Engineering Commons^™

Healthy Aging In Place: An Integrated Smart Home Using Alexa-Compatible Technology, Tyler Kryst

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

The purpose of this research was to address current healthcare concerns among the aging population. Around the globe, the average life expectancy is projected to continue increasing resulting in a higher prevalence of age-related disease. With the ever-increasing capabilities of modern technology, it is necessary to apply this technology to increase the health and safety of older adults. This work had three objectives. The first objective was the establishment of an integrated smart home aimed at creating a healthy aging-in-place environment through the use of Alexa. The second objective was the development and integration of a completely custom health device …

Preferential Vaporization Potential Of Crude Oils And Its Impact On Flame Flashback Behaviors, Ayuob Al Wahaibi

Theses and Dissertations

As combined cycle gas turbines for power generation operating on light distillate fuels provide a sufficient energy, there is a global trend in using heavy liquids (e.g. HFO, crude oils) for direct-firing in gas turbine. However, using these heavy fuels imposes many challenges due to their wide range of physical/chemical properties, which control near-limit combustion behaviors, such lean blow-out and flashback. In addition, the ignition propensity of these heavy fuels is not reported in crude assays, and utilizing a simple, with small sample, and quick methodology to characterize the ignition propensity is important in determining the fuel quality.

In this …

Covid-19 Impact To Family Food Consumption And Income In Uzbekistan: Results Of An Online Survey, Kh. Pardaev, Sh. Hasanov, S. Mamasoliev, Sh. Muratov, R. Kalandarov, U. Nurullaev

Irrigation and Melioration

This article aims to study the impact of the pandemic on food consumption by families in Uzbekistan. The shock of the pandemic is threatening the well-being of families in Uzbekistan, as in all developing countries. The study focuses on the effects of changes in food prices, declining consumption, and changes in household incomes. The Instrumental regression model was used in the factor impact analysis. Data for analysis were collected online by messenger groups from families in urban and rural areas of Uzbekistan. Results of the Econometric analysis demonstrated that the decline in food consumption in households was assessed by a …

Evaluation Of Friction Stir Processing For Fabrication Of Composites In The Context Of Industry 4.0: A Bibliometric Review, Arunkumar Bongale, Pragya Saxena, Satish Kumar

Library Philosophy and Practice (e-journal)

Aluminum alloys having good strength to weight ratio and resistance to corrosion have a wide range of applications in aerospace, automobiles, military, sports and many other applications. In order to enhance the hardness and wear resistance of the surface without compromising the bulk properties, aluminum matrix based surface composites fabricated with various reinforcements on the surface are now a days being utilized widely as new generation materials. In the manufacturing of metal surface hybrid composites (precisely of light weight alloys like- Al, Mg, etc.), the friction stir processing is a promising new solid state processing technique which is versatile enough …

Chilling And Heat Accumulation Of Fruit And Nut Trees And Flower Bud Vulnerability To Early Spring Low Temperatures In New Mexico: Meteorological Approach, Koffi Djaman, Komlan Koudahe, Murali Darapuneni, Suat Irkmak

Department of Mechanical and Materials Engineering: Faculty Publications

Fruit and nut trees production is an important activity across the southwest United States and this production is greatly impacted by the local climate. Temperature is the main environmental factor influencing the growth and the productivity of the fruit and nut trees as it affects the trees’ physiology and the vulnerability of flower bud, flowers, and young fruit and nut to the low temperatures or spring frost. The objective of the present study is to estimate the chilling and heat accumulation of fruit and nut trees across New Mexico. Three study sites as Fabian Garcia, Los Lunas, and Farmington were …

Irrigation Management In Potato (Solanum Tuberosum L.) Production: A Review, Koffi Djaman, Suat Irkmak, Komlan Koudahe, Samuel Allen

Department of Mechanical and Materials Engineering: Faculty Publications

Limited water resources coupled with the increase of the human population calls for more efficient use of water in irrigated agriculture. Potato (Solanum tuberosum L.) is one of the most widely grown crops worldwide and is very sensitive to water stress due to its shallow rooting system. With the dilemma of potato sensitivity to drought and limited available water resources restricting crop production, researchers and crop growers have been investigating different approaches for optimizing potato yield and improving crop water use efficiency under different irrigation methods. While potato response to water is affected by other management practices such as fertilizer …

