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Estimating Ultimate Gas Recovery From Unconventional Gas Reservoir, Amgd M. Kharabah

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The rise in natural gas global demand is the major factor influencing the increase in exploration and development of the unconventional gas resources. Most of the unconventional gas reservoirs have very low permeability and are not able to produce an economic flow rate without stimulation treatments. The application of the advanced technologies including a horizontal drilling and hydraulic fracturing has been responsible for the economic development of unconventional gas resources. Horizontal wells with multiple hydraulic fracture treatments have proven to be an effective method for development of shale reservoirs. However, there is no simple technique available for the predicting the …

Impact Of Intelligent Transportation Systems On Parallel Hybrid Electric Heavy Duty Vehicles, Ahmed Shihab Ahmed Al-Samari

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

A hybrid electric vehicle uses multiple sources of energy that can be independently or all together used to propel the wheels. In the presented work, the vehicle propulsion controller (VPC) for a parallel heavy duty hybrid electric vehicle (HEV) model has been modified to manage the alternative power source in advance based on the forthcoming traffic information. The goal is to prepare the powertrain for the next power event by making more energy storage capacity to capture free energy via regenerative braking or store more energy for expected need. The method of preparation will be by managing the battery state …

Application Of A Spatially Explicit, Agent-Based Land Use Conversion Model To Assess Water Quality Outcomes Under Buffer Policies, Nazia N. Arbab

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Land use changes within watersheds have spatially explicit dynamics and involve decision making by individuals. The role of the spatial dimension of human behavior and its impact on land use change has been analyzed using agent-based modelling approaches. Agent-based land use change has received a significant theoretical attention; however, these models lack empirical implementation and testing due to the lack of spatial modelling tools and data that can capture human land use dynamics.;This research presents a methodology for projecting land use conversions through the implementation of a spatially explicit agent-based simulation model in the Opequon Creek watershed of Berkeley County, …

Energy-Efficient Wireless Interconnect Design For Non-Destructive Testing (Ndt) Applications, Lokesh Avala

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

A method for non-destructive, wireless testing of integrated circuits(ICs) is presented in this thesis. This system is suitable for applications which require testing after the manufacturing of ICs. According to Moore's Law the number of transistors in an IC doubles every two years, the current probing equipment will also have to reduce its size accordingly which will be difficult after a certain point. The proposed system relies on near field communication in order to transfer data between probe and device under test. The probe and IC will include small antenna and a transceiver circuit. The antenna and the transceiver circuit …

Preparation Of Solid Oxide Fuel Cell Cathodes And Analysis By Impedance Spectroscopy, Juwana Hennadige Lalanthi Kaushalya De Silva

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) is a promising energy conversion device with high efficiency, fuel flexibility and less pollution. The requirement for high operating temperatures limits its applications due to high cost and the need for compatible cell components. Therefore, it is important to design SOFCs that operate in intermediate temperatures; which have cathodes with improved microstructures to enhance the oxygen reduction reaction. However, designing novel cathode structures needs a fundamental understanding of cell processes. Impedance spectroscopy is a very powerful tool for studying SOFCs which yields useful yet complex data due to overlapping impedance related processes. Therefore, we …

Development Of A Portable Mass Spectrometer For Operation At 1 Torr, Feng Jin

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Portable mass spectrometers have obtained increased interests because they show great potential in different fields such as the industrial process analysis, forensics, environmental monitoring, space exploration and homeland security. Current major standard laboratory mass spectrometers have been miniaturized and their characteristics were investigated. The advantages and disadvantage of these different types of mass analyzers are also compared and examined.;Loeb-Eiber mass filter was proposed and reexamined as an alternate portable mass analyzer. Its unique paradigm makes it very suitable for development for portable mass spectrometers. The second generation Loeb-Eiber mass analyzer uses an array of short wires attached on the base …

Statistical Methods For Detection And Mitigation Of The Effect Of Different Types Of Cyber-Attacks And Inconsistencies In Electrical Design Parameters In A Real World Distribution System, Vivek Joshi

