Engineering Commons^™

Performance Of Ballast Influenced By Deformation And Degradation: Laboratory Testing And Numerical Modeling, Buddhima Indraratna, Ngoc Trung Ngo, Cholachat Rujikiatkamjorn

Faculty of Engineering and Information Sciences - Papers: Part B

This paper presents a study on the deformation and degradation responses of railway ballast using large-scale laboratory testing and computational modeling approaches. A series of large-scale triaxial tests were carried out to investigate the ballast breakage responses under cyclic train loading subjected to varying frequencies, f=10-40  Hz. The role of recycled rubber energy-absorbing mats (REAMs) on reducing ballast breakage was also examined. Laboratory test results show that the ballast experiences significant degradation (breakage) and deformation, while the inclusion of REAMs can reduce the ballast breakage up to about 35%. Numerical modeling using the coupled discrete-continuum approach [coupled discrete-element method-finite-difference ...

Using Cost-Sensitive Learning And Feature Selection Algorithms To Improve The Performance Of Imbalanced Classification, Fang Feng, Kuan-Ching Li, Jun Shen, Qingguo Zhou, Xuhui Yang

Faculty of Engineering and Information Sciences - Papers: Part A

Imbalanced data problem is widely present in network intrusion detection, spam filtering, biomedical engineering, finance, science, being a challenge in many real-life data-intensive applications. Classifier bias occurs when traditional classification algorithms are used to deal with imbalanced data. As already known, the General Vector Machine (GVM) algorithm has good generalization ability, though it does not work well for the imbalanced classification. Additionally, the state-of-the-art Binary Ant Lion Optimizer (BALO) algorithm has high exploitability and fast convergence rate. Based on these facts, we have proposed in this paper a Cost-sensitive Feature selection General Vector Machine (CFGVM) algorithm based on GVM and ...

Novel Water-Based Nanolubricant With Superior Tribological Performance In Hot Steel Rolling, Hui Wu, Fanghui Jia, Zhou Li, Fei Lin, Mingshuai Huo, Shuiquan Huang, Sepidar Sayyar, Sihai Jiao, Han Huang, Zhengyi Jiang

Faculty of Engineering and Information Sciences - Papers: Part B

No abstract provided.

Development Of A Mix Design Adjustment Method For Fiber Reinforced Concrete And Super High Performance Concrete Based On Excess Paste, Joe Malloy

Civil and Environmental Engineering Theses, Dissertations, and Student Research

The main objective of this study was to develop a mix design adjustment method for Fiber Reinforced Concrete (FRC) that would maintain appropriate workability while improving hardened concrete performance. A literature review was conducted to examine existing methods for adjusting mix designs to account for fiber introduction. It was found that while increasing fine aggregate and cement paste content can make up for lost workability with the addition of fibers, no rational mix design adjustment method is available. Reference mix designs from the Nevada Department of Transportation and the Nebraska Department of Transportation were used, and this study focused on ...

On I/O Performance And Cost Efficiency Of Cloud Storage: A Client's Perspective, Binbing Hou

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Cloud storage has gained increasing popularity in the past few years. In cloud storage, data are stored in the service provider’s data centers; users access data via the network and pay the fees based on the service usage. For such a new storage model, our prior wisdom and optimization schemes on conventional storage may not remain valid nor applicable to the emerging cloud storage.

In this dissertation, we focus on understanding and optimizing the I/O performance and cost efficiency of cloud storage from a client’s perspective. We first conduct a comprehensive study to gain insight into the ...

Performance Evaluation Of Intermittently Cfrp Wrapped Square And Circularised Square Reinforced Concrete Columns Under Different Loading Conditions, Anh Duc Mai, M Neaz Sheikh, Muhammad N. S Hadi

Faculty of Engineering and Information Sciences - Papers: Part B

This paper presents the results of an experimental investigation on square and circularised square rein-forced concrete (RC) columns intermittently wrapped with carbon fibre reinforced polymer (CFRP)under different loading conditions. Twelve RC specimens consisting of eight square RC specimenswith 150mm150mm cross-section and 800mm height and four circularised square RC specimenswith 212mm diameter and 800 mm height were tested under concentric axial load, eccentric axialload and four-point flexural load. The test results showed that intermittent wrapping increased thestrength and ductility of square RC specimens. The test results also showed that circularisation com-bined with intermittent wrapping significantly improved the strength and ductility ...

