Engineering Commons^™

Power Management Strategies For Islanded Microgrids, Hisham Mahmood

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

The focus of this thesis is on developing power management strategies for islanded microgrids, at the primary and the secondary hierarchal control layers. At the Primary Control Layer, the main objective of the proposed strategies is to achieve decentralized power management of Photovoltaic (PV) and battery storage in islanded microgrids. In contrast to the common approach of controlling the PV unit as a current source, in the proposed strategies, the PV unit is controlled as a voltage source that follows a multi-segment adaptive power/frequency characteristic curve. The strategies are implemented locally at the units using multi-loop controllers without relying on …

Production And Applications Of Formaldehyde-Free Phenolic Resins Using 5-Hydroxymethylfurfural Derived From Glucose In-Situ, Yongsheng Zhang

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

The phenol-formaldehyde (PF) resin manufacturing industry is facing a growing challenge with respect to concerns over human health, due to the use of carcinogenic formaldehyde and sustainability due to the use of petroleum-based phenol in PF resin manufacture. Glucose and its derivative, 5-hydroxymethylfurfural (5-HMF), have proven to be potential substitutes for formaldehyde in the synthesis of phenolic novolac resins.

This thesis investigated a number of glucose and 5-HMF resin systems including the curing of phenol-glucose novolac resin (PG) with a bis-phenol-A type epoxy. The curing process was modeled according to the Sestak-Berggren equation (S, B) using Málek methods. This was …

Wind And Thermal Effects On Ground Mounted Photovoltaic (Pv) Panels, Chowdhury Mohammad Jubayer

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

A combination of Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) simulations and wind tunnel experiments are carried out to investigate the effects of wind on the aerodynamic loading and heat transfer of a ground mounted stand-alone photovoltaic (PV) panel with tilt angle of 25^o in open country atmospheric boundary layer. Several azimuthal wind directions are considered: Southern 0^o, Southwest 45^o, Northwest 135^o and Northern 180^o. Three dimensional Reynolds-Averaged Navier-Stokes (RANS) approaches with an unsteady solver using Shear Stress Transport (SST) k-ω turbulence closure are employed for the CFD simulations, whereas Particle Image Velocimetry (PIV) and …

Hydrolytic Depolymerization Of Lignin For The Preparation Of Polyols And Rigid Polyurethane Foams, Nubla Mahmood

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

This doctoral study was aimed to produce bio-polyols from Kraft lignin (KL) and hydrolysis lignin (HL) via depolymerization and utilize the lignin-derived bio-polyols in the preparation of bio-based rigid polyurethane (BRPU) foams at high percentage of bio-contents (50-70 wt.%). This study demonstrated that depolymerization is a practical and effective approach to unleash the potential of utilization of lignin, of complex structures and low reactivity/functionality, for bioproducts and biomaterials.

Depolymerization of KL was realized in alkaline medium using water alone as a solvent or employing water-ethylene glycol (EG) mixture via a low pressure (psig) proprietary process, both effective for producing low …

Applying Probabilistic Methods To The Nato Military Load Classification System For Bridges, Andrew J. Macdonald

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Military vehicles frequently use civilian bridges. The loading effects of military vehicles, both wheeled and tracked, are specific and different than those of civilian vehicles in normal traffic. Calibration to determine appropriate load factors for military loading of civilian bridges has not been fully performed and the corresponding levels of safety have not been quantified. This lack of calibration prevents the implementation of limit state design methods for military bridges and the evaluation bridges for military loading. This thesis quantifies probabilistically the single lane traffic load effects on interior girders of simply supported slab-on-girder bridges for three military vehicles in …

Treatment Of Synthetic Oil Sands Tailing Water With Activated Carbon, Alfredo Martinez Iglesias

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

The extraction of bitumen from the Canadian tar sands has thus far generated approximately 840 billion liters of oil sands process affected water (OSPW) that is currently being stored in containment ponds. OSPW is known to be acutely toxic to various organisms, due to the presence of naphthenic acids (NAs). The scale and sheer volume of OSPW being stored in tailing ponds have generated serious public concerns. Many emerging technologies have been investigated as treatment options for OSPW reclamation. This work studied the feasibility of using granular activated carbon (GAC) to adsorb several naphthenic acids in a model solution of …

On The Application Of Mechanical Vibration In Robotics-Assisted Soft Tissue Intervention, Iman Khalaji

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Mechanical vibration as a way of transmitting energy has been an interesting subject to study. While cyclic oscillation is usually associated with fatigue effect, and hence a detrimental factor in failure of structures and machineries, by controlled transmission of vibration, energy can be transferred from the source to the target. In this thesis, the application of such mechanical vibration in a few surgical procedures is demonstrated.