Campus Carbon Footprint Study At A South Texas University, Monica Garcia, Christian Florez, Diego Lopez, Jongmin Kim, Maysam Pournik

Mechanical Engineering Faculty Publications

A campus carbon footprint study was conducted at the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley, a Southern Texan university. This initiative was the school’s strategic plan to set a baseline for overall campus resource utilization status as well as to answer global requests to track and reduce campus greenhouse gas emissions and achieve greater sustainability on campus. For fiscal years of 2016 to 2018, an overall increase of campus carbon footprint was about 0.6%. The biggest increase was observed from sources owned or controlled by the school while the emissions associated with power usage decreased. The university’s carbon footprint was …

Integration And Optimal Control Of Microcsp With Building Hvac Systems: Review And Future Directions, Mohamed Toub, Chethan Reddy, Rush D. Robinett Iii, Mahdi Shahbakhti

Michigan Tech Publications, Part 1

Heating, ventilation, and air-conditioning (HVAC) systems are omnipresent in modern buildings and are responsible for a considerable share of consumed energy and the electricity bill in buildings. On the other hand, solar energy is abundant and could be used to support the building HVAC system through cogeneration of electricity and heat. Micro-scale concentrated solar power (MicroCSP) is a propitious solution for such applications that can be integrated into the building HVAC system to optimally provide both electricity and heat, on-demand via application of optimal control techniques. The use of thermal energy storage (TES) in MicroCSP adds dispatching capabilities to the …

Renewable Energy Production By Solar Chimney: The Influence Of Curved Guide Vanes On The Performance Of A Solar Chimney Using Cfd Simulation, Haokun Xue

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

The aim of this study is to investigate the effect of the guide vanes on the efficiency of the turbine of solar chimney power plant using Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD). In this study, a 3-Dimentional CFD simulation of solar chimney power plant based on the Manzanares prototype is performed. The CFD simulation is validated by comparing the experimental data from the Manzanares prototype and simulation data with both 2D and 3D cases. To capture turbulent flow inside the chimney, the SST 𝑘 − 𝜔 turbulence model is used. The first object is to investigate the flow performance under the influence …

Less Commute Miles. Decreased Tire Wear. What Would You Do?, Dylan Schwarz, Brendon M. Ford, Brandon D. Hadinger, Abbie N. Pearce, Jacinta M. Pikunas

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

With the flagrant recognition of the coronavirus as one of those most impactful viruses in the history of the world, it is important to study how the effects of such a disease can create troublesome ripple effects in the world. Covid-19 has caused the death of hundreds of thousands of individuals and has negatively impacted the lives of American’s all across the country during the nationwide lockdown. Decreased work commuters, minimal road travel, and little need for car repairs hit the Goodyear Tire and Rubber Company hard. The University of Akron has teamed up with Goodyear to explore such effects …

Determination Of Effectiveness Of Energy Management System In Buildings, Vivash Karki

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Building Energy Management Systems (BEMS) are computer-based systems that aid in managing, controlling, and monitoring the building technical services and energy consumption by equipment used in the building. The effectiveness of BEMS is dependent upon numerous factors, among which the operational characteristics of the building and the BEMS control parameters also play an essential role. This research develops a user-driven simulation tool where users can input the building parameters and BEMS controls to determine the effectiveness of their BEMS. The simulation tool gives the user the flexibility to understand the potential energy savings by employing specific BEMS control and help …

Effect Of Dust And High Temperature On Photovoltaics Performance In The New Capital Area, Engy Elshazly, Ahmed A. Abdel-Rehim, Amr Abdel Kader, Iman El-Mahallawi

Mechanical Engineering

The trend for integrating solar Photovoltaic Panels as an alternative renewable and sustainable energy source is growing in Egypt, North Africa and the Middle East. However, these efforts are not widely accepted by the society due to their lower efficiencies. The efficiency of the photovoltaic panels is affected by many environmental parameters, which have a negative impact on system efficiency and cost of energy, dust and increased panel temperatures being the most serious. This work presents the results of a case study conducted at The British University in Egypt at El-Sherouk city to study the effect of different parameters such …

