Engineering Commons^™

Image Geo-Localization With Cross-Attention, Connor Greenwell

Theses and Dissertations--Computer Science

The problem of estimating the location from which un-geotagged photographs were captured has been well studied by the computer vision community in recent years. The central proposal of this thesis is to define a common framework within which existing approaches can be constructed and evaluated, and to introduce a new method under this framework which uses cross-attention between the query image and a database of satellite imagery with known geotags. Our experiments fit within three broad categories: 1) evaluating the ability of image localization approaches to generalize to unseen regions; 2) examining performance changes under various reference database resolutions, scales, …

The Toyota Production System (Tps) In A Non-Traditional Manufacturing Environment: The Role Of Standardization In The Fast-Food Industry, Kevin Mccracken

Theses and Dissertations--Manufacturing Systems Engineering

The Toyota Production System (TPS), also known as Lean Manufacturing (LM), was founded in the automotive industry and has contributed to Toyota’s decades of success. This has brought much attention to TPS and how this system may be implemented in other industries. Focusing on the TPS foundational element of standardization, this study examines the impact of target cycle time (TCT) on process fluctuation in a fast-food environment. In order to observe the effects of TCT, team members within 3 production lines were timed. Times were measured before and after the addition of a TCT to the Standardized Work (STW) in …

An Electrochemical, Fluidic, Chip-Based Biosensor For Biomarker Detection, Lauren Bell

Theses and Dissertations--Biomedical Engineering

Biosensors and their use in both the research and clinical field for the detection and monitoring of critical biomarkers are prevalent and constantly improving. However, continued research needs to be done to address shortcomings, such as low sensitivity, poor specificity, and poor readiness for integration into research use and patient care. The objective of this research was to create a combined fluidic, chip-based biosensor that could detect different biomarkers with high sensitivity and ease of use. For assessing the developed sensor, three separate biomarkers were tested: glucose, cholesterol, and oxygen. Both the glucose biosensor and cholesterol biosensor were combined with …

Development Of Soluble Bioactive Poly(Beta Amino Esters) (Pβaes) For Post-Synthesis Processing, Kelley Wiegman

Theses and Dissertations--Chemical and Materials Engineering

Polymers have proven to be a viable platform to facilitate the controlled and targeted release for a variety of therapeutic agents. Polymeric prodrugs are a growing area of drug delivery in which active pharmaceutical ingredients are covalently linked to a polymeric form in an effort to enhance stability, delivery, and pharmacology. One naturally occurring class of active ingredients, known as polyphenols, can potentially offer a vast array of beneficial therapeutic properties. However, the therapeutic efficacy of these compounds is severely limited due to poor solubility and bioavailability as well as an oxidative and thermal instability. To improve the efficacy of …

Voluntary Control Of Breathing According To The Breathing Pattern During Listening To Music And Non-Contact Measurement Of Heart Rate And Respiration, Dibyajyoti Biswal

Theses and Dissertations--Biomedical Engineering

We investigated if listening to songs changes breathing pattern which changes autonomic responses such as heart rate (HR) and heart rate variability (HRV) or change in breathing pattern is a byproduct of listening to songs or change in breathing pattern as well as listening to songs causes changes in autonomic responses. Seven subjects (4 males and 3 females) participated in a pilot study where they listened to two types of songs and used a custom developed biofeedback program to control their breathing pattern to match the one recorded during listening to the songs.

Coherencies between EEG, breathing pattern and RR …

Protocols And Architecture For Privacy-Preserving Authentication And Secure Message Dissemination In Vehicular Ad Hoc Networks, Shafika Showkat Moni

Theses and Dissertations--Computer Science

The rapid development in the automotive industry and wireless communication technologies have enhanced the popularity of Vehicular ad hoc networks (VANETs). Today, the automobile industry is developing sophisticated sensors that can provide a wide range of assistive features, including accident avoidance, automatic lane tracking, semi-autonomous driving, suggested lane changes, and more. VANETs can provide drivers a safer and more comfortable driving experience, as well as many other useful services by leveraging such technological advancements. Even though this networking technology enables smart and autonomous driving, it also introduces a plethora of attack vectors. However, the main issues to be sorted out …

An Automated Framework To Debug System-Level Concurrency Failures, Tarannum Shaila Zaman