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

In the present grid real time control systems are the energy management systems and distribution management systems that utilize measurements from real-time units (RTUs) and Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA). The SCADA systems are designed to operate on isolated, private networks without even basic security features which are now being migrated to modern IP-based communications providing near real time information from measuring and controlling units. To function "brain" (SCADA) properly "heart" (RTUs) should provide necessary response thereby creating a coupling which makes SCADA systems as targets for cyber-attacks to cripple either part of the electric transmission grid or fully …

Performance Of Reformed Low-Sulfur Liquid Fuels In A Solid Oxide Fuel Cell, Tristan Jordan Mcquain

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

A solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) is a device capable of converting chemical energy from gaseous fuels into useable electrical energy at high efficiencies. Since the United States transportation sector infrastructure is currently based on liquid fuels, this opens up a large market for alternative power units utilizing SOFC technology for liquid fuels. In this work, a novel rhodium and strontium-substituted lanthanum zirconate pyrochlore (LSRZ) catalyst developed by the U.S. Department of Energy's National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL) was utilized in a reforming reactor to convert low-sulfur liquid hydrocarbon fuels to syngas for direct use in a SOFC. The SOFC …

Immunity-Based Accommodation Of Aircraft Subsystem Failures, Adil Togayev

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

This thesis presents the design, development, and flight-simulation testing of an artificial immune system (AIS) based approach for accommodation of different aircraft subsystem failures.;Failure accommodation is considered as part of a complex integrated AIS scheme that contains four major components: failure detection, identification, evaluation, and accommodation. The accommodation part consists of providing compensatory commands to the aircraft under specific abnormal conditions based on previous experience. In this research effort, the possibility of building an AIS allowing the extraction of pilot commands is investigated.;The proposed approach is based on structuring the self (nominal conditions) and the non-self (abnormal conditions) within the …

Synchronization Behavior In Coupled Chemical Oscillators, Simbarashe Nkomo

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Synchronization is a collective phenomenon emerging from the interactions of different dynamical systems. Systems with different characteristics adjust their behavior to a common behavior of the group. This collective behavior is observed in many biological, chemical, and physical systems. Examples from different fields include pacemaker heart cells, synchronization of neurons during epilepsy seizures, arrays of microwave oscillators, and robot manipulators. Studies of coupled oscillators have revealed different mechanisms by which discrete oscillators interact and organize to a uniform synchronized state from an incoherent state. The discovery of a new type of synchronization state, called the chimera state has further broadened …

Microfluidic Gradient Device For Studying The Mesothelial Cells' Migration And Effects Of Carbon Nanotubes Chronic Exposure, Hanyuan Zhang

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Cell migration is one of the crucial steps in many human physiological events and diseases, including cancers. Recent studies have shown that carbon nanotubes (CNTs), like asbestos, can induce accelerated cell growth and invasiveness that contribute to their mesothelioma pathogenicity. Malignant mesothelioma is a very aggressive tumor that develops from cells of the mesothelium, and is most commonly caused by exposure to asbestos. CNTs have similar structure and mode of exposure to asbestos. This has raised a particular concern regarding the potential carcinogenicity of CNTs, especially in the pleural spaces, which are key target tissues for asbestos-related diseases.;In this thesis, …

Fault-Tolerant Trajectory Tracking Of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles Using Immunity-Based Model Reference Adaptive Control, Brenton K. Wilburn

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

This dissertation presents the design, development, and simulation testing of an adaptive trajectory tracking algorithm capable of compensating for various aircraft subsystem failures and upset conditions. A comprehensive adaptive control framework, here within referred to as the immune model reference adaptive control (IMRAC) algorithm, is developed by synergistically merging core concepts from the biologically- inspired artificial immune system (AIS) paradigm with more traditional optimal and adaptive control techniques. In particular, a model reference adaptive control (MRAC) algorithm is enhanced with the detection and learning capabilities of a novel, artificial neural network augmented AIS scheme. With the given modifications, the MRAC …