Development Of Thermal Management Strategies Using Cylinder Deactivation For Low-Load Operation In Heavy-Duty Diesel Trucks, Christian M. Hushion

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Cylinder deactivation (CDA) has been used in gasoline engines, for decades, as a strategy for fuel consumption reduction. The idea of CDA in the heavy-duty diesel (HDD) engine sector has gained traction as a pathway to fuel efficient thermal management strategy. Oxides of nitrogen (NOx) control has been a major focus over the last decade and maintaining conducive aftertreatment temperatures is a major design aspect. HDD original equipment manufacturers (OEM) have developed a variety of thermal management strategies which almost all revolve around large fuel penalties. The goal of all of these strategies is for thermal management of the diesel …

A Bibliometric Analysis Of Ultrasonic Vibration Assisted Turning, Govind S. Ghule, Sudarshan Sanap Prof. Dr.

Library Philosophy and Practice (e-journal)

Ultrasonic vibration-assisted turning (UVAT) is a new crossover in machining techniques which uses high frequency, low amplitude sound waves which are further superimposed on the cutting tool in traditional turning. This innovative technology is being utilized over the decades due to its conspicuous influence contrasted with traditional approach particularly in turning of hard-to-machine materials. This present paper analyses the past explores in the arena of ultrasonic vibration-assisted turning, by a far-reaching bibliometric investigation. The analysis is carried out by scrutinizing the studies through Science Direct and Scopus database to select the peer-reviewed papers. The advanced research tools like the word …

Analysis Of Performance Characteristics Predicted From Several Experimental Data And Conversion Methods For Pumps As Turbine Application Using Statistical Techniques, Ombeni J. Mdee

Tanzania Journal of Engineering and Technology (TJET)

Different performance characteristics have been indicated when running centrifugal pumps in the reverse direction. The water flows from the discharge side of the pump to the suction side to run in the reverse direction and generate the mechanical rotational energy for the micro-hydropower plant. The current study evaluates the extent of variation of performance characteristics predicted by several experimental data from different pump-specific speeds and conversion methods. The performance characteristics discussed include the head, flow rate, efficiency and specific speed. The flow rate and head of a pump operating in pump mode divided with the characteristic of the pump operating …

Potential For Increased Rural Electrification Rate In Sub-Saharan Africa Using Swer Power Distribution Networks, Aviti Thadei Mushi

Tanzania Journal of Engineering and Technology (TJET)

Rural electrification rate (RER) in Africa is still low to date. Several countries in Sub-Saharan Africa have tried to address this problem using conventional single phase two-wire or three-phase three-wire systems, however at large costs due to the nature of dispersed rural load centres, low load demand, and low population density. Another solution of off-grid generation creates associated health problems. Therefore, this paper undertakes a review of a single wire earth return (SWER) network as a RER improvement solution. The paper undertakes intensive literature review to elucidate challenges and solutions to the implementation of SWER technology. Advantages of SWER technology …

Empirical Assessment Of Climate Change Impacts On Agriculture In Samarkand Region, Sh.B. Babakholov

Irrigation and Melioration

Agricultural production is highly sensitive to climate factors like other endogenous factors, and the expected climate change projections may have a negative impact on the efficiency and income of agricultural producers. Therefore, this study aims to analyze the impact of changes in climatic factors (average air temperature and precipitation) on the technical efficiency of cotton growing farmers as its determinants in Samarkand region. Empirical analyzes were performed on the cases of 1141 cotton-growing farms using panel-based Time-Invariant Inefficiency model. According to the results of the analysis, cotton farms in the region have an average technical efficiency of 76%, which in …

Energy-Saving Structure Justification Powerful Tractor And Modern Agricultural Machine, A.K. Igamberdiyev, N.A. Khalikova, N.B. Razikov, O.E. Usarov

