Strategies For The Stabilization Of Metal Anodes For Li And Na Metal Batteries, Yang Zhao

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Li-metal batteries (LMBs) and Na-metal batteries (NMBs) are considered as the promising candidates to replace the conventional Li-ion batteries (LIBs) due to their high theoretical energy density. For LMBs and NMBs, Li metal and Na metal are the ultimate choices to achieve their high energy density due to the high specific capacity, low electrochemical potential and lightweight. However, as alkali metals, both Li and Na metal anodes suffer from serious challenges including 1) Li/Na dendrite formations and short circuits; 2) Low Coulombic efficiency (CE) and poor cycling performance; and 3) Infinite volume changes. This thesis mainly focuses on the design …

Chemically Enhanced Primary Treatment Processes For Wastewater Resource Redirection And Its Impact On Downstream Processes, Tianchen Dong

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

There is a recent focus within the global wastewater industry on the steps being taken by treatment facilities to move towards net zero, or in some cases, energy positive operation. As part of maximizing energy recovery from the incoming wastewater, there has been increased attention upon the energy contained in the wastewater, and maximizing the redirection of more carbon captured through the primary treatment process rather than conventional removal through carbon oxidation. The chemically enhanced primary treatment (CEPT) process is a promising method for carbon redirection and improving the performance and efficiency of wastewater treatment processes. This research was conducted …

A Comprehensive Study Of Arsenic Removal From Aqueous Solution Using Low-Cost Adsorbents, Mrinmoyee Mondal

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Arsenic poisoning in water is a global concern for many years due to its high carcinogenic and toxic effect on the human body. Adsorption is one of the promising technology to treat arsenic-contaminant water. Recently, natural adsorbent modified with metal oxide/hydroxide is being studied widely, because of its great removal efficiency, inexpensive and eco-friendly properties.

In the present study, two low-cost adsorbents namely Aerocrete and Vermiculite (modified with iron oxy-hydroxide) were assessed for arsenic (both As(III) and As(V)) removal. The maximum removal of As(V) was ~99% at pH 6 for both adsorbents (3g/L). Optimum removal of As(III) was observed at …

Secured Data Masking Framework And Technique For Preserving Privacy In A Business Intelligence Analytics Platform, Osama Ali

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

The main concept behind business intelligence (BI) is how to use integrated data across different business systems within an enterprise to make strategic decisions. It is difficult to map internal and external BI’s users to subsets of the enterprise’s data warehouse (DW), resulting that protecting the privacy of this data while maintaining its utility is a challenging task. Today, such DW systems constitute one of the most serious privacy breach threats that an enterprise might face when many internal users of different security levels have access to BI components. This thesis proposes a data masking framework (iMaskU: Identify, Map, Apply, …

Virtual Reality Simulation Of Glenoid Reaming Procedure, Mohammadreza Faieghi

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Glenoid reaming is a bone machining operation in Total Shoulder Arthroplasty (TSA) in which the glenoid bone is resurfaced to make intimate contact with implant undersurface. While this step is crucial for the longevity of TSA, many surgeons find it technically challenging. With the recent advances in Virtual Reality (VR) simulations, it has become possible to realistically replicate complicated operations without any need for patients or cadavers, and at the same time, provide quantitative feedback to improve surgeons' psycho-motor skills. In light of these advantages, the current thesis intends to develop tools and methods required for construction of a VR …

Aversion And Warning Factors For Assessing Existing Reinforced Concrete Structures, Marcie Van Weerdhuizen

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

In a world of aging infrastructure, sustainability initiatives require additional investment in the assessment of existing reinforced concrete structures. Reliability-based assessment should minimize costs by reducing conservatism, while ensuring levels of safety equivalent to those for new designs. Current Canadian and US provisions assign target reliability levels for structural assessment based on criteria including occupancy type, expected failure behaviour, and the effect of element failure on the overall structural integrity. These criteria are defined using discrete and qualitative parameter values. It is shown that the true structural conditions can be better represented by verifying the applicability and completeness of these …

Corrosion Dynamics Of Carbon Steel In Used Fuel Container Environments, Dan Guo

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

The current Canadian used nuclear fuel container (UFC) design uses a pressure‑grade carbon steel (CS) vessel with its outer surface coated with a thin layer of copper. One concern regarding the structural integrity of the UFC design is the potential internal corrosion of the CS vessel. Moisture trapped inside a UFC could condense within the gap between the hemispherical head and the cylindrical body of the vessel. The internal UFC environment will be exposed to a continuous flux of ionizing radiation arising from the decay of radionuclides trapped in the used UO₂ fuel matrix.

