Engineering Commons^™

16-11 Microsimulation Of The Impact Of Access Management Practices To Pedestrians, Deo Chimba, Kevin Soloka

Transportation Research Center Reports

The study applied microsimulation to analyze the impact of access management (AM) to the operational performances of vehicles and pedestrians. A conceptual model was developed in VISSIM and VISWALK to examine the effect of access and signals density on different median types to the travel speed, travel time, delay and stopping. Access density, signal density, and presence of median were simulated in a scenario base analysis. The model scenarios shifted through changing both access density and signal density with no median, raised median and TWLT lane to provide interactions of arterial corridors in Nashville. The effect of access density on …

16-02 Enhancing Non-Motorized Mobility Within Construction Zones, Upul Attanayake, Abul Fazal Mazumder, Wjdan Dhaif Sahi Sahi, Mathew Mueller, Dustin Black

Transportation Research Center Reports

Acquisition of lanes and sidewalks for construction activities increases congestion and delays and compromises safety. Further, work zones impair access to local businesses, bus stops, nearby facilities, etc., while hindering mobility of pedestrians, cyclists, and emergency responders. The emphasis on non-motorized mobility varies significantly when temporary traffic control management plans are developed for small cities. Due to lack of specific instructions given to contractors and the potential liability issues, contractors tend to completely close access to non-motorized traffic without providing alternate routes or detours. Instead of using a detour, pedestrians and cyclists tend to pass through the construction zone or …

A Framework Towards Technology Creation In Africa: Focusing On Ghana, Martin Yao Donani, Hannatu Abue Kugblenu, Azindow Bawa Fuseini

International Journal of African Development

Underdevelopment in Africa has been historical and a global concern coupled with the quest for good governance. Several efforts have been made in academia, national governments, the international community, and other institutional arrangements to reverse the trend. These efforts however are yet to produce a lasting result as Africa is still characterized by low productivity output, poverty and a widening technology gap when compared to other developing regions of the world. Conventional approaches used to address the African problem have consistently been devoid of indigenous technology development. Technology is here seen as paramount to every form of production on which …

61st Conference On Senior Engineering Design, College Of Engineering And Applied Sciences

Senior Engineering Design Conference

The 61st Conference on Senior Engineering Design Projects. The conference was held from 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.,Tuesday, December 5, 2017 at the College of Engineering and Applied Sciences on the Parkview Campus of Western Michigan University. The College of Engineering and Applied Sciences sponsored the conference to showcase the work of its graduating seniors, who are required to complete a capstone project that puts into practice what they have learned. Many of the projects are sponsored by business and industry.

Boat-Lift Design And Analysis, Nathan Schick

Honors Theses

A current in production 6000 lb. rated boat-lift is being sold at “Great Lake Lifts”. The lift was tested experimentally and proved to hold at least 8000 lb. The design team successfully modeled the current lift on Ansys to help the customer understand where the weakest points in the design were. Following the creation of the initial lift design, the design team proposed and tested modifications that could be made in order to make the lift more structurally sound. The initial lift had a maximum deflection of 0.43846 inches, a maximum stress of 15880 psi, and a safety factor of …

Low-Cost Control Engineering Experiments, Megan Arduin

Honors Theses

The disciplines found within the area of motion and controls is a vital element of each engineer’s education. The ability to understand and then control dynamic systems is a fundamental skill required for many working engineers today. The aim of this project is to further develop the tools and methods available to teach and prepare engineering students to effectively design control system architecture, and then successfully implement their design into real world systems. The main goal is to design an apparatus that can be used to teach control system methods and has an affordable price. There are few experiments where …

Experimental Study Of Global Luminescent Oil-Film (Glof) Skin-Friction Meter On Delta Wings, Patrick Nicholas Wewengkang

Masters Theses

This thesis describes how the Global Luminescent Oil-Film (GLOF) Skin-Friction Meter can be applied experimentally to extract skin-friction from a set of images. In this study, the effect of oil viscosity, experimental sample size, and step size were considered to see how they would affect the extracted skin-friction using the GLOF method. These results were then compared to published literature on skin-friction diagnostics of delta wings, based on observations of critical characteristics such as reattachment and separation lines. Delta wings of 50°, 55°, 60°, 65°, and 70° sweep angles were built and placed in the Small Wind Tunnel (SWT) at …

Papermaking Factors Affecting Lateral Web Position During Commercial Heat Set Web Offset Printing, George W. Shields

Masters Theses

The interaction of water with paper plays a role in web handling characteristics during commercial heat set web offset printing. Water absorption leads to lower web tension for a given strain.

