and slow convergence. It is modified using fuzzy logic to decrease the number of oscillations and optimize

the convergence speed to produce a better efficient output. This controller is built to adapt

under various solar irradiances and partial solar conditions on the solar panels. This controller is then tested along with other various controllers, results recorded and studied. The

simulations are performed on the MatLab …

Molecular Dynamic Simulations Of Mechanical Properties In Nb-Nbc Core-Shell Nanowires And Nodes, Austin Pauga

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

Nanoporous materials have attracted attention recently because of their extensive range of possible applications. These nanoporous materials are comprised of nanowires and nodes. A node joins three or more nanowires of different orientations. Current research has focused on nanowires and nodes composed of metallic single crystals and core-shells. Nanoporous materials experience brittle failure from the rupture of the weakest feature, overloading the other remaining structural features. To alter the deformation behavior of the network nodes, a ceramic layer has been added around the metal. Coating the metallic ligaments with ceramic shell increases the buckling capacity of each ligament and further …

Real-Time Traffic Sign Detection And Classification Based On A Video Feed, Victor Ciuntu

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

Autonomous vehicle development is currently progressing at a very fast pace and traffic sign detection and classification has an important role in it. This thesis looks at the history of autonomous vehicles as well as different implementations for traffic sign detection and classification. Multiple possible approaches are analyzed with the final goal of doing this task in real-time using a portable system.

To accomplish this task, the final solution uses a convolutional neural network for detection and classification combined with a custom optical character recognition algorithm for speed limit signs. The optical character recognition algorithm is built from the ground …

Copper And Gold In Vapors And Liquids As A Function Of Hcl At 700°C And 100 Mpa, Corrie A. Lucchesi

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

Porphyry ore deposits are major sources of copper (Cu) and gold (Au) and form when a magmatic volatile phase (MVP) exsolves from a porphyritic intermediate to felsic melt and transports metals to surrounding country rock where they precipitate in an ore zone. There is a consensus that the chloride concentration of the MVP has a direct relationship to the concentration of Cu and Au in the MVP, but the role of dissolved HCl on Cu and Au concentrations has not been addressed. It is hypothesized that increasing HCl concentrations in the MVP will result in higher concentrations of Cu and …

Multi-Channel Anc System For Icu Patient Beds, Congzhi Bi

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

In an intensive care unit (ICU), there are many kinds of noises. For example, patients suffer from the noise which is made by doctors’ or nurses’ activities and devices of ICU can cause some problem too, like stress and losing ability of hearing. In this thesis, we propose to use active noise control (ANC) systems to reduce the high noise level for intensive care unit (ICU) residents.

At first, conventional multiple channel ANC system has been proposed to reduced noise. And then a new method has been proposed which is Auxiliary Filter Based Virtual Sensing (AF-VS) to compensate defect of …

Cobalt Partitioning And Solubility In Low-Temperature Carbonate-Hydrothermal Systems, Seth Kurtis Coursey

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

Cobalt mineralization has been documented in low temperature Mississippi Valley-type (MVT) deposits in southeast Missouri. Lead and zinc are the most economically important metals in these deposits and are contained within galena (PbS) and sphalerite (ZnS), respectively. Cobalt is also mined in some of the deposits with cobalt-bearing ores, e.g., siegenite ((Ni,Co)3S4) and fletcherite (Cu,(Ni,Co)2S4), occurring stratigraphically below main-stage galena and sphalerite. The hydrothermal fluids responsible for cobalt mineralization are thought to be chemically distinct from the predominant MVT ore-bearing fluids and represent a distinct mineralizing event. Cobalt is likely transported as CoCl2 in hydrothermal fluids and sourced from structures …

The Synthesis Of Pb2sr2sm1-Xcaxcu3o8 And Characterization Of Its Structural And Superconducting Properties., Deblina Das

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

Superconducting lead-based cuprate materials of the 2213 structural type, Pb2Sr2MCu3O8 (M=Sm1-xCax, Y1-xCax, Er1-xCax and Yb1-xCax), were synthesized and characterized using x-ray powder diffraction and the Rietveld structural refinements method. Pb2Sr2Sm1-xCaxCu3O8 single crystals were grown by an optimized flux method using various combinations of PbO/PbF2 solvents. Samples with different Sm/Ca ratios were investigated for their superconducting properties. Magnetic measurements reveal the presence of a transition at 120K. Preliminary x-ray diffuse scattering experiment at the Advanced Photon Source of Argonne National Laboratory demonstrates the high quality of one of our crystals and the presence of rod-like diffuse scattering connecting the Bragg peaks …

Thermal / Structural Analysis Of The Hb 650 Thermal Shield, Gerald J. Smith

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

Fermilab’s PIP-II project’s superconducting linear accelerator (Linac) will drive the next generation of particle accelerators through a revolution in beam intensity. Key to beam intensification are the high efficiencies of niobium-tin superconducting radiofrequency (SRF) cavities operating at cryogenic temperatures near 5 Kelvin. A multifaceted approach is employed to achieve and maintain the extreme temperature. Vacuum provides the first barrier to thermal convection. Physical thermal intercept zones further isolate the exterior shell vacuum vessel at 300 Kelvin from the supercooled beamline. The first thermal intercept lies just inside the exterior vacuum vessel forming the 40 Kelvin zone. This 40K thermal shield …

Investigation Of The Impact Of Liquid Cooling On The Integrity Of Three-Dimensional Integrated Circuits (3d-Ics), A K M Toufiqul Islam

