Engineering Commons^™

Towards Patient Specific Mitral Valve Modelling Via Dynamic 3d Transesophageal Echocardiography, Patrick Carnahan

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Mitral valve disease is a common pathologic problem occurring increasingly in an aging population, and many patients suffering from mitral valve disease require surgical intervention. Planning an interventional approach from diagnostic imaging alone remains a significant clinical challenge. Transesophageal echocardiography (TEE) is the primary imaging modality used diagnostically, it has limitations in image quality and field-of-view. Recently, developments have been made towards modelling patient-specific deformable mitral valves from TEE imaging, however, a major barrier to producing accurate valve models is the need to derive the leaflet geometry through segmentation of diagnostic TEE imaging. This work explores the development of volume …

Investigation Of Thermofluid Processes In A Pcm Based Thermal Storage Module, Luca M. Crnjac

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Latent heat thermal energy storage systems can capture and store solar thermal energy, enhancing the reliability of solar energy by facilitating a continuous and consistent energy supply. However, phase change materials used in these systems suffer from low thermal conductivities making it difficult to achieve suitable charging and discharging rates. The present research investigated this issue using computational and experimental approaches to improve the design of a thermal storage module through heat transfer enhancement. Various heat transfer enhancements including a finned honeycomb structure, and metal wool were incorporated into a thermal storage module to analyze their effect on charging and …

Analysis And Characterization Of Embroidered Textile Strain Sensors For Use In Wearable Mechatronic Devices, Jose Guillermo Colli Alfaro

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Stroke and musculoskeletal disorders affect hundreds of millions of people around the world. To aid in the recovery process of people affected by these conditions, the use of wearable mechatronic devices has been proposed during traditional rehabilitation therapies. However, factor such as rigidity, increased weight, and overall bulkiness have hindered the adoption of these devices in a clinical setting. Therefore, alternative solutions in the form of soft wearable mechatronic devices have been proposed recently. This is due to these devices being lightweight and comfortable, and compliant, which makes them easier to conform to the human body. To achieve such compliance, …

Temperature-Controlled Partial Nitrification For Mainstream Wastewater Deammonification Using Batch, Semi-Batch And Continuous Systems, Niema Afroze

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Aeration is a critical component of the two-step nitrification, the biological conversion of ammonia (NH₃) to nitrite (NO₂-) and then to nitrate (NO₃-), in municipal wastewater treatment plants. Aeration provides the necessary dissolved oxygen for the growth and activity of nitrifying bacteria to Partial nitrification-Anammox (PN-Anammox) is a two-step biological wastewater treatment process, used to remove nitrogen compounds from wastewater efficiently without the need for external carbon. It combines partial nitrification, where ammonia is partially oxidized to nitrite, with anaerobic ammonium oxidation (Anammox) to remove both ammonia and nitrite. About a 60% to 80% …

Characterizing Tkr Biomechanics Using A Novel Muscle-Driven Joint Motion Simulator, Alexandre Galley

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Total knee replacement (TKR) is the end-stage treatment for severe cases of knee osteoarthritis (OA). Despite its success in alleviating pain and restoring mobility to the knee, patient satisfaction rates post-TKR are still lower than other common joint replacement surgeries. Knee kinematics and stability, key determinants of successful TKR, are assessed intraoperatively and tracked post-operatively in in vivo clinical studies. However, the persistently low satisfaction rates suggest that more sophisticated pre-clinical testing methods are needed to better understand the biomechanics of these implants early in their development. During pre-clinical testing of TKR implants, different joint motion simulators are used for …

Multi-Dimensional Qos And Collaborative Mac Layer Design For Dense, Diverse, And Dynamic Iot Network, Jiyang Bai

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

With the ubiquitous proliferation of Internet of Thing (IoT) devices, Access Points (APs) of future Wireless Fidelity (Wi-Fi) networks are expected to support dense Stations (STAs) with diverse Quality-of-Service (QoS) requirements under dynamic channel conditions. On account of high access collision and optimization problem complexity, the performance degradation brings new challenges to the existing Media Access Control (MAC) layer design in Wi-Fi. This thesis proposes novel technologies to enable low-latency high-performance MAC layer designs, which support dense access of STAs with real-time solutions of resource allocation and link adaptation problems. Both grouping and collaborative architectures are utilized based on game …