Stability Analysis Of Bleeder Entries In Underground Coal Mines Using The Displacement-Discontinuity And Finite-Difference Programs, Xu Tang

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The stability of bleeder entries is essential for both mine ventilation and personnel travelling through the entries. Therefore, it is imperative that bleeder pillars remain stable and bleeder entries safe during their service life. Surprisingly, there are few published investigations on ground control issues in the bleeder entries. This thesis is an attempt to analyze the ground control problems in bleeder entries especially, the structural integrity of the bleeder entry. Two numerical programs (a) displacement discontinuity program-LaModel and (b) the finite difference program-FLAC were used to investigate these problems. Modeling results from the LaModel program indicated that the vertical stresses …

Electroplating Of Cr-Ni Alloy And Ni-Cr/Ni Multilayer Coatings, Liaowang Liu

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The major interests of developing Ni-Cr alloy plating lie in the possible formation of a passive film by chromium and its good chemical and mechanical properties. And nano scale multilayer coatings exhibit improved properties due to nano scale effects (e.g.: high hardness and strength) and they combine and enhance different properties from individual components. Thus, electroplating of Ni-Cr multilayer coatings could have high potential for numerous engineering applications. Electroplating in aqueous and in organic solution by direct current were studied for Ni-Cr alloy coatings, and Ni-Cr multilayer coatings were prepared by pulse current electroplating in single bath.

Traditionally, chromium or …

An Optimization Approach Coupling Rockfall Simulation And Slope Stability Analysis For New Rock Cut Profiles, Justin Pentz

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

In this report investigation and identification of the elements of bench cut bedrock slopes that affect the rockfall characteristics was performed in order to create alternatives for highway bedrock cut slope design for the state of West Virginia. The scope of this research was to determine what geometric and material parameters effect rockfall on bench cut bedrock slopes and present design suggestions for increasing rockfall retention. Additionally as a means developing alternative slope designs a new design methodology involving slope stability and rockfall behavior was established.;In order to analyze rockfall behavior in West Virginia geology, a three dimensional version of …

Mothers' Adaptation To Caring For A New Baby, Darcey N. Powell

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

To date, most research on parents' adjustment after adding a new baby to their family unit has focused on mothers' initial transition to parenthood. This past research has examined changes in mothers' marital satisfaction and perceived well-being across the transition, and has compared their prenatal expectations to their postnatal experiences. This project assessed first-time and experienced mothers' stress and satisfaction associated with parenting, their adjustment to competing demands, and their perceived well-being longitudinally before and after the birth of a baby. Additionally, how maternal and child-related variables influenced the trajectory of mothers' postnatal adaptation was assessed. These variables included mothers' …

Control Design And Performance Analysis For Autonomous Formation Flight Experiments, Caleb M. Rice

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Autonomous Formation Flight is a key approach for reducing greenhouse gas emissions and managing traffic in future high density airspace. Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV’s) have made it possible for the physical demonstration and validation of autonomous formation flight concepts inexpensively and eliminates the flight risk to human pilots. This thesis discusses the design, implementation, and flight testing of three different formation flight control methods, Proportional Integral and Derivative (PID); Fuzzy Logic (FL); and NonLinear Dynamic Inversion (NLDI), and their respective performance behavior. Experimental results show achievable autonomous formation flight and performance quality with a pair of low-cost unmanned research fixed …

From Graph Coloring To Receptor Clustering, Ye Chen

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

1. Hued colorings for planar graphs, graphs of higher genus and K4-minor free graphs.;For integers k, r > 0, a (k,r) -coloring of a graph G is a proper coloring of the vertices of G with k colors such that every vertex v of degree d(v) is adjacent to vertices with at least min{lcub}d(v) ,r{rcub} different colors. The r-hued chromatic number, denoted by Xr (G), is the smallest integer k for which a graph G has a ( k,r)-coloring. A list assignment L of G is a function that assigns to every vertex v of G a set L(v) of positive …