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

The thesis investigates the dynamics of liquid cooling of the Three-Dimensional Integrated Circuit (3D-IC). Using 3D ICs is one of the most viable solutions for achieving high integration density of integrated circuits, without facing the unavoidable problems arising from shrinking the device dimensions. However, 3D ICs suffer from other types of problems. One of these problems is the heat generation creating extremely hot areas called hot spots. For high hot spots, effective thermal management techniques need to be developed. Conventional thermal management of surface cooling of chips using heat sinks and fans may reduce the surface temperature, but the embedded …

Physical And Mechanical Properteis Of Magnesium-Incorporated Bone Substitute Materials, Sarah E. Fleck

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

Calcium phosphate (CaP) ceramics have become popular as bone substitutes due to their biocompatibility and similarity to natural bone. Although they are widely used, the mechanical and biological properties of these CaP ceramics can be improved by various methods such as combining them with polymers or ionic substitution in their crystal structure. In current research, we have used carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC) and magnesium (Mg) to modify the physical and mechanical properties of CaP. CMC is a derivative of cellulose which is hydrophilic, biodegradable, and biocompatible. Presence of Mg, a trace element naturally found in the body, is linked to bone …

Bi-Objective Optimization For A Single Batch Processing Machine, Leena Omar Ghrayeb

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

This research proposes a methodology for solving the problem of scheduling jobs with unequal ready times, unequal processing times, and unequal sizes on a single batch processing machine, with the objectives of minimizing makespan and maximum tardiness. Jobs must be placed into batches and scheduled on the machine such that both objectives are minimized, and machine capacity is not violated. The problem under study can be denoted as 1|p-batch, sj, rj| Cmax,Tmax. Based on a review of relevant literature, this problem has not been considered before.

The problem under study is NP-hard. Consequently, meta-heuristics such as Simulated Annealing (SA) and …

In-Situ Optoelectronic Powder Flow Measurement Analysis For Directed Energy Deposition Applications, Mark Sliwka

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

Directed energy deposition (DED) is a metal additive manufacturing method of creating parts by using a high-power laser to fuse powdered metals into fully dense three-dimensional structures. To ensure the geometric and mechanical integrity of the completed part, the powder flow rate of the DED system must be accurate and repeatable for manufacturability. Due to its opacity and reflectivity, one method of measuring powder flow is by utilizing an optoelectronic sensor. The sensor consists of a diode laser with a line generator that emits a thin defocused light sheet, a photodiode, and a set of lenses. The corresponding lens collimates …

Implementation And Improvement Of Common Text-Independent Speaker Identification, Yunlong Wang

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

The purpose of this thesis is to improve and implement the existing speaker recognition system. The proposed system will be cooperate with automatic speech recognition for automatically generating a script file for a recorded dialog file. Today's speech recognition technology has been widely used in many application areas; however, speaker recognition technology needs to be improved for such a purpose in noisy environment. In the process of a recorded file including multi-person conversation, manual speaker identification is often required. The proposed technique can automatically find the ID of each speaker and save manpower. It has potential applications in many other …

Micro-Macro Mathematical Modeling Analysis Of An Al-Air Battery, Christopher Charles Welch

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

The aluminum-air battery is a very promising electrical energy storage system for portable electronics and electric vehicles because it is safe, inexpensive, and has a very high energy density. With the [EMIm]Cl-AlCl3 room-temperature ionic liquid (RTIL) electrolyte, by controlling the acidity, H2 evolution and dendrite formation are prevented and the Al2O3 passive film on the anode can be partially dissolved (cracked), so the battery’s lifespan is extended and even allows battery charging. Still, the Al2O3 passive film on the anode and Al2O3 deposition on the cathode remain issues which negatively affect battery performance. While these phenomena have been experimentally observed, …

Adaptive Vehicle Routing Under Dynamic Uncertain Network Conditions, Upala Junaida Islam

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

Routing problems, such as traveling salesman problem, vehicle routing problem, and their variants, have been extensively studied in operations research because of their wide application in transportation and logistics. In this thesis, we consider routing problems in a road network of which the traveling conditions change over time and sometimes are uncertain. Such problems can arise in humanitarian logistics, resident evacuation, and emergency resource delivery after severe weather events and natural disasters. We provide a methodology to support routing decisions including route planning with limited information of the network conditions and route updating as new information becomes available. The dynamic …

Surface Modification Of Titanium For Orthopedic And Drug Delivery Applications, Prantik Roy Chowdhury

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

Titanium is one of the most attractive metal used in orthopedic and drug delivery applications because of its excellent mechanical properties, biocompatibility and high corrosion resistance. However, due to its bio-inertness, fibrous tissue forms between the bone and implant which causes loosening of implant. Surface modification can play an important role to enhance interaction between implant and the surrounding tissues which reduces the implant failure. The aim of this study is to a) incorporate magnesium (Mg) into modified titanium surface by different deposition methods for bone-implant interaction, b) modify the surface of titanium by alkali treatment, and c) investigate the …

Multi-Component Material For Solar Energy Conversion And Fundamentals Of Lead Acid Batteries, Crystal Ferels

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

Synthesis of complex inorganic materials is desirable because their complex composition allows more degrees of freedom and tunability, whose properties differ from their parent components. As an expansion on this concept, we synthesized a quinary compound Ce3FeWS3O6, using a molten flux method and a solvothermal method. The compound crystallizes into a hexagonal crystal system with space group P63/m. Its electric partition shows an anion with the form [(Ce3+)3W6+(S2-)3(O2-)6]3- forcing the transition metal Fe3+ state and leaving no conduction electrons, making the material a semiconductor. This compound is the right candidate as photoelectric material capable of absorbing photons from the solar …