Study Of Multi-Dimensional Transfer Effects In Applied Smouldering Systems, Seyed Ziaedin Miry Mr

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Smouldering is a flameless form of combustion that is driven by oxygen directly diffusing into the surface of condensed phase fuel (liquid or solid) and involves a complex interplay between heat and mass transfer through porous media, chemical reactions, and multiphase flow. Applied smouldering systems have been gaining popularity for a variety of applications including (i) energy and resource recovery, (ii) waste-to-energy, (iii) pyrolysis and gasification, and (iv) applied smouldering of organic liquids/solids for environmental benefits. In all contexts, smouldering is a complicated oxygen-limited phenomenon where multi-dimensional transfer effects (i.e., non-uniformities in …

Understanding Real-World And Laboratory Traumatic Brain Injury (Tbi) Using The Computational Model With Brain Functional Regions, Kewei Bian

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Traumatic brain injury (TBI), including mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) or concussion, is a severe health concern. Many symptoms, such as headache, dizziness, and working memory deficits, are reported to be related to the dysfunction of brain functional regions, but the underlying mechanism remains unknown. Hence, further developing tools and analyses to understand brain dysfunction for better TBI prevention are important. Additionally, such analyses should be conducted for both real-world TBI cases and laboratory studies, as TBI data can only be collected from the real world, and prevention measures, such as helmets, are developed and evaluated in the lab. Accordingly, …

Performance Recovery Of Scale Reduced Cyclone Particle Separators Using A Rotating Classifier, Mark J. Parker

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Cyclone particle separators are often used to collect particles that are of value or environmental concern. These devices achieve high Total Collection Efficiency (TCE) with steady pressure drop. Increasing the height of the cyclone improves both TCE and pressure drop. However, due to the height of the cyclone, these devices are often forced to be placed outside, which can lead to decreased performance over time. The research examines the outcome of scale reducing a cyclone. This is achieved by (i) how the scale reduction changes the flow field, (ii) identifying what flow aspects contribute to the reduction in TCE and …

An Investigation Into Computational Modelling Of Melting And Solidification Of Phase Change Materials, Maryam Hemmat

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

This thesis evaluates the effectiveness of the enthalpy-porosity approach in simulating melting and solidification of phase change materials within latent heat thermal energy storage systems. It systematically investigates the sensitivity of the computational model to four adjustable parameters: mushy zone coefficient, thermal expansion coefficient, solidus/liquidus temperatures, and latent heat. The study includes individual and combined analyses of these factors in simulations of the melting process by comparing outcomes with extensive experimental data, resulting in a calibrated melting model. The calibrated model is validated across various heating conditions in the cylindrical cavity, and then in a rectangular cavity, confirming its reliability …

Patterned Heating Induced Propulsion, Saajid A. Aman

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

This study explores propulsion effects generated by patterned heating acting on smooth and corrugated surfaces. The model problem assumes that the upper plate moves freely, and the lower plate is stationary, equipped with grooves, and exposed to spatially distributed heating. Our findings identify two distinct propulsion effects: thermal streaming and thermal drift. Thermal streaming occurs when given sufficient heating intensity with net flow in the left or right direction characterized by a pitchfork bifurcation. The efficiency of this technique can be controlled using the wavelength of heating. Thermal drift represents a pattern interaction effect. Its strength depends on the relative …

Investigation Of Foam Based Photobioreactor For The Cultivation Of Chlorella Vulgaris Cpcc 90, Anuradha Krishnan

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Today, microalgae are cultured in large-scale systems such as open ponds and photobioreactors. Open pond systems, while not expensive, have disadvantages, including contamination and high water consumption, resulting in increased cost of harvesting and quick evaporation. Photobioreactors overcome some of the challenges of an open pond system. However, the reactor setup, operation, and microalgae harvesting are relatively more expensive when compared to conventional techniques. In this study, a novel foam-based photobioreactor system was applied to investigate both the cultivation and harvest of microalgae using different surfactant agents, i.e., rhamnolipids, Bovine Serum Albumin (BSA), saponin, and the commercial surfactant Pluronic f127 …

Head Impact Effects In Small Remotely Piloted Aircraft System (Srpas) Collisions: Gender Specific Risks And Vulnerable Population Protection, Md Farhan Hoque Sagar