This thesis research project investigates …

Electroacoustic Assessment Of Hearing Aids And Psaps, Manan Sheel

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Hearing aids and personal sound amplification products (PSAPs) are commonly used assistive devices for treating hearing loss. Due to the diversity in the hardware and signal processing algorithms in these devices, comprehensive verification of their performance is essential. Existing standards for assistive hearing devices are primarily used for quality control purposes and do not quantify their performance in a perceptually-relevant manner. This thesis developed a comprehensive electroacoustic testing toolbox for hearing devices that encompasses both quality control and perceptually-relevant measures. In particular, a test sequence was developed to assess the effectiveness of noise reduction feature in assistive hearing devices. Several …

Objective Assessment Of Machine Learning Algorithms For Speech Enhancement In Hearing Aids, Krishnan Parameswaran

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Speech enhancement in assistive hearing devices has been an area of research for many decades. Noise reduction is particularly challenging because of the wide variety of noise sources and the non-stationarity of speech and noise. Digital signal processing (DSP) algorithms deployed in modern hearing aids for noise reduction rely on certain assumptions on the statistical properties of undesired signals. This could be disadvantageous in accurate estimation of different noise types, which subsequently leads to suboptimal noise reduction. In this research, a relatively unexplored technique based on deep learning, i.e. Recurrent Neural Network (RNN), is used to perform noise reduction and …

Experimental Testing And Modeling Of Partial Nitrification At Different Temperatures, Xiaoguang Liu

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Nitrogen in wastewater treatment plant effluents has adverse environmental effects on aquatic systems. Excessive concentrations of nitrogen in water bodies can result in the depletion of dissolved oxygen, deterioration of water quality, and shifts of biotic community. Conventional biological nitrogen removal (BNR) processes consume high energy for nitrification and require external carbon for denitrification. Alternatively, partial nitrification is of interest as an emerging technology for its lower need of organic carbon addition and cost savings in aeration. In this study, the main objectives are: 1- developing a mathematical model involving operational parameters for the determination of successful partial nitrification conditions; …

Performance Of Single And Groups Of Hollow Bar Micropiles In Sand, Maged Abdlrahem

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Micropiles offer an efficient load transfer mechanism, which facilitates carrying considerable load in compression and tension. Recently, hollow bar micropiles (HBMP) have gained wide acceptance due to their fast installation and small installation equipment, which allows installation in sites with limited access. The HBMP is commonly constructed using a drill bit/ hollow bar diameter ratio (D_b/D_h) of around 2, and they are typically designed assuming type B micropiles as classified by the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA). However, increasing the drill bit diameter should increase the micropile diameter and hence may enhance its performance and increase its …

Performance Enhancement Of Ieee 802.11ax In Ultra-Dense Wireless Networks, Jiyang Bai

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

IEEE 802.11ax, which is one emerging WLAN standard, aims at providing highly efficient communication in ultra-dense wireless networks. However, due to a large number of stations (STAs) in dense deployment scenarios and diverse services to be supported, there are many technical challenges to be overcome. Firstly, the potential high packet collision rate significantly degrades the network efficiency of WLAN. In this thesis, we propose an adaptive station (STA) grouping scheme to overcome this challenge in IEEE 802.11ax using Uplink OFDMA Random Access (UORA). In order to achieve optimal utilization efficiency of resource units (RUs), we first analyze the relationship between …

Current Implementation Of The Flooding Time Synchronization Protocol In Wireless Sensor Networks, Asma Khalil