Theses and Dissertations--Computer Science

The ever-increasing parallelism in computer systems has made software more prone to concurrency failures, causing problems during both pre- and post-development. Debugging concurrent programs is difficult because of the non-deterministic behavior and the specific sequences of interleaving in the execution flow. Debugging is a technique where programmers reproduce the bug, identify the root cause, and then take necessary steps to remove the bug from the system. The failure information may come from the bug reports of the testing phase or the production runs. In both cases, there should be steps taken to reproduce and localize the failure. However, reproducing and …

Development Of A Decision-Making Tool For Prediction Of Rainfall-Induced Landslides, Faisal Shakib Ahmed

Theses and Dissertations--Civil Engineering

Landslides are frequently observed in mountainous places following prolonged periods of rain, frequently resulting in substantial topography changes. They pose a significant risk to human lives and the built environment globally, particularly in areas prone to excessive rainfall. While slope failures can occur because of human-caused factors such as slope loading or toe cutting for construction purposes, many failures occur because of rainfall penetrating an otherwise stable slope. A greater understanding of the characteristics and mechanics of landslides is consequently critical for geotechnical research, particularly in evaluating prospective mitigation strategies. The potential of slope failure is a primary consideration when …

Investigation Of Pfas Exposure Risks In Kentucky Using Mapping Tools, Sweta Ojha

Theses and Dissertations--Civil Engineering

Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), a group of environmentally-persistent compounds, are environmentally ubiquitous and challenging to remediate. Several studies show that PFAS are detected in drinking water systems when sampling is conducted, making human exposure via drinking water an important health consideration. This research: 1) develops a mapping tool for prioritizing sampling locations; 2) establishes a method for making GIS data and meta(data) in the mapping tool accessible; 3) fosters decision making by integrating knowledge brokering and the alignment interest and influence matrix (AIIM). The tool developed is this research is a geospatial and statistical PFAS hot-spot screening model that …

Understanding The Differences Between Industry Objectives And Institutional Learning, Kristen Schell

Theses and Dissertations--Civil Engineering

To combat understaffing in the construction industry, it is necessary to employ the best candidates possible. By identifying the most desirable skills in a construction employee from an industry perspective, institutional learning can better prepare graduates for the construction workforce. Currently there exists an information gap in the objectives of the construction industry and institutional learning. This gap produces graduates, professors, and employers with expectations that do not align. Reducing this gap will aid in the success of hiring recently graduated construction students who can meet the ever-changing demands of the industry. Construction students who are fresh out of college …

Induced Travel Demand: Measuring The Contribution Of Additional Lane Miles On The Increase In U.S. Vehicle Miles Traveled From 1980 To 2019, Brandon Ivanchak

Theses and Dissertations--Civil Engineering

Induced travel demand is the effect of increasing the amount of vehicle miles traveled because of an increase in roadway capacity. It is explained by the idea that increasing capacity makes driving on those roads more desirable, thereby causing more people to use them. In1962, Robert Downs postulated that “On urban commuter expressways, peak hour traffic congestion rises to meet maximum capacity,” referring to this as the law of peak hour traffic congestion. Since then, there have been ongoing debates about the effectiveness and environmental impact of roadway expansion projects, and efforts to quantify induced demand to inform those debates. …

Design, Development And Benchmarking Of Machine Learning Algorithms In Biomedical Applications, Qi Sun

Theses and Dissertations--Computer Science

Machine learning algorithms are becoming the most effective methods for knowledge discovery from high dimensional datasets. Machine learning seeks to construct predictive models through the analysis of large-scale heterogeneous data. While machine learning has been widely used in many domains including computer vision, natural language processing, product recommendation, its application in biomedical science for clinical diagnosis and treatment is only emerging. However, the wealthy amount of data in the biomedical domain offers not only challenges but also opportunities for machine learning. In this dissertation, we focus on three biomedical applications from vastly different domains to understand the opportunities and challenges …

Use Of Image Processing Techniques And Machine Learning For Better Understanding Of T Gondii Biology, Amer Asiri

Theses and Dissertations--Biomedical Engineering

Almost one in every three people worldwide is infected with Toxoplasma gondii (T. gondii). The biology and growth of the parasite’s bradyzoite form in host tissue cysts are not well understood. T. gondii’s metabolic state influences the morphology of its single mitochondrion, which can be visualized using fluorescence microscopy with specific dyes. Hence, fluorescence microscopy images of cysts purified from infected mouse brains carry biological information about bradyzoites, the poorly understood form of the parasite within them. With the help of fluorescence microscopy techniques, previous studies extracted images of the mitochondrion, nucleus, and the inner membrane complex (IMC) …

