Engineering Commons^™

A Large Electroencephalogram Database Of Freewill Reaching And Grasping Tasks For Brain Machine Interfaces, Bhoj Raj Thapa, John Boggess, Jihye Bae

Electrical and Computer Engineering Faculty Publications

Brain machine interfaces (BMIs) offer great potential to improve the quality of life for individuals with neurological disorders or severe motor impairments. Among various neural recording modalities, electroencephalogram (EEG) is particularly favorable for BMIs due to its noninvasive nature, portability, and high temporal resolution. Existing EEG datasets for BMIs are often limited to experimental settings that fail to address subjects’ freewill in decision making. We present a large EEG dataset, containing a total of 6808 trials, recorded from 23 healthy young adults (eight females and 15 males with an age range from 18 to 24 years) while performing reaching and …

Axial Flux Permanent Magnet Generators For Direct-Drive Wind Turbines - Review And Optimal Design Studies, Matin Vatani, Ali Mohammadi, Donovin D. Lewis, John F. Eastham, Dan M. Ionel

Electrical and Computer Engineering Graduate Research

This paper presents a comprehensive analysis of the feasibility, cost, and electromagnetic performance of five distinct types of axial flux permanent magnet (AFPM) generators designed for direct-drive wind turbines. The generator configurations investigated include a single-sided AFPM generator with a surface-mounted PM rotor (AFPMG), a double-sided AFPM generator featuring PMs on the stator and a reluctance rotor (AFPMG-RR), a coreless stator AFPM generator with surface PMs (CAFPMG-SPM), and a coreless stator AFPM generator with a Halbach PM array rotor (CAFPMG-Hal). Each generator’s operating principles and configurations are thoroughly explained and compared. Large-scale multi-objective design optimizations were conducted on each type, …

Review Of Coreless Axial Flux Permanent Magnet Machines With Applications Including Electric Aircraft Propulsion, Matin Vatani, Donovin D. Lewis, John F. Eastham, Dan M. Ionel

Electrical and Computer Engineering Graduate Research

Axial flux permanent magnet (AFPM) machines with entirely or stator coreless configurations offer significant advantages, including low rotational losses, the absence of cogging torque, minimal torque ripple, and the potential for high specific power density. Advances in permanent magnet (PM) technology and cooling techniques have enabled fully coreless AFPM machines to achieve high magnetic and current loadings without core saturation, making them suitable for high performance applications like electric aircraft propulsion. This paper reviews recent advancements in coreless AFPM machines, tracing their historical and chronological development. Various topologies, including single- and double-sided and multi-disk designs, are examined to identify the …

Speed Variation Based Power Regulation Concept For Dynamic Wireless Charging, Donovin D. Lewis, Sudarshan T. Harave, Omer Onar, Mostak Mohammad, Veda Prakash Galigekere, Gui-Jia Su, Dan Ionel

Electrical and Computer Engineering Graduate Research

On-road wireless charging of electric vehicles (EVs) in-motion could potentially reduce range anxiety or battery size with wide-spread deployment. The planning and implementation of such systems are greatly complicated due to their susceptibility to load variation inherent to traffic flow. This paper proposes a method for derisking the potential for traffic slowdowns by compensating for reduced vehicle speed and investigates how implementation may affect system performance. A load modeling case study is presented at 200kW for a mile of high-speed roadway employing speed-based power regulation with results indicating average power usage and maximum car hosting capability can be reduced by …

Fault-Tolerant High-Power Two-Phase Coreless Afpm Motor-Drive System Concept, Yaser Chulaee, Ali Mohammadi, Matin Vatani, Aaron M. Cramer, Dan M. Ionel

Electrical and Computer Engineering Graduate Research

This paper proposes a fault-tolerant, high-power two-phase coreless axial flux permanent magnet (AFPM) motor drive system concept. Initially, the performance of a two-phase variant of the coreless AFPM machine is compared with that of its three-phase counterpart using both 3D finite element analysis (FEA) and experiments. Thanks to the intrinsic unique features of coreless AFPM machines, the analysis of the results demonstrates that the two-phase configuration has comparable power density (kW/kg) and efficiency. In terms of fault tolerance, the two-phase configuration exhibits superior performance, as the mutual inductance between phases is zero, resulting in an electric machine with magnetically decoupled …

Two-Level Multi-Objective Design Optimization Including Torque Ripple Minimization For Stator Excited Synchronous And Flux Switching Machines, Ali Mohammadi, Oluwaseun A. Badewa, Yaser Chulaee, Dan M. Ionel

