Engineering Commons^™

Highly Sensitive Liquid-Level Sensing Based On Microwave Frequency Domain Reflectometry And Interferometry, Chen Zhu, Osamah Alsalman, Jie Huang

Electrical and Computer Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Frequency domain reflectometry (FDR) and interferometry are two widely used investigative techniques that have been instrumented using optical and microwave devices for a diverse array of sensing applications. In this paper, we present a highly sensitive liquid-level sensor using a custom hollow coaxial cable transmission line. Measurements of liquid levels with high sensitivity and resolution can be achieved by both FDR and interferometry-based measurements using the same sensor device. We show that FDR-based measurements are more straightforward for liquid-level sensing and are suitable for both small and large variations of liquid level, while interferometry-based measurements provide slightly higher measurement resolution …

A Method For Measuring The Transfer Function Inside A Compact Metallic Enclosure Using A Slot Antenna, Xiangrui Su, Wenchang Huang, Junghee Cho, Joonki Paek, Chulsoon Hwang

Electrical and Computer Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Radio frequency desensitization issues comprise two components: noise radiation sources and the transfer function from noise sources to the victim antenna. For modern electronic products, noise sources are often located inside a compact metal enclosure, making it difficult to measure the transfer function using conventional methods. Moreover, opening the metallic enclosure would dramatically change the transfer function, and inserting a near-field probe into the enclosure is challenging and may not even be possible because of the limited space inside. In this article, a novel practical method for measuring the transfer function inside a compact metallic enclosure is proposed and experimentally …

On The Feasibility Of A Direct Injection Probe With A Capacitively Coupled Return And Integrated Voltage Monitor, Aaron Harmon, Daniel Szanto, Victor Khilkevich, Daryl Beetner

Electrical and Computer Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Characterizing the susceptibility of an IC while it is integrated within a system can be challenging. Characterization is even harder if one wants to know the waveform at the target IC pin when injecting a signal on the pin. In this work, the feasibility of a direct injection probe with a capacitively coupled return and integrated voltage monitor is proposed. This probe is advantageous because it does not need to be soldered to the test device and its ability to provide a measurement of the waveform on the target IC pin during the injection. Methods for reconstructing the pin waveform …

Evaluating Electromagnetic Interference Effects On Gnss Receivers, Giorgi Tsintsadze, Haran Manoharan, Arushi Sahai, Daryl G. Beetner, Brian Booth

Electrical and Computer Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Electromagnetic interference can be highly disruptive to global navigation satellite system (GNSS) receivers. Interference can be intentional but can also occur from electronics modules placed within the same system, where these modules may create sufficient unintended radiated emissions to disrupt GNSS operation. In this paper, GNSS receiver performance is evaluated in the presence of multi-tone interference. An expression for the GNSS correlator output in the presence of continuous wave interference (CWI) is derived and is extended to predict the carrier to noise density ratio, C/N0, of the receiver in the presence of multi-tone interference. C/N0 is widely used for characterizing …

Design Of Experiment Analysis On Multiple Pim Sources In An Rf Antenna System, Shengxuan Xia, Yuchu He, Haicheng Zhou, Hanfeng Wang, Chulsoon Hwang

Electrical and Computer Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Passive intermodulation (PIM) has been identified as one of the common root causes for receiving sensitivity degradation (desense) on radiofrequency (RF) antennas working in frequency-division duplex mode. The component-level PIM characterization and simulation have been well-established over the years. However, the study has been using an ideal 50 Ω transmission line system while antenna modules are more complicated than a simple transmission line structure. Moreover, the metallic contacts can exist in multiple locations with different connection topologies in real applications. This paper provides a method to simulate the PIM performance caused by the metallic contacts in a practical environment. In …

Radiated Emission Modeling Of A Wireless Power Transfer System, Hanyu Zhang, Guanghua Li, Viswa Pilla, Chulsoon Hwang

Electrical and Computer Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

A radiated emission (RE) model of a wireless power transfer (WPT) system is proposed in this paper to help designers predict, analyze, and mitigate the RE issues during the design process. The proposed model employs both full-wave simulation and circuit simulation to derive a transfer function. Subsequently, it predicts the emission level by combining the transfer function with the measured transmitter waveform through a straightforward calculation. The predicted emissions match the measured RE peaks well up to 300 MHz, with the error within 3 dB. The impact of functional parameters, such as load and coil gap distance, is analyzed based …