Three challenges associated with lung cancer diagnosis and treatment are chosen for this purpose, namely, Motion Compensation, tumor targeting in lung Needle Insertion and Soft Tissue Dissection:

1. A robotic solution is proposed …

A New Generation Of Polymer/Ceramic Composite Biomaterials For Bone Regeneration, Mehrnaz Salarian

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

There is a substantial emerging interest for fundamental and applied research on the reinforcement of polymeric materials using nanotechnology. In the biomedical industry, development of novel bone cement composite materials with enhanced mechanical properties is of tremendous potential importance. The most universally used injectable bone cement is made of poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA); however, the major disadvantage of PMMA is its non-biodegradability. Polymers such as poly(propylene fumarate) (PPF) and polycaprolactone (PCL) are biodegradable, but suffer from a lack of mechanical properties. The aim of this research was to test the efficacy of these biodegradable polymers integrating nanotechnology for the development of …

Posture-Dependent Projection-Based Force Reflection Algorithms For Bilateral Teleoperators, Ali Moatadelro

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

It was previously established that the projection-based force reflection (PBFR) algorithms improve the overall stability of a force reflecting teleoperation system. The idea behind the PBFR algorithms is to identify the component of the reflected force which is compensated by interaction with the operator's hand, and subsequently attenuate the residual component of the reflected force. If there is no a priori information regarding the behaviour of the human operator, the PBFR gain is selected equal to sufficiently small constant in order to guarantee stability for a wide range of human operator responses. Small PBRF gains, however, may deteriorate the transparency …

Poly(Ester Amide) And Poly(Ethyl Glyoxylate) Nanoparticles For Controlled Drug Release, Amira Mohamed Moustafa

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

The objective of this research was to develop polymeric nanoparticles (NPs) having improved drug release properties for drug delivery. Poly(ester amide)s (PEAs) are promising biodegradable polymers. PEA NPs were prepared via emulsification-evaporation and salting-out methods and optimized through by varying different processing parameters. Polymer-model drug conjugates based on PEAs containing L-aspartic acid and rhodamine B were synthesized and used for NP preparation. Release behavior was studied and compared to a control system with physically encapsulated rhodamine B. It was shown that the release of rhodamine B from the covalent system did not show the burst effect and exhibited a slower …

Digestion Of Municipal Wastewater Biosolids Using An Anaerobic Fluidized Bed Bioreactor (Anfbr), Zhenqi Wang

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

This research investigated the efficacy of the anaerobic fluidized bed bioreactor (AnFBR) technology in treating municipal wastewater sludges. Primary sludge (PS) and thickened waste activated sludge (TWAS) were studied in two lab-scale AnFBRs using High-density polyethylene (HDPE) as carrier media. PS was investigated at various organic loading rates (OLRs) ranging from 9 to 18 kg chemical oxygen demand (COD)/m³-d corresponding to hydraulic retention times (HRTs) of 2 to 4 days, with maximum COD and volatile suspended solid (VSS) removal efficiency of 70% and 72%, respectively. For TWAS, VSS destruction efficiency varied from 53% at an HRT of 4 …

Design Of A Haptic Interface For Medical Applications Using Magneto-Rheological Fluid Based Actuators, Nima Najmaei

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

This thesis reports on the design, construction, and evaluation of a prototype two degrees-of-freedom (DOF) haptic interface, which takes advantage of Magneto-Rheological Fluid (MRF) based clutches for actuation. Haptic information provides important cues in teleoperated systems and enables the user to feel the interaction with a remote or virtual environment during teleoperation. The two main objectives in designing a haptic interface are stability and transparency. Indeed, deficiencies in these factors in haptics-enabled telerobotic systems has the introduction of haptics in medical environments where safety and reliability are prime considerations. An actuator with poor dynamics, high inertia, large size, and heavy …

Scale-Up Methodology For Bench-Scale Slurry Photocatalytic Reactors Using Combined Irradiation And Kinetic Modelling, Patricio J. Valades Pelayo

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

The present study focuses on developing a predictive methodology to scale-up a slurry annular photoreactor using a TiO₂ Degussa P25 from the bench-scale to a pilot-plant scale. The bench-scale photoreactor is a Photo-CREC-Water II, a 2.65 L internally-irradiated slurry annular photocatalytic reactor. The pilot-plant scale photoreactor is a Photo-CREC Water Solar Simulator, a 9.8 L pilot-plant photoreactor, externally irradiated by eight lamps.

