Engineering Commons^™

An Islanding Detection Method For Micro-Grids With Grid-Connected And Islanded Capability, Hasna Mubarak Saleh Ai Seiari

Theses

With the increasing prevalence of renewable energy and distributed generation (DG) in distribution systems, micro-grids are becoming more popular and an attractive option for enhancing system operation and reliability. This can be attributed to the micro-grid ability to operate in both connected and disconnected modes. Equally important, micro-grids are the best solution to meet the increasing demand of electric power in a cost effective manner due to the close proximity to the load demand and thus minimizing system losses. Islanding detection methods have been proposed for inverter based distributed generation with only grid-connected capability. Micro-grids are composed of DGs that …

Behavior Of Double-Sided Concrete Corbels Reinforced With Glass-Fiber Reinforced Polymer Bars, Ayman Farid Abu Obaida

Theses

Steel reinforced concrete members with small shear span-to-effective depth ratios (a/d), such as corbels; have many classical applications, mostly in tall building, precast structures, factory buildings, bridges, and foundations. Despite extended research works on the performance of such members, little information is available on the performance of these members when reinforced totally with internal fiber reinforced polymer (FRP) bars. The use of FRP bars in reinforcing concrete members would eliminate corrosion problems thus increasing the service life of the structure. This thesis aims at investigating the shear strength of double-sided concrete corbels reinforced with glass-fiber reinforced polymer (GFRP) bars. The …

Performance Of Continuous Concrete Slabs Reinforced With Hybrid Steel-Basalt Bars, Mohammad Sohayeb Akiel

Theses

Continuous steel-reinforced concrete structures are vulnerable to corrosion

Damage when exposed to harsh environment. Although replacing conventional steel entirely with basalt fiber-reinforced polymer (BFRP) bars can eliminate corrosion problems, the lower modulus of elasticity of BFRP would reduce serviceability of the structure. The use of hybrid steel-BFRP bars rather than BFRP bars only has a potential to improve the serviceability of continuous concrete

Structures without reducing the deformation capacity. Through experimental testing and numerical simulation, this work aims to examine the structural behavior of two-span concrete specimens internally reinforced with BFRP or hybrid steel-BFRP bars.

A total of 12 two-span …

Design, Fabrication And Characterization Of Low­ Power Gas Sensors Based On Organic-Inorganic Nano-Composition, Ayah Faeik Salim Abu Hani

Theses

Lower power consumption and higher performance are compelling demands in the electronic systems motivating the search for new materials, which are capable of fulfilling these demands. Recently, nanomaterial-based sensor technology has drawn considerable attention towards the development of sensing applications such as H2S gas sensors. Development of H2S gas sensors is crucial due to its extreme toxicity and damaging effects on both health and environment. This thesis aims to develop H2S gas sensors with enhanced sensitivity, flexibility, lower operating temperature, and high selectivity.

The proposed sensors present a contribution to the field of nano-electronics. They are designed based on the …

Dissolution Kinetics Of Model Api In Molten Polymer Excipients During Batch Processing, Shen Ji

Theses

In the pharmaceutical industrial application field, hot-melt extrusion (HME) has been recently introduced to develop new solid dosage forms and products. By dissolving the poorly–soluble active pharmaceutical ingredients (API) into water-soluble polymers, the bioavailability of the Class II (with low solubility and high permeability in water) API in Biopharmaceutical Classification System (BCS) could be significantly improved in the body. For readily water-soluble API, HME provides a new approach to produce a controlled release drug system. Hence, pharmaceutical HME is a promising processing method in the pharmaceutical industry.

However, HME has not been widely applied into the pharmaceutical industry. The thermal …

Infrared Imaging - Case Studies And Applications, Shuang Du

Theses

Recent advancements in the manufacture of solid state detectors have led to significant improvements in the use and applications of infrared (IR) imaging. Compared with traditional imaging in visible light, infrared imaging has abilities to convey significant additional information. Applications in medicine require wavelengths in the range of 0.8 to 25 microns while metrology and astronomy, traditionally, require wavelengths in the range of 25 microns to 1 mm.