A Model For Corona Streamer Propagation On Glass During An Air Discharge, Zhekun Peng, Jianchi Zhou, Darryl Kostka, David Pommerenke, Daryl G. Beetner

Electrical and Computer Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Corona discharge to a glass surface is challenging to model due to a poorly understood air and surface ionization process. A modeling methodology based on the transmission line modeling (TLM) approach is proposed to simulate the streamer propagation process. The time-changing corona streamer resistance is estimated using the Rompe and Weizel spark model. The streamer is represented using small segments consisting of the arc resistance, per unit length (PUL) capacitance of the streamer, PUL inductance, a switch representing streamer formation, and a surface discharge gap voltage representing the voltage drop caused by ions within the streamer length. The propagation of …

Virtual Inertia Scheduling (Vis) For Microgrids With Static And Dynamic Security Constraints, Buxin She, Fangxing Li, Jinning Wang, Hantao Cui, Xiaofei Wang, Rui Bo

Electrical and Computer Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Microgrids feature a high penetration of inverter-interfaced distributed energy resources (DERs). The low inertia characteristic and fast dynamics of DERs pose challenges to conventional decoupled static economic operation and dynamic control design within microgrids. Hence, this paper proposed virtual inertia scheduling (VIS) for microgrids, aiming to ensure both economy and security. First, a unified framework for device-level control and grid-level operation is introduced, with VIS serving as a key application to address low inertia issues. VIS actively harnesses the controllability and flexibility of DERs to effectively manage microgrid inertia. It updates the conventional economic operation framework by incorporating the virtual …

Design Of The Tm010 Mode Cylindrical Cavity Resonator For Pcb Dielectric Characterization, Reza Asadi, Chaofeng Li, Seyedmehdi Mousavi, Seyed Moastafa Mousavi, Reza Vahdani, Xiaoning Ye, Donghyun Kim

Electrical and Computer Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

This paper presents the study of the TM₀₁₀ mode cylindrical resonator, which can be used for printed circuit board (PCB) material properties extraction, e.g., the dielectric constant (Dk) and the loss tangent (Df) extraction. The theoretical formulas of the resonance frequency and Q-factor of the resonator are presented. In real measurement, the TM₀₁₀ mode cylindrical cavity resonator needs to be excited by the probe. The study emphasizes the impact of probe orientation, location, and field distribution on the accuracy of material property extraction. The relationship between cavity dimensions and resonance frequency is explored, highlighting the influence of cavity …

Novel Formulation For Generalization Of Mixed-Mode S-Parameters For Coupled Differential High-Speed Digital Channels, Manish K. Mathew, Kevin Cai, Chaofeng Li, Mehdi Mousavi, Shameem Ahmed, Donghyun Kim

Electrical and Computer Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

As the demand for higher data rates intensifies, achieving accurate S-parameter calculation becomes increasingly critical. The conventional single-ended to mixed-mode S-parameter conversion formulation assumes uncoupled structures, which may not be true for high-speed digital channels. This work introduces a novel, generalized formulation for mixed-mode S-parameters and their corresponding transformation matrices [M1] and [M2], enabling comprehensive analysis of multi-pair coupled differential traces. An intra-pair crosstalk analysis of a tightly coupled strip line and microstrip line verifies and highlights the difference between the proposed and old formulations. A loosely coupled case is analyzed as an additional validation of the proposed formulation. Finally, …

A Tensor-Based Data-Driven Approach For Multidimensional Harmonic Retrieval And Its Application For Mimo Channel Sounding., Yanming Zhang, Wenchao Xu, A. Long Jin, Min Li, Ping Yuan, Lijun Jiang, Steven Gao

Electrical and Computer Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

In wireless channel sounding, accurately estimating multiple parameters within a multipath signal, such as azimuth, elevation, Doppler shift, and delay, necessitates addressing the challenges posed by the multidimensional harmonic retrieval (MHR) problem. To overcome these complexities, we propose a framework based on high-order dynamic mode decomposition (HODMD) that designed for robustly estimating frequencies of interest from high-dimensional sinusoidal signals, particularly in additive white Gaussian noise conditions. The HODMD approach, a hybrid algorithm amalgamating high-order singular value decomposition (HOSVD) and dynamic mode decomposition (DMD), operates by initially decomposing observed tensorial data into a core tensor and R mode matrices through HOSVD. …

Behavior Model Of A Multiphase Voltage Regulator Module With Rapid Voltage Drop Protection, Junho Joo, Hanyu Zhang, Hanfeng Wang, Wei Shen, Zhigang Liang, Lihui Cao, Seungtaek Jeong, Chulsoon Hwang

Electrical and Computer Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

In this paper, a modeling method of voltage regulator module (VRM) with rapid voltage drop protection is introduced. The proposed VRM model captures a pulse-width modulation scheme developed to counteract substantial load currents with high di/dt, resulting in a large voltage drop across the power delivery network (PDN). The equations to describe the non-linear behavior associated with the multiphase VRM behavior are proposed and successfully validated for both light and heavy loads, the latter being particularly crucial to trigger the voltage drop protection measures.

