Engineering Commons^™

Beneficial Investigation Of Sustainable Recycled Waste Plastic In Treating The Consolidation Behavior Of Fine Soil, Aram Mohammed Raheem, Cumaraswamy Vipulanandan, Mohammed Hiwa Abdullrahman, Ali Tariq Omer

Journal of Sustainable Construction Materials and Technologies

Recycled waste plastic is one of the regular garbage utilized as a sustainable material in soil remediation. This study examines the efficacy of utilizing local recycled waste plastic as an ecological quantifiable along with soil containing fine particles to analyze the consolidation behavior. Various recycled waste plastic contents ranging from 2% to 10% were employed experimentally in two patterns where in the first pattern the recycled waste plastic were mixed as dry material with the fine soil particles while in the second pattern a sandwich layer of 10% of the recycled waste plastic was placed in the middle of the …

Enhanced Thermal Energy Storage In Buildings: Impregnation, Leakage, And Environmental Performance Of Organic And Inorganic Pcm Composites, Gökhan Genç, Esra Yılmaz, M. Yusuf Yazıcı

Journal of Sustainable Construction Materials and Technologies

This study experimentally investigates the impregnation and leakage performance of various organic (tobacco, sawdust, bay leaf, black cumin) and inorganic (vermiculite, perlite, bentonite, sepiolite) carrier materials used for phase change material (PCM) integration in building applications. The commercial paraffin-based PCM RT-31 was used as the thermal storage medium. Impregnation and leakage tests were conducted to evaluate the PCM absorption capacity, form stability, and energy storage potential of each carrier. The results revealed that perlite (C = 80%) and bay leaf (C = 78%) exhibited the highest impregnation capacities due to their porous and fibrous structures; however, they also demonstrated significant …

Modeling Of Tensile Stress-Strain Response For Steel Fiber Reinforced Self-Compacting Concretes, Anıl Niş, Nilufer Özyurt, Turan Özturan

Journal of Sustainable Construction Materials and Technologies

Main aim of the research was to further understand self-compacting concrete reinforced with steel fibers (SFR-SCC) behavior and to contribute modeling of the tensile stress-strain diagrams for the standardization of the fiber reinforced materials for structural utilization. Fiber reinforced materials has not been used without structural rebar because of the absence of stress-strain curve in tension required for the structural design codes. Hence, an inverse analysis (multi-layer model) was further modified for various steel fibers to predict tensile stress-strain behaviour. For this purpose, 5 different mixes; control, reinforced with long fibers with 0.5% and 1%, short fiber with 0.5% and …

Techno-Economic And Environmental Analysis Of Wind-Powered Green Hydrogen Production In Nigeria, Ignatius Kema Okakwu, Ayodeji Akinsoji Okubanjo, Samson Oladayo Ayanlade, Akintunde Samson Alayande, Solomon Olanrewaju Giwa, Abraham Olatide Amole, Etinosa Noma-Osaghe, Ajibola Oluwafemi Oyedeji

Al-Bahir

Green hydrogen is becoming a viable option for clean energy, and the need to reduce greenhouse gas emissions has also become a popular sustainable energy source. In this paper, we evaluate the technoeconomic and environmental feasibility of green hydrogen production from wind energy in five Nigerian cities: Kano, Jos, Maiduguri, Ikeja, and Ikorodu. Energy potential from wind energy is estimated by using the Weibull distribution method, and six wind turbines are used to calculate electricity generation and hydrogen production. Economics of wind power are estimated through levelized cost of energy (LCOE), levelized cost of hydrogen (LCOH), payback period (PBP), and …

Investigating The Optical Qualities Of Aluminum Nanoparticles With Nd:Yag Pulsed Laser Ablation In Liquid Technology, Ban A. Bader, Muna Y. Slewa, Zaid T. Aldabbagh

AUIQ Technical Engineering Science

This research investigated the preparation of aluminum nanoparticles using pulsed laser ablation in liquid (PLAL). Ablation was performed on a metallic target in distilled water using a 532 nm Nd:YAG laser at different laser energies (400, 600, and 800 mJ) with a repetition frequency of 1 Hz and 300 pulses. A change in the solution's color is one of the first indicators of nanoparticle formation. We observed a change in the color of the deionized distilled water from light white to dark white, suggesting the production of aluminum nanoparticles. Furthermore, UV-VIS measurements showed an increase in the material concentration with …

