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Electronic Theses and Dissertations

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Full-Text Articles in Engineering

Adaptive Audio Classification Framework For In-Vehicle Environment With Dynamic Noise Characteristics, Haitham Alsaadan Jan 2017

Adaptive Audio Classification Framework For In-Vehicle Environment With Dynamic Noise Characteristics, Haitham Alsaadan

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

With ever-increasing number of car-mounted electric devices that are accessed, managed, and controlled with smartphones, car apps are becoming an important part of the automotive industry. Audio classification is one of the key components of car apps as a front-end technology to enable human-app interactions. Existing approaches for audio classification, however, fall short as the unique and time-varying audio characteristics of car environments are not appropriately taken into account. Leveraging recent advances in mobile sensing technology that allows for an active and accurate driving environment detection, in this thesis, we develop an audio classification framework for mobile apps that categorizes …


Cathode Interface Engineering For High Performance Planar Perovskite Solar Cells, Md Nazmul Hasan Jan 2017

Cathode Interface Engineering For High Performance Planar Perovskite Solar Cells, Md Nazmul Hasan

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Organic-inorganic hybrid perovskite solar cells (PSCs) have already improved their power conversion efficiency (PCE) from 3.9% to ~22.1% at present. This demonstrated that PSCs can be a promising alternative to conventional silicon solar cells. PSCs have been marked as one of the most favorable next-generation solar cells due to their high extinction coefficient, broad light absorption range and ambipolar charge transport properties, low production cost, and simple fabrication processing. Various device architectures have been designed and investigated for constructing high performance PSCs consisting of different electron transport layers (ETL) and hole transport layers (HTL). In general, PSCs are fabricated in …


Intelligent Learning Control System Design Based On Adaptive Dynamic Programming, Naresh Malla Jan 2017

Intelligent Learning Control System Design Based On Adaptive Dynamic Programming, Naresh Malla

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Adaptive dynamic programming (ADP) controller is a powerful neural network based control technique that has been investigated, designed, and tested in a wide range of applications for solving optimal control problems in complex systems. The performance of ADP controller is usually obtained by long training periods because the data usage efficiency is low as it discards the samples once used. Experience replay is a powerful technique showing potential to accelerate the training process of learning and control. However, its existing design can not be directly used for model-free ADP design, because it focuses on the forward temporal difference (TD) information …


Impact Of Subsurface Drainage On Water Yield For Typical Soil And Weather In Eastern South Dakota, Govinda Karki Jan 2017

Impact Of Subsurface Drainage On Water Yield For Typical Soil And Weather In Eastern South Dakota, Govinda Karki

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Subsurface drainage in agricultural land changes the field water balance by providing an alternate pathway for subsurface water. Determining the effects of subsurface drainage on downstream hydrology requires quantifying the components of the water balance. A number of studies have looked at the hydrological impacts of subsurface drainage. However, the effects are complex and difficult to generalize. The complex interaction involves the interrelation among variables such as soil type and properties, climate (rainfall and evapotranspiration), and drainage design configuration (drainage intensity and drainage coefficient), which all are local in nature. Additionally, most studies have been conducted in humid climates, whereas …


Monopile Foundation Offshore Wind Turbine Simulation And Retrofitting, William A. Schaffer Jan 2017

Monopile Foundation Offshore Wind Turbine Simulation And Retrofitting, William A. Schaffer

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Offshore wind turbines (OWT) provide a renewable source of energy with great proximity to many large cities. This has caused a major increase in OWT development and implementation, primarily in Europe, but spreading throughout the world. There are a multitude of different foundation options, each with their own benefits. The most common types are: monopile, jacket, TLP, Semi-Submersible, and SPAR. The monopile foundation OWT has been proven to be the most economic selection for water depths up to approximately 25m. This thesis has analyzed strictly monopile foundations due to their previous success and popularity. Three different chapters have been created …


Advanced Carbon Materials Based Electrodes For High Performance Symmetric Supercapacitors, Keliang Wang Jan 2017