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

This study focuses on supporting the development of safety regulations for vulnerable populations during drone to head impacts. First, the small female head and neck model was compared to cadaveric data. Then, combined with lab’s previous work, gender-based disparities in head impact responses were highlighted, with small females experiencing higher injury risk metrics, despite lower skull von Mises stress. Beyond small females, children of various ages and their head responses during impacts were also analyzed. In addition to the previously developed quadcopter drone model, a new Mavic Pro drone model was developed, and this model was integrated with human head …

Experimental And Simulation Study Of Reactive Silver Ink Droplet Evaporation, Weipeng Zhang

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

The evaporation of particle-free silver ink droplets on heated substrates directly impacts the morphology of the resultant silver particles and films. In this thesis, COMSOL Multiphysics simulations of the solvent (water-ethylene glycol mixture) droplet evaporation process are used to explain the microflows, mass transfers, and heat distribution responsible for the experimental observations. The reactive ink incorporates fluoro-surfactant FS-31 and poly (acrylamide) (PAM) to suppress the coffee-ring effect that negatively impacts the electrical conductivity. Experiments show that the droplet evaporation process results in varied silver particle morphology, depending on the locations within the droplet, leading to uneven surfaces. Large particles (3 …

Free-Hand Photoacoustic Imaging Of Breast Cancer Tissue, Elina Rascevska

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Approximately 19% of breast cancer patients undergoing breast conserving surgery (BCS) must return for a re-excision surgery due to positive margin reported by pathology. This problem is mainly associated with lack of intraoperative cancer margin assessment tools. Our previous work demonstrated that lipid-weighted photoacoustic imaging (PAI) can be used intraoperatively to successfully differentiate between cancerous and healthy tissue with high sensitivity. However, the technology was cumbersome and significantly prolonged the procedure time. The goal of this work was to develop a compact hand-held probe, working on lipid-weighted PAI principles, that can provide feedback during BSC without significantly altering the surgical …

Impinging Jet Flow And Hydraulic Jump Of Newtonian And Viscoplastic Liquids, Wenxi Wang

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

The steady laminar incompressible flow of an axisymmetric impinging jet of either a Newtonian fluid or a viscoplastic fluid of the Heschel-Bulkley type and the hydraulic jump of either a circular or polygonal shape on a solid disk is analyzed. The polygonal jump is induced by azimuthal dependence edge conditions: a non-circular disk or a circular disk with a variable edge film thickness. The thin-film and Kármán–Pohlhausen approaches are utilized as theoretical tools.

To cross the jump smoothly, a composite mean-field thin-film approach is proposed. The stress singularity for a film freely draining at the disk edge is found to …

Effect Of Land Use Type And Stormwater Control Measures On Non-Point Source Phosphorus Concentrations And Loads In A Cold Climate Urban Subwatershed, Dillon H. Vyn

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Non-point source phosphorus (P) exports from urban areas including contributions from different urban land use types and seasonal variations are not well understood, especially for cold climates. Additionally, the effectiveness of different stormwater control measures (SCMs) in reducing P concentrations and loads are poorly quantified with assessments rarely considering total watershed P loads. To address these gaps, detailed field monitoring of total P (TP), soluble reactive P (SRP), total suspended solids (TSS), and water quantity was conducted over a 19-month period in a mixed urban watershed in London, ON. Monitoring sites were located at watershed outlets, at the outlets of …

Application Of Wavelet Analysis And Random Field In Integrity Management Of Pipelines Containing Dents And Corrosions, Junxiong Lin

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Metal loss corrosions and dents are two major threats to the integrity of oil and natural gas pipelines. In the pipeline industry, the Fitness-For-Service (FFS) assessment is commonly employed for pipelines containing these defects. However, FFS assessment usually assumes that a defect has a simple shape, and such a simplification may significantly affect the accuracy of the assessment. Therefore, retaining the actual shapes of defects and incorporating them into the FFS assessment can improve assessment accuracy. The main objective of the present thesis is to extract key information about the sizes, directions, and shapes of corrosions and dents from the …

Parametric Analysis And Enhancement Of The Burst Capacity Model For Composite-Repaired Corroded Pipelines, Rodrigo Silva Silva-Santisteban