The adopted methodology allows the independent validation of radiative and kinetic models avoiding cross-correlation issues. The proposed approach involves two Monte Carlo methods, to model the Radiative Transfer Equation (RTE) inside each photoreactor. With this end, a …

Enhanced Dechlorination Of 1,2-Dichloroethane By Coupled Nano Iron-Dithionite Treatment, Ariel Nunez Garcia

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

1,2-dichloroethane (1,2-DCA) is a chlorinated solvent classified as a probable human carcinogen. Due to its extensive industrial applications, widespread contamination and recalcitrance towards abiotic dechlorination, 1,2-DCA remains a challenging compound for the remediation community and one of the great research interests. Batch experiments combining bimetallic or monometallic nZVI (stabilized or non-stabilized) with sodium dithionite were conducted for the degradation of 1,2-DCA. These experiments have yielded up to 92 % degradation of the initial 1,2-DCA concentration over the course of a year. Observed pseudo-first order rate constants (k_obs) range from 3.8 x 10^-3 to 7.8 x 10^{-3 …}

Influence Of Water Chemistry Parameters On The Dissolution Rate Of The Lead (Ii) Carbonate Hydrocerussite, Caitlin Se Kushnir

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

This work has focused on the kinetic dissolution of the lead (II) carbonate hydrocerussite (Pb₃(CO₃)₂(OH)₂) under four pH conditions (7.5, 8, 9, 10), three dissolved inorganic concentrations (DIC; 10, 20, 50 mg C/L), and three initial hydrocerussite concentrations (10, 20, 50 mg/L) in batch experiments. Experiments were performed in at least duplicate to determine total dissolved lead dissolution curves at short time scales (hr.). All equilibrium dissolved lead concentrations were achieved in 40 minutes or less, and matched trends from previous studies; pH 7.5 and pH 10 corresponding to the highest and …

Miniature Cone Penetration Test On Loose Sand, Sepideh Damavandinejad Monfared

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Considering the difficulties associated with preparing loose sand samples in large calibration chambers and wide area of research on the behavior of loose sands, miniature calibration chamber experiments are used to perform cone penetration tests on soils in different states. A miniature cone calibration chamber has been designed and developed in this study. Nineteen tests have been performed on Ottawa sand and the results are compared to the available data in the literature. The accuracy of the results is validated by comparing the results with the suggested rate for the cone resistance in sands in literature. More specifically, results are …

Numerical Modeling Of Deformation, Oscillation, Spreading And Collision Characteristics Of Droplets In An Electric Field, Osameh Ghazian

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Electric field induced flows, or electrohydrodynamics (EHD), have been promising in many fast-growing technologies, where droplet movement and deformation can be controlled to enhance heat transfer and mass transport. Several complex EHD problems existing in many applications were investigated in this thesis.

Firstly, this thesis presents the results of numerical simulations of the deformation, oscillation and breakup of a weakly conducting droplet suspended in an ambient medium with higher conductivity. It is the first time that the deformation of such a droplet was investigated numerically in a 3D configuration. We have determined three types of behavior for the droplets, which …

Performance Of Micropiled Raft In Sand And Clay-Centrifuge And Numerical Studies, Ahmed M. Alnuaim

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

A micropile is a small diameter “cast-in-place” pile, which was initially used to repair deficient foundations. The overall performance of a micropiled raft (MPR) foundation system is similar to a piled raft foundation where the load is transmitted through both the raft and the micropiles. This thesis explores using micropiled rafts (MPR) as a new highly efficient foundation system that combines the advantages of the piled raft system and the efficient installation of micropiles and associated ground improvement. Currently, there is no guidance available regarding the performance of MPR foundations. Therefore, the main objectives of this research are to evaluate …

A Dc Distribution System For Power System Integration Of Plug-In Electric Vehicles; Modeling, Stability And Operation, Mansour Tabari

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

This thesis is mainly focused on (i) modeling of dc distribution systems for power system integration of plug-in electric vehicles (PEVs), (ii) proposing a method to enhance the stability of the dc distribution systems, and (iii) proposing an energy management strategy to control the power flow in the dc distribution system. The dc distribution system is expected to be more efficient and economical than a system of ac-dc battery chargers directly interfaced with an ac grid.