Irrigation and Melioration

Discusses the fact that machine-tractor units (MTA) from high-power tractors are often not fully used due to errors in the design and operation of units, their ability to work under certain operating conditions with maximum efficiency and minimum fuel consumption, a method of completing a machine-tractor unit from a high-power technical means is proposed, which ensures the required quality of the technological operation, maximum efficiency and minimum fuel consumption, which must be performed under certain operating conditions. To study the power balance of energy-saving units, consisting of powerful tractors and modern agricultural machinery, an analysis was carried out of a …

A Low-Cost Secure Iot Mechanism For Monitoring And Controlling Polygeneration Microgrids, Josué Martínez-Martínez, Diego Aponte-Roa, Idalides Vergara-Laurens, Wayne Weaver

Michigan Tech Publications, Part 1

The use of Internet-connected devices at homes has increased to monitor energy consumption. Furthermore, renewable energy sources have also increased, reducing electricity bills. However, the high cost of the equipment limits the use of these technologies. This paper presents a low-cost secured-distributed Internet of Things (IoT) system to monitor and control devices connected in a polygeneration microgrid, as a combined power system for local loads with renewable sources. The proposed mechanism includes a Wireless Sensor Actuator Networked Control System that links network nodes using the IEEE 802.15.4 standard. The Internet communication enables the monitor and control of devices using a …

Investigating The Presence Of Culture In Engineering Design: A Case Study On Culture In Design Methods, Perception, And Outcomes, Malena Ataa Durowaah Agyemang

All Dissertations

Overwhelming global statistics on economic, social, and health disparities has driven engineers and designers to develop solutions to minimize these disparities [1,2,11,12,3–10]. For the scope of this study, these efforts are referred to as design for humanitarian engineering and global development (HEGD). HEGD solutions are designed to improve access to medical technologies, energy, clean water, and even spark economic development [1–10]. However, many HEGD solutions go unadopted, halting their intended benefits [9,13,22,23,14–21]. Efforts to improve HEGD adoption have focused on ways to incorporate culture in the design solution’s aesthetics or in approaches post-deployment [24,25,34,35,26–33]. However, a review of failed HEGD …

Annual Simulation Of Photovoltaic Retrofits Within Existing Parabolic Trough Concentrating Solar Powerplants, Nipun Goel, Hannah O'Hern, Matthew Orosz, Todd Otanicar

Mechanical and Biomedical Engineering Faculty Publications and Presentations

Solar power for electricity production comes from either photovoltaics or concentrating solar power plants. The former has seen rapid growth and expansion due to the rapid fall in global prices, while the latter has seen moderate growth due to ability to cheaply store thermal energy for later use. Hybridization, or combining photovoltaics with concentrating solar power represents a potential way for lowering cost while enabling long term storage. Over 5 GW of capacity exist worldwide using parabolic trough style technology for concentrating solar power which presents a unique option for optimization in the form of a photovoltaic retrofit. While it …

Effect Of Landfill Leachates On Some Water Quality Indicators Of Selected Surface Water And Groundwater At Ilokun, Ado-Ekiti, Nigeria, Olorunwa Omofunmi, Adesola Satimehin, Abraham Oloye, Okwunna Umego

Makara Journal of Technology

This study was conducted to examine the impact of dumpsites on the quality of groundwater and surface water. The water samples and leachates were collected from dumpsites in respective zones. The physicochemical properties of the samples were examined and determined in accordance with the standards of the American Public Health Association. Results indicated that the groundwater and surface water that are close to the dumpsites have an electrical conductivity of 385 and 245 Sd/cm, total dissolved solids of 168 and 128 mg/L, a turbidity of 4.6 and 22 NTU, a total alkalinity of 103 and 50 mg/L, a total hardness …

Simulation Of A Unit Injector For Ammonia Injection In A Compression Ignition Engine, Mohammed Aziem Rujub

World Maritime University Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Determination Of The Rational Values Of The Parameters Of The Disc Rollers Of The Combined Unit, A.K. Igamberdiev, D.K. Muqimova