In this study, infrared imaging has been used as a tool to characterize a variety of objects and systems. Some of these case studies have been considered under conditions of thermodynamic non-equilibrium. …

Simulation Of A Low Voltage Customer Microgrid Using Petri Nets, Joshua Mark

Theses

With renewable energy coming to the forefront of how power is generated and delivered to the modern consumer, Microgrids are emerging as an optimal and efficient method for implementing renewables and changing the infrastructure of the dated transmission and distribution grid. This thesis work presents mathematical models of Petri Nets for the simulation of a low voltage customer Microgrid. Using previous work created in this specific field, a Hybrid Petri Net is modified such that it consists of multiple distributed generators, storage, and the utility which is referred to as the main distribution grid in this thesis. A Discrete Petri …

Optimum Distance Between Ground Base Stations For High-Speed Train Communications Using Free-Space Optical Laser Links, Sina Fathi Kazerooni

Theses

High-Speed trains (HSTs) can travel at speeds up to 430 Km/h. The increasing adoption rate of HSTs, and large number of Internet-connected digital devices, pose a great demand for a fast and reliable Internet connection in high-speed trains. Different radio-frequency (RF) wireless communication systems have been studied for HSTs. However, RF wireless communications in high-speed mobility environments suffer from frequent handovers, penetration loss, and Doppler effect. These problems promote the use of other technologies such as free-space optical (FSO) communications to provide reliable Internet connection for HST’s passengers.

Two different approaches for performing signal handover using FSO technology for ground …

Antibacterial Efficacy Of Nanometals In Conjunction With Electrical Stimulus, Syed A. Hussain

Theses

Hospital related infections generally result from the combined effect of preexisting bacteria on the patient and invasive devices. This demonstrates the significance in improving these medical devices to increase the quality of life of the patients that require them. This study will attempt to evaluate the antibacterial efficacy of nanocopper particles and an electrical stimulus for the usage in medical device development and the hospital environment.

For devices such as catheters, infections typically result from bacteria entering the body from the outside. This is accomplished by bacteria attaching themselves to the exterior of the device and producing biofilm which allows …

Effect Of Melt Method On Thoracolumbar Connective Tissue, Faria Sanjana

Theses

Approximately, 31 million adults in the United States suffer from low back pain (LBP). Altered connective tissue structure has been identified in adults with chronic LBP. Numerous novel treatments are being developed targeting the connective tissue and nervous system to relieve people from LBP. One such self-care treatment is the MELT method. The objective of this study was to determine whether thickness of thoracolumbar connective tissue and other biomechanical and viscoelastic properties of myofascial tissue in the low back region change in subjects with chronic LBP as a result of MELT.

Using ultrasound imaging and an algorithm developed in MATLAB, …

Continuum Mechanical Analysis Of Space And Time Dependent Deformation Pattern Of Brain With Blunt Injury, Chen Miao

Theses

Deformation of human brain due to acceleration impact has been widely accepted as the direct connection to the Trauma Brain Injury (TBI). However, the limitation of obtaining deformation data of TBI is a major obstacle to understanding TBI mechanism. This experiment mainly focuses on developing a method to measure deformation pattern of brain with blunt injury. First of all, displacement data of markers on sagittal plane of an injury head model was collected using 3D reconstruction software after an impact test. Second, the displacement data was used to calculate 2D Lagrangian strain tensor and the principal strain. The temporal and …

An Electromechanical System For Characterization Of Piezoelectric Materials, Ahmet Sait Asan

Theses

Piezoelectric materials have been used in medical applications for a long time due to their unique characteristics, which is to respond to mechanical stimulation by producing an electrical current and vice versa. They perform a pivotal role in medical applications both for diagnostic and therapeutic purposes. In this regard, characterizing the piezoelectric properties of these materials is crucial for their usage. In this particular study, an electromechanical system for measurement of piezoelectric output signals is designed and tested. The project is motivated by the question: can the piezoelectric properties be characterized by applying different mechanical stimulation waveforms and frequencies. Two …

Diffusivity Of Drug Actives In Transdermal Drug Delivery (Tdd), Natali R. Gendelberg

Theses

Transdermal Drug Delivery (TDD) through skin patches has many advantages including the following: slow and continuous administration of the therapeutic over long periods of time, timely dosage, accessibility, kinetic maneuverability, elimination of the “First Pass Effect” and negative side effects on the digestive tract. All of the above justify investment into further development of TDD therapies, despite the skin permeability restrictions posed on size and charge by the skin. As skin permeability varies between all individuals based on age, ethnicity and lifestyle, the determination of the proper drug dosages to be contained in the skin patch is highly reliant on …