Structure And Electrochemical Performance Modulation Of A Lini0.8co0.1mn0.1o2 Cathode Material By Anion And Cation Co-Doping For Lithium Ion Batteries, Rong Li, Yong Ming, Wei Xiang, Chunliu Xu, Guilin Feng, Yongchun Li, Yanxiao Chen, Zhenguo Wu, Ben-He Zhong, Xiaodong Guo

Australian Institute for Innovative Materials - Papers

Ni-rich layered transition metal oxides show great energy density but suffer poor thermal stability and inferior cycling performance, which limit their practical application. In this work, a minor content of Co and B were co-doped into the crystal of a Ni-rich cathode (LiNi0.8Co0.1Mn0.1O2) using cobalt acetate and boric acid as dopants. The results analyzed by XRD, TEM, XPS and SEM reveal that the modified sample shows a reduced energy barrier for Li+ insertion/extraction and alleviated Li+/Ni2+ cation mixing. With the doping of B and Co, corresponding enhanced cycle stability was achieved with a high capacity ...

Speech Interfaces And Pilot Performance: A Meta-Analysis, Kenneth A. Ward

International Journal of Aviation, Aeronautics, and Aerospace

As the aviation industry modernizes, new technology and interfaces must support growing aircraft complexity without increasing pilot workload. Natural language processing presents just such a simple and intuitive interface, yet the performance implications for use by pilots remain unknown. A meta-analysis was conducted to understand performance effects of using speech and voice interfaces in a series of pilot task analogs. The inclusion criteria selected studies that involved participants performing a demanding primary task, such as driving, while interacting with a vehicle system to enter numbers, dial radios, or enter a navigation destination. Compared to manual system interfaces, voice interfaces reduced ...

Performance Simulation And Evaluation Of Net Zero Energy Buildings In An Australian Coastal Climate, Joel Anderson, Duane A. Robinson, Zhenjun Ma

Faculty of Engineering and Information Sciences - Papers: Part B

Net zero energy buildings (NZEB) are becoming more common, and as new energy saving designs and technologies become available, the ability to estimate overall energy use and understand the impact on operation of building appliances will become important. This paper outlines simulation results of performance improvements achieved by modifying various components (glazing, lighting, thermal comfort settings) of two tertiary education NZEBs and a typical modern commercial building. The DesignBuilder models' thermal performance and energy consumption were validated using real data from case study buildings. The work shows validating models of smaller, less conven-tional, buildings is more difficult than for larger ...

Use Of Geogrids And Recycled Rubber In Railroad Infrastructure For Enhanced Performance, Buddhima Indraratna, Yujie Qi, Ngoc Trung Ngo, Cholachat Rujikiatkamjorn, Tim Neville, Fernanda Bessa Ferreira, Amir Shahkolahi

Faculty of Engineering and Information Sciences - Papers: Part B

Railway tracks are conventionally built on compacted ballast and structural fill layers placed above the natural (subgrade) foundation. However, during train operations, track deteriorations occur progressively due to ballast degradation. The associated track deformation is usually accompanied by a reduction in both load bearing capacity and drainage, apart from imposing frequent track maintenance. Suitable ground improvement techniques involving plastic inclusions (e.g., geogrids) and energy absorbing materials (e.g., rubber products) to enhance the stability and longevity of tracks have become increasingly popular. This paper presents the outcomes from innovative research and development measures into the use of plastic and ...

Dual Effects Of Tisio4composite Nanoparticles On Dispersionstability And Lubrication Performance Of Vegetable Oil‐In‐Water Emulsions, Reza Taheri, Buyung Kosasih, Hongtao Zhu, Anh Kiet Tieu

Faculty of Engineering and Information Sciences - Papers: Part B

Vegetable oil-in-water emulsions are potential metal-working lubricants. These emulsions are susceptible to oil-water phase separation due to the oil droplets' coalescence. In this study, we enhance the dispersion stability and lubricity of such emulsions with TiSiO4 nanoparticles (NPs). With 1 vol% soybean oil, stable emulsions are obtained with 0.25 to 0.75 wt% NPs, attributed to formation of shielding layers of NPs around the droplets. Lowest friction and wear are obtained without and with 0.25 wt% NPs, respectively. With increasing the NPs' mass fraction, NP-shielded droplets become less attracted to metal surfaces. Association of NPs within boundary film ...