Modelling And Analysis Of 50 Mwp Solar Pv Integration Into Tanzania’S Transmission Network: A Case Study Of Tagamenda Substation, Iringa Region, Santos Kihwele

Tanzania Journal of Science

While increasing the share of renewable energy in the grid, grid integration studies for the utility solar photovoltaic (PV) plants are vital, given their intermittency and the fact that Tanzania has never had one connected to the grid. This paper presents a 50 MWp grid integration study, including a technical analysis conducted using PSS®E software. The study investigates the grid behaviour during the integration of the 50 MWp solar plant, considering the most suitable technical and economic solutions. The study analysed the load flow under normal conditions, contingency analysis (N-1), short- circuit analysis, and voltage stability assessment. The results show …

Optimization Of Bio-Briquettes Production From Cassava Stems Co-Blended With Sisal Bole Bagasse Using Response Surface Methodology, Agnes Nshoma Msobi, Neema O. Msuya, Kando Khalifa Janga

Tanzania Journal of Science

This research aimed at producing bio-briquettes from cassava stems and sisal bole bagasse as an alternative source of cooking energy. A Response Surface Methodology (RSM) with Face - Centered Central Composite Design (FCCCD) featured a multi-objective optimization of the effect of the production parameters, focusing on maximizing char yield and Higher Heating Value (HHV) of the produced briquette while minimizing carbonization temperature and residence time. The findings showed that bio-briquettes produced at the lowest temperature (250 ℃) and residence time (30 min) and the blending ratio of 75% by 25% had the highest char yield of 76.92% and HHV of …

Extraction Of High-Quality Cashew Nutshell Liquid Using Carbon Dioxide-Expanded Hexane, Frank N. Jacob, Neema Msuya, Joseph Y.N Philip, Kando Khalifa Janga

Tanzania Journal of Science

Cashew nutshell liquid (CNSL) is a by–product from cashew processing industries containing four naturally occurring phenolic compounds. This study investigated an extraction approach using CO2–expanded hexane. The central composite design (CCD) was employed in experimental design to investigate the effects and interaction of CO 2 mole fractions and extraction temperature on the CNSL yield and quality (Colour) from Steamed CNSL. The dissolution power of the CO2–expanded hexane was assessed by determining the solubility of CNSL during the initial stages of extraction at different extraction conditions. Findings indicated that higher CO2 mole fractions reduced CNSL solubility, while higher temperatures enhanced it. …

Development And Standardization Of Teds Actuator Templates Under Ieee 1451 Framework, Jim Kang

Theses and Dissertations

The IEEE 1451 standard is a family of standards that defines a framework for smart transducers, including both sensors and actuators, to support consistent, interoperable, and cost-effective integration across diverse applications. However, the current IEEE 1451.4 standard templates only define the method for encoding Transducer Electronic Data Sheet (TEDS) information for a broad range of sensor types and applications; they do not address actuator TEDS. Specific types of sensors and actuators are being developed to assess underground environmental conditions in cold regions with widespread permafrost. Evaluating subsurface conditions before construction can help prevent high construction expenses for structures built on …

Load Profile Analysis And Forecasting For Rural Mini Grids In Uganda, Prossy Mutesi, Santos L. Kihwele, Emmanuel S. Matee

Tanzania Journal of Science

Accurate load forecasting is essential for the reliable and cost-effective operation of rural mini grids, where constrained generation capacity and high penetration of renewable energy resources require well-informed operational decisions. This study examines electricity demand characteristics and forecasting performance for the Buzaami and Ssenyondo mini grids in Uganda, with particular focus on diurnal load profiles, peak demand behavior, and seasonal variability. 2022 operational data show extended peak demand from early morning to late evening, driven by socio-economic activities that strain resource scheduling and reliability management. To address these challenges, the study evaluates and compares Long Short-Term Memory (LSTM) networks, fuzzy …