This research investigates paper properties and their role in preventing lateral web movement from cross machine air flows in the drying section during normal printing operations. Tensile properties of sheets are measured at various moisture contents and then used to determine the equilibrium stress-strain relationship for papers at moisture contents typical of heat set web offset printing. Permeability, fiber orientation and tensile stiffness are evaluated against lateral web movement …

Enhancing Intersection Safety For The Blind And Visually Impaired (Bvi) Pedestrian Using Device-To-Infrastructure Communication, Mohammad Sayyah Al-Akash

Masters Theses

Visually impaired pedestrians have limited mobility options, where they rely heavily on walking and transit for their transportation needs. One of the major issues facing these pedestrians is intersection crossing. Accessible Pedestrian Signals (APS), as a means of helping their intersection crossings, were introduced in the United States as early as 1920 but were not included in the Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Device (MUTCD) until 2000. The most recent type of APS is the beaconing APS which has shown improvements in road crossing abilities of blind pedestrians though it has many downsides to it. This study developed a cane …

Distributed Model Predictive Control Of Power Converters In Microsrids Under Different Modes Of Operation, Riyadh Toman Thahab Toman

Dissertations

Microgrids consist of many distributed energy sources (DERs) and the overall system is viewed as a number of subsystems. In this work, a finite control set model predictive control is proposed to control power converters in both grid and island modes of operation of the microgrid. Each subsystem is assigned a local controller that relies on measurements of common coupling point (PCC) and/or terminal quantities to provide accurate regulation of current or voltage components. This meets the local objective of each subsystem and contributes to the global objective of the microgrid.

In the first part of the work, a microgrid …

Self-Generated Absorption Filter Based Optical Densitometry Calculations For Expanded Gamut And Spot Color Printing On Paperboard For Packaging Applications And Proposed Oba Index, Awadhoot Vijaykant Shendye

Dissertations

In the printing industry, process color printing is a very common way of reproduction of color photographic images. As continuous tone reproduction is not possible, images are converted to halftone format. Process control of a halftone image quality is carried out by measuring optical density of solid patches. ISO 5 defines measurement of optical density, formula, filters and requirements. As per ISO document optical density can be calculated only for the 4 colors cyan, magenta, yellow and black, known as process colors. To enhance quality of color reproduction of images, the number of reproducible colors are increased by gamut expansion. …

Optimal Combiners For Multiple Classifier Systems, Mohammed Falih Hassan

Dissertations

A Multiple Classifier System (MCS) is designed to combine classification results of an ensemble of different classifiers and consequently to produce the highest possible classification output. MCS has recently drawn growing attention and has become a necessity, especially when a problem involves a large class of noisy data or when using a single pattern classifier that has serious drawbacks in its results. A wide range of pattern recognition applications have benefited from the implementation of MCS, these include areas such as handwriting recognition, incremental learning, data fusion, feature selection, and a large variety of medical applications.

To achieve optimal ensemble …

Model Predictive Power Management Of A Hybrid Electric Propulsion System For Aircraft, Tyler J. Wall

Masters Theses

This work presents the switched optimal power flow control for an aircraft with a hybrid electric propulsion system. The propulsion system is a switched system that operates in either of two modes: (i) battery discharging and electric motor propelling and (ii) battery charging and electric motor generating. The aircraft model and components that form the hybrid propulsion system are modeled as either an algebraic power source/sink or as a dynamic model with appropriate power and state interconnections. With the system model defined, a model predictive control power management strategy is set fourth which minimizes a performance index that includes altitude …

Finite Element Analysis Of Tibiofemoral Contact Mechanics, Erika Fojtik

Masters Theses

The effects of lateral meniscus posterior root avulsions (LMPRA) have been studied in combination with meniscofemoral ligament (MFL) deficiencies. The purpose of this study is to validate a set of biomechanical finite element analyses against previously reported experimental results to predict the contact area and peak contact pressure in the lateral tibiofemoral compartment of the knee during lateral meniscal root avulsions in combination with MFL deficiencies. Patient specific MRI data was used to develop finite element models for three distinct testing conditions: 1) intact, 2) lateral meniscus posterior root avulsion, and 3) lateral meniscus posterior root avulsion with deficient meniscofemoral …

Visualizing The Constructability Of A Steel Structure Using Building Information Modeling And Game Simulation, Mohammed Al Dafaay

Masters Theses

This research aims to visualize a steel structural design to: (1) analyze its constructability, and (2) support collaboration between project participants at the planning stage. The visualization uses Building Information Modeling (BIM) and game engine simulation to develop a realistic interactive simulation for constructability analysis. A case study experiment was conducted on visualizing the erection process of a steel structure to facilitate the understanding of needed construction operation. The simulation incorporated construction domain knowledge through various entity components and predefined interaction rules. Results showed that through such a visualization method, field operation can be observed in real-time at the planning …