Monitoring The Integrity Of Co2 Storage Sites Using Smart Field Technology, Seyed Alireza Haghighat

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Capability of underground carbon dioxide storage to confine and sustain injected CO2 for a very long time is the main concern for geologic CO2 sequestration. If a leakage from a geological sink occurs, it is crucial to find the approximate amount and location of the leak in order to implement proper remediation activity.;An overwhelming majority of research and development for storage site monitoring has been concentrated on atmospheric, surface or near surface monitoring of the sequestered CO2. This study is different it aims to monitor the integrity of CO2 storage at the reservoir level. This work proposes developing in-situ CO2 …

Investigating The Interactions Of Tri-Peptides On Gold Nanoparticles Using Solid-State Nmr Spectroscopy And The Development Of 1h- 2h Dipolar Recoupling Experiments, Ichhuk Karki

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Solid-state NMR spectroscopy is a powerful technique to study the structure of biological and inorganic systems, especially non-crystalline and insoluble samples that are difficult to study for X-ray diffraction and solution NMR spectroscopy methods. We used solid-state NMR spectroscopy to elucidate the structure and interactions of tri-peptides on gold nanoparticles. Tri-peptides CysAlaAla (CAA) and AlaAlaCys (AAC) are the focus of this work. These peptides are incorporated on gold surfaces through thiol-gold interactions and their structures on gold surfaces are studied using 1H and 13C solid-state NMR spectroscopy. NMR spectroscopy shows that CAA forms a uniform monolayer on gold nanoparticles while …

Cross Trees: Visualizing Estimations Using Decision Trees, Naveen Kumar Lekkalapudi

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Optimization has been the goal of almost every human thought and action. With the growing computational capabilities, solutions to problems are also exponentially increasing. With rising demand for data and analytics on this big data, solutions to problems are also multiplied. Although, strong statistical and analytical reasoning has helped narrow down many solutions into set of feasible applicable solutions; Experts also seek knowledge of how these solutions have improved and what decisions are needed to be taken for remaining solutions to improve. This problem persists in software engineering with managers and domain experts taking decisions deciding future course of the …

Robust Control Design For Non-Linear Loads In Ac-Dc System, Rehan Fazal

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Electric power system is complex interconnected system that is subjected to rapid change in its structure. Addition of new equipment, operation close to stability limits and variation in load in summer and winter are some factors that make power system unstable and introduce electro-mechanical oscillations in the system.;Electro-mechanical oscillations of small magnitude often persist for long periods of time and restrict the power transfer capacity. These oscillations can further increase with the variation in load and system operating points. To stabilize the power system different control strategies are used to damp the oscillations. In the past, the dynamic stability of …

Impact Of Gas Desorption On Production Behavior Of Shale Gas, Fatemeh Belyadi

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Ultimate recovery in an unconventional gas reservoirs is typically less than conventional gas reservoirs because the adsorbed gas is not consistently taken into consideration. As a result, it is important to study the effect of desorption on production behavior to improve the recovery of hydraulically fractured horizontal wells in shale gas reservoirs.;This dissertation summarizes the results of modeling study to evaluate the impact of gas desorption on production behavior of multi-fracture horizontal well completed in a shale formation. A numerical simulator was utilized to model a multi-layer dual porosity shale gas reservoir. The impact of the formation properties, hydraulic fracture …

A Bayesian Approach To Electrical Conductivity Relaxation And Isotope Exchangesecondary Ion Mass Spectrometry, Joshua Blair

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

In this work, data from isotope exchange - secondary ion mass spectrometry (IE-SIMS) and electrical conductivity relaxation (ECR) experiments are analyzed using a purely Bayesian approach. The new technique allows quantification of the uncertainty associated with fitting two parameters (the surface exchange coefficient, k, and the bulk diffusion coefficient, D) to a single reaction-diffusion model. The behavior and reliability of the technique is analyzed by considering an idealized data set, where the parameters of interest are pre-defined. The associated MCMC routine finds the parameter location in less than 5,000 samples, despite the starting point being 8 orders of magnitude away. …