Frequency Domain Characterization And Performance Bounds Of Alms Loop For Rf Self-Interference Cancellation, Anh Tuyen Le, Le Chung Tran, Xiaojing Huang, Y J. Guo, J (Yiannis) Vardaxoglou

Faculty of Engineering and Information Sciences - Papers: Part B

Analog Least Mean Square (ALMS) loop is a promising method to cancel self-interference (SI) in in-band fullduplex (IBFD) systems. In this paper, the steady state analyses of the residual SI powers in both analog and digital domains are firstly derived. Eigenvalue decomposition is then utilized to investigate the frequency domain characteristics of the ALMS loop. Our frequency domain analyses prove that the ALMS loop has an effect of amplifying the frequency components of the residual SI at the edges of the signal spectrum in the analog domain. However, the matched filter in the receiver chain will reduce this effect, resulting ...

Thermoelectric Performance Of Single-Phase Tellurium-Reduced Quaternary (Pbte)0.55(Pbs)0.1(Pbse)0.35, Laaya Shaabani, Graeme Blake, Andrew Manettas, Shokat Keshavarzi, Sima Aminorroaya-Yamini

Australian Institute for Innovative Materials - Papers

Lead chalcogenide quaternary systems have been shown to provide high thermoelectric (TE) efficiency superior to those of binary andternary lead chalcogenides, arising from both altered electronic band structures and a reduction in lattice thermal conductivity. Here, we have synthesized single-phase samples of the quaternary compound (PbTe)0.55(PbS)0.1(PbSe)0.35 dopedwith Na and characterized their TE properties. We show that the dopant solubility is limited to 1 at. %. A very low lattice thermal conductivity of∼0.6 Wm−1K−1at 850 K is achieved at all dopant concentrations because of phonon scattering from point defects associated ...

Study On Performance Evaluation Of Co2 Heat Pump System Integrated With Thermal Energy Storage For Space Heating, Zhihua Wang, Yuxin Zheng, Fenghao Wang, Mengjie Song, Zhenjun Ma

Faculty of Engineering and Information Sciences - Papers: Part B

CO2 heat pumps have drawn a great deal of attention owing to their advantages of high efficiency and environmental friendly for heating water under low ambient temperature. However, the system performance is not desirable and shows a lower COP for space heating, especially for a radiator as heating terminal, due to the higher inlet water temperature at the gas cooler, which causes a large throttle loss when the refrigerant flow through the throttling device. To tackle this issue, a transcritical CO2 heat pump system integrated with thermal energy storage (TES) systems was developed in this paper. The heating performance of ...

Improved Performance Of Ballasted Tracks Under Impact Loading By Recycled Rubber Mats, Ngoc Trung Ngo, Buddhima Indraratna, Cholachat Rujikiatkamjorn

Faculty of Engineering and Information Sciences - Papers: Part B

Ballasted tracks at transition locations such as approaches to bridges and road crossings experience increasing degradation and deformation due to dynamic and high impact forces, a key factor that decreases the stability and longevity of railroads. One solution to minimise ballast degradation at the transition zones is using rubber energy absorbing drainage sheets (READS) manufactured from recycled tyres. When placed beneath the ballast layer, READS distributes the load over wider area and attenuate of the load over a longer duration thus decreasing maximum stress, apart from reducing the energy transferred to the ballast and other substructure components. Subsequently, the track ...

Influence Of Soil Clogging On The Performance Of Jute Fibre Drains Installed In Ballina Clay, Thanh Trung Nguyen, Buddhima Indraratna, John Philip Carter

Faculty of Engineering and Information Sciences - Papers: Part B

Biodegradable prefabricated vertical drains (BPVD) made from naturally occurring materials such as jute and coconut (coir) fibre not only have favourable engineering characteristics but also not detri-mental to the natural environment thanks to their biodegradability. Although the use of these natural fibre drains has been proposed for several decades, their application is still very limited. One of major reasons for this is because they are usually composed of individual fibres with large openings which can trap fine soils while discharging pore pressure, consequently reducing the hydraulic conductivity of the drain. This study therefore aims to clarify how soil can clog ...