Robust Real-Time Uav Target Tracking With Onboard Vision-Based Yaw Control, Rylan Malarchick, Jose Castelblanco, Enrique Amaya, Carmen Dimario, Graysen Brinkman, Chirag Kumar, Kiwon Yoon, Sajid Berhane

Beyond: Undergraduate Research Journal

Autonomous tracking of agile unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) presents significant challenges for real-time perception and control systems. This work presents AIRHOUND (Autonomous Intelligent Rotorcraft for Hostile Object Unified Navigation and Detection), a UAV platform implementing vision-based yaw tracking through a modular ROS2 software architecture. The system employs YOLOv8 object detection optimized with NVIDIA TensorRT for embedded deployment on an NVIDIA Jetson Orin companion computer. Detected targets are processed through a geometric tracking module that converts pixel coordinates to angular yaw errors using pinhole camera intrinsics, with a proportional controller generating rate-limited yaw commands. These commands are streamed to a PX4 …

The Dynamics Of Educational Change: A Complex Systems Perspective, Preethi Nanjundan, Lijo Thomas, Abith K. Sunil

Northeast Journal of Complex Systems (NEJCS)

The perception of university teachers toward educational reforms plays an important role in determining the success of changes introduced in the education sector. This study focuses on teachers’ attitudes toward change, their emotional responses, and their overall views on educational reforms. Across the world, many educational reforms have failed to achieve their expected outcomes in improving teaching practices and student learning. As education systems are highly complex, the approach toward implementing reforms has also changed over time. Some reforms are introduced gradually, while others involve major innovations within the system. Complexity theory provides useful insights and tools that help educators …

Bias Before Generation: Attention-Based Preemptive Fairness Signals In Large Language Models, Aniket Das

Master’s Dissertations

Warning: This paper includes examples of language that may be perceived as inappropriate or offensive. Large language models (LLMs) are known to propagate social biases embedded in their training corpora, producing outputs that disproportionately disadvantage individuals based on sensitive attributes such as gender, religion, race, sexual orientation and nationality. Existing mitigation strategies are either computationally prohibitive, require access to model parameters, or apply corrections only after biased content has already been generated. This work addresses a different question: can the model’s own internal attention dynamics, observed at inference time, serve as a reliable early-warning signal for bias, enabling intervention before …

Transforming Dredged Sediment Into Reactive Clay: Critical Review Of Calcination, Reactivity, And Sustainable Valorization As Supplementary Cementitious Material, Seongho Han, Sanghwon Wi, Koochul Ji, Keun Hyeok Yang, Farshad Rajabipour, Kamal H. Khayat, Jinyoung Yoon

Civil, Architectural and Environmental Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Dredged sediment (DS) is generated worldwide in large volumes through routine port and waterway maintenance, yet its disposal presents environmental and economic challenges. Recently, calcined dredged sediment (CDS) has emerged as a supplementary cementitious material (SCM), offering a viable alternative to traditional SCMs, such as fly ash and slag cement. This review synthesizes current knowledge on the physical, chemical, and mineralogical characteristics of raw DS and pretreatment strategies aimed at dewatering, organic matter removal, and contaminant stabilization. The effects of calcination on the production of reactive amorphous aluminosilicates are also discussed. Emphasis is placed on physicochemical changes revealed by experimental …

Literature Landscape Of Government, Academic, And Industry Efforts In Responsible, Secure, And Trustworthy Ai, Jae C. Oh, Shiu-Kai Chin, Garrett Katz, William E. Young, Matt Clark

Electrical Engineering and Computer Science - All Scholarship

This report presents a systematic analysis of 54,628 AI research papers published between 2021 and 2025, examining the extent to which current government, academic, and industry efforts address the trustworthiness requirements of mission-critical AI systems. Papers were classified along two dimensions: organizational tier (from AI model to mission/business pro- cess) using NIST SP 800-39, and systems engineering lifecycle phase using ISO/IEC/IEEE 15288. Classification combined automated LLM-assisted screening with human validation, achieving inter-rater reliability measured by Krippendorff’s α and Gwet’s AC1. Only 16.8% of papers examined addressed any aspect of AI trustworthiness, reliability, or security, and virtually all were concentrated at …

