Engineering Commons^™

Optimization Of The Microfluidic Dielectrophoresis Trap Configuration For Nanoparticle Manipulation, Mohammad Rizwen Ur Rahman

Theses and Dissertations

Dielectrophoresis (DEP) is an electrokinetic phenomenon in which neutral but polarizable particles suspended in a liquid medium experience a net movement due to a force generated from the permittivity difference between the liquid medium and the particles when subjected to a non-uniform electric field. We have developed a microfluidic particle trapping system using alternating current (AC) based DEP force for trapping spherical polymeric beads and biological particles. The DEP microfluidic device was constructed using orthogonal electrode configuration and fitted with three different basic geometric shapes, i.e., triangular, square, and circular. Effect of trap shape on particle trapping dynamics was quantitatively …

An Insurance Framework For Cyber-Physical Power Systems Considering Integrated Cybersecurity-Reliability Assessment, Pikkin Lau

Theses and Dissertations

Due to the development of cyber-physical systems for modernizing power grids, vulnerabilityassessment has become an emerging focus in power system security studies. With the increasing application of cyber-enabled technologies in power systems, modern power system is prevalently exposed to a wide gamut of cybersecurity threats. In this dissertation, the power supply reliability is evaluated considering the strategic allocation of defense resources and smart technologies. The optimal mixed strategies are formulated by the Stackelberg Security Game to allocate the defense resources on multiple targets subject to cyberattacks. Smart monitoring with preventive and corrective measures is able to boost the substation availability …

Effects Of Seat And Axle Position On Pain, Pathology, And Independence In Pediatric Manual Wheelchair Users With Spinal Cord Injury, Hannah Frank

Theses and Dissertations

Manual wheelchair (MWC) users with spinal cord injury (SCI) rely heavily on their upperextremities to complete daily occupations. Due to repetitive shoulder use during wheelchair mobility and propulsion, MWC users are at greater risk of shoulder pain and shoulder pathology, and thus decreased independence, and lower quality of life. The relative fit of the wheelchair and its parameters are critical and can further impact the user’s propulsion biomechanics. Parameters such as seat angle and axle position may put the user in detrimental shoulder positions for longer periods of time, impacting health outcomes even more. Although the effects of wheelchair setup …

Synthesis And Characterization Of Polyether-Ether Ketone Supported Tppa-1 Covalent Organic Framework Membrane For Organic Solvent Nanofiltration, Rahul Sampat Khandge

Theses and Dissertations

There is a lot of potential for energy-efficient separation in membranes made up of covalent organic frameworks (COF). It has been reported that COFs are able to separate dyes, salts, bacteria, and nanoparticles based on size-selective transport through ordered pore structure. They have recently emerged as promising membranes for separations involving organic liquids. In the last decade, organic solvent nanofiltration (OSN) has received a lot of attention since it is an energy- and waste-efficient method for separating mixtures down to the molecular level. Although the number of OSN publications has increased in recent years, there is a need to search …

Advanced Analytics In Smart Manufacturing: Anomaly Detection Using Machine Learning Algorithms And Parallel Machine Scheduling Using A Genetic Algorithm, Meiling He

Theses and Dissertations

Industry 4.0 offers great opportunities to utilize advanced data processing tools by generating Big Data from a more connected and efficient data collection system. Making good use of data processing technologies, such as machine learning and optimization algorithms, will significantly contribute to better quality control, automation, and job scheduling in Smart Manufacturing. This research aims to develop a new machine learning algorithm for solving highly imbalanced data processing problems, implement both supervised and unsupervised machine learning auto-selection frameworks for detecting anomalies in smart manufacturing, and develop a genetic algorithm for optimizing job schedules on unrelated parallel machines. This research also …

Magnetorheological Cementitious Inks For 4d Printing Of Origami Inspired Auxetic Concrete Elements, Aparna Shashikant Deshmukh

Theses and Dissertations

Existing concrete technology relies on the use of considerable volumes of raw materials, large energy consumption and so associated with severe corresponding environmental impacts. This impact is the driving force for the development of sustainable concrete including a wide range of concrete with supplementary cementitious materials and advanced manufacturing. Recent developments in the field are further inspired by the digital concrete based on 3D printing (3DP) technology which require tailor-made concrete mixtures. The main challenge for 3D printing of concrete is to develop printable ink material, thus this research focuses on characterisation of cementitious materials based on smart materials-materials that …

A Deep Recurrent Neural Network With Iterative Optimization For Inverse Image Processing Applications, Masaki Ikuta

Theses and Dissertations

Many algorithms and methods have been proposed for inverse image processing applications, such as super-resolution, image de-noising, and image reconstruction, particularly with the recent surge of interest in machine learning and deep learning methods.