Modeling Of Power Distrubition Network (Pdn) Noise Coupling Induced Clock Phase Noise, Zhekun Peng, Junyong Park, Chaofeng Li, Joey Stecher, Srinivas Venkataraman, Xu Wang, Granthana Rangaswamy, Donghyun Kim

Electrical and Computer Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Phase noise analysis is important to clock design. Noise sources of spurs shown on the phase noise result are challenging to find out due to the unknown source locations and coupling mechanisms. Noise from power distribution network (PDN) is one of the most troublesome sources. A behavioral modeling methodology is proposed to simulate the clock phase noise induced by PDN noise coupling for two different mechanisms: PDN-to-clock additive coupling and PDN-to-PDN up-conversion modulation. The thermal noise and 1/f flicker noise are simplified to provide a straightforward view of spur level. The model can be applied to both single-ended clock and …

Lifelong Direct Error-Driven Learning For Uav Altitude Estimation In Different Weather Conditions, Shirin Nasr-Esfahani, Jagannathan Sarangapani

Electrical and Computer Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

While deep neural networks achieve remarkable visual perception capabilities for UAV position and orientation estimation, their resilience to different weather conditions still needs improvement. These models often suffer from catastrophic forgetting when adapted to new environments, losing previously acquired knowledge. Lifelong learning methods aim to balance learning flexibility and memory stability. In this paper, we present an image-based approach to estimate the relative altitude of a UAV using 2D images under varying weather conditions, including sunny, sunset, and foggy scenarios. Our experiments demonstrate significant performance degradation when the model is trained sequentially on different weather datasets, especially when new images …

Cascading Of 2d And 3d Simulations Of Asic Substrate Interconnect Up To 100 Ghz, Zhekun Peng, Junyong Park, Sathvika Bandi, Santosh Pappu, Srinivas Venkataraman, Xu Wang, Granthana Ranzaswamy, Donghyun Kim

Electrical and Computer Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

A method of cascading 3D models and 2D models to model the full channel of ASIC package substrate interconnects is proposed, showing good match to full-wave results in S-parameter and TDR up to 100 GHz.

Impact Of Non-Functional Pads Location On Eye Diagram Performance, Mehdi Mousavi, Kevin Cai, Junyong Park, Chaofeng Li, Manish K. Mathew, Reza Asadi, Shameem Ahmed, Donghyun Kim, Bidyut Sen

Electrical and Computer Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

This study shows that placing four NFPs in selective PCB layers significantly improves signal integrity, reducing minimum jitter from 18.28 ps to 12.81 ps and maximum jitter from 27.66 ps to 22.03 ps.

Lifelong Safe Optimal Adaptive Tracking Control Of Nonlinear Strict-Feedback Discrete-Time Systems, Behzad Farzanegan, S. Jagannathan

Electrical and Computer Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

This paper presents a comprehensive approach for achieving multi-task safe optimal adaptive tracking (MSOAT) for a class of nonlinear discrete-time systems, particularly those in strict-feedback form, utilizing a multi-layer neural network (MNN)-based framework. To begin, a cost function with a novel Barrier function (BF) term is introduced for each subsystem to address the weak safely reachable problem, serving as a crucial tool for guiding the system's trajectory toward the safe set while avoiding unwanted sets. To deal with the tracking problem, the Hamilton-Jacobi-Bellman (HJB) framework is used through the actor-critic MNN-based backstepping technique to estimate the solution of the value …

Suppression Of Power Distribution Network Pcb-Package Resonance For Low Target Impedance, Francesco De Paulis, Faye Squires, Yifan Ding, Matteo Cocchini, Matthew Doyle, Samuel Connor, Albert E. Ruehli, Chulsoon Hwang, Lijun Jiang

Electrical and Computer Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

The suppression of the large resonance peak that may appear due to the equivalent parallel circuit between the package capacitance and PCB inductance is discussed. Such resonance may be amplified if the decoupling capacitors are not appropriately selected. The relevant parameters involved in the PDN design, and a feasible solution strategy are presented based on the identification of a simplified equivalent circuit that is able to replicate the resonant behavior. The optimization of the relevant parameters of such circuit are able to suggest the best strategy for identifying the decoupling capacitors with appropriate values of parasitic inductance and resistance.