Evaluating The Inclusion Of Phytase Super-Dose In Various Broiler Diet Formulations And Novel Pellet Binders, John W. Boney

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Grains commonly used in poultry diets contain phytic acid, a known anti-nutrient that binds dietary phosphorus rendering it unavailable for absorption also decreasing the digestibility of other nutrients. Phytic acid also increases mucin production and endogenous amino acid secretions causing a gut irritant effect which may decrease performance. An abundance of phytase literatures suggests that phytase enzymes can liberate bound phosphorus enhancing phytate phosphorus utilization and bone mineralization. Recently, the use of super-doses of phytase has been suggested to, not only liberate bound phosphorus, but to alleviate the gut irritant effect associated with phytate phosphorus. Therefore, an experiment was conducted …

Teachers' Perceptions Of The Effectiveness Of The Art Education Preparation Program In Kuwait, Ghadeer Alhaddad

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

This study was designed to investigate how pre-service, beginners, and advanced art teachers in Kuwait viewed their teacher preparation program by describing and evaluating its effectiveness. To examine the issues of art teacher training and current teaching, this study used quantitative and qualitative research approaches. The study included a qualitative document analysis and a quantitative survey questionnaire of pre-service art education teachers who have completed their classroom observation at the end of the fourth year at the College of Basic Education (CBE), beginning art education teachers who are teaching in the first of their second year at the Ministry of …

Estimating Ultimate Recovery In Shale Wells Based On Facts, Faegheh Javadi

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Natural gas, as one of the nation's major energy sources plays a vital role in the US energy mix. In recent years, the production from Shale has focused much attention on this source of hydrocarbon. As an essential step for the production planning, natural gas professionals estimate production and ultimate recovery (EUR) throughout the life of wells. The fluid production rate (q) usually varies as a function of rock properties, well, and completion design parameters. The variation associated with these parameters is a source of uncertainty in estimating the long term production for unconventional reservoirs.;A number of methodologies have been …

Roles Of Nitric Oxide And Shear Stress In The Regulation Of Microvessel Permeability In Intact Rat Mesenteric Venules, Sulei Xu

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Mechanical forces have been indicated to play important roles in the regulation of inflammatory cell interaction with endothelium resulting in localized leakage formation and contributing to many disease-associated microvascular dysfunctions. However, most of the mechanical force related studies were conducted in vitro. The underlying mechanisms are still controversial. There is a need to investigate how shear stress regulates the endothelial cell (EC) signaling and related vascular barrier function using intact microvessels with experimental conditions closely replicating in vivo situations. The overall aim of my dissertation is to understand the molecular and cellular mechanisms of how shear stress and nitric oxide …

Human Recognition From Video Sequences And Off-Angle Face Images Supported By Respiration Signatures, Xue Yang

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

In this work, we study the problem of human identity recognition using human respiratory waveforms extracted from videos combined with component-based off- angle human facial images. Our proposed system is composed of (i) a physiology- based human clustering module and (ii) an identification module based on facial features (nose, mouth, etc.) fetched from face videos. In our proposed methodology we, first, manage to passively extract an important vital sign (breath), cluster human subjects into nostril motion vs. nostril non-motion groups, and, then, localize a set of facial features, before we apply feature extraction and matching.;Our novel human identity recognition system …

Analysis And Comparison Of Clothoid And Dubins Algorithms For Uav Trajectory Generation, Mohanad Al Nuaimi

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The differences between two types of pose-based UAV path generation methods clothoid and Dubins are analyzed in this thesis. The Dubins path is a combination of circular arcs and straight line segments; therefore its curvature will exhibit sudden jumps between constant values. The resulting path will have a minimum length if turns are performed at the minimum possible turn radius. The clothoid path consists of a similar combination of arcs and segments but the difference is that the clothoid arcs have a linearly variable curvature and are generated based on Fresnel integrals. Geometrically, the generation of the clothoid arc starts …