As for Computed Tomography (CT) image reconstruction, the most recently proposed methods are limited to image domain processing, where deep learning is used to learn the mapping between a true image data set and a noisy image data set in the image domain. While deep learning-based methods can produce higher quality images than conventional model-based algorithms, these methods have a limitation. Deep learning-based methods used in …

Design, Control, And Development Of A Multilevel Converter Medium Voltage Ac To Low Voltage Dc For Fleet Electric Vehicle Charge Station, Garry Jean-Pierre

Theses and Dissertations

There is a shift in the technology of vehicles from gas and diesel engines to electric vehicles(EVs). Approximately ten million EVs were available globally in 2020 and it is projected that number will reach 145 million by 2030. To power the increasing number of EVs, the number of EV charging stations is growing at a significant rate. In order to provide flexibility and longer driving ranges to customers, the trend is to install DC fast charging stations. These chargers demand high power at low voltage, which our existing electrical distribution system cannot accommodate without major upgrades. Currently, bulky transformers are …

Mechanical Behavior Of Additively Manufactured Metallic Cellular Scaffold Structures For Bone Tissue Engineering, Mohammad Al-Barqawi

Theses and Dissertations

Critical-sized bone defects represent a significant challenge in the orthopedic field. Limitations on autograft and allograft as treatment techniques led researchers to explore the implantation of artificial bone tissue scaffolds. BTE scaffolds are three-dimensional cellular structures that provide mechanical support and behave like a template for bone tissue formation. Stress shielding in bones is defined as the bone weakening and reduction in bone density due to stiffness mismatch between the bone and the scaffold. This mismatch causes shielding of the bone by transferring stresses to the implant. The main motive of the research study is to address the stress shielding …

A Simulation-As-A-Service (Simaas) Cloud Computing Platform For Traffic Management, Zihao Jin

Theses and Dissertations

Traffic simulation is defined as a tool to replicate the real-world condition, produce the possible scenario, and facilitate scientific decision making, which can be divided as two categories: planning and operational management. However, the unavailability of vendor-supplied software, difficulty of finding sufficient staff, a lack of community awareness are the major factors impede the adoption of advanced techniques in simulation. This dissertation developed a Simulation-as-aService platform (SimaaS), based on cloud computing technology, which can seamlessly integrate transportation simulation engines with flexible cloud-based functional modules like network editor, modeling compiler, cloud middleware, and metrics dashboard to reduce the technical burden of …

Functional Material Systems For Stimuli-Responsive Interference Coloration, Milad Momtaz

Theses and Dissertations

Part I: Responsive Interference Coloration (RIC) Systems for High-Performance Humidity Sensing

High-humidity conditions (85−100% relative humidity) have a variety of effects on many aspects of our daily lives. In spite of significant progress in the development of structural coloration-based humidity sensors, enhancing the sensitivity and visual humidity resolution of these sensors at high-humidity environment remains a big challenge. In this work, high-performance colorimetric humidity sensors based on environment-friendly konjac glucomannan (KGM) are introduced. These sensors are fabricated via thin-film interference and prepared using a simple, affordable, and scalable method. An effective approach is shown for markedly improving the sensitivity and …

Common-Mode Modeling Of Neutral Point Clamped Converter Based Dual Active Bridge, Ryan James Olson

Theses and Dissertations

Modern power converters designed with wide-bandgap semiconductors are known to generate substantial conducted electromagnetic interference as a side effect of high edge rate and high frequency switching. With the advancement in power electronic converters, the significant EMI challenges need to be addressed for distribution level power systems. The goal is to provide a computationally efficient method of EMI characterization for conducted emissions for this future generation of power distribution systems. The first step in making this possible is through creating an accurate EMI characterization platform for the neutral point clamped dual active bridge. In this thesis, a formalized common-mode modeling …