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Time synchronization is an issue that affects data accuracy within wireless sensor networks (WSNs). This issue is due to the complex nature of the wireless medium and can be mitigated with accurate time synchronization. This research focuses on the Flooding Time Synchronization Protocol (FTSP) since it is considered as the gold standard for accuracy in WSNs. FTSP minimizes the synchronization error by executing an algorithm that creates a unified time for the network reporting micro-second accuracy. Most synchronization protocols use the FTSP implementation as a benchmark for comparison. The current and only FTSP implementation runs on the TinyOS platform and …

Acromial Insufficiency Fractures In Reverse Total Shoulder Arthroplasty: A Biomechanical Study, Alicia Kerrigan

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Reverse total shoulder arthroplasty (RTSA) is increasingly utilized in the aging population, with a growing list of surgical indications including rotator cuff tear arthropathy, proximal humerus fractures, and revision arthroplasty. Acromial insufficiency fractures following RTSA are poorly understood, difficult to diagnose, and associated with inferior clinical outcomes. There is limited knowledge in the literature regarding the etiology of post-operative acromial fractures. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the role of implant parameters on acromial strain following RTSA.

Using a cadaveric model, a custom designed modular RTSA system was implanted that allowed for evaluation of modifiable parameters including glenoid …

Propane Oxidative Dehydrogenation Under Oxygen-Free Conditions Using Novel Fluidizable Catalysts: Reactivity, Kinetic Modeling And Simulation Study, Samira Rostom

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Propane oxidative dehydrogenation (PODH) was studied using VO_x/γAl₂O₃ and VO_x/ZrO₂-γAl₂O₃ (1:1 wt.%) catalysts, as well as consecutive propane injections under oxygen-free conditions. These catalysts were synthesized with 2.5, 5 and 7.5 wt.% vanadium loadings, and prepared using a wet saturation impregnation technique. Different characterization techniques were used to establish catalyst properties including NH₃-TPD, pyridine FTIR and NH₃-TPD kinetics. As well, PODH runs in the CREC Riser Simulator were developed under oxygen free atmospheres at 500-550°C, close to 1 atm., 10-20 s and 44.0 catalyst/propane …

Quantification Of Uncertainties In Inline Inspection Data For Metal-Loss Corrosion On Energy Pipelines And Implications For Reliability Analysis, Tammeen Siraj

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

One of the major threats to the oil and gas transmission pipeline integrity is metal-loss corrosion. Pipeline operators periodically inspect the size of the metal loss corrosion in a pipeline using in-line inspection (ILI) tools to avoid pipe failure which may lead to severe consequences. To predict pipe failure efficiently, reliability-based corrosion management program is gaining popularity as it effectively incorporates all the uncertainties involved in the pipe failure prediction. The focus of the research reported in this thesis is to investigate the unaddressed issues in the reliability-based corrosion assessment to assist in better predicting pipe failure.

First, a methodology …

Robust Earthquake Site Classification Assessment At Ontario Bridge Sites., Alex Bilson Darko

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Canadian seismic design guidelines classify subsurface ground conditions based on the average shear-wave velocity (V_S) of the upper 30 meters (V_S30). We seek to optimize a robust earthquake site classification procedure for Ontario bridge sites, assessed primarily from blind comparison of non-invasive V_S depth profiling techniques. Non-invasive seismic testing is performed at 10 bridge sites in southern Ontario co-located with invasive penetration and/or borehole V_S measurements. Non-invasive surface wave dispersion and site amplification functions are jointly inverted to retrieve V_S profiles at each site. A general correlation between corrected V_S and cone …

Tibiotalar Arthrodesis: Development Of A Novel Jig And Alignment Guide, Adam Mathew Ropchan

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Tibiotalar arthrodesis is a surgical procedure, used for the treatment of end-stage ankle arthrosis and instability. There are dozens of described procedures in the literature, all with varying rates of success. Two of the most common reasons for reoperation in tibiotalar arthrodesis are nonunion and infection; few studies have established any associations between patient/surgical factors and reoperation for nonunion and infection.