Characterizing The Internal Porous Structure Of Equine Proximal Sesamoid Bones Subjected To Race Training Using Fast Fourier Transforms, Joseph Erik Davis

Theses and Dissertations--Biomedical Engineering

The equine racing industry is one of the main proponents in Kentucky’s economic infrastructure. In this industry there has come a need to investigate the nature of the proximal sesamoid bone (PSB). Breakdowns involving the PSBs are the leading cause in racehorse deaths in the industry, with still little known about what causes this bone to fracture. This study seeks to shed insight by investigating the internal structure of the PSB. Using microCT scanning, the internal porous structure was captured. From there, noticeable differences in the pores were noticed and quantified using fast Fourier transform (FFT) analysis.

The dominant peak …

Evidence Of Coal Conversion In The Majuba Underground Coal Gasification Pilot Plant, South Africa, L.S. Mokhahlane, N.J. Wagner, D. Vermeulen

Coal Combustion and Gasification Products Journal Archive

Underground coal gasification (UCG) is a coal conversion method that permits coal resources to be exploited in situ using high-temperature conversion reactions. An understanding of the chemical, mineralogical, and petrographic properties of the coal, and resultant unburned carbon, degasified coal, and ash (minerals) in the UCG gasification zone, is fundamental to determining conversion rates, gas composition, and environmental and groundwater risk assessments. This study aims to provide a mineralogical and petrographic characterization of UCG residues obtained from the Eskom Majuba UCG pilot plant site in South Africa. Samples were selected from a verification borehole (VH3) drilled at the site following …

Gadolinium Enrichment In Association With The Magnetic Fraction Of 1 Fly Ash: Real Or An Illusion?, James C. Hower, John G. Groppo, Dali Qian, Nicolas J. Briot, Tonya D. Morgan, Shelley D. Hopps, Elizabeth Cantando

Coal Combustion and Gasification Products Journal Archive

Gadolinium, and possibly praseodymium, are relatively enriched in the magnetic 24 fractions of Class F fly ashes from Central Appalachian coal sources. Although the enrichment is 25 evident in the inductively coupled plasma–atomic emission spectroscopy (ICP-AES) 26 determinations of the rare earth content, transmission electron microscopy–energy dispersive x-27 ray spectroscopy (TEM-EDS) examination of the fly ash fails to show the sites of the Gd or Pr. 28 This apparent lack of correlation could be due to the inability of the EDS to detect low 29 concentrations of the rare earth elements definitively; interferences in the analytics, leading to 30 false …

Low-Density And High-Strength Fracking Proppant Made By High Alumina Fly Ash, Shuqiang Ding, Jinder Jow

Coal Combustion and Gasification Products Journal Archive

High-alumina fly ash is defined to have alumina (Al2O3) content of no less than 40%, according to the Chinese power industry standard DL/T 2297. Specification for resource utilization categorization of fly ash from coal-fired power plant (Standard No. DL/T 2297-2021), and is considered a valuable raw material to replace bauxite for making aluminum, refractory materials, and fracking proppants, etc. A low-density and high-strength proppant, conventionally made with bauxite, has been successfully made by high-alumina fly ash and commercially used in the market. This new high-alumina f ly-ash–derived proppant has some advantages compared with the bauxite-derived proppant: (1) lower raw material …

Multi-Physics And Artificial Intelligence Models For Digital Twin Implementations Of Residential Electric Loads, Steven Poore, Rosemary E. Alden, Huangjie Gong, Dan M. Ionel

Power and Energy Institute of Kentucky Faculty Publications

Heating, ventilation, and air-conditioning (HVAC) and electric water heating (EWH) represent residential loads. Simulating these appliances for electric load forecasting, demand response (DR) studies, and human behavior analysis using physics-based models and artificial intelligence (AI) can further advance smart home technology. This paper explains the background of residential load modeling, starting with the concept of digital twin (DT) as well as the different types of methods. Two major types of appliance load monitoring (ALM) and their advantages/disadvantages are then discussed. This is followed by a review of multiple studies on residential load modeling, particularly for HVAC, EWH, and human behavior. …

Large-Scale Modeling And Dr Control Of Electric Water Heaters With Energy Star And Cta-2045 Control Types In Distribution Power Systems, Huangjie Gong, Evan S. Jones, A. H. M. Jakaria, Aminul Huque, Ajit Renjit, Dan Ionel