Advanced Carbon Materials Based Electrodes For High Performance Symmetric Supercapacitors, Keliang Wang

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Supercapacitors have received considerable attention due to their high energy density, long life time, rapid charge/discharge rate, and because they are environmental friendly technology. Electrode materials play a key role in the final performance of supercapacitors. Carbon, usually used as symmetric supercapacitors electrode materials, exhibit extraordinary stability in harsh electrolyte and electrochemical performance owing to its physical and chemical properties. In addition, porous structure originated from activation, excellent electrical conductivity, sustainability, wide availability and low cost further offering the improvement in electrochemical performance and make it to be a promising electrode material for symmetric supercapacitors. Considering the factors affected electrochemical …


Rehabilitation Of Longitudinal Joints In Double-Tee Girder Bridges, Lucas Michael Bohn Jan 2017

Rehabilitation Of Longitudinal Joints In Double-Tee Girder Bridges, Lucas Michael Bohn

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Prefabricated bridge elements have become an essential part of accelerated bridge construction (ABC), which is an emerging technology to expedite bridge construction. Among several bridge girder types, precast double-tee girders are common on county bridges in South Dakota because of the ease of construction, the reduced construction time, and the potentially lower overall cost. However, the longitudinal joints of these bridges are rapidly deteriorating with many needing replacement before the expected 75- year service life. Research was conducted at South Dakota State University (SDSU) to develop, construct, and evaluate the performance of rehabilitation methods on this type of bridge. Current …


Electrochemical Sensor For Metal Ions And Phosphate Ion Detection For Biomedical And Agriculture Application, Md Faisal Kabir Jan 2017

Electrochemical Sensor For Metal Ions And Phosphate Ion Detection For Biomedical And Agriculture Application, Md Faisal Kabir

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The goal of this work was to develop electrochemical sensors for heavy metal ions (e.g., Cd2+, Hg2+, Pb2+) and phosphate detections in fertilizers with high sensitivity, high detection range, repeatability and portability. The heavy metal electrochemical sensors were made using novel graphene oxide/silver nanowire (GO/AgNWs) composite as working electrode. The phosphate electrochemical sensors were fabricated using ammonium molybdate tetrahydrate/silver nanowires (AMT/AgNWs) modified screen printed electrode. Most of the heavy metals such as mercury, lead, cadmium, and arsenic have dangerous effects on human body. These ions can enter human body system via agriculture food chain …


Assessment Of Varying Model Representations In Cfd Simulations, Caitlin R. Gerdes Jan 2017

Assessment Of Varying Model Representations In Cfd Simulations, Caitlin R. Gerdes

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This thesis investigates the effects of varying model refinement and representation of computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulations in two case studies. Product and process realization in engineering design requires substantial resources (time and money) in order to test novel designs for effectiveness. In recent decades, engineering has been relying more heavily on simulation-based analysis in the design process with computer models to help reduce the demands for real-life testing. The first case study analyzed in this thesis is a photobioreactor, which is used to grow microalgae for biofuel and require a balance of nutrients, light, and mixing for growth. The …


Simulation Of Magnetically Confined Inductively Coupled Plasma, Sina Javadpour Jan 2017

Simulation Of Magnetically Confined Inductively Coupled Plasma, Sina Javadpour

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

In this work, a new parallel coil design was presented to address the need for high density inductively coupled plasmas with enhanced properties and a more uniform and consistent distribution, suitable for large-area material processing. Fluid model simulations of 3D argon inductively coupled plasma (ICP) were performed in COMSOL for the proposed coil and a conventional single cylindrical coil with the same impedance to be used as reference, to compare and evaluate the performance of this new halftoroidal parallel coil design and study its effects on the main variables of the generated plasma. Through different comparisons of the simulations results, …


Understanding The Impacts Of Ammonia Fiber Expansion (Afex™) Pretreatment And Densification On Densified Products Quality And The Bioproducts Yield Through Enzymatic Hydrolysis And Fast Pyrolysis, Vijay Sundaram Jan 2017