The first part of this thesis focuses on determining the rate of reoperation to the ipsilateral lower limb and if any patient/surgical factors are associated with reoperation for nonunion and infection. The second part of this thesis turns attention …

Transient Analysis Of Full Scale And Experimental Downburst Flows, Junayed Chowdhury

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Downbursts are highly transient natural phenomena which produce strong downdrafts evolving from a cumulonimbus cloud They induce an outburst of damaging winds on or near to the ground causing an immense damage to the ground mounted structures and aircrafts. This study investigates the transient nature of downbursts using wind speed records from full scale downburst events employing an objective methodology. This method can detect the abrupt change points in a downburst time series based on statistical parameters such as mean, standard deviation and linear trend. In addition to the analysis of the full scale downburst events, several large scale experimental …

Use Of Regional Scale Field And Modelling Methods To Evaluate Nearshore Groundwater Discharge To A Large Glacial Lake, Hayley A. Wallace Ms.

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Groundwater discharge may be an important pathway for delivering pollutants to large lakes, but this pathway is poorly understood. Understanding the potential for groundwater discharge to deliver pollutants to lakes requires an evaluation of the magnitude and spatial variability of groundwater discharge to the lake, and the history of the discharging groundwater. The first objective of this thesis was to evaluate and quantify the spatial variability of groundwater discharge to a large glacial lake, Lake Simcoe, Ontario, using the naturally occurring radon isotope tracer (²²²Rn). Regional scale boat surveys were conducted along 80% of the Lake Simcoe shoreline …

Investigation And Validation Of Imaging Techniques For Mitral Valve Disease Diagnosis And Intervention, Claire Vannelli

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Mitral Valve Disease (MVD) describes a variety of pathologies that result in regurgitation of blood during the systolic phase of the cardiac cycle. Decisions in valvular disease management rely heavily on non-invasive imaging. Transesophageal echocardiography (TEE) is widely recognized as the key evaluation technique where backflow of high velocity blood can be visualized under Doppler. In most cases, TEE imaging is adequate for identifying mitral valve pathology, though the modality is often limited from signal dropout, artifacts and a restricted field of view. Quantitative analysis is an integral part of the overall assessment of valve morphology and gives objective evidence …

Continuous Monitoring Of Neutral Grounding Resistors And Reactors, Rahim Jafari

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Electrical power system components are designed three-phase balanced and symmetric with the internal connection of wye or delta. The common point of the wye-connected equipment, which is called neutral, is impedance grounded for many reasons such as fault ride through by controlling transient overvoltages, and limiting the ground overcurrents. Depending on the application, different neutral impedance grounding methods exist that employ resistors or reactors with/without neutral grounding transformers. These apparatuses are known as Neutral Grounding Devices (NGD). The most well-known sort of NGDsarethe Neutral Grounding Resistor (NGR) and Neutral Grounding Reactor (NGL) which are the main focus of this research …

Experimental Determination Of Motion Parameters And Path Forces Of Robot-Driven Glenoid Reaming Procedure, Mayank Sharma

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Glenoid reaming is one of the most challenging milestones of the total shoulder arthroplasty (TSA) procedure. For a successful TSA, adequate bone resurfacing is required to ensure a well-conformed positioning of the implant onto the native bone.

In this study, a light-weight robot was employed to assert a prescribed thrust-force and reaming depth to mimic clinical practice. Reaming of bone-analogs indicated that specimen density had a linear relationship with reamer velocity and apparent machining stiffness. Human cadaveric bone studies confirmed a linear relationship between specimen density and reamer velocity in both subchondral and cancellous regions of the glenoid. A reaming …

Experimental Investigation Of The Heat Source Orientation On The Transient Flow And Thermal Behaviour Of Phase Change Material During Phase Transition, Steven Jevnikar

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

The present study reports the characterization of transient flow and transient thermal behavior of phase change material (PCM) during solid-liquid phase change (melting) through experimental investigation. Two specific aspects of the current work, both important in the field of latent heat thermal energy storage, are to investigate the influence of the flow behavior within liquid PCM on the melting and heat transfer processes, and the impact of heat source orientation on the underlying melting and heat transfer processes. A relationship between heat source orientation and the Nusselt number was discussed. The results show that the fluid velocity is critical for …

Piston Modelling And Gas-Solid Mixing Characterization In Jbr, Tian Dong Cai

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

The Jiggle Bed Reactor (JBR), a batch fluidized bed microreactor, is inexpensive and easy to operate with a small amount of solids. The main goal of this thesis was to provide practical tools for the design and operation of JBR systems that will ensure good gas-solids mixing.