Understanding The Structure-Property-Performance Relationship Of Silicon Negative Electrodes, Jiazhi Hu

Theses and Dissertations--Chemical and Materials Engineering

Rechargeable lithium ion batteries (LIBs) have long been used to power not only portable devices, e.g., mobile phones and laptops, but also large scale systems, e.g., electrical grid and electric vehicles. To meet the ever increasing demand for renewable energy storage, tremendous efforts have been devoted to improving the energy/power density of LIBs. Known for its high theoretical capacity (4200 mAh/g), silicon has been considered as one of the most promising negative electrode materials for high-energy-density LIBs. However, diffusion-induced stresses can cause fracture and, consequently, rapid degradation in the electrochemical performance of Si-based negative electrodes. To ...

The Effect Of Communication And Vehicle Properties On The Search Performance Of A Swarm Of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles, Jenna E. Newcomb, Andrew Ning

Faculty Publications

An unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) swarm allows for a more time-efficient method of searching a specified area than a single UAV or piloted plane. There are a variety of factors that affect how well an area is surveyed. We specifically analyzed the effect both vehicle properties and communication had on the swarm search performance. We used non-dimensionalization to examine the effect vehicle properties had on search performance so the results can be applied to any domain size with any number and type of vehicle. We found that even if vehicles could only sense 10% of the grid area at any ...

Performance Evaluation Of Non-Gps Based Localization Techniques Under Shadowing Effects, Ngoc M. Nguyen, Le Chung Tran, Farzad Safaei, Son Lam Phung, Peter James Vial, Nam N. Huynh, Anne N. Cox, Theresa Harada, Johan Barthelemy

Faculty of Engineering and Information Sciences - Papers: Part B

Non-GPS localization has gained much interest from researchers and industries recently because GPS might fail to meet the accuracy requirements in shadowing environments. The two most common range-based non-GPS localization methods, namely Received Signal Strength Indicator (RSSI) and Angle-of-Arrival (AOA), have been intensively mentioned in the literature over the last decade. However, an in-depth analysis of the weighted combination methods of AOA and RSSI in shadowing environments is still missing in the state-of-the-art. This paper proposes several weighted combinations of the two RSSI and AOA components in the form of pAOA + qRSSI, devises the mathematical model for analyzing shadowing effects ...

The Moving Object Reflected Under Matlab Test-Bench (Simulation Model Through Buit-In Functions), Virtyt Lesha, Jozef Bushati, Dea Strica

UBT International Conference

Digital image processing is an area that finds many applications in three-dimensional graphics. One of the subjects considered in image processing is detection of moving objects. In this paper, we have analyzed the performance of an algorithm that detects a moving object. The performance relates to the speed of moving object during a pre-determined time interval. The methodology supports Matlab integrated with built-in functions. Specifically, as input of the simulation model is a video material containing moving objects. The model reads a video file presenting moving objects; after the model is executed in Matlab, the output emits moving objects associated ...

Effects Of Lighting And Noise On Performance And Situation Awareness In An Air Traffic Control Task, Saralee Pruksaritanon, Andrew Dattel Ph.D., Steven Hampton Ed.D.

National Training Aircraft Symposium (NTAS)

Work environment influences an individual’s performance and situation awareness (SA). This study aims to investigate the effects of lighting and noise levels on performance and situation awareness in an air traffic control (ATC) task. These two variables are important in the domain of ATC because the task requires an individual to receive and process information both visually and auditorily. The results are useful for designing air traffic control rooms, which are set differently among different air navigation service providers. The subjects are 16 students majoring in Air Traffic Management (ATM) at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University (ERAU) – Daytona Beach, FL. The ...

Determination Of Takeoff And Landing Distances Using An Ipad Performance Application For The Diamond Da40, Tyler A. Babb, Christina Hiers

International Journal of Aviation, Aeronautics, and Aerospace

All pilots are required to calculate aircraft performance parameters prior to flight. This includes takeoff and landing distances. Traditionally, pilots in training have planned for takeoff and landing performance using paper charts provided by the manufacturer. However, professional pilots use devices such as Flight Management Systems (FMS), Electronic Flight Bag (EFB) applications, or on-board performance computers (OPC) to make such calculations. During primary flight training, student pilots could make performance calculations with proper software, similar to the method they will typically use at the professional level. Recently an iPad application was released which can calculate numerous performance parameters for specific ...