Integrated Decision-Support Framework For Enhancing Coastal Community Resilience Against Hurricane-Induced Hazards, Kooshan Amini, Tanmoy Palit, Abigail L. Beck, Jayant Patil, Tao Lu, Himadri Sen Gupta, Yousef Darestani, Et. Al

Michigan Tech Publications

Coastal communities face escalating threats from hurricanes, necessitating a shift from descriptive risk assessment to prescriptive, optimized portfolio planning to enhance resilience. This study introduces an integrated decision-support framework that couples high-fidelity, multi-hazard socio-physical system modeling with a multi-objective optimization model. The framework quantifies the cascading impacts of hurricane-induced wind, storm surge, and waves on a community’s interdependent buildings, transportation network, and detailed distribution-level electric power network (EPN), along with the resulting population dislocation and long-term recovery. It then identifies Pareto-optimal portfolios of mitigation strategies by simultaneously minimizing three conflicting objectives—economic loss, population dislocation, and recovery time—under various budget constraints. …

Low-Carbon Concrete For Sustainable Construction: A Comprehensive Review Of Performance Characteristics, Implementation Challenges, And Decarbonization Pathways, Fazel Azarhomayun, Jingjie Wei, Kamal H. Khayat

Civil, Architectural and Environmental Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Reducing the carbon footprint of concrete has become a central objective in sustainable construction. Low-carbon concrete (LCC), developed primarily through clinker reduction, supplementary cementitious materials, and alternative binder strategies, offers a promising route for lowering embodied emissions while maintaining the performance requirements of structural concrete. This comprehensive review consolidates the current state of knowledge on LCC, identifies critical research and implementation gaps, and examines its material composition, mixture-design methodologies, performance characteristics, structural applications, implementation challenges, and decarbonization pathways. Single-SCM systems have been reported at clinker-replacement levels approaching 50%, although durability at these replacement levels, particularly carbonation resistance, remains system- and …

An Instance Segmentation Based Global Mppt Method For Pv Systems Under Partial Shading Condition, Ehab Ur Rahman, Yousef Mahmoud, Rui Bo

Electrical and Computer Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Partial shading in photovoltaic (PV) systems creates multiple Local Maximum Power Points (LMPPs) on the power-voltage (P-V) curve, causing conventional Maximum Power Point Tracking (MPPT) algorithms to converge prematurely to suboptimal operating points and resulting in significant energy losses. This work proposes a novel vision-based framework that integrates computer vision with Global Maximum Power Point Tracking (GMPPT) to maximize energy harvesting in partially shaded PV systems. The proposed method captures real-time imagery of PV panels to identify cell-level shading patterns, which are subsequently mapped to module electrical characteristics to enable direct analytical estimation of the GMPP voltage. An instance segmentation …

Converting Co2 Into Carbon Nanotubes Via Sequential Co2 Methanation And Methane Pyrolysis, Kaiying Wang, Hao Feng, Ahmad Helaley, Xiaoqing He, Bohong Zhang, Jie Huang, Xinhua Liang

Electrical and Computer Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

This study presents a sequential thermochemical catalytic process for converting CO₂ into carbon nanotubes (CNTs), achieving nearly 99% overall CO₂ conversion and solid carbon yields of up to 49% in a single pass. The overall transformation is divided into two thermodynamically favorable steps: (1) low-temperature CO₂ methanation to CH₄ over a sol-gel-prepared Ni87Ce_6.5Zr_6.5-SG catalyst, which achieved >95% CO₂ conversion at 250 °C in a single pass, and (2) subsequent methane pyrolysis to CNTs and H₂ over a Ni@Al₂O₃-IE core-shell catalyst, which showed improved stability and carbon …

Air-Writing Recognition, Gaurang Shukla

Master’s Dissertations

Air-writing is the act of tracing characters or words in free space with a fingertip, recorded by a camera, giving a touch-free input modality for smart displays, augmented and virtual reality, and assistive interfaces. It is difficult because the finger never lifts: connecting strokes join adjacent letters with no pen-up signal to mark boundaries, and the same word varies widely in scale, position, and slant across writers. The WiTA benchmark of Kim et al. provides a large, person-disjoint dataset and a baseline that treats each clip as RGB video, recognised by a spatio-temporal 3D residual network trained with a CTC …