Response Of Stretch-Injured Schwann Cells, Stephanie Iring

Theses

Axon fibers are covered by myelin sheath. After axonal damage, demyelination follows with the production of debris. In the Central Nervous System many studies have been performed to observe and analyze stretch injured axons, but very little has been done to study the white matter axonal tracts, oligodendrocytes. Schwann cells can help take a first look into stretch injured glia cells from the Peripheral nervous system. In order to observe changes in Schwann Cells a stretch injury device is used to produce the effects of severe and moderate injuries. Schwann Cells are stretch injured in both their undifferentiated and differentiated …

Magnetic Augmented Rotation System (Mars ) - Properties And Performance, Ruolei Liu

Theses

Magnetic Augmented Rotation System (MARS) is proposed as a system for conversion of mechanical energy into electrical energy. It works on the principle of magnetic coupling. Because it is contactless, compared with traditional gears, it increases the transfer efficiency from a driver to a rotor; reduces noise, requires no lubrication and has low maintenance cost. In order to assess the performance of MARS, a charging system based on MARS is implemented. This system includes rechargeable batteries in the range of 6 volts to 12 volts, a load in the form of a light bulb, a voltage transformer, and digital multimeter …

Effectiveness Of Water Quality Benefits Provided By Stormwater Management Facilities/Infiltration Basin, Vinicius Rodrigues De Mattos Barreto

Theses

Stormwater Best Management Practices (BMP) and devices are systems frequently built under assumed design performances, but rarely verified after construction. Their effectiveness in protecting the environment against pollutants carried by stormwater runoff has been extensively questioned and investigated. This research presents a case study of an infiltration basin in Medford, NJ to verify if the 80% expected Total Suspended Solids (TSS) removal as stated in the New Jersey Stormwater BMP Manual is actually achieved. A sampling pit was installed on the site and infiltrated water samples were collected during three rain events and TSS measurements were compared with the inflow. …

Effect Of Temperature On The Fracture Behavior Of Lead-Free Solder Joints, Patrick Thompson

Theses

The objective of the present study is to examine the effect of temperature on the fracture behavior of Cu-SAC305-Cu joints. To this end, double cantilever beam (DCB) specimens, consisting of a thin layer of Sn96.5Ag3.0Cu0.5 (SAC305) solder sandwiched between two copper bars, fabricated under standard surface mount (SMT) processing conditions are fractured under various temperatures with a MTS machine equipped with an environment chamber. The load-displacement behavior corresponding to crack initiation and the subsequent toughening before ultimate failure and the displacements near crack tip are recorded and used to calculate the fracture energy release rates. The fracture surfaces and the …

Koh Etching Of Silicon, Ying Wang

Theses

In this research, a series of comparative etching experiments on silicon wafers have been carried out using potassium hydroxide (KOH) for different experimental etching conditions for concentration, temperature and time on (100) orientation p-type silicon wafers. Besides the basic etching conditions, the position of the immersed wafer also has unpredictable effect on the etching process. This may be attributed to the relative contact position between the surface of the immersed wafer and the flow patterns of the stirred etching solution.

The surface morphology analysis indicates that the specific position of the wafer, with respect to the flow of the etchant, …

Preparation, Ignition And Combustion Of Reactive Metal-Sulfur Nanocomposites, Ziyue Zhong

Theses

Mechanical milling is applied to synthesize reactive metal-sulfur nanocomposites. Specifically, magnesium-sulfur, aluminum-sulfur and zirconium-sulfur nanocomposite powders are prepared. Each powder particle contained homogeneously mixed sulfur and respective metal. These materials are expected to be stable in room air. They are also expected to release sulfur upon ignition; the released sulfur may serve as a biocidal agent. The ignition temperatures of the three prepared sulfur-bearing materials fall in a range of 750 - 1000 K. All prepared materials are successfully ignited in electrostatic discharge experiment as well as in a constant volume explosion experiment. The most sensitive material to spark ignition …

Development And Analysis Of Aluminum-Ptfe Reactive Composite Material, Siva Kumar Valluri

Theses

The shortcomings of micron sized aluminum due to the oxide barrier and two phase loses pose a hindrance for its efficient use as a fuel. In this study a fluoropolymer; Teflon’s inclusion in micron sized -325 mesh aluminum is suggested as a replacement to aluminum. Aluminum Teflon based energetic material see great potential for use in pyrotechnics, propellants and even explosives. A composite with composition Al-PTFE (90-10 wt. %) is prepared through Cryomilling and is shown to be a better method of preparation as compared to room temperature milling. The prepared materials are studied to identify best conditions. The analysis …