A model was developed to predict the piston motion. The model uses four empirical parameters that change depending on the equipment characteristics. Two parameters characterize the gas supply to the piston and two parameters are used to describe the frictional forces on the piston. The model was validated with high speed video.

Experiments …

Spectral And Energy Efficient Communication Systems And Networks, Abdulbaset Hamed

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

In this thesis, design and analysis of energy- and spectral-efficient communication and cellular systems in micro wave and millimeter wave bands are considered using the following system performance metrics: i) Energy efficiency; ii) Spectral efficiency; iii) Spatial spectral efficiency; iv) Spatial energy efficiency, and v) Bit error rate. Statistical channel distributions, Nakagami-m and Generalized-K, and path loss models, Line of Sight (LOS) and Non-Line of Sight (NLOS), are used to represent the propagation environment in these systems. Adaptive M-QAM and M-CPFSK communication systems are proposed to enhance their efficiency metrics as a function of Signal-to-Noise Ratio (SNR) over the channel. …

Generalized Scattering-Based Stabilization Of Nonlinear Interconnected Systems, Anastasiia Usova

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

The research presented in this thesis is aimed at development of new methods and techniques for stability analysis and stabilization of interconnections of nonlinear systems, in particular, in the presence of communication delays. Based on the conic systems' formalism, we extend the notion of conicity for the non-planar case where the dimension of the cone's central subspace may be greater than one. One of the advantages of the notion of non-planar conicity is that any dissipative system with a quadratic supply rate can be represented as a non-planar conic system; specifically, its central subspace and radius can be calculated using …

Extraction Of Astaxanthin From H. Pluvialis Using Deep Eutectic Solvents, Roya Barzegar

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Haematococcus pluvialis (H. pluvialis) is one of the main sources of astaxanthin, a high value carotenoid and a strong antioxidant. Astaxanthin extraction is hindered by the thick cell wall of H. pluvialis which is composed of sporopollenin. Mechanical cell disruption methods, high cost and energy-consuming, are required to enhance astaxanthin extraction. This study employed a novel technology using deep eutectic solvents (DESs) to demonstrate the possibility of direct extraction of astaxanthin without a disruption step. It was established that 68% of astaxanthin can be extracted from intact H. pluvialis cells using choline chloride-glycerol (ChCl-G) mixture with 12.5% (v/v ) water …

Electroflotation For Treatment Of Paint Wastewater: Experiments, Kinetics And Hydrodynamics, Syed Reza Mohtashami

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Electroflotation (EF) is a process used to remove suspended particles from water using the gas bubbles generated from the water electrolysis. This dissertation focuses on the fundamental principles and applications of EF in the treatment of industrial wastewaters, and in particular, treatment of automotive paint wastewater. In the first part, an extensive review of applications of electroflotation in the treatment of different categories of industrial wastewaters, including the fundamentals of the process, electrode materials, design aspects and process variables, is conducted. The second part is focusing on the kinetic study, statistical analysis and empirical modeling of available experimental data from …

Development Of Digital Control Systems For Wearable Mechatronic Devices: Applications In Musculoskeletal Rehabilitation Of The Upper Limb, Tyler Desplenter

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

The potential for wearable mechatronic systems to assist with musculoskeletal rehabilitation of the upper limb has grown with the technology. One limiting factor to realizing the benefits of these devices as motion therapy tools is within the development of digital control solutions. Despite many device prototypes and research efforts in the surrounding fields, there are a lack of requirements, details, assessments, and comparisons of control system characteristics, components, and architectures in the literature. Pairing this with the complexity of humans, the devices, and their interactions makes it a difficult task for control system developers to determine the best solution for …