Ontology-Based Decision Support System For Improving Aquaculture Management, Thuy Thi Thu Pham, Phuong Thi Can, Nga Thi Thanh Ha

Journal of Marine Science and Technology–Taiwan

Early detection of shrimp diseases is vital for reducing losses and ensuring sustainable aquaculture. In this study, a novel ontology-driven framework for shrimp disease diagnosis that integrates environmental knowledge with machine learning-based image analysis is proposed. An ontology was constructed from a structured dataset of environmental parameters and farm conditions related to shrimp diseases, which formally represents concepts such as farm characteristics, environmental factors, symptoms, and disease types. Two public shrimp image datasets were subsequently used to train convolutional neural networks (ResNet50 and MobileNetV2) for automated disease classification. The predicted disease labels and confidence scores were mapped onto the ontology. …

Case Study On Operational Performance Improvement By Turbocharger Nozzle-Ring Modification In Shipboard Generators, Jong-Hun Im, Mukyeong Kang, Sang-Deuk Lee

Journal of Marine Science and Technology–Taiwan

Owing to increasingly stringent emission regulations imposed by the International Maritime Organization and rising fuel prices, the demand for enhanced energy efficiency and emission control in marine power systems is increasing. This study presents a case study in which the performance of an aging auxiliary generator is restored by modifying the turbocharger nozzle ring. The vessel, a 12-year-old crude-oil tanker, experienced repeated operational issues with its No. 3 generator. This included elevated exhaust gas temperatures, reduced intake air pressure, and frequent turbocharger surges. To address these challenges, the nozzle-ring blade angle was reduced by approximately 2° using spare components, while …

Towards Sustainable Marine Education: Assessing High School Students’ Understanding Of Conservation Concepts, Cheng-Chieh Chang, Tsuyoshi Sasaki, Ya-Yin Liao, Ling-Ya Hung, Liang-Ting Tsai

Journal of Marine Science and Technology–Taiwan

This study assesses the concepts of marine resource conservation and sustainability among Taiwanese high school students by developing a Chinese version of the Marine Resources Conservation and Sustainability Scale. Grounded in the cognitive, socio-emotional, and behavioral learning objectives outlined in UNESCO’s Education for Sustainable Development Goals (ESDGs), the scale targets students aged 16 to 18 to examine gender differences in marine knowledge and conservation concepts. The scale comprises 31 items across four dimensions: the first section evaluates marine knowledge, while the remaining dimensions utilize a four-point Likert scale to assess cognitive, socio-emotional, and behavioral learning objectives, respectively. The results indicate …

Dynamic Governance Of Transboundary Fisheries Through Deep Learning And High-Frequency Vessel Tracking Data For Climate-Resilient Management: An Application To The East China Sea, Qin Lin, Yaqing Shu, Manel Grifoll, Hongxiang Feng

Journal of Marine Science and Technology–Taiwan

Transboundary fisheries governance is increasingly challenged by jurisdictional conflicts, regulatory asymmetries, and climate-induced stock shifts in fish stocks, especially in contested regions like the East China Sea (ECS). This study capitalizes on China’s high-frequency BeiDou Navigation Satellite System (BDS) data (June 2021–May 2022) to pioneer a CNN-BiLSTM deep learning model to dynamically identify fishing hotspots and evaluate policy effectiveness. By integrating vessel trajectories, environmental variables, and regulatory events, we examine spatiotemporal patterns of fishing effort relative to seasonal bans, extreme weather, and quota systems. Key findings reveal: (1) post-moratorium (September–December) concentration of fishing intensity, peaking in November; (2) significant weather-driven …

Lock Scheduling Decisions And Strategy Optimization Under Operation Interruption Scenarios, Junhe Li, Qiang Zhang, Junpeng Jiang, Jiangchao Bao