A Computational Model For Transdermal Diffusion Of Lidocaine And Tetracaine Topical Patches, Qian Dong

Theses

In recent years, transdermal drug delivery patches (TDDP) have developed rapidly. This is because the TDD system has more advantages than traditional drug delivery systems such as oral medicine and intravenous injection. In order to reach the circulatory system of the human body, drug molecules have to pass through the epidermis (outer layer) of the skin. The barrier properties of epidermis originate from low permeability of stratum corneum (SC) which is the outermost layer of the human skin. The objective of this thesis is to build a Finite Element (FE) model, utilizing commercial FE software (ANSYS), that can be implemented …

Scare Tactics, Tiago Martines, Gabriel Ortega, Karan Sahu, Lucas Pereira Vasconcelos, Henrique Silva Chaltein De Almeida

Theses

It is the purpose of this document to describe the design and development processes of Scare Tactics. The game will be discussed in further detail as it relates to several areas, such as market analysis, development process, game design, technical design, and each team members’ individual area of background research. The research areas include asymmetrical game design, level design, game engine architecture, real-time graphics, user interface design, networking and artificial intelligence.

As part of the team’s market analysis, other games featuring asymmetric gameplay are discussed. The games described in this section serve as inspirations for asymmetric game design. Some …

Recycling Ceramic Waste Powder And Its Usage As An Alternative Ingredient In Concrete, Dima Mamoun Kanaan

Theses

Green environment is a challenging concern to accomplish in today’s world. This could be accomplished through an effective and beneficial recycling system through reusing solid waste materials. The study and exploration of alternative ingredients for concrete-making industry started more than five decades ago. Concrete that contains solid waste is referred to as “Green” concrete. Ceramic tiles are widely used in most structures; its production creates waste powder. Using ceramic waste powder (CWP) as an ingredient to partially replace cement in concrete will have a positive and progressive environmental impact in addition will help reserve natural resources. In this study, CWP …

Microalgae Cell Quantification Using Electrical Parameters, Leena Osama Fahmi Saqer

Theses

Electrical properties of living cells have been proven to play a significant role in understanding and characterizing the different biological activities of the cell. The objective of this work is to develop an electrical based technique for determining and estimating the number of microalgae cells in a suspension without the need for any sample treatments or pre-processing.

The proposed technique is based on the direct use of electrical capacitive model. The basic premise behind this idea is the electrical polarization of microalgae particles that get charged due to the application of an electric field. This wouldn’t cause any distortion or …

Behavior Of Expansive Concrete-Filled Steel Tubular (Ecfst) Columns Under Axial Loadings, Abdulaziz Lazkani

Theses

Concrete-filled steel tubes (CFST) have been introduced in high-rise buildings in order to expedite construction and increase the confinement of concrete by the steel tube, and hence increase the capacity of the column cross-section. More recently, expansive additives (EAs) that counteract the shrinkage of concrete have been used in CFST to improve the bond between the concrete and steel tube. Although changing the confinement level exerted by the steel tube on concrete will have an impact on the behavior of CFSTs, little information is available regarding the influence of EAs on the mechanical characteristics of expansive concrete-filled steel tubular (ECFST) …

Enhancing Snort Ids Performance Using Data Mining, Mohammed Ali Almaleki

Theses

Intrusion detection systems (IDSs) such as Snort apply deep packet inspection to detect intrusions. Usually, these are rule-based systems, where each incoming packet is matched with a set of rules. Each rule consists of two parts: the rule header and the rule options. The rule header is compared with the packet header. The rule options usually contain a signature string that is matched with packet content using an efficient string matching algorithm. The traditional approach to IDS packet inspection checks a packet against the detection rules by scanning from the first rule in the set and continuing to scan all …

Carbon Dioxide Capture By Steel-Making Residues In A Fluidized Bed Reacto, Suhaib Mohammad Hameedi

Theses

Global warming is one of the most challenging problems facing societies these days, and it is known to be caused by the increasing emissions of Green House Gases (GHG's), mainly CO₂, from various human activities. To solve such a problem, or at least minimize its effects, several actions have been considered. One of these actions is carbon capture, which has many different options and techniques. This research focuses on the capture of CO₂ through reactions with steel-making residues, an alkaline solid by-product of the steel-making process. The aim is to sequester CO₂ and form carbonates, which …

Numerical Analysis For The Hemodynamics In Unruptured Cerebