Digital Commons Network^™

Forecasting Future Energy Production Using Hybrid Artificial Neural Network And Arima Model, Maryam Khodaverdi

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The objective of this research is to obtain an accurate forecasting model for the amount of electricity (in kWh) that is generated from different primary energy sources in the U.S. In this research, Artificial Neural Network (ANN) and hybrid ARIMA and ANN algorithms were developed that can be used for forecasting the amount of energy production in the short, as well as, in the long run. Based on the inferences made from the available data provided by Energy Information Administration from January 2004 to December 2014, two different forecasting models for each primary energy source were constructed. These two models …

Feasibility Analysis Of Establishing Charging Stations For Electrical Vehicles In Public Facilities, Vivek Komarina

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

To overcome the transportation sector's dependency on fossil fuels, electric vehicles appears to be a better alternative with a number of impressive benefits. Enhancing the utilization of electric vehicles not only reduces global gasoline and diesel consumption but also helps in running an environmentally cleaner road transport system with zero tailpipe emissions. As road transport involves substantial gasoline and diesel consumption, Plug-in Electric Vehicles (EVs) being more energy efficient and environment friendly can have direct impact on reduction of fuel reliance. One of the important limitations influencing the penetration of electrical vehicles in the global market is the lack of …

Energy Efficiency Effectiveness Of Smart Thermostat Based Bems, Koushik Mandlem

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Building Energy Management System (BEMS) is a computer-based system that can control, monitor and optimize energy consumption of the buildings. Though there are many advancements in this technology, many residential users who plan to install this technology are unaware of its economic feasibility. To determine the economic feasibility, the user should know the energy costs associated with the current HVAC system and the proposed HVAC system after installing BEMS and the implementation costs associated with the installation of the system. The work that is being proposed here is to develop a software that allows the user to observe the estimated …

Composites For Hydraulic Structures: A Review, Yingxiang Lu

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Composites for hydraulic structures: a review Composites have evolved over the years and are making major in-roads into the marine, aviation and other industries where corrosions and self-weight are the major impediments to advancing the state-of-the-art. Civil Works engineers have been reluctant to make use of these composite advantages, partially because of the absence of well documented success stories, accepted design and construction practices or specifications, and limited understanding of composites, higher initial costs and others. A few navigational structures using FRP composites have been designed, manufactured and installed in the United States of America and Netherlands, recently. US Army …

Evaluation Of An Event Detection System To Identify Spill Events Related To Marcellus Shale Development, Joseph C. Wickline

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

There has been an extraordinary growth in the production of natural gas within the Marcellus Shale region in the past two decades. This sharp increase in production corresponds to an increased risk to surface waters from spill events related to the industry. At present, there are some private organizations and government agencies which monitor water quality in the region using continuous monitoring. However, there are no protocols in place to use data from continuous monitoring stations to quickly detect contamination resulting from spills.;Previous research has found that standard water quality parameters, such as specific conductivity, pH, and dissolved oxygen, measured …

Tire-Derived Geo-Cylinders And Polymer Products For Enhancing The Properties Of Base/Sub Base Materials In Pavement Systems, Justin Scott Smith

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

As a critical part of the transportation network, pavements offer a safe means for vehicular traffic. Pavements are subjected to many forms of stress during their service life, and they are susceptible to environment related cracking and failures. Failures can be attributed to poor subgrade, freeze-thaw variations, and fatigue under repetitive axle loadings. Reinforcement products such as tire-derived geo-cylinders (TDGC) which make-up mechanical concrete and geo-polymers have been utilized in civil engineering practice, and this research aims to understand the potential life of tested pavement system components set at displacement limitations when reinforced with TDGCs and geo-polymers from exposure to …

Application Of Machine Learning On Fracture Interference, Dennis Wayne Chamberlain Jr.

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

A method has been developed that locates and determines well-to-well hydraulic fracture interference (frac-hit) in shale plays using hard data. This method uses Artificial Neural Networks (ANN) with designated parameters and target outputs in conjunction with graphs of gas flowrate, tubing pressure, and cumulative gas prediction. The method was created to address the significant increase in frac-hit occurrences due to the infill wells being completed in shale plays. The production data of the well is first cleaned to eliminate outliers in the initial timeframe of the well and periods of no production so that the ANN model can be accurately …

Glass-Polymer Composite Pipes And Joints: Manufacturing, Testing, And Characterization, Ben William Imes

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Over the last fifty years, Fiber Reinforced Polymer (FRP) composite materials have been employed in civil engineering applications for rehabilitation of deteriorated infrastructure and for new construction. In addition to steel and high-density polyethylene, glass-fiber reinforced polymer pipes (GFRP) are now being employed in natural gas gathering and distribution lines. As energy demands have grown, researchers have begun to investigate feasibility of GFRP pipe implementation in high- pressure, transmission lines. These investigations have sought to determine GFRP pipe properties of strength, stiffness, corrosion resistance, failure modes, and long-term behavior.;During this project, hydrostatic burst pressure testing (internal water pressure) and split …

Generating Narrative In An Interactive Fiction Game, John L. Jacko

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

This thesis explores a niche field of Computer Science called Interactive Fiction, a field that utilizes the conventions of a regular story to offer multiple variations on how the story plays out. Our goal is to explore the possibility of developing a game that can generate a story file during game play that not only reads like a short story but reflects the events that transpire during a given game play. During development, we have determined that keeping track of various "states", we can simulate a narrative based on actions that transpire in the game.;We developed the game using a …

Automated Cleaning Of Identity Label Noise In A Large-Scale Face Dataset Using A Face Image Quality Control, Mohamad Al Jazaery

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

For face recognition, some very large-scale datasets are publicly available in recent years which are usually collected from the internet using search engines, and thus have many faces with wrong identity labels (outliers). Additionally, the face images in these datasets have different qualities. Since the low quality face images are hard to identify, current automated identity label cleaning methods are not able to detect the identity label error in the low quality faces. Therefore, we propose a novel approach for cleaning the identity label error more low quality faces. Our face identity labels cleaned by our method can train better …

Applications Of Cellular Components In Engineered Environments, Xiao Hu

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Manipulation of cellular components in synthetic environment has attracted interest for applications ranging from sensors to nanelectronics and from catalysis to biomedical devices. In such applications, biological-based processes such as specific recognition and self-assembly direct the formation of hierarchical structures, all at minimum energetic costs, with high efficiency and reliability.

Among such cellular machines, microtubules and kinesins have attracted special interest. Inside the cells, microtubules are giving structural integrity while serving as regular and uniform tracks for transport of vesicles or organelles. Kinesin uses a microtubule track in vivo to progress to specific locations with processive and coordinated steps, all …

Modeling And Evaluation Of A Ridesharing Matching System From Multi-Stakeholders' Perspective, Md Tawhidur Rahman

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

With increasing travel demand and mobility service quality expectations, demand responsive innovative services continue to emerge. Ridesharing is an established, yet evolving, mobility option that can provide more customized, reliable shared service without any new investment in the transportation infrastructure. To maximize the benefits of ridesharing service, efficient matching and distribution of riders among available drivers can provide a reliable mobility option under most operating conditions. Service efficiency of ridesharing depends on the system performance (e.g., trip travel time, trip delay, trip distance, detour distance, and trip satisfaction) acceptable to diverse mobility stakeholders (e.g., riders, drivers, ridesharing operators, and transportation …

The Nakahara Effect And Its Influence On Solution-Based 3d Printed Films, Daryl Kwakye-Ackah

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Motivated by the Nakahara Effect, the influence of altering printing parameters on fragmentation mechanism(s) of directly written titanium dioxide(TiO₂) films is investigated. The Nakahara effect states that a long lasting memory can be introduced into a colloidal system prior to drying, affecting the type of crack pattern formed due to externally applied forces. TiO₂ has important applications due to its interesting semiconducting properties, tunable band gap, photocatalytic properties, biocompatibility, and relative abundance. This is the reason it is used in this project as a model printing ink system.

In this research, two deposition methods (i.e. direct-ink writing …

Wintering American Black Duck Ecology Of Central Appalachia, Sara E. Yannuzzi

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The American black duck (Anas rubripes) is a species of dabbling duck found only in the northeastern part of North America, and widely hunted until its decline. Since the 1950s, the total population has decreased by 53%. Habitat degradation and decline of wintering and breeding wetlands, historic overharvest, and interactions with the mallard (A. platyrhynchos) are attributed as some of the main causes of the black duck population’s decrease. Many policies and taxa- and habitat-specific joint ventures have since been created to aid in studying and improving North American wetlands and black duck populations throughout both their breeding and wintering …

Experimental Analysis Of Unsteady Aerodynamic Covert Feather Behavior, Laura J. Ordaz

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The interest in man-made flying vehicles has existed for over 100 years. Bird flight has been the major inspiration for the creation of such vehicles. More recently, UAVs (unmanned aerial vehicles) have become more popular and their use in more applications has developed the need for improved maneuverability. UAVs are also decreasing in size which has allowed them to operate within similar flight conditions as birds. Studying bird feather behavior may open doors and shed some light as to how the bird achieves such agility and control, which may then be adapted to UAV flight. In this research, the motion …

Understanding The Impact Of Stimulation Treatment On Gas Production From A Horizontally Drilled Marcellus Shale Well, Matthew Dean Carl Perrella

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The Marcellus shale is one of the largest unconventional gas shale plays in the United States. It underlies much of Pennsylvania, West Virginia, and New York and even extends under Lake Erie and into Canada. The most effective methods to produce from this play is to drill horizontally into the shale formation and use hydraulic fracturing. Hydraulic fracturing creates pathways for the hydrocarbon to flow from the shale into the wellbore. These lateral sections of the well are typically completed from toe to heel over a number of stages using a plug and perforate method.;This research focuses on a Marcellus …

Machine Learning Approaches To Human Body Shape Analysis, Marco Piccirilli

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Soft biometrics, biomedical sciences, and many other fields of study pay particular attention to the study of the geometric description of the human body, and its variations. Although multiple contributions, the interest is particularly high given the non-rigid nature of the human body, capable of assuming different poses, and numerous shapes due to variable body composition. Unfortunately, a well-known costly requirement in data-driven machine learning, and particularly in the human-based analysis, is the availability of data, in the form of geometric information (body measurements) with related vision information (natural images, 3D mesh, etc.). We introduce a computer graphics framework able …

Effect Of Forta-Fi Fibers On The Rutting Potential, Dynamic Modulus, Flow Number, And Fatigue Of Asphalt Concrete, Elbert Rohrbough

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The effect of fiber- reinforcement on asphalt concrete mixes is better explored through laboratory performance testing. Two mixes were evaluated throughout this research. One mix was a standard West Virginia Department of Highways Wearing I, and the other was the Wearing I mix reinforced with FORTA- FIRTM fibers. The testing was done using the Asphalt Pavement Analyzer (APA) and the Asphalt Mixture Performance Tester (AMPT).;First, the rutting potential of the two mixes was determined using the APA. Next, the performance of the two mixes was compared using the AMPT. The tests performed on the AMPT determined the dynamic modulus, flow …

Impact Of Inquiry-Based, Question-And-Answer Instruction In High-Enrollment Classes, Matthew R. Schraeder

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Lecturing is a common way to teach large classes, especially in mathematics. Other styles of instruction have been proven to be more effective in small classroom settings, but those styles are not always practical (or even feasible) in classes with 200+ students. The lecturing dialogue primarily exists at the intersection of Spectrum Theory and the Socratic Method, utilizing inquiry-based learning within the realm of active learning, experiential learning, and constructivism to appeal to learners with various learning styles, which helps students to discover new information (specifically, why things occur in the way that they do) and make connections between old …

Reducing Spatial Stochastic Models Of Membrane Receptors To Approximately Equivalent Chemical Reaction Networks Through Coarse Graining, Christopher Short

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Computational models are necessary for understanding how biological functionality emerges from a complex network of molecular interactions such as in cell signaling. Due to the complexity of biological systems, the normal scientific method of hypothesizing then testing predictions is becoming increasingly difficult. The large number of processes limits the level of modeling detail; signaling models typically adopt a non-spatial representation where each molecular process is characterized by a few parameters.;However, modern microscopic imaging of receptors on cell membranes reveals an intricate structure of microdomains. Receptors, such as epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR), vascular endothelial growth factor receptor (VEGFR), and others, …

Analysis Of Dimensionless Scaling Relationships For Rotating Free Flight Bodies, Shawn A. Smearcheck

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Though more obscure than traditional flight analysis, the tendency for a rigid body to flutter or tumble in flight during unstable conditions has been analyzed through physical experiments since the 1960s. In more recent years, similar conditions have been subjected to numerical simulation to further understand the effects of dimensionless properties on unstable body motion. It is important to understand dimensionless scaling relationships to compare properties of a body to that of a scaled model or for adjusting data when manufacturing limitations exist. For example, if the geometry of a scaled object could easily be manufactured, within tolerance, but material …

Development Of Hydraulic Models, Mass Transfer Models, And Dynamic Models Of Solvent-Based Carbon Capture Processes With Uncertainty Quantification And Validation With Pilot Plant Data, Anderson Soares Chinen

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

To accelerate the development and commercial deployment of CO2 capture technologies, computational tools and models are being developed under the auspices of the U.S. Department of Energy's Carbon Capture Simulation Initiative (CCSI). The CCSI process modeling team was tasked with developing a "gold-standard" model that will serve as a definitive reference for benchmarking the performance of solvent-based CO2 capture systems under steady-state and dynamic conditions over a large operating-range. The main three areas that this work focused on are: development of the hydrodynamic and mass transfer submodels for a monoethanolamine (MEA) solvent system, uncertainty quantification of these submodels, development of …

Study On Electrolyte-Gated Graphene Nanoelectronic Biosensors For Biomarker Detection, Jianbo Sun

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Biosensors are called upon to provide valuable benefits for human society in vital fields such as disease diagnosis, food inspection, environment monitoring, etc. Among the various biosensor architectures, the field effect transistor (FET) biosensors are promising as the next generation nanoelectronic biosensors, particularly attractive for point-of-care biomedical applications. The FET biosensors typically operate by measuring the conductance change of the semiconducting channel induced by the adsorption of the target biomolecules on it. The superior properties of graphene, including the unique electronic characteristics, facile functionalization and good biocompatibility, etc., make it an ideal building block for the FET biosensors. In this …

Predicting Frac Hits Using Artificial Intelligence; Application In Marcellus Shale, Ryan Tyree

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

This work introduces a process of using AI neural networks, for analyzing complex datasets, in order to achieve a higher prediction accuracy in regards to frac hits, at the individual stage level, in the Marcellus Shale when compared to traditional linear methods.;We examined 63 producing wells (parent) along with 79 completed wells (child) to determine the best predictors for accurate frac hit predictions. Our dataset consists of 959 records with 77 predictors and a single binary output (YES or NO) for a frac hit occurrence. Linear methods make analyzing these 77 predictors, along with their interactions, difficult. Neural networks, specifically …

Development Of Enhanced Emission Factor Through The Identification Of An Optimal Combination Of Input Variables Using Artificial Neural Network, Tse-Huai Liu

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

A great deal of attention is being paid worldwide to particulate matter (PM), which is now considered a significant component of air pollution. Specifically, in this thesis, road dust is a primary source of PM that is having a significant impact on human health and air quality. For example, impaired visibility due to road dust can cause more vehicle accidents. Hence, in order to efficiently develop PM control strategies, it is critical to improve the estimation of PM concentration levels generating from paved and unpaved roads. Since 1979, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has developed emission factor equations to …

Integrated Sensing Systems For On-Orbit Robotic Satellite Servicing Applications, Eric Loy

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

There are a variety of stakeholders when it comes to space (the military, other governmental entities, private sector companies, consumers, the scientific community, etc.), and they would all prefer the operational lives of their satellites, observatories, space stations, and other assets to be maximized. Out of the large number of assets in space, only a few were designed with serviceability as a goal. The ability to service "non-cooperative" satellites is an ongoing project being investigated by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration's (NASA) Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC) and Satellite Servicing Projects Division (SSPD), along with other industrial partners. This …

Temperature Simulation And Heat Exchange In A Batch Reactor Using Ansys Fluent, Rahul Kooragayala

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Internal combustion (IC) engines are the main power source for on-road and off-road vehicles. Natural gas (NG) is a cleaner alternative for conventional petroleum-based fuels. A solution to avoid some of the issues associated with a gaseous fuel is to convert the methane in NG to a liquid fuel such as methanol. This thesis is part of a larger experimental and simulation effort at West Virginia University dedicated to the development of a direct methane-to-methanol conversion technology based on an innovative homogeneous catalysis and a novel reactor design. The goal was to support the experimental effort by using the simulation …

Precise Orbit Determination Of Cubesats Using Duty Cycled Gps Observations, Sean Lantto

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

GPS can provide and has provided down to sub-centimeter accurate precise orbit determination (POD) for low Earth orbit (LEO) spacecraft. This is achieved using carrier-phase measurements, and for maximum accuracy, continuous tracking is needed to resolve the unknown constant carrier cycle ambiguities. Continuous GPS tracking can be difficult to obtain on small satellites, such as CubeSats, due to their stringent onboard power resources. This often leads to the GPS receiver power duty cycling during operations to allow for more on-board power to be used for other scientific instruments. This thesis investigates the sensitivity of GPS solution accuracy to duty cycled …

Watching You Watching Me: Lateral Surveillance In Singapore, Yan Song Lee

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Historically, top-down surveillance -- surveillance from the state and other organizations -- has dominated social life, but not anymore. Technological advances drove down the price of surveillance equipment which aided in the proliferation of devices such as dashboard cameras. The widespread use of affordable surveillance equipment gave rise to the phenomenon of lateral surveillance, whereby laypersons can employ surveillance techniques to monitor individuals around them. The Singapore metropolis provides an excellent example with the ubiquitous use of dashboard cameras for cars today. In this research, I focus on Singaporean rideshare drivers who are simultaneously subjected to traditional forms of top-down …

Development Of Biomimetic-Based Controller Design Methods For Advanced Energy Systems, Gaurav Mirlekar

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

A biologically inspired optimal control strategy, denoted as BIO-CS, is proposed for advanced energy systems applications. This strategy combines the ant's rule of pursuit idea with multi-agent and optimal control concepts. The BIO-CS algorithm employs gradient-based optimal control solvers for the intermediate problems associated with the leader-follower agents' local interactions. The developed BIO-CS is integrated with an Artificial Neural Network (ANN)-based adaptive component for further improvement of the overall framework. In particular, the ANN component captures the mismatch between the controller and the plant models by using a single-hidden-layer technique with online learning capabilities to augment the baseline BIO-CS control …