Power and Energy Institute of Kentucky Faculty Publications

The paper proposes a generalized energy storage (GES) model for battery energy storage systems (BESS), electric water heaters (EWH) and heating, ventilation, and air-conditioning (HVAC) systems to enable demand response control complying to Energy Star and CTA-2045 standards. The demand response control has been implemented in the DER integration testbed, which was originally developed by EPRI, to demonstrate that the “energy content” and “energy take” for BESS and EWH with mixing valve technology are comparable for typical residential ratings. A distribution power system was modeled using the modified IEEE 123-bus feeder system, measured residential loads, and EWH power simulated based …

Stochastic Battery Soc Model Of Ev Community For V2g Operations Using Cta-2045 Standards, Huangjie Gong, Rosemary E. Alden, Dan Ionel

Power and Energy Institute of Kentucky Faculty Publications

An electric vehicle (EV) battery has large energy storage capacity in the context of residential total usage, and the potential to provide large energy reserves for Home energy Management (HEM) systems. In an electric distribution system, groups of EVs could provide vehicle-to-grid (V2G) service in response to control signals and enable virtual power plant (VPP) operation of the car batteries. The CTA-2045 standards were considered for integration of the EV controls into the HEM system for maximal interoperability with other appliances, such as residential battery, electric water heater, and heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) system. The power distribution system …

Sizing Considerations For Ev Dynamic Wireless Charging Systems With Integrated Energy Storage, Donovin Lewis, Huangjie Gong, Gregory D. Erhardt, Rong Zeng, Omer Onar, Veda Prakash Galigekere, Burak Ozpineci, Dan Ionel

Power and Energy Institute of Kentucky Faculty Publications

Roadways with dynamic wireless charging systems (DWCS) enable charge-sustaining in-motion EV charging, which can reduce charging idle time while increasing range capabilities. Spatially distributed transmitter coils are controlled in response to traffic load that varies significantly minute to minute with high power levels, very short charging time, and low system utilization like wind turbine power. Traffic load estimation and localized analysis may guide effective sizing and topology adoption for feasible and scalable DWCS deployment. DWCS traffic load approximation is reviewed with measured Automated Traffic Recorder (ATR) data and statistical distributions being used to create a synthetic load analyzed using proposed …

Sediment Nitrogen Dynamics In Backwater Wetland Confluences Of A Regulated River, Gina Degraves

Theses and Dissertations--Biosystems and Agricultural Engineering

As harmful algal blooms in regulated river systems have increased in the past decade, the importance of understanding sediment nutrients has also increased. Research linking nutrient processes and fine sediment dynamics to harmful algal blooms in confluence wetlands along regulated rivers has recently become apparent. However, the relationship between sediment nutrient dynamics in confluence wetlands has been understudied. Utilization of sediment fingerprinting, high-frequency water quality monitoring, and tracer unmixing mass-balance modeling, was able to suggest sediment N mineralization in Appalachia confluence riparian wetland was not a dominate source of nitrate downstream. Further measures of supplementary tracers and additional sediment sources …

The Response Of Beef Cattle To Disturbances From Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (Uavs), Gabriel Abdulai

Theses and Dissertations--Biosystems and Agricultural Engineering

Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) are increasingly becoming common in animal agriculture. However, research regarding the impact of UAV disturbance on animal wellbeing is lacking or limited. The goal of this study was to investigate the effect of UAV flights on beef cattle by measuring cattle heart and movement rate when introduced to single or multiple UAV flights. A total of 16 -18 crossbred beef heifers were introduced to different flights patterns at between 5 and 9 m above ground level (AGL) at approximately 1 to 2 m/s horizontal velocity for 4 weeks with flights repeated 3 days per week. Results …

Classifying And Mapping Aquatic Vegetation In Heterogeneous Stream Ecosystems Using Visible And Multispectral Uav Imagery, Rozalia Agioutanti

Theses and Dissertations--Biosystems and Agricultural Engineering

The need for assessment and management of aquatic vegetation in stream ecosystems is recognized given the importance in impacting water quality, hydrodynamics, and aquatic biota. However, existing approaches to monitor are laborious and its currently not feasible to track spatial and temporal differences at broad scales. The objective of this study was therefore to map and classify aquatic vegetation of a shallow stream with heterogenous mixtures of emergent and submerged aquatic vegetation. Data was collected in the Camden Creek watershed within the Inner Bluegrass Region of central Kentucky. The use of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) was employed and both visible …