Understanding The Impacts Of Ammonia Fiber Expansion (Afex™) Pretreatment And Densification On Densified Products Quality And The Bioproducts Yield Through Enzymatic Hydrolysis And Fast Pyrolysis, Vijay Sundaram

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Lignocellulosic biomass poses significant challenges during handling, transportation, and storage due to its low bulk density. Densification involves conversion of the low bulk density biomass into a highly compacted product which helps in improving the handling, transporting, and storage obstacles associated with biomass logistics. Besides the logistical challenges, the recalcitrant nature of the lignocellulosic biomass makes it even more challenging during the enzymatic hydrolysis. The carbohydrate components, cellulose and hemicellulose are not readily accessible by the enzymes during the hydrolysis process due to the presence of lignin. Pretreatment is the process to convert the native recalcitrant biomass in the form, …


Activated Carbon Preparation And Modification For Adsorption, Yuhe Cao Jan 2017

Activated Carbon Preparation And Modification For Adsorption, Yuhe Cao

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Butanol is considered a promising, infrastructure-compatible biofuel. Butanol has a higher energy content than ethanol and can be used in conventional gas engines without modifications. Unfortunately, the fermentation pathway for butanol production is restricted by its toxicity to the microbial strains used in the process. Butanol is toxic to the microbes, and this can slow fermentation rates and reduce butanol yields. Gas stripping technology can efficiently remove butanol from the fermentation broth as it is produced, thereby decreasing its inhibitory effects. Traditional butanol separation heavily depends on the energy intensive distillation method. One of the main issues in acetone-butanol-ethanol fermentation …


Development Of Microgrid Test Bed For Testing Energy Management System, Shaili Nepal Jan 2017

Development Of Microgrid Test Bed For Testing Energy Management System, Shaili Nepal

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Today the world population has reached 7.5 billion, and this number is expected to grow at the rate of 1.13% every year [1]. With this increase in population, the total demand for electricity has also increased. More people means the need for more power: electricity to power homes, schools, industries, hospitals, and so on. In today’s world, where most of the daily activities are dependent on electricity, demand for electricity, therefore, continues to rise. Currently, managing this growing need for electricity is one of the challenges the world is facing. In addition to this, approximately 1.2 billion people live in …


Maximizing Cache Value For Distributing Content Via Small Cells In 5g, Ibrahim Khalaf Freewan Jan 2017

Maximizing Cache Value For Distributing Content Via Small Cells In 5g, Ibrahim Khalaf Freewan

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The objective of this thesis is to develop an algorithm for distributing content at small cells in 5G, wherein small cells (SCs) are set up instead of macro cells to serve mobile users. Users may simultaneously access between one and some maximum number of SCs, the actual number of SCs being drawn from a distribution. The source library is located away from these sites, and it stores files as a collection of RaptorQ-encoded symbols. By using RaptorQ symbols a very large number of distinct encoding symbols can be generated and a collection of received encoded symbols slightly larger than the …


Dynamic Analysis For Characterization Of Novel Biomass Based Composities, Aarsh Jigish Shah Jan 2017

Dynamic Analysis For Characterization Of Novel Biomass Based Composities, Aarsh Jigish Shah

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Resources from forests constitute a significant asset of Mississippi State. Forests cover around 19.7 million acres (65%) of the total land area of Mississippi. Total annual economic impact of Mississippi’s forest products is about $17 billion. Creation of high-value products will lead to a number of economic benefits to the region. This work focuses on the study of bio-composite. Bio-composite materials are a ‘Green’ alternative to conventional materials which are readily recyclable and biodegradable. Taylor made properties are achievable in bio-composites, this being one of the significant advantages. Producing biodegradable products has become a necessity due to petroleum-based products being …


Evaluating The Interactive Effects Of Traffic Volumes And Access Density On Crash Frequency, Ali Mohammed Alsubeai Jan 2017

Evaluating The Interactive Effects Of Traffic Volumes And Access Density On Crash Frequency, Ali Mohammed Alsubeai