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

One of the main causes of pipeline failures is corrosion, which leads to a localized loss of the pipe wall thickness and hence compromises the capacity of the pipeline. Composite repair is a method to rehabilitate corroded pipelines. Design codes such as ASME PCC-2 are commonly used to design the repair thickness. As the predictive accuracy to determine the burst capacity of a composite repaired pipeline with existing models is generally poor, the main objective of the present thesis is to provide insights on the parameters that affect the burst capacity and propose improvements to the prediction of burst capacity …

Monitoring Remediation Of Organic Contaminants Using Electrical Resistivity And Induced Polarization Techniques, Angelos Almpanis

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Effective characterization and monitoring of subsurface processes associated with the remediation of sites contaminated by dense non-aqueous phase liquids (DNAPLs) remains a substantial environmental challenge. Geophysical techniques such as direct current (DC) resistivity and induced polarization (IP) offer the potential to considerably enhance our understanding of such complex phenomena occurring in the subsurface. However, despite extensive research highlighting the benefits of employing IP – in the time domain (DCIP) and/or frequency domain (spectral IP, SIP) – for contaminant investigations, more research is needed to understand the role of IP for monitoring DNAPL remediation. The goal of this thesis was to …

Conversion Of Biomass Derived Tar In A Catalytic Post-Gasification Process, Floria Rojas Chaves

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

The present MESc thesis reports the performance of a fluidizable CeO₂ promoted Ni/γ-Al₂O₃ catalyst to be used in a post-gasification process for tar removal. The catalysts developed were prepared using the incipient wetness technique and characterized chemically and physically, using the following techniques: N₂ Adsorption-Desorption, XRD, NH₃ and CO₂ TPD, Pyridine-FTIR, H₂-TPR, and H₂-Pulse Chemisorption. The catalysts were tested in a fluidized CREC Riser Simulator, in the 500°C-550°C temperature range, within 5 s-10 s reaction times, using both steam and steam-H₂/CO₂ atmospheres.A 2-methoxy-4-methlyphenol (2M4MP) compound was …

A Novel Method For Determining The Inherent Capabilities Of Computer And Robotic-Assisted Total Knee Arthroplasty Devices, Delaney R.G. Stevens

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

This thesis presents a method for evaluating and comparing assistive total knee arthroplasty (TKA) devices while controlling surgeon landmarking variability. To achieve consistent landmark selection by surgeons during TKA procedures, the method uses identical 3D-printed knees with indented landmarks. This method was used to compare a robotic and computer-assisted TKA device on three metrics: measurement accuracy, alignment accuracy, and cut-surface uniformity. Although both devices had considerable sagittal plane measurement errors, the robotic device had better measurement and alignment accuracy than the computer-assisted device. Furthermore, the robotic device's measuring error compensated for cutting errors, but the computer-assisted device's compounded them. However, …

Towards Smart And Cost-Effective Bridge Infrastructure Monitoring Systems, Premjeet Singh

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Bridge health monitoring (BHM) has recently gained significant interest worldwide in the inspection and maintenance of aging bridge infrastructure in the era of climate change and adverse weather conditions. However, extensive datasets resulting from these monitoring systems require appropriate tools to diagnose the data systematically under various operating conditions of bridges, leading to expensive and time intensive BHM strategies. To mitigate this challenge, a smart and cost-effective bridge infrastructure management system is of paramount need in today’s world. This thesis aims to develop a suite of cost-effective bridge management strategies by employing limited and mobile sensing technology and addressing their …

Toward Building An Intelligent And Secure Network: An Internet Traffic Forecasting Perspective, Sajal Saha

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Internet traffic forecast is a crucial component for the proactive management of self-organizing networks (SON) to ensure better Quality of Service (QoS) and Quality of Experience (QoE). Given the volatile and random nature of traffic data, this forecasting influences strategic development and investment decisions in the Internet Service Provider (ISP) industry. Modern machine learning algorithms have shown potential in dealing with complex Internet traffic prediction tasks, yet challenges persist. This thesis systematically explores these issues over five empirical studies conducted in the past three years, focusing on four key research questions: How do outlier data samples impact prediction accuracy for …

Evaluating Eeg–Emg Fusion-Based Classification As A Method For Improving Control Of Wearable Robotic Devices For Upper-Limb Rehabilitation, Jacob G. Tryon

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Musculoskeletal disorders are the biggest cause of disability worldwide, and wearable mechatronic rehabilitation devices have been proposed for treatment. However, before widespread adoption, improvements in user control and system adaptability are required. User intention should be detected intuitively, and user-induced changes in system dynamics should be unobtrusively identified and corrected. Developments often focus on model-dependent nonlinear control theory, which is challenging to implement for wearable devices.