Impact Of The Application Layer Protocol On Energy Consumption, 4g Utilization And Performance How The Application Layer Protocol Strengthens Green Iot, Sachin Pawaskar, Johannes Hofer

Sachin Pawaskar

Re-Evaluating Performance Measurement: New Mathematical Methods To Address Common Performance Measurement Challenges, Jordan David Benis

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Performance Measurement is an essential discipline for any business. Robust and reliable performance metrics for people, processes, and technologies enable a business to identify and address deficiencies to improve performance and profitability. The complexity of modern operating environments presents real challenges to developing equitable and accurate performance metrics. This thesis explores and develops two new methods to address common challenges encountered in businesses across the world. The first method addresses the challenge of estimating the relative complexity of various tasks by utilizing the Pearson Correlation Coefficient to identify potentially over weighted and under weighted tasks. The second method addresses the ...

Effective Resource Utilization In Arkansas Public Schools, Ryan Sanders

Industrial Engineering Undergraduate Honors Theses

Teacher pay in Arkansas public schools varies widely from district to district across the state. This pay discrepancy is driven by both the funds available to a district and by how these funds are allocated. There is a standard per student budget given to districts across the state, but this budget can be supplemented by additional property taxes collected on property within a district. This leaves districts with more highly valued property at an advantage. Districts are free to allocate their budget for teacher pay as they see fit, with constraints on number of students per teacher and minimum teacher ...

Uncertainty Aware Mapping Of Embedded Systems For Reliability, Performance, And Energy, Wenkai Guan

Master's Theses (2009 -)

Due to technology downscaling, embedded systems have increased in complexity and heterogeneity. The increasingly large process, voltage, and temperature variations negatively affect the design and optimization process of these systems. These factors contribute to increased uncertainties that in turn undermine the accuracy and effectiveness of traditional design approaches. In this thesis, we formulate the problem of uncertainty aware mapping for multicore embedded system platforms as a multi-objective optimization problem. We present a solution to this problem that integrates uncertainty models as a new design methodology constructed with Monte Carlo and evolutionary algorithms. The solution is uncertainty aware because it is ...

Economic And Performance Analysis Of Dual-Bay Vertical Lift Modules, Fabio Sgarbossa, Martina Calzavara, Alessandro Persona

15th IMHRC Proceedings (Savannah, Georgia. USA – 2018)

Warehouse picking is one of the most time and cost consuming activities in a warehouse, often requiring the presence of human operators, who travel within the aisles to retrieve the items needed by the customers. Several studies demonstrate that the travelling activity can represent even the 50% of the total picking time, with a subsequent creation of a separate storage and picking area for small objects. In the last years, new solutions for order picking systems have been developed, especially for small items. One of these solutions requires Vertical Lift Modules (VLMs), storage columns with extractable trays. In this paper ...

Differences In The Throughput Performance Of The Warehouse Depending On The Quality Of The Calculation Parameters, David Sourek

15th IMHRC Proceedings (Savannah, Georgia. USA – 2018)

This article explores the quality level of the parameters that are used to determine the throughput performance of the warehouse. In our model case, this is a rack warehouse where the storage and picking of goods is ensured by forklifts. All kind of goods are stored on pallets. The aim of our research is to assess to what extent the quality level (accuracy) of the description of warehouse processes influences the accuracy of the determination of the throughput performance of the warehouse. In the first part of the article, we defined the parameters and the ways in which different levels ...

Flow Analysis Through Collector Well Laterals: A Case Study From Sonoma County Water Agency, California, Matteo D'Alessio, John Lucio, Ernest Williams, James Warner, Donald Seymour, Jay Jasperse, Chittaranjan Ray

Faculty Publications from The Water Center

The Sonoma County Water Agency (SWCA) uses six radial collector wells along the Russian River west of Santa Rosa, to provide water for several municipalities and water districts in north-western California. Three collector wells (1, 2, and 6) are located in the Wohler area, and three collector wells (3, 4, and 5) are located in the Mirabel area. The objective of this paper is to highlight the performance of the three collector wells located in the Mirabel area since their construction. The 2015 investigation showed a lower performance of Collectors 3 and 4 compared to their original performances after construction ...

A Proposed Approach To Hybrid Software-Hardware Application Design For Enhanced Application Performance, Alex Shipman

Theses and Dissertations

One important aspect of many commercial computer systems is their performance; therefore, system designers seek to improve the performance next-generation systems with respect to previous generations. This could mean improved computational performance, reduced power consumption leading to better battery life in mobile devices, smaller form factors, or improvements in many areas. In terms of increased system speed and computation performance, processor manufacturers have been able to increase the clock frequency of processors up to a point, but now it is more common to seek performance gains through increased parallelism (such as a processor having more processor cores on a single ...