Incorporating Speed Into Crash Modeling For Rural Two-Lane Highways, Fahmida Rahman

Theses and Dissertations--Civil Engineering

Rural two-lane highways account for 76% in mileages of the total paved roads in the US. In Kentucky, these roads represent 85 % of the state-maintained mileages. Crashes on these roads account for 40% of all crashes, 47% of injury crashes, and 66% of fatal crashes on state-maintained roads. These statistics draw attention to the need to investigate the crashes on these roads. Several factors such as road geometries, traffic volume, human behavior, etc. contribute to crashes on a road. Recently, studies have identified speed as one of the key factors of crashes as well as the severity associated with …

Load And Pressure Distribution As A Function Of Dynamic Contact Stress At The Railroad Crosstie-Ballast Interface, Habib Abdil Unluoglu

Theses and Dissertations--Civil Engineering

Excessive crosstie wear and abrasion and ballast wear and fouling are two of the fundamental problems contributing to inadequate railroad track performance. This adversely affects the attainment and long-term maintenance of desired track geometric requirements. The magnitudes and distribution of the stresses at the crosstie-ballast (CT-B) interface must be known to determine the stress distribution on the ballast. However, the stresses at the top of the ballast often vary significantly. This study examines a new approach to predicting dynamic contact pressures at the interface of crosstie and ballast using the ‘square wave theory.’ A data set of in-track CT-B interfacial …

Lignin Valorization Via Reductive Depolymerization Using Promoted Nickel Catalysts And Sub- And Supercritical Methanol, Julia Parker

Theses and Dissertations--Biosystems and Agricultural Engineering

While lignin has been regarded as the most promising renewable feedstock for the sustainable manufacture of aromatic compounds, lignin valorization is necessary to improve the economic viability of biorefineries. Reductive catalytic fractionation (RCF), which combines delignification and lignin depolymerization into a single stage while maintaining the structure and integrity of the cellulose component, has evolved as an effective method for processing biomass. The ability of Cu and Fe to promote the performance of a 20% Ni/alumina catalyst when converting native lignin to alkylphenols by RCF in sub- and supercritical methanol was tested. The effectiveness of lignin extraction as measured by …

Improving Network Policy Enforcement Using Natural Language Processing And Programmable Networks, Pinyi Shi

Theses and Dissertations--Computer Science

Computer networks are becoming more complex and challenging to operate, manage, and protect. As a result, Network policies that define how network operators should manage the network are becoming more complex and nuanced. Unfortunately, network policies are often an undervalued part of network design, leaving network operators to guess at the intent of policies that are written and fill in the gaps where policies don’t exist. Organizations typically designate Policy Committees to write down the network policies in the policy documents using high-level natural languages. The policy documents describe both the acceptable and unacceptable uses of the network. Network operators …

Energy And Economic Modeling Of Stillage Dewatering Processes In Kentucky Bourbon Distilleries, William Brennan

Theses and Dissertations--Mechanical Engineering

Stillage is a byproduct of alcohol distillation and must be managed in all distilleries to sustain operations. In the United States, fuel ethanol plants typically convert all stillage into Dried Distillers’ Grains with Solubles (DDGS). This process and its variations are well known. Typical stillage management approaches are not well known, however, for the Kentucky bourbon industry. A survey of stillage management approaches in operational bourbon distilleries was conducted. Process modeling was performed to evaluate the energy and economic considerations of the available stillage dewatering methods for a 7 Million Original Proof Gallon (MMOPG) distillery. Monte Carlo simulations were performed …

Quantitative Methods For Total Lifecycle Risk Likelihood And Impact Assessment In Sustainable Product Design Decision Making, Christian Enyoghasi

Theses and Dissertations--Mechanical Engineering

Sustainable products promise significant economic, environmental, and societal benefits. Numerous methods are available for use during the new product development process to identify alternate product designs that optimize sustainability performance. Once any such design is selected and the product is launched, many uncertainties are likely to affect its performance over the total lifecycle. Such uncertainties give rise to risks that can influence the overall product sustainability performance. However, comprehensive quantitative methods to evaluate the likelihood or the impact of different risks to enable sustainable product design decision making are lacking.

This research aims to address this gap by developing a …