Electrical and Computer Engineering Graduate Research

Electric machine performance can be enhanced through torque ripple mitigation, which reduces mechanical vibrations and improves system stability and operation. This paper proposes a novel two-level optimization method for synchronous flux-switching and hybrid excitation machines, featuring an innovative multi-point spline shaping approach for torque ripple minimization. The study employs experimentally validated models based on a prototype with a similar topology. The optimization process is implemented on two distinct designs: a 20-pole inner rotor PM-excited stator machine and a 28-pole outer rotor DC-excited stator machine. Analysis results demonstrate that the proposed innovative method significantly reduces torque ripple in both configurations. Force …

Electromagnetic Design Characterization Of Synchronous Machines With Flux Switching Effect Employing Reluctance Rotors And Stators With Pms And Ac Concentrated Coils, Oluwaseun A. Badewa, Ali Mohammadi, Donovin D. Lewis, Somasundaram Essakiappan, Madhav Manjrekar, Dan M. Ionel

Electrical and Computer Engineering Graduate Research

This paper introduces an innovative design for a synchronous electric motor that has phase coils and permanent magnets (PM) embedded in the stator. The electric machine contains both concentrated winded phase coils in dedicated slots and spoke-type permanent magnets solely in the stator. The spoke-type magnet arrangement achieves a high flux intensity even with low remanence non-rare earth permanent magnets. As the rotor has no active electromagnetic components, the risk for demagnetization is reduced and advanced cooling applied to the stator can enable high-speed operation. The principle of operation and polarity of the motor are investigated with a unique approach …

Development And Clinical Validation Of The Sensor-E Exoskeleton For Objective Hand Function Assessment In Stroke Rehabilitation, Madison Bates

Theses and Dissertations--Biomedical Engineering

Hand function is often impaired following neurological trauma or in conditions such as stroke, limiting independence and the ability to perform activities of daily living (ADLs). Current clinical assessments rely heavily on subjective rating scales that lack the resolution to detect subtle changes in motor performance, which can limit access to rehabilitation. Recent advances in wearable technologies highlight the potential for hand-worn devices to provide objective, real-time measures of hand function. However, most systems focus solely on kinematics and rarely capture both movement and exerted force. Moreover, integration into rehabilitation frameworks and brain-computer interface (BCI) protocols remains limited. To address …

Image Processing And Machine Learning Using Lidar And 360 Camera In Underground Mines, Ana Fabiola Patricia Tejada Peralta

Theses and Dissertations--Mining Engineering

Underground mining environments present several safety challenges due to low visibility, poor lighting, and the absence of GPS coverage. These factors hinder situational awareness and delay hazard detection, particularly during post-disaster conditions. This research introduces an integrated framework that combines image processing and machine learning techniques applied to 360-degree camera and LiDAR data to enable automated object detection and remote monitoring in underground mines.

The study was divided into two main stages: 2D object detection and 3D object detection. The 2D component employed images captured with a Ricoh Theta Z1 360° camera and utilized YOLO-based deep learning models for object …

In‑Situ Characterization And Modeling Of Machining‑Induced Residual Stresses In Peripheral Milling Of Ti–6al–4v With Rounded Cutting Edges, Matthias Wimmer, Julius M. Schoop, Michael F. Zaeh

Mechanical Engineering Faculty Publications

The residual stress state in the sub-surface of machined components can significantly impact the properties and performance of parts, such as tribological properties, fatigue life, and dimensional distortion. The evolution of residual stresses depends on the selected process parameters and tool geometry, which affect the thermo-mechanical load imposed on the workpiece. The cutting-edge radius is among the most important factors influencing the resulting residual stresses. In this paper, a semi-analytical model for the determination of residual stresses after peripheral milling of Ti–6Al–4V is presented. It considers the physical principles of orthogonal machining, including the complex geometric and kinematic relationships during …

Ioto: Never Open A Stiff Lid Again, Gabriel Portugal

Libraries Award for Undergraduate Scholarship

Background: From baby food to pickles, food jars are a common find in American homes. Unfortunately,  the task of opening a stiff jar lid can be very difficult for consumers with lower grip strength, parkinsons,  or arthritis. While there are a variety of products on the market to help make this easier, there exist few jar  openers that can be used by these consumers. Objective: This project aimed to research and develop  (R&D) an improved hands-free jar opener that is accessible for consumers with the most advanced  cases of limited arm strength. Methods: R&D followed a Design Thinking approach with …

Eco-Friendly Synthesis And Stability Analysis Of Cspbbr3 And Poly(Methyl Methacrylate)-Cspbbr3 Films, You-Lin Huang, Wei Li, Fuqian Yang