Bio-Socially Inspired Strategies In Support Of Dynamic Spectrum Access: An Evolutionary Game Theory Perspective, Mohammad Ali Marzoug Abu Shattal

Dissertations

Dynamic Spectrum Access (DSA) has been introduced to fulfill the expanded need for spectrum by different wireless networks and applications. Within the realm of spectrum access, the problem of "spectrum crunch" is present since some of the spectrum bands are overcrowded and others are underutilized. DSA aims to alleviate the problem of spectrum crunch. In DSA, Primary Users (PUs) allow Secondary Users (SUs) to access the spectrum as long as they do not interfere with PU transmissions beyond a pre-agreed acceptable level. In this work, a bio-socially inspired approach is proposed for SU interactions in support of better throughput for …

Development Of Flexible Sensing Systems And Energy Harvesters Using Printing Techniques, Sepehr Emamian

Dissertations

Printed electronics (PE) has been gaining a significant level of interest and is being used for developing a wide range of electronic systems for various applications, specifically in the sensor fields. This dissertation focuses on the development of flexible sensors and energy harvesters for application in sensing systems by employing additive manufacturing processes.

Initially, an efficient surface enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) substrate was fabricated by gravure printing a thin film of silver nanoparticle ink on a flexible polyethylene terephthalate (PET) sheet. The feasibility of the printed substrate to be used as a SERS substrate for the detection of explosive materials, …

A Comparative Analysis Of Professional Pilot Jobs, Ryan Snoeyink

Honors Theses

Professional Pilots fly aircraft for a living. Just like there are many different types of aircraft, there are many different types of professional pilot jobs. While it is an impossible task to describe every single job a professional pilot could have, there are four "groups" in which most jobs can be classified. These groups are Part 121 Scheduled Airline Service, Part 135 On-demand Charter, Part 91 Corporate/Private, and Part 61/141/142 Flight Instruction. The goal of this thesis is to examine the differences between these four groups; and by doing so, aid in the education and career decision making of those …

16-08 Does Location Matter? Performance Analysis Of The Affordable Housing Programs In Dallas-Fort Worth, Shima Hamidi, Somayeh Moazzeni, Jinat Jahan, Reza Sardari, David Weinreich

Transportation Research Center Reports

On June 2015, the Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs lost a case in the U.S. Supreme Court due to their failure to provide equitable affordable housing under the Low Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC) program. The U.S. Supreme Court decision has shaken the affordable housing definition by highlighting the importance of location in housing affordability. To best assist low-income families, what should ‘high-opportunity areas’ concretely provide? First and foremost is transportation affordability.

Transportation is more than a sheer convenience for Americans. Looking solely at housing costs is a misleading measure of affordability and a disservice to low-income families. …

Inspire E-News 11 2017, College Of Engineering And Applied Sciences

College of Engineering and Applied Sciences News

• 2017 Alumni Excellence Academy Award Recipients
• Students take top awards for best paper at transportation conference
• Nathan LaWarre: Change Agent on Campus

Inspire E-News 10 2017, College Of Engineering And Applied Sciences

College of Engineering and Applied Sciences News

• State-of-the-art manufacturing lab to address shortage of engineers, skilled trades
• Komorowski wins first ever Betty J. Georgeau scholarship
• Welcome new faculty
• $2 million grant for migrant students focuses on STEM education
• WMU's new president takes the helm

Power-Efficient And Highly Scalable Parallel Graph Sampling Using Fpgas, Usman Tariq, Umer Cheema, Fahad Saeed

Parallel Computing and Data Science Lab Technical Reports

Energy efficiency is a crucial problem in data centers where big data is generally represented by directed or undirected graphs. Analysis of this big data graph is challenging due to volume and velocity of the data as well as irregular memory access patterns. Graph sampling is one of the most effective ways to reduce the size of graph while maintaining crucial characteristics. In this paper we present design and implementation of an FPGA based graph sampling method which is both time- and energy-efficient. This is in contrast to existing parallel approaches which include memory-distributed clusters, multicore and GPUs. Our …

Scalable Data Structure To Compress Next-Generation Sequencing Files And Its Application To Compressive Genomics, Sandino Vargas-Perez, Fahad Saeed

Parallel Computing and Data Science Lab Technical Reports

It is now possible to compress and decompress large-scale Next-Generation Sequencing files taking advantage of high-performance computing techniques. To this end, we have recently introduced a scalable hybrid parallel algorithm, called phyNGSC, which allows fast compression as well as decompression of big FASTQ datasets using distributed and shared memory programming models via MPI and OpenMP. In this paper we present the design and implementation of a novel parallel data structure which lessens the dependency on decompression and facilitates the handling of DNA sequences in their compressed state using fine-grained decompression in a technique that is identified as in …