A High-Bandwidth, Spectrally Broad Photodetector Based On Optically-Induced Seebeck Effect, Niloufar Yavarishad

Theses and Dissertations

In this thesis, we engineered a fast response high bandwidth self-powered infrared photodetector based on optically induced Seebeck effect in Cd3As2 operating at room temperature. The metal-semimetal-metal device was subject to transient photo-response tests using high-frequency lock-in modulation techniques. Our photodetector demonstrates a Seebeck voltage under the off-center illumination of a laser with the wavelength of 1064 nm, due to a temperature gradient. The photocurrent is readily registered at a modulation frequency of 6 kHz and further analysis indicates the sensor intrinsic bandwidth is predicted to approach the terahertz range. The responsivity of the sensor is 0.27 mA/W at room …

Water Age, Water Chemistry, And Microbial Populations In A Drinking Water Distribution System, Max Spehlmann

Theses and Dissertations

Microbes in tap water play a crucial role in pipe corrosion, human health, and water aesthetics. Because instances of tap water borne illnesses are on the rise in the USA, and many water distribution systems are reaching the end of their design lifespan, research leading to a better understanding of microbial growth and colonization is being actively pursued by many labs (EPA 2002; Miller et al. 2012). In the past decade, several studies have tracked the microbial community change of entire water distribution systems using high throughput sequencing technology (Ma et al. 2020; Perrin et al. 2019). System-scale community microbiology …

Transport, Photoluminescence & Photoconduction Characteristics Of Free Standing Two-Dimensional Γ-Alumina & Titanium Superlattice Doped Two-Dimensional Γ-Alumina Grown By Graphene-Assisted Atomic Layer Deposition, Elaheh Kheirandish

Theses and Dissertations

This study presents a facile high-yield bottom-up fabrication, morphology, crystallographic and optoelectronic characterization of free-standing quasi-2D γ-alumina, a non van der Waals 2D material. The synthesis comprises a multi-cycle atomic layer deposition (ALD) of amorphous alumina on a porous interconnected graphene foam as a growth scaffold and removed next by annealing and sintering the alumina/graphene/alumina sandwich at ~ 800 °C in air . The crystallographic and structural characteristics of the formed non-van der Waals quasi 2D γ-alumina were studied by X-ray diffraction (XRD), selected area electron diffraction (SAED), and high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM). This analysis revealed the synthesized 2D …

A New Connection Type For Use In Intermediate Or Special Steel Moment Frames, Michael Kempfert

Theses and Dissertations

Moment frames are one way to provide lateral stability to a building structure. For building structures that are located in high seismic regions, specific requirements are presented in applicable building codes pertaining to the moment connections used within these moment frames. The main factor required for these moment connections is their ability to resist cyclic moments at a relatively high drift specified within the applicable building code.This dissertation investigates the potential development of a new moment connection which would be appropriate for use in Intermediate Moment Frames (IMF) and Special Moment Frames (SMF). Two goals were set for this new …

Silica-Based Materials For Water Treatment Applications: Adsorption And Supported Noble Metal-Based Catalysis, Xiaopeng Min

Theses and Dissertations

Various contaminants have been widely detected in aquatic systems due to both natural and anthropogenic activities, such as conventional and emerging organic pollutants (e.g., nitroarenes, per- and poly-fluoroalkyl substances (PFAS)), and toxic oxyanions (e.g., chlorate, selenate). The presence of these contaminants may pose negative effects on both human health and water systems. Therefore, it is of great desire to develop novel materials and technologies to treat these waterborne pollutants.Catalytic treatment using noble metal (e.g., Pd)-based catalysts has emerged as a promising method for reduction of waterborne contaminants. Silica-based supports may enhance the reactivity and sustainability of Pd-based catalysts by improving …

Development Of A 7 Dof Exoskeleton Robot For Rehabilitation Of Lower Extremity, Sk Hasan

Theses and Dissertations

The World Health Organization reports that worldwide about 1 billion people have some form ofdisability. Of these, 110-190 million people have significant difficulties in functioning (mainly upper and lower extremity disability) independently. The major causes of human lower extremity disability include stroke, trauma, spinal cord injuries, and muscular dystrophy. Every 40 seconds, someone in the United States has a stroke. A statistic shows that approximately 65% of post-stroke patients suffer lower extremity impairment. Rehabilitation programs are the main method to promote functional recovery in disabled individuals. The conventional therapeutic approach requires a long commitment from a therapist or a clinician. …