Ai Trustworthy: Ethical Challenges And Strategies, Jian Liu, Iwan Sandjaja, Donald C. Wunsch

Electrical and Computer Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

This paper explores the pivotal role of trust in the widespread application of Artificial Intelligence (AI) across various domains. We review AI applications in sectors like energy, healthcare, and autonomous vehicles and discuss the crisis of human trust they face. This paper introduces a novel framework that delineates the relationship between AI transparency and user trust, highlighting specific industry applications. Through a systematic review of recent literature, we first delve into factors such as emotional response, acceptance, transparency, accuracy, and interpretability that shape human trust in AI. We then underscore the necessity of ethical AI practices and highlight the importance …

Understanding Student Perceptions Of Project Impact In The Epics In Ieee Service-Learning Program, Stephanie Gillespie, Steve Eugene Watkins, Ashley F. Moran

Electrical and Computer Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

This innovative practice full paper addresses the assessment component of student service-learning projects. Through IEEE, the Engineering Projects in Community Service in IEEE committee (EPICS in IEEE) sponsors service-learning projects for student groups in project areas spanning human services, environmental, access and abilities, and education and outreach. Service learning and community-engaged learning can provide positive outcomes for both the students and the community organization or community members. The intent of assessment in a service-learning project or program is that both the student-learning outcomes and the humanitarian/community impact of the implementation or engagement are gauged. Often, the latter aspect of assessment …

Transitioning To A Lower Global Warming Refrigerant, A Performance Study Of R-513a And Hfc-134a In Commercial Chillers, Hossein Abedsoltan, Mark B. Shiflett

Chemical and Biochemical Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

The performance of R-513A and HFC-134a refrigerants is compared in two identical chillers operating at the University of Kansas. R-513A is a more environmentally friendly refrigerant due to its lower global warming potential that can be used as a retrofit replacement for HFC-134a in chillers. This study investigates the performance comparison of transitioning from HFC-134a to R-513A. The chillers have been in operation for two years, and cooling capacity, coefficient of performance, and other operating parameters are compared under similar cooling conditions. Cooling capacities ranged from 100 to 500 kW for both chillers. Overall, the energy consumption and coefficient of …

A Structure From Motion Photogrammetric Method For Continuously Measuring And Tracking The Deformations Of Soils During Triaxial Testing, Xiaolong Xia

Doctoral Dissertations

"Measuring soil deformation characteristics during triaxial testing is an important part of characterizing the stress-strain behavior of both saturated and unsaturated soils. The total and local deformations and volume changes of a soil specimen are indispensable parameters that need to be measured and are of great significance for understanding volume change and shear strength characteristics of the soil. Over the past several decades, numerous efforts have been made to measure the soil deformations during triaxial testing. However, it remains a great challenge for researchers to measure the volume-changes of unsaturated soils due to the existence of the air phase.

This …

Comprehensive Investigation Of Using Tire-Derived Aggregate In Chip Seal Subjected To Various Traffic And Environmental Conditions, Alireza Pourhassan

Doctoral Dissertations

"Chip seal is one of the most cost- and performance-effective pavement preservation treatments commonly used in the United States. Using crumb rubber obtained from scrap tires as a partial or full replacement for mineral aggregate has been proposed as a sustainable solution to reduce the negative environmental impacts of scrap tire accumulation and excessive consumption of natural resources. However, there was no data available regarding the performance of rubberized chip seal under traffic loads and environmental conditions. An extensive study using laboratory specimens and conditioning as well as field implementation and assessments were conducted to bridge this gap. Different traffic …

Sustainable Cementitious Materials For Building And Sorption Applications, Sukanta Kumar Mondal

Doctoral Dissertations

"Ordinary Portland Cement (OPC) is the most widely used cement material, but it contributes over 8% of the global CO₂ emission and the process is energy intensive. Moreover, OPC faces durability challenges, particularly in aggressive environments. Hence, there is rapidly increasing interest in sustainable alternative cements with lower carbon footprint, lower energy consumption, and those that offer superior properties that are beneficial for specific applications. Two sustainable cementitious materials that are frequently researched as an alternative to OPC are calcium sulfoaluminate (CSA) cement and alkali-activated materials (AAMs). CSA cement lowers CO₂ emission by over 40% compared to OPC, …