Mechanical Engineering Faculty Publications

This study presents an eco-friendly mechanochemical synthesis of cesium lead bromide (CsPbBr₃), eliminating the need of organic solvents and high temperatures. The synthesized CsPbBr₃ powder is used to fabricate poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA)-CsPbBr₃ films and CsPbBr₃ nanocrystals (NCs). The photoluminescence (PL) peaks of the emission light are centered at 541 nm, 538 nm, and 514 nm for the CsPbBr₃ powder, PMMA-CsPbBr₃ films, and CsPbBr₃ NCs, respectively, correlating with crystal sizes of 0.96, 0.56, and 0.12 μm, respectively. The PL lifetime analysis reveals decay times () of (4.18, 20.08), (5.7, 46.99), and (5.81, …

Investigation Of Subsurface Thermal Radiation Phenomena In Fibrous Thermal Protection Systems, Colby L. Gore

Theses and Dissertations--Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) Education

Atmospheric re-entry induces intense thermal stress upon vehicles through a high-enthalpy boundary layer that encompasses the craft. To protect these vehicles, numerous insulative methods, known as thermal protection systems (TPS), are deployed to protect the craft during re-entry. The TPS materials insulate the craft from intense thermal transmission that would terminate a mission. In hypersonic environments, vast temperature gradients exist, enforcing the exponential effect of thermal radiation. However, TPS materials are commonly low-density fibrous materials that allow for the potential to be penetrated by thermal radiation. A series of arc-jet tests was completed to replicate enhanced radiative conditions in a …

Innovative Biomechanical And Engineering-Based Assessments Of Hip Mechanics In Individuals With Hip-Related Pain, Holly M. Stanze

Theses and Dissertations--Kinesiology and Health Promotion

Individuals with hip-related pain exhibit altered movement patterns, and worse fear of movement (kinesiophobia), compared to asymptomatic controls. Exacerbation of hip pain during movement and the role of hip symptom duration may help further our understanding of specific movement patterns that are associated with hip-related pain. A better understanding of the potential connections between hip-related symptom duration, kinesiophobia, hip pain during movement, and lower limb mechanics in those with hip-related pain may allow for more efficient referrals to clinicians and lead to more effective rehabilitation. In addition, the impact of hip-related pain on intra-articular hip loading patterns is not well …

Magnetic Heating Efficiency Of Magnetite Nanoparticles: Dependence On Size And Alternating Magnetic Field, Sarah E. Kubican

Theses and Dissertations--Biomedical Engineering

Magnetic heating mediated by magnetic iron oxide nanoparticles (MION) has several clinical applications including cancer thermal therapy, tissue thawing for organ preservation, and magnetogenetics. However, current models of magnetic heating, including the widely used linear response theory, inadequately predict MION heating efficiency. An experimental study covering alternating magnetic field (AMF) strengths and frequencies ranging from 3.98 – 27.85 kA/m and 103.6 – 984.1 kHz, respectively, with a range of MION core diameters 9.5- 30.3 nm was conducted to elucidate the relationships between these AMF parameters and MION sizes and the resulting heating efficiencies. Heating efficiency was found to increase approximately …

Pathogen Surveillance Of Viruses And Antimicrobial Resistance Through Wastewater Based Epidemiology, William Strike

Theses and Dissertations--Biomedical Engineering

Pandemic surveillance is a cornerstone in public health safety, as it enables identification of pathogens circulating within a community before they become widespread outbreaks. Wastewater based epidemiology has blossomed in recent years due to its success in the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic, but this form of public health surveillance has a global equity problem. A large majority of the wastewater-based surveillance work has been done in large metropolitan cities with access to advanced testing infrastructure, which poses a challenge as we consider where pandemics have historically emerged. Therefore, there is a need to identify, adapt, and develop workflows to meet the needs …

Stable Oxygen And Hydrogen Isotopic Ratios Of Precipitation And Modelling Of Precipitation Sources In Central Kentucky, Usa, 2017-2022, Ariel Gold-Mccoy

Theses and Dissertations--Civil Engineering

Our goals were to carry out analyses of a multi-year δ¹⁸O and δ²H dataset of precipitation from central Kentucky and to analyze the source of precipitation for storm events from 2017 to 2022. δ¹⁸O and δ²H were measured for 244 weekly precipitation samples collected by the National Atmospheric Deposition Program at Mackville, Kentucky, USA. Modelling precipitation source was carried out using HYSPLIT model for 414 events. Results of δ¹⁸O and δ²H from central Kentucky show: consistent seasonality, including summer highs and winter lows for δ¹⁸O and δ²H; correlation with air temperature; and …

Measuring Accessibility Of Electric Vehicle Charging Infrastructure: A Case Study In Kentucky, Oluwasola Elijah Fagbohun