In the first part, a systematic method for developing a model for a dc distribution system, based on the configuration of the system is …

Thickening Of Mature Fine Oil Sands Tailings, Shriful Islam

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

The mature fine oil sands tailings (MFT) remain suspended in tailings disposal pond for decades because of the low sedimentation/consolidation rate. This study investigates the application of coagulation and electrokinetics to thicken, i.e., to increase the solid content of the MFT suspension. At first, the optimal ferric chloride concentration is identified as 350 mg/l in jar tests, under which the best thickening result is only 6.48% from an initial of 5% after 4 hours in cylinder coagulation tests. The electrokinetic thickening under an applied voltage gradient of 219 V/m reaches the final solid content of 18.75% after 7 hours. The …

Monostatic Airborne Synthetic Aperture Radar Using Commercial Wimax Transceivers In The License-Exempt Spectrum, Kai Liu

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

The past half-century witnessed an evolution of synthetic aperture radar (SAR). Boosted by digital signal processing (DSP), a variety of SAR imaging algorithms have been developed, in which the wavenumber domain algorithm is mature for airborne SAR and independent of signal waveforms. Apart from the algorithm development, there is a growing interest in how to acquire the raw data of targets’ echoes before the DSP for SAR imaging in a cost-effective way. For the data acquisition, various studies over the past 15 years have shed light on utilizing the signal generated from the ubiquitous broadband wireless technology – orthogonal frequency …

A Collaborative Access Control Model For Shared Items In Online Social Networks, Hanaa Al Shareef

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

The recent emergence of online social networks (OSNs) has changed the communication behaviors of thousand of millions of users. OSNs have become significant platforms for connecting users, sharing information, and a valuable source of private and sensitive data about individuals. While OSNs insert constantly new social features to increase the interaction between users, they, unfortunately, offer primitive access control mechanisms that place the burden of privacy policy configuration solely on the holder who has shared data in her/his profile regardless of other associated users, who may have different privacy preferences. Therefore, current OSN privacy mechanisms violate the privacy of all …

Ultrasound-Guided Mechatronic System For Targeted Delivery Of Cell-Based Cancer Vaccine Immunotherapy In Preclinical Models, Adem Nadjib Hadj Boussaad

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Injection of dendritic cell (DC) vaccines into lymph nodes (LN) is a promising strategy for eliciting immune responses against cancer, but these injections in mouse cancer models are challenging due to the small target scale (~ 1 mm × 2 mm). Direct manual intranodal injection is difficult and can cause architectural damage to the LN, potentially disrupting crucial interactions between DC and T cells. Therefore, a second-generation ultrasound-guided mechatronic device has been developed to perform this intervention. A targeting accuracy of < 500 μm will enable targeted delivery of the DCs specifically to a LN subcapsular space. The device was redesigned from its original CT-guided edition, which used a remote centre of motion architecture, to be easily integrated onto a commercially available VisualSonics imaging rail system. Subtle modifications were made to ensure simple workflow that allows for live-animal interventions that fall within the knockout periods stated in study protocols. Several calibration and registration techniques were developed in order to achieve an overall targeting accuracy appropriate for the intended application. A variety of methods to quantify the positioning accuracy of the device were investigated. The method chosen involved validating a guided injection into a tissue-mimicking phantom using ultrasound imaging post-operatively to localize the end-point position of the needle tip in the track left behind by the needle. Ultrasound-guided injections into a tissue-mimicking phantom revealed a targeting accuracy of 285 ± 94 μm for the developed robot compared to 508 ± 166 μm for a commercial-available manually-actuated injection device from VisuailSonics. The utility of the robot was also demonstrated by performing in vivo injections into the lymph nodes of mice.