Novel Supercritical Biodiesel Plant Design & Process Scale-Up, Ghana Shyam Paudel

Doctoral Dissertations

"Current energy prices, national energy security, and global climate change fuel our momentum to find efficient advanced fuels choices. In this study, biodiesel processing, and a novel design for next generation biodiesel plants are explored. During a National Science Foundation (NSF) I-Corps project we identified three creative and profitable improvements to the process: 1. Incorporating Energy intensive separations and reactions 2. Utilizing Low commodity glycerol and 3. Applying process intensification principles.

Current biodiesel processes are catalyzed processes using continuous stir reactors with distillation systems to separate material constituents. We tested a lab-scale nocatalyst supercritical biodiesel process using waste cooking oil …

Advanced Manufacturing Of Nanomaterials For Energy Storage And Biomedical Applications, Hiep Pham

Doctoral Dissertations

"Nanomaterials have emerged as an important component to the advancement of many fields, ranging from advanced energy materials in the energy field to highly sophisticated treatment vehicles in the biomedical field. Understanding the physical behavior of nanomaterials is critical to design materials with excellent properties and performance for the many disciplines in which they are utilized and is necessary to master the various manufacturing processes that influence nanomaterial properties and behavior. This research focused on a fundamental study into the behaviors of newly developed nanomaterials under both conventional and new manufacturing processes for high performance lithium-ion batteries and for advanced …

Characterization Of The Acquisition Parameters Of A Submersible Gamma-Ray Computed Tomography System, Zhongmin Jin

Doctoral Dissertations

"The purpose of this work is to study a component of a submersible gamma-ray computed tomography (CT) system used in the non-destructive testing of irradiated nuclear fuels. The first section of this study proposes two acceleration approaches for rapidly modeling a transmission-type gamma-ray tomography system. The first relies on Monte Carlo simulations with a monodirectionally biased source sampled from a sub-volume of the whole source volume. This method estimates the real count rate using analytical correction factors. The second way of acceleration is based on deterministic calculations that use the Beer-Lambert law and detector response characteristics. It shows that both …

Novel Uses Of Distributed Optical Fiber Sensing For Geo-Mechanical Monitoring, Samuel Vincent Nowak

Doctoral Dissertations

"Rock mass monitoring in underground excavations is crucial for ensuring workplace safety and efficiency. As mines become deeper and more complex, the need to monitor larger volumes of rock during mining becomes impractical with existing instruments due to high costs. Distributed Optical Fiber Sensing (DOFS) is a powerful technology with advantages like long sensor length, real-time measurement capabilities, ease of installation, low cost, and distributed measurement. However, its application in rock mass monitoring is limited, especially in the mining industry. This study addresses a major gap in DOFS technology, specifically the inability of long-range distributed optical fiber strain sensors to …

Monitoring And Control Of Coal Dust Exposure Using Low-Cost Pm Sensors And Computational Fluid Dynamics, Nana Kobina Amoako Amoah

Doctoral Dissertations

"Overexposure to respirable coal mine dust has been linked to causing serious health problems including coal workers pneumoconiosis (CWP) and chronic massive fibrosis. The prevalence of these health problems has been on the increase since the 2000s due to increased exposure levels with roof bolter operators having the highest exposure levels. The currently used PDM3700 is too expensive, heavy and bulky which limits their use only for regulatory monitoring failing to measure miners’ personal exposure levels. Also, since roof bolter operators are more prone to elevated coal dust levels, the canopy air curtain (CAC) was developed to protect then high …

Modeling And Analysis Methods For Esd And Emi Problems, Xin Yan

Doctoral Dissertations

"Electrostatic discharge (ESD) failures and Electromagnetic interference (EMI) problems are becoming more critical in electronic devices and large systems. In this work, four studies are presented to model and analyze ESD and EMI problems.

First, a simplified physical-based model for deep-snapback transient voltage suppressors (TVS) is developed. While based on physics, the number of parameters and components is minimized. Results show that the proposed model captures the most important behaviors of the TVS response using a limited number of parameters, allowing the model to be tuned relatively easily using data obtained only from package-level transient and quasi-static measurements. Second, a …