Theses and Dissertations--Civil Engineering

This thesis assesses spatial accessibility to electric vehicle charging infrastructure across Kentucky by investigating methodological approaches to measure accessibility: provider-topopulation ratios, regional accessibility metrics, and several methods in the family of gravity models. The Enhanced Two-Step Floating Catchment Area method was employed to measure electric vehicle charging station accessibility across Kentucky using a network-based approach in ArcGIS Pro. The analysis integrated 2023 American Community Survey 5-year Census block group data, Kentucky road network datasets, charging station locations from the Alternative Fuels Data Center, and Alternative Fuel Corridor designations. We examined existing infrastructure and proposed stations outlined in the Kentucky electric …

A Scoring Approach For Evaluating And Ranking Complete Streets Projects, Eirini Stavropoulou

Theses and Dissertations--Civil Engineering

Complete Streets is a vital strategy for developing an equitable transportation network that provides access to all users and transportation options to communities. A growing interest in this concept has been noted in the United States, with over 1,700 Complete Streets-related policies implemented nationwide. The Kentucky Transportation Cabinet (KYTC) has developed the “Complete Streets, Roads, and Highways Manual” and the “Complete Streets Policy” aiming to promote a safer and more inclusive transportation system statewide through Complete Streets implementation. A recent KYTC initiative was the development of a scorecard to systematically evaluate Complete Streets projects competing for funding. The scorecard is …

Adjusting Benefit Estimation For Pedestrian And Bicycle Facilities For Kentucky, Dionysios Tzamakos

Theses and Dissertations--Civil Engineering

The growing shift of commuters towards active transportation (AT) in the U.S. has led transportation agencies to place greater emphasis on improving bicycle and pedestrian facilities. Such improvement efforts can be integrated into multi-modal highway planning and development or be implemented through stand-alone pedestrian and bicycle projects both resulting in additional AT demand. Measuring the benefits of infrastructure improvement is central to prioritizing projects, as active transportation contributes to health, congestion reduction, safety, and recreational benefits. This study aims to calibrate the demand estimates for walking and cycling and estimate the associated benefits for the state of Kentucky. Population density …

Advancing Vapor Intrusion Science Using Systematic Frameworks To Foster Informed Decision Making, Hong Cheng Tay

Theses and Dissertations--Civil Engineering

Vapor intrusion, the migration of subsurface vapors into indoor air spaces, is an important source of indoor air contamination to consider at hazardous waste sites contaminated by volatile organic compounds (VOCs). There is considerable uncertainty and variability in the factors that influence vapor intrusion processes, which poses a significant challenge for decision making, despite advancements in vapor intrusion science. This dissertation consolidates knowledge from existing scientific advances and investigates scientific gaps associated with the vapor intrusion preferential pathway conceptual model (i.e. conduit vapor intrusion), associated with the vapor entry pathway into buildings via sewer systems. The overall goal of this …

An Investigation Of The Legitimacy Of The Underlying Assumptions Of The Scs Curve Number Method By Application To Actual Urban Watersheds, Robert K. Peterson

Theses and Dissertations--Civil Engineering

The Soil Conservation Service (SCS) Curve Number (CN) method is widely used to estimate direct runoff, and its TR-55 urban-adapted Curve Numbers are commonly applied in stormwater design. However, the underlying assumptions of the method have been the subject of contemporary review, and concerns remain that these values underestimate runoff in actual urban watersheds. This study evaluates the performance of TR-55 CNs using rainfall–runoff data from twenty real-world urban watersheds in the National Stormwater Quality Database.

Empirical Curve Numbers were derived using two calibration techniques, the asymptotic CN method (CN∞) and a nonlinear least-squares optimization method (CN_LS), and …

Earthquake Wrangler: Leveraging Ios Technology For Earthquake Detection And Early Warning Application To Enhance Public Safety., Luis F. Salome

Theses and Dissertations--Civil Engineering

Earthquakes are devastating natural phenomena and generate secondary hazards such as tsunamis, landslides and fires. Their catastrophic impacts span both developed nations including the United States, Japan, Turkey, and Italy and developing countries such as El Salvador, Haiti, Nepal and the Philippines, where disparities in early warning infrastructure remain important. Seismic events start with stress waves generated by tectonic plate motion, with body waves (P- waves and S-waves) and surface Rayleigh and love waves that carry energy through the earth. While some regions have adopted advanced early warning systems based on seismic hazard models and strong ground motion analysis, others …

Atomistic Calculations Characterizing Thermodynamic And Mechanical Properties Of High Entropy Alloys, Sarah O'Brien