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Control of access points (e.g., driveway density) is an important consideration in roadway access management. Research has shown that by limiting the number of access points, there is a reduction in the number of conflict points along a roadway, resulting in improved safety. The effects of managing access points on crash frequency are documented as Crash Modification Factors/Functions (CMF) in the Highway Safety Manual (HSM) and the federal Highway Administration’s CMF Clearinghouse. The CMFs from the HSM indicate that the impacts of Access Density (AD) on crash frequency are a function of both AD and traffic volume (for rural roads). …


Pretreatment, Enzymatic Hydrolysis, And Fermentation To Ethanol Using A Lignocellulosic Feedstock And Subsequent Recovery Of A Value Added Co-Product: Pure Crystalline Cellulose, Ryan J. Bouza Jan 2017

Pretreatment, Enzymatic Hydrolysis, And Fermentation To Ethanol Using A Lignocellulosic Feedstock And Subsequent Recovery Of A Value Added Co-Product: Pure Crystalline Cellulose, Ryan J. Bouza

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

As more demand for alternatives to petroleum and the industrial world’s love of cars increase, cellulosic ethanol will become more important. The ethanol can, of course, be used in the transportation fuel sector, but there is also a potential for co-products to be developed out of the cellulose to ethanol process. Some of these co-products have the potential to replace current petrol products. These co-products may provide the extra revenue generation needed for further investment and development of this industry. This would not only provide better energy independence, but in the United States, it would better satisfy the cellulosic ethanol …


Efficient Energy Optimization For Smart Grid And Smart Community, Avijit Das Jan 2017

Efficient Energy Optimization For Smart Grid And Smart Community, Avijit Das

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The electric power industry has undergone significant changes in response to the environmental concerns during the past decades. Nowadays, due to the integration of different distributed energy systems in the smart grid, the balancing between power generation and load demand becomes a critical problem. Specifically, due to the intermittent nature of renewable energy sources (RESs) , power system optimization becomes significantly complicated. Due to the uncertain nature of RESs, the system may fail to ensure the power quality which may cause increased operating costs for committing costly reserve units or penalty costs for curtailing load demands. This dissertation presents three …


Effects Of Mechanical Bar Splices On Seismic Performance Of Reinforced Concrete Buildings, Abdullah Al Hashib Jan 2017

Effects Of Mechanical Bar Splices On Seismic Performance Of Reinforced Concrete Buildings, Abdullah Al Hashib

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Mechanical bar splices, which are commonly referred to as couplers, are currently used in reinforced concrete structures to directly connect steel bars in lieu of conventional lap splicing. With proper detailing, couplers can be utilized to connect precast beams and columns to accelerate the construction. However, the experimental and analytical studies regarding their effect on the performance of RC moment-resisting frames (MRFs) are scarce. Current ACI 318 restricts the use of couplers in plastic hinge regions of special moment-resisting frames (SMRFs). Nevertheless, they can be incorporated at any location of the intermediate and ordinary MRFs. The seismic performance of RC …


Modeling Of The Solid-Electrolyte Interface Layer Of Lithium Ion Batteries For Capacity Fade Using Kinetic Monte Carlo, Bigyan Khanal Jan 2017

Modeling Of The Solid-Electrolyte Interface Layer Of Lithium Ion Batteries For Capacity Fade Using Kinetic Monte Carlo, Bigyan Khanal

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The accurate model on the growth of Solid-Electrolyte Interface (SEI) layer of Lithiumion batteries is used to study the capacity fade, ageing, and cycling life and provides significant information to ensure the battery safety. In this work, the model for SEI layer dynamics is developed using the Kinetic Monte Carlo approach, in which four major dynamical processes including adsorption, absorption, diffusion, and passivation are described by their individual rates, and determined from chemical and physical properties of materials used in the battery. Total cycle numbers to be simulated determine the number of Kinetic Monte Carlo steps. The formation of a …