Journal of Marine Science and Technology–Taiwan

Locks are critical nodes in inland waterway transportation systems that concentrate vessel traffic between upstream and downstream reaches, making their operations highly sensitive to hydrological conditions. Therefore, disruptions caused by droughts, floods, or routine maintenance can easily trigger congestion. To address this issue, this study systematically examines the interrelationships among the number of ships awaiting passage, scheduling strategies, the trade-off between lock chamber utilization and ship waiting time, the influence of ship entry sequences on user satisfaction, and the combined effects of these factors on overall lock scheduling performance. Based on these analyses, an integrated decision-making model for two-stage ship …

Corrosion Protection Assessment Of Offshore Wind Turbine Substructures Using Beasy Cp Simulation Analysis, Chuan-Yang Wan, Hung-Hua Sheu, Sheng-Yu Wang, Yao-Ming Wang, Wei-De Chen, Ming-Yuan Lin, Hung-Bin Lee

Journal of Marine Science and Technology–Taiwan

This study investigates the corrosion protection assessment of offshore wind turbine substructures established in the waters off Keelung, Taiwan. First, a cathodic protection system for the monopile foundation is designed and established. The Boundary Element Method (BEM) is applied using the BEASY simulation software to develop a 3D geometric model for cathodic protection. In the steel monopile simulation analysis, the exposed marine environment is set based on the sea conditions of the Keelung small boat marina, including parameters such as salinity, resistance, and polarization curves, to establish an effective cathodic protection system for underwater structures. By simulating these parameters, a …

Face-To-Face Versus Distance Education In Competence-Based Maritime Education And Training, Clara Borén, Marcella Castells-Sanabra, Manel Grifoll

Journal of Marine Science and Technology–Taiwan

The COVID-19 pandemic created significant challenges for higher education, with universities being shut down and face-to-face teaching and assessment shifting to an online format. This presented an opportunity to focus on the continuity of learning through distance education, especially in the maritime context, due to the on-board training requirements, and even though five years have passed, this shift has reshaped the education landscape, proving that remote learning has come to stay.

At the Barcelona School of Nautical Studies, we have developed a weather routing software in the framework of distance education and teaching innovation. We conducted a teaching trial alternatively …

A Bibliometric And Visualization Analysis Of Global Giant Clam Research, Chia-Hsiang Chen, Chih-Hsien Chang

Journal of Marine Science and Technology–Taiwan

In this study, bibliometric analysis and visualization tools were used to investigate the academic network and knowledge structure surrounding global giant clam research. A total of 551 relevant publications from the Web of Science database, published from 1900 to 2024, were analyzed. The findings indicate that research on giant clams has experienced considerable growth since 2012, peaking in publication output in 2021. Sixty-six countries were represented in the study sample, with the United States, Australia, China, Singapore, and Japan being the most represented ones. Notably, the rate of international collaboration was only 29%, highlighting a need for additional integrated cross-border …

From Aspiration To Obligation: A Contractual Sustainability Framework For The Egyptian Construction Industry, Salma Ali

Theses and Dissertations

The construction industry is responsible for approximately 40% of global energy consumption and 35% of total waste generation, making it one of the most significant contributors to the global sustainability challenge. In Egypt, that challenge takes a specific contractual form. Egypt’s construction sector contributes approximately 23% of national energy consumption, yet the survey findings reveal that 63.5% of construction professionals report that sustainability clauses rarely or never appear in contracts, and only 11.5% confirm the presence of enforceable provisions with measurable targets. This gap is structural rather than attitudinal. Competitive procurement penalises voluntary sustainability investment, and without contractual obligation, awareness …

Thrivetogether – A Community-Drivenwellness Platform Powered By Ai, Isaac Soto, James Hunter, Ethan Nguyen, Nathan Shimada

Computer Science and Engineering Senior Theses

ThriveTogether is a wellness platform powered by artificial intelligence that is designed to help users create personalized fitness and nutrition plans through a combination of community-shared content and intelligent personalization systems. The platform is developed to support people at all stages of their health journey, including beginners and users with physical limitations, by providing accessible and adaptable wellness guidance. Unlike many existing health applications that rely on generalized advice or costly personalized services, ThriveTogether emphasizes affordability, inclusivity, and practical usability through user-generated recipes, workout plans, and nutrition plans while also enhanced by trusted nutritional sources through a rule-based validation system. …