Irrigation and Melioration

In our country, repeated crops are sown in newly plowed lands. In such conditions, the use of combined units that perform several technological operations simultaneously in one pass is considered effective. However, due to the inadequacy and validity of the parameters of the working bodies for the quality of pre-sowing tillage in newly plowed lands, there is an increase in the number of passes, fuel consumption, loss of soil moisture and other costs and, as a result, the possibility of timely sowing and friendly germination of repeated crops is reduced . The rational parameters of the new design of disk …

100% Renewable Energy Grid For Rural Electrification Of Remote Areas: A Case Study In Jordan, Loiy Al-Ghussain, Mohammad Abujubbeh, Adnan Darwish Ahmad, Ahmad M. Abubaker, Onur Taylan, Murat Fahrioglu, Nelson K. Akafuah

Institute of Research for Technology Development Faculty Publications

Many developing countries suffer from high energy-import dependency and inadequate electrification of rural areas, which aggravates the poverty problem. In this work, Al-Tafilah in Jordan was considered as a case study, where the technical, economic, and environmental benefits of a decentralized hybrid renewable energy system that can match 100% of the city demand were investigated. A tri-hybrid system of wind, solar, and hydropower was integrated with an energy storage system and optimized to maximize the match between the energy demand and production profiles. The optimization aimed at maximizing the renewable energy system (RES) fraction while keeping the levelized cost of …

Feasibility Study On Environmental Protection Reform Of Ship Stern Tube System Based On Water Lubrication, Yang Cui

Maritime Safety & Environment Management Dissertations (Dalian)

No abstract provided.

Particle Studies In The Lab And Pilot-Scale Coal Combustion Systems, Dishant Khatri

McKelvey School of Engineering Graduate Student Theses & Dissertations

In the past century, coal contributed more to the global electricity supply than any other source. Currently, it alone accounts for over 35% of the global electricity supply. Though coal is globally well-distributed and can provide cheap, stable, and reliable energy on demand, it emits a large amount of carbon dioxide—a greenhouse gas responsible for global warming. Additionally, it is a major source of particulate matter (PM) pollution. Thus, in recent years, to reduce the impact of coal on climate, several policies have been introduced to phase out coal. However, replacing coal with intermittent renewables has led to a reduction …

Cooking Systems Using Aluminum Foam, Ryan Tetsuo Mizukami

Physics

In developing countries, the use of wood burning fires for cooking is cause for illness and death. With this in mind, research was conducted to develop a solar cooking device capable of cooking of soup within 15 mins in order to reduce the negative impacts of cooking with wood. Current methods of solar-based cooking, such as solar concentrators and solar tube ovens, are impractical. A small solar panel is a cost-effective way to produce energy but will not produce enough power to cook within a reasonable amount of time. Even if it is assumed that all of the energy produced …

Performance Analysis Of Renewable Energy Resources In Rural Areas: A Case Study Of Solar Energy, Jackson Justo

Tanzania Journal of Engineering and Technology (TJET)

This paper presents an overview of the recent development trends of solar photovoltaic (PV) systems and the performance in the Tanzanian context. The two types of solar power generation that are considered in this paper are: i) solar PV systems and ii) concentrated solar power (CSP). The two are compared in terms of cost of energy and energy storage mechanism. Moreover, the effect of ambient temperature on the solar PV module is analyzed. In addition, a detailed analysis on using solar axis tracking to increase the power generation is also presented. The extent to which the cell surface temperature and …

Quantifying The Environmental Impacts Of Cookstove Transitions A Societal Exergy Analysis Based Model Of Energy Consumption And Forest Stocks In Honduras, Noah Ver Beek, Elvin Vindel, Matthew K. Heun, Paul E. Brockway

University Faculty Publications and Creative Works

Unsustainable consumption of biofuels contributes to deforestation and climate change, while household air pollution from burning solid biofuels in homes results in millions of premature deaths globally every year. Honduras, like many low and medium Human Development Index countries, depends on primary solid biofuels for more than 30% of its primary energy supply (as of 2013). We conducted a societal exergy analysis and developed a forest stock model for Honduras for 1971–2013 and used the results to model an energy transition from traditional wood stoves to either improved efficiency wood cookstoves or modern fuel cookstoves (using Electricity or Liquefied petroleum …