Theses and Dissertations--Chemical and Materials Engineering

High entropy alloys (HEAs) are an exciting new class of materials. HEAs combine multiple elements in concentrations ranging from 5% to 35%. The large variation in concentrations increases the alloy’s entropy, stabilizing it. The stabilization is due to both an increased configurational entropy and increases the vibrational entropy when the alloy is at higher temperatures. This was seen for both MoNbTaW and FeNiMoW by combining the atomistic techniques: density functional theory (DFT) and density functional perturbation theory (DFPT). For MoNbTaW, the composition plays a large role in stabilizing the alloy over the configuration of elements. For the three-phase alloy, FeNiMoW, …

Augmenting Machine Learning Technique Through Natural Language, Tasmia Tasrin

Theses and Dissertations--Computer Science

While artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) have proven effective at addressing many of the challenges that we face in our everyday lives, there are many situations in which these methods struggle. Examples include environments where AI or ML systems must perform complex behaviors or those where rewards are difficult to calculate. To address this limitation, interactive machine learning (IML) techniques have been introduced, which incorporate machine-understandable human feedback into traditional ML approaches. This feedback is often given as a discrete, positive or negative numeric value. This feedback is typically provided as often as possible to convey a dense …

Harmful Algal Bloom Prediction Modeling In The Face Of A Changing Climate, Jordan E. Spears

Theses and Dissertations--Civil Engineering

Harmful algal blooms (HABs) in rivers pose significant threats to drinking water quality and public health, yet the predictive understanding of their proliferation remains limited, particularly regarding the influence of flow conditions in large rivers. This thesis addresses the critical knowledge gap of the relationship between seasonal flow variability and HAB proliferation in the Ohio River, with the Markland Pool serving as the primary study site. This study quantified the impact of early summer high flow events (>7500 m³ s^-1) and late summer to early fall low flow conditions (< 1500 m³ s^-1) by integrating …

Collision Avoidance Information System Utilizing Machine Learning Image Recognition, Michael W. Long

Theses and Dissertations--Mining Engineering

This thesis addresses significant safety challenges presented by powered haulage fatalities in underground mining by developing and evaluating a machine learning-driven Collision Avoidance Information System (CAIS). The research utilized a ZED 2i camera to capture both RGB and depth data for enhanced spatial awareness in visually limited underground environments. A specialized dataset of underground mining equipment was captured from limestone and zinc mines, annotated, and used to train a segmentation network. The CAIS was field-tested in diverse underground settings, achieving an accuracy of 82% in a limestone mine similar to the training data, but a lower accuracy of 45% in …

The Dynamic Material Response Of Csa Cement Using A Split Hopkinson Bar, Elliott L. Morgan

Theses and Dissertations--Mining Engineering

The University of Kentucky Center for Applied Energy Research (CAER) Cementitious Materials Group is developing a pourable Calcium Sulphoaluminate (CSA) cement-based concrete for rapid repair applications. Due to dynamic events like vehicle strikes, ballistic events, or other dynamic loading events, the dynamic material characteristics are important for understanding how the material will respond. A large diameter Split Hopkinson Pressure Bar (SHPB) was used to test samples of the pourable CSA cement and determine its dynamic material properties in the early strength development phase. 24 samples were tested in 7 day intervals for 28 days. Samples were prepared targeting a length …

Temporal Machine Learning For Predicting Accidents And Violations In The Mining Industry, Nathan T. Kelley

Theses and Dissertations--Mining Engineering

This thesis examines the predictive capability of a temporal machine learning model for forecasting future accidents and violations at individual mines, based on historical data. Mine accidents were categorized by accident classification and violations were categorized by the Part Section. The primary datasets utilized were the mine safety and health administration’s (MSHA’s) Accident Injuries and Violations datasets. The available datasets were cleaned and organized by mine type and commodity, then divided into separate subsets for training, validating, and testing. Different models, cutoff metrics, learning rates, number of hidden layers, data processing methods, data processing divisions, number of points observed …

An Autonomous Robotic Inspection System For Underground Mines Using Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (Uavs), Kiazoa M. Joao

Theses and Dissertations--Mining Engineering

Underground mining environments pose unique safety challenges for workers due to poor visibility, unstable ground conditions, and the absence of GPS signals. To adhere to safety and health standards, underground mines are required to perform safety inspections regularly. Conventional safety inspections require personnel to enter the hazardous environment, highlighting the need for a safer, remote alternative. The use of UAVs for safety inspection in underground mines is a somewhat novel idea but has shown great promise. While Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) cannot eliminate all hazards associated with mining, they provide critical support by accessing hazardous or restricted zones that are …