Studies In Small Scale Thermal Convection, Daniel F. Stranges

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

The effect of non-Fourier heat transfer and partial-slip boundary conditions in Rayleigh-Bénard are analyzed theoretically. Non-Fourier fluids possess a relaxation time that reflects the delay in the response of the heat flux to a change in the temperature gradient while the partial slip boundary condition assumes that the fluid velocity and temperature are not equal to that of the wall. Both non-Fourier and partial-slip effects become important when small-scale heat transfer applications are investigated such as convection around micro- and nano-devices as suggested by the extended heat transport equations from kinetic theory. Other applications are also known to exhibit one …

Mechanical Pretreatment Of Corncobs For Bioethanol Production By A Twin-Screw Extruder, Jun Zheng

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Extrusion pretreatment of lignocellulosic biomasses is a physical continuous pretreatment method for subsequent fermentative ethanol production. Twin-screw elements (conveying, kneading and reverse) have different effects on enzymatic digestibility according to their geometries and functions. The first study evaluated the effects of individual functional screw elements on enzymatic digestibility and found that extrusion enhanced enzymatic digestibility under all tested condition. Reverse and kneading screw elements however resulted in lignin re-distribution over the cellulose fibres, blocked pores (shown via SEM) and resulted in less digestible biomass, compared to conveying screw elements, only. Lignin removal via NaOH reversed this effect and the highest …

Diffusion And Adsorption Coefficients Of Aromatic Hydrocarbons In Gas Chromatography Capillary Columns, Gabriela Navarro Tovar

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

This study focuses on a mathematical description of aromatic species elution peaks from a gas chromatographic BPX5 capillary column. Using the chromatographic peaks, statistical moments are calculated for toluene, naphthalene, phenol and 2-naphthol. This thesis reports two modelling approaches involving laminar gas flow, distribution coefficients (K_s) and diffusion coefficients in the stationary phase (D_s).

Firstly, a model with equilibrium adsorption is considered to describe symmetric peaks for toluene and naphthalene. Moreover, a model with non-equilibrium adsorption is proposed to describe asymmetric peaks of phenol and 2-napthol. In addition to the K_s and D …

Impact Of Local Bed Hydrodynamics On Jet-Bed Interaction, Maryam Mohagheghi Dar Ranji

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

In Fluid Coking^TM or Fluid Catalytic Cracking liquid feedstocks are injected into a bed of fluidized particles. Uniform distribution of liquid feed on fluidized particles increases the yield of valuable products and improves operability in these processes. Contact between the injected liquid and the bed particles can be greatly affected by the liquid properties and local bed hydrodynamics.

The impact of parameters such as liquid properties, fluidization velocity, nozzle atomization gas flowrate, nozzle location and inclination were investigated on the distribution of liquid sprayed into a fluidized bed with a reliable and fast response capacitance meter. This method was …

Contribution Of Gypsum-Board Sheathing To The Compressive Resistance Of Wood Studs Subjected To Gravitational Loads, Daniel J. Grenier

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Gypsum board is the most commonly used sheathing material in Canadian residential construction. Current Canadian standards recognize the role of gypsum-board sheathing in bracing studs to prevent weak-axis buckling and in resisting in-plane shear, but do not recognize its potential contribution to axial compressive resistance of a sheathed wall. The research in this thesis, therefore, investigates this contribution for light-frame wood stud walls sheathed with gypsum-board on both sides of the stud. The axial compressive resistance of bare and gypsum-board sheathed studs were computed using new finite element models that account for the nonlinear wood stress-strain relationship and nonlinear shear …

Characterization Of A Contact-Stylus Surface Digitization Method Using Collaborative Robots: Accuracy Evaluation In The Context Of Shoulder Replacement Or Resurfacing, Sara Saud Zimmo

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Total shoulder arthroplasty (TSA) is the third most common joint replacement. While robot-assisted hip and knee replacement technologies have enjoyed extensive development, this has been limited in the upper limb. This work focused on quantifying the localization accuracy of a robotic system, and evaluating its efficacy in the context of TSA.

A collaborative robot was fitted with a stylus tip to perform manual surface digitizations using the robot’s encoder output. In the first experiment, two precision-machined master cubes, representing the working volume around a glenoid structure, were used for system validation. Next, cadaveric glenoids were digitized and compared to a …

Numerical And Experimental Studies Of Transmission Lines Subjected To Tornadoes, Ahmed Hamada

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

The majority of worldwide weather-related transmission line failures have been attributed to High Intensity Wind (HIW) events in the form of tornadoes and downbursts. The research conducted in the current thesis presents a significant development in the understanding of the structural behaviour of transmission line systems under tornado loading. A comprehensive in-house numerical model that combines the data of computational fluid dynamic (CFD) simulations of tornado wind fields with three dimensional nonlinear structural analysis modelling is developed. A three dimensional four-nodded cable element is first formulated to simulate the nonlinear large deformation behaviour of the conductors. The support provided to …