Inspire E-News 9 2017, College Of Engineering And Applied Sciences

College of Engineering and Applied Sciences News

• Win Tickets to WMU's Homecoming Game!
• College hosts paper coatings course for industry professionals
• Scholarship winner seeks adventure abroad

15-06 Integrated Crowdsourcing Platform To Investigate Non-Motorized Behavior And Risk Factors On Walking, Running, And Cycling Routes, Ala Al-Fuqaha, Sepideh Mohammadi, Jun-Seok Oh, Valerian Kwigizile, Fadi Alhomaidat

Transportation Research Center Reports

There are several factors on the roads that impact bicyclists’ safety. This research aims to find the most important risk factors on roads, mainly in infrastructure facilities, to improve the safety for walkers, runners, and bicyclists. Most mobile cycling applications currently used by cyclists and runners were reviewed in this study in order to gain insight about the features that users care about. Features, such as speed, cumulative elevation gain, and connectivity to Google Fit, were found to be the most common features in the widely-used cycling apps. In this research, we developed and launched a mobile application for crowd-sourcing …

15-01 Effect Of Cycling Skills On Bicycle Safety And Comfort Associated With Bicycle Infrastructure And Environment, Jun-Seok Oh, Valerian Kwigizile, Kapseong Ro, Ahmad Feizi, Brent William Kostich, Raed Abdullah Hasan Hasan, Fadi Abdallah Mousa Alhomaidat

Transportation Research Center Reports

This study seeks to improve the methodology for determining the relationship between cycling dynamic performance and roadway environment characteristics across different bicyclists’ skill levels. To achieve the goal of this study, an Instrumented Probe Bicycle (IPB) equipped with various sensors was built. A naturalistic field experiment, including intersections, roundabout, alignment changes, and different road surface conditions, was conducted. Two self-reported questionnaires were used in order to obtain each participant’s skill level as well as perception on the level of cycling comfortability. The Cycling Comfortability Index (CCI) was derived from the probabilistic outcome of an Ordered Probit Model, which describes the …

15-11 Assessing Transit Oriented Development Strategies With A New Combined Modal Split And Traffic Assignment Model, Guangchao Wang, Anthony Chen, Ziqi Song, Songyot Kitthamkesorn

Transportation Research Center Reports

Transit oriented development (TOD) has emerged in recent years as a promising paradigm to promote public transportation, increase active transportation usage, mitigate congestion, and alleviate air pollution. However, there is a lack of analytic studies investigating the benefits of TOD quantitatively. Two major challenges of modeling a multimodal transportation network with TOD areas are: (1) failing to consider differences in feasible travel options available to different households in TOD areas may lead to inaccurate representations of travelers’ mode choice behavior, and (2) route overlapping is one of the major concerns in the route choice models used in the traffic assignment …

15-10 Development Of Multi-Class, Multi-Criteria Bicycle Traffic Assignment Models And Solution Algorithms, Seungkyu Ryu, Anthony Chen, Keith Christensen, Keechoo Choi

Transportation Research Center Reports

Cycling is gaining popularity both as a mode of travel in urban communities and as an alternative mode to private motorized vehicles due to its wide range of benefits (health, environmental, and economical). However, this change in modal share is not reflected in current transportation planning and travel demand forecasting modeling processes. The existing practices to model bicycle trips in a network are not sophisticated enough to describe the full cyclist experience in route decision-making. The purpose of this paper is to develop a multi-class and multi-criteria bicycle traffic assignment model that not only accounts for multiple user classes by …

Development Of Empirical And Virtual Tools For The Study Of Bicycle Safety, Brent Kostich

Masters Theses

Bicycles have been used as a form of non-motorized transportation for several hundred years. Recently, their use in the transportation realm has been reinvigorated because of growing population densities and efforts to improve environmental sustainability. However, a large deterrent for public use of the bicycle is concern over its level of safety in the transportation environment. The goal of this thesis is to develop two complementary research tools that advance the study of bicycle safety factors.

First, an instrumented probe bicycle (IPB) is constructed from the ground up. The bicycle is outfitted with an array of sensors that are integrated …

Inspire E-News 8 2017, College Of Engineering And Applied Sciences

College of Engineering and Applied Sciences News

• Young inventors enjoy innovation and entrepreneurship camp
• Georgeau Institute awards five research grants to address global construction challenges
• Butt named fellow of Institute of Industrial and Systems Engineers
• WMU hosts 4th Annual Summer Conference on Livable Communities