Bonding Evaluation Of Graphene-Oxide Layers On Flexible Substrates, Maysam Rezaee

Theses and Dissertations

Flexible electronics are getting interest in development of field effects transducers such as biomedical health screening tools, structural health monitoring in infrastructures, aerospace, vehicular industries and cell phones. As a promising candidate for flexible electronics, graphene-based devices have been developed through exceptional electrochemical and thermomechanical properties of graphene. Reducing the graphene oxide enables creation of large scale devices through its high manufacturability. Same as other types of electronics, the bonding of sensing units to the substrate is significantly dependent to the deposition method used for the fabrication of device. In this study, the mechanical strength of reduced graphene oxide (rGO) …

Theoretical And Computational Modeling Of Contaminant Removal In Porous Water Filters, Aman Raizada

Theses and Dissertations

Contaminant transport in porous media is a well-researched problem across many scientific and engineering disciplines, including soil sciences, groundwater hydrology, chemical engineering, and environmental engineering. In this thesis, we attempt to tackle this multiscale transport problem using the upscaling approach, which leads to the development of macroscale models while considering a porous medium as an averaged continuum system.

First, we describe a volume averaging-based method for estimating flow permeability in porous media. This numerical method overcomes several challenges faced during the application of traditional permeability estimation techniques, and is able to accurately provide the complete permeability tensor of a porous …

Study Of Lead Sulfate Growth Kinetics In Lead Acid Sli Batteries, Dustin Wenninger

Theses and Dissertations

The importance of a safe and reliable way to both store and use energy, has led to a significant amount of research in the field of secondary battery development and refinement. The thesis herein explores a new application of a mature technology that has proven viable for internal combustion engines (ICE). Though the technology has proven viable for the start, lighting, and ignition, of conventional ICEs, the development of such advanced battery systems to meet the energy demands of Hybrid Electric Vehicles (HEV) is not without challenge. Lead acid SLI secondary batteries have demonstrated high recyclability, low self-discharge, good performance …

Mfl-Based Detection Of Flaws Of Pre-Stressed Concrete Girders, Azam Elyasigorji

Theses and Dissertations

Magnetic-based methods to evaluate structural defects have gained interest over recent decades. Magnetic flux leakage (MFL) has been used as an important nondestructive evaluation (NDE) method for detection of structural flaws such as surface cracks or corroded regions. MFL has been studied through experimental works, numerical simulations, and field testing for flaw detection. This work utilizes experimental results and 3-D finite element simulations to develop a methodology for flaw detection in pre-stressing steel in concrete members. MFL occurs after magnetic saturation of the defect region through the application of a strong DC magnetic field. Hall-effect sensors are located in the …

Medical Image Segmentation Using Machine Learning, Masoud Khani

Theses and Dissertations

Image segmentation is the most crucial step in image processing and analysis. It can divide an image into meaningfully descriptive components or pathological structures. The result of the image division helps analyze images and classify objects. Therefore, getting the most accurate segmented image is essential, especially in medical images. Segmentation methods can be divided into three categories: manual, semiautomatic, and automatic. Manual is the most general and straightforward approach. Manual segmentation is not only time-consuming but also is imprecise. However, automatic image segmentation techniques, such as thresholding and edge detection, are not accurate in the presence of artifacts like noise …

Understanding Heterostructure Chemiresistive Gas Sensing At Room Temperature, Yale Wang

Theses and Dissertations

Chemiresistive sensors are the most widely investigated gas sensors due to their ease in fabrication, cost-effectiveness, simplicity of operation, and offer advances in miniaturization. Up to date, typical and well-researched resistive-type sensing materials include semiconductor metal oxides, noble metals, carbon-based nanomaterials (e.g., graphene and carbon nanotubes), and conducting polymers. Gas sensors based on a single material were found difficult to meet the practical requirements for multi-sensing properties, including sensitivity, selectivity, speed of response/recovery, stability, limit of detection, and room temperature operation. Rational design through a combination of chemically or electronically dissimilar nanomaterials is an effective route to enhancing gas sensing …