Glulam Timber Bridges For Local Roads, Zachary Charles Carnahan Jan 2017

Glulam Timber Bridges For Local Roads, Zachary Charles Carnahan

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The most common type of bridges on South Dakota (SD) local roads are prestressed precast double-tee bridges. Currently, there is only one double-tee girder manufacturer in South Dakota (SD). In an attempt to provide more bridge type selection options for local governments, a study was performed at South Dakota State University to investigate the feasibility and performance of new types of single-span bridges suitable for local loads with low traffic. In one part of the study, Mingo (2016) developed a fully precast bridge incorporating full-depth deck-panels and prestressed inverted bulb-tee girders. The study presented in this thesis was performed to …


Evaluation Of Woodchip Bioreactor Denitrification Kinetics, Abdoul Aziz Kouanda Jan 2017

Evaluation Of Woodchip Bioreactor Denitrification Kinetics, Abdoul Aziz Kouanda

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Agricultural subsurface drainage is a water management practice used to remove excess water in poorly drained soil. The use of fertilizers combined with subsurface drainage practice affects negatively surface water quality due to nutrient loss. Woodchip bioreactors have previously been used as a technology for removing nitrate from agricultural subsurface drainage. Understanding the mechanism that governs nitrate removal in woodchip bioreactors is crucial for field bioreactor design and application. The objective of this project is to determine woodchip bioreactor denitrification kinetics parameters under different operating conditions including hydraulic retention time, temperature and influent nitrate concentrations. Laboratory column experiments were conducted …


Mechanical Property Characterization Of Discontinuous Fiber Reinforced Composites By Computer Modeling, Amrit Bhusal Jan 2017

Mechanical Property Characterization Of Discontinuous Fiber Reinforced Composites By Computer Modeling, Amrit Bhusal

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The desire to make high strength, lightweight, less corrosive, high fatigue resistance materials in auto industries, aero industries, biomedical industries have given a chance for in-depth study of composite materials. To get the profound knowledge of composites, different experiments are conducted which often take huge resources, cost and time. Computer modeling and analysis have gained popularity in Finite Element Analysis (FEA) because it can be used to predict the mechanical property of different materials. In this thesis, FEA technique has been used to predict mechanical property of discontinuous fiber reinforced composites (FRC). If we are able to foretell the mechanical …


Evaluation Of Woodchip Bioreactors And Phosphorus Adsorption Media For Nutrient Removal From Subsurface Drainage Water, Utsav Thapa Jan 2017

Evaluation Of Woodchip Bioreactors And Phosphorus Adsorption Media For Nutrient Removal From Subsurface Drainage Water, Utsav Thapa

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Increased subsurface drainage over the past few decades in eastern South Dakota contributed to agricultural water quality problems. Nutrient losses, primarily nitrate-N and dissolved P, from subsurface drainage, have been identified as major contributors to eutrophication in the Great Lakes and Gulf of Mexico. Denitrifying bioreactors and P adsorption structures are edge-of field practices that can be used to protect water quality in waters downstream of subsurface drainage systems. The objectives of this study were to evaluate the effectiveness of woodchip bioreactors and a P adsorption structure in removing nitrate-N and dissolved P from subsurface drainage water. Four woodchip bioreactors …


Optimized Multilayer Perceptron With Dynamic Learning Rate To Classify Breast Microwave Tomography Image, Chulwoo Pack Jan 2017

Optimized Multilayer Perceptron With Dynamic Learning Rate To Classify Breast Microwave Tomography Image, Chulwoo Pack

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Most recently developed Computer Aided Diagnosis (CAD) systems and their related research is based on medical images that are usually obtained through conventional imaging techniques such as Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI), x-ray mammography, and ultrasound. With the development of a new imaging technology called Microwave Tomography Imaging (MTI), it has become inevitable to develop a CAD system that can show promising performance using new format of data. The platform can have a flexibility on its input by adopting Artificial Neural Network (ANN) as a classifier. Among the various phases of CAD system, we have focused on optimizing the classification phase …


Understanding The Impact Of Extrusion Processing On Rheological, Textural And Functional Properties Of High-Protein, High-Fiber Extrudates, Poonam Singha Jan 2017