One alternative is to incorporate bioelectrical signal-based machine learning into the system, allowing for simpler controller designs to be augmented by supplemental brain (electroencephalography/EEG) and muscle (electromyography/EMG) information. To extract user intention better, sensor …

Classification Of Ddos Attack With Machine Learning Architectures And Exploratory Analysis, Amreen Anbar

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

The ever-increasing frequency of occurrence and sophistication of DDoS attacks pose a serious threat to network security. Accurate classification of DDoS attacks with efficiency is crucial in order to develop effective defense mechanisms. In this thesis, we propose a novel approach for DDoS classification using the CatBoost algorithm, on CICDDoS2019, a benchmark dataset containing 12 variations of DDoS attacks and legitimate traffic using real-world traffic traces. With a developed ensemble feature selection method and feature engineering, our model proves to be a good fit for DDoS attack type prediction. Our experimental results demonstrate that our proposed approach achieves high classification …

Towards Clinical Microscopic Fractional Anisotropy Imaging, Nico Jj Arezza

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Microscopic fractional anisotropy (µFA) is a diffusion-weighted magnetic resonance imaging (dMRI) metric that is sensitive to neuron microstructural features without being confounded by the orientation dispersion of axons and dendrites. µFA may potentially act as a surrogate biomarker for neurodegeneration, demyelination, and other pathological changes to neuron microstructure with greater specificity than other dMRI techniques that are sensitive to orientation dispersion, such as diffusion tensor imaging. As with many advanced imaging techniques, µFA is primarily used in research studies and has not seen use in clinical settings.

The primary goal of this Thesis was to assess the clinical viability of …

Waveform Similarity Of Micro-Seismicity At The Toc2me Hydraulic Fracturing Experiment Site, Jin Yang

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

This thesis quantitatively investigates the waveform similarity of micro-earthquakes detected during the Tony Creek Dual Microseismic Experiment (ToC2ME) located in Fox Creek, Alberta. Subsurface anthropogenic activities, especially processes involving injection, can lead to accumulation of porepressure and elastic strain in the geologic formations and rocks, resulting in induced earthquakes. Four hydraulic-fracturing treatment wells were drilled and completed in the study area. The microseismic acquisition system monitored continuous seismic waveforms from 25 October to 15 December 2016 revealing 21619 hydraulic fracture-related events with magnitude ranging from Mw -1 to 3.2. The present study compares and discusses similarity of waveforms captured by …

A Study On The Field Of Xr Simulation Creation, Leveraging Game Engines To Develop A Vr Hospital Framework, Virat K. Tripathi

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

This thesis introduces an adaptable and extensible VR framework designed for clinicians and patients using pre-existing game development software like Blender and Unreal Engine. The framework aids patients in familiarizing themselves with hospital scenarios and environments, reducing anxiety, and improving navigation. Clinicians can use the tool to educate patients and collaboratively design new aspects of the environment. A prototype implementation demonstrates the system's effectiveness, with usability studies indicating that teleport movement is preferred over sliding for locomotion and that navigation speed can improve with subsequent trials in the VR simulator. The framework's potential for enhancing patient experience and facilitating informed …

Application Of Crystal Engineering In Multicomponent Pharmaceutical Crystals: A Study Of Theory And Practice, Soroush Ahmadi Nasrabadi

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Multicomponent crystallization, a prominent strategy in crystal engineering, offers the ability to modify the physicochemical properties of crystals by introducing a secondary component to their lattice structure. Such multicomponent crystals have found widespread application in the pharmaceutical industry. This thesis explores the experimental screening, characterization, application, and theoretical prediction of multicomponent crystals of Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients (APIs).

The first case study investigates a new solvate of Dasatinib which exhibits high instability at room temperature and transforms into a different polymorph upon desolvation. The crystal structure of this compound is obtained, revealing insights into its transient nature and the potential application …