Improvements Of Renewable Energy: Cavitation Treatment And Optimization Of Hybrid System For Remote Areas, Mohammad Qandil

Theses and Dissertations

The optimization of turbines hydrofoils is to improve the efficiency and lifetime of the hydro turbines. Air treatment is one of the methods to reduce the cavitation effect and improve hydro turbines performance. It is necessary to utilize Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) analysis and to generate cavitation at different Angle of Attack (AoA) for the hydrofoil and test a variety of designs of air injection slots through the hydrofoil to optimize the best design. StarCCM+ software is used for CFD simulations. The hydrofoil is tested in a square water tunnel with water entering the tunnel at different velocities for each …

Characterization And Optimization Of The Electrochemical Phosphate Sensor, Rakesh Sen

Theses and Dissertations

This research implies making a noble low cost-effective electrochemical sensor based on the fabrication of AM (Ammonium Molybdate) and Py (Pyrrole) nanocomposite to detect phosphate in water. The developed sensor was tested with various concentrations of phosphate solutions in a wide range of pH (pH 6-pH 7.5) to determine the sensitivity and lower detection limit. With the lowest detection limit of 10-11 mol/L, an Ammonium Molybdate and Pyrrole (AM-Py as a layer) nanocomposite modified screen-printed electrode (SPE) produced the best signal using the open-circuit voltammetry (OCV) method. To observe the pH effect on the proposed sensor, it was tested with …

Applying A Statistical Approach To Develop A Sustainable Technology For Capturing Phosphorous From An Agricultural Tile Drainage System Using By-Product Phosphorous Sorbing Materials (Psm), Amir Kordijazi

Theses and Dissertations

Due to nutrient pollution, agriculture is one of the major sources of pollution in water bodies. Every time it rains, fertilizers, pesticides, and animal waste wash nutrients and pathogens—such as bacteria and viruses—into waterways. As rainfall increases due to climate change, the water problem will worsen. One of the nutrients that extensively contributes to the degradation of water quality is phosphorous (P). In this research, the performance of electric arc furnace (EAF) steel slag was investigated as a P sorbing materials (PSM) according to the conditions present in a P removal structure designed for treating water discharge from an agricultural …

Hydrological Impact Of Beaver Habitat Restoration In The Milwaukee River Watershed, Syeda Mahmuda Noor

Theses and Dissertations

Flood is the most frequent natural disaster across the world which causes widespread destruction, loss of life, damage to property and infrastructure. There is a general assumption that beavers can help in flood mitigation by attenuating peak during large flood events though development of numerical model to analysis the impact of beaver dams on flood hydrograph is still uncommon. This study aims to combine beaver restoration strategy with a hydrologic model to assess the impact of beavers in peak flow attenuation. Based on the results of Beaver Restoration Assessment Tool (BRAT) and field survey 42 stream reaches were identified as …

Investigating Mechanisms Of Nanotoxicity Of A Next-Generation Lithium Cobalt Oxide Nanomaterial, Nicholas Joseph Niemuth

Theses and Dissertations

Commercial use of engineered nanomaterials (ENMs; materials in the range of 1-100 nm) has grown dramatically since the discovery of the means to observe, characterize, and controllably synthesize these materials at the end of the 20th century. Today, ENMs represent a global market valued in the trillions of dollars, incorporated into products because of the unique properties they confer, including increased strength, catalytic activity, and interactions with light. In this time, ENMs have also grown from relatively simple first-generation materials, such as Au, Ag, and carbon ENMs, to complex next-generation materials incorporating numerous elements into materials with complex secondary structures, …

Wound Image Classification Using Deep Convolutional Neural Networks, Behrouz Rostami

Theses and Dissertations

Artificial Intelligence (AI) includes subfields like Machine Learning (ML) and DeepLearning (DL) and discusses intelligent systems that mimic human behaviors. ML has been used in a wide range of fields. Particularly in the healthcare domain, medical images often need to be carefully processed via such operations as classification and segmentation. Unlike traditional ML methods, DL algorithms are based on deep neural networks that are trained on a large amount of labeled data to extract features without human intervention. DL algorithms have become popular and powerful in classifying and segmenting medical images in recent years. In this thesis, we shall study …