Understanding The Impact Of Extrusion Processing On Rheological, Textural And Functional Properties Of High-Protein, High-Fiber Extrudates, Poonam Singha

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Extrusion processing is a technology widely used to make ready-to-eat snack and breakfast cereal products. Expanded products mainly consists of high levels of starch resulting in optimal texture and consumer acceptance. However, these products are usually low in nutritional value. One of the many alternatives are to combine legumes and cereals to improve the protein quality of the product. Another possibility is to enhance the nutritional value by incorporating fruits and vegetables. Fruits and vegetables are consistently under-consumed by the American population and incorporation into extruded products may help increase the intake of important nutrients, such as dietary fiber. The …


A Demonstration Study Of Drainage Water Management In Eastern South Dakota, Ashik Sahani Jan 2017

A Demonstration Study Of Drainage Water Management In Eastern South Dakota, Ashik Sahani

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Subsurface drainage is a common water management practice for improving crop production in poorly drained soils; however, the practice is associated with several environmental concerns such as nutrient losses to downstream surface waters. These environmental concerns from subsurface drainage have prompted interest in drainage water management strategies such as controlled drainage. This study assessed the agronomic and environmental impacts of drainage water management in eastern South Dakota by using two demonstration plots for controlled and conventional drainage. Drain flow, nitrate and dissolved phosphorous concentration in drain water, shallow groundwater, crop yield, residual soil nitrate, soil moisture and temperature, soil penetration …


Engineering Of Photo-Rechargeable Energy Storage, Ashim Gurung Jan 2017

Engineering Of Photo-Rechargeable Energy Storage, Ashim Gurung

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Solar photovoltaics (PV) is a very promising renewable energy technologies as it is abundant and pollution-free. However, the major drawback of PV power is its intermittency. Integration of batteries with solar modules can reduce overall PV system costs and increase the practicality of PV power. Integration of the photovoltaic cells with supercapacitor storage proved feasibility of combined photovoltaic energy generation and storage but the supercapacitors had low energy storage capacity. Photovoltaic cells with integrated Li-ion batteries as energy storage were demonstrated but had a complex structure due to multiple PV cells; low efficiency due to a mismatch between the PV …


Screen Printed Carbon Electrode Based Microfluidic Biosensor For Sweat Cortisol Detection, Shailu Shree Poudyal Jan 2017

Screen Printed Carbon Electrode Based Microfluidic Biosensor For Sweat Cortisol Detection, Shailu Shree Poudyal

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

A simple, cost-effective, microfluidic, field-deployable biosensor with screen printed carbon electrode (SPCE) was developed for detection of sweat cortisol with point of care applications. Cortisol detection in artificial sweat is an important screening tool for diagnosis and monitoring of various health conditions like Addison’s disease, stress disorder, and Cushing’s syndrome. A self-assembled monolayer of graphene oxide (GO) is functionalized on SPCE electrode, onto which cortisol antibodies are immobilized for cortisol detection. Microfluidic system ensured precise and controlled flow of reagents and antibodies. Electrochemical measurement is done using cyclic voltammetry, as a function of cortisol concentrations. Cyclic voltammetry measurement gives current …


Designing And Development Of A Photobioreactor For Optimizing The Growth Of Micro Algae And Studying Its Growth Parameters, Sarmila Katuwal Jan 2017

Designing And Development Of A Photobioreactor For Optimizing The Growth Of Micro Algae And Studying Its Growth Parameters, Sarmila Katuwal

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This thesis presents the estimated value of materials required to grow 1g of biomass and the analysis of the light intensity with respect to flow path and flow rate. This thesis aims to design the sparger for a flat plate Photobioreactor, study the flow patterns at different flow rate of air flow and check the performance of flat plate PBR by growing the cyanobacteria. The estimated value to produce 1g of biomass (C44.6H7O25N7.68P0.9S0.3) was 0.099g of N, 0.493g of C, 0.160 g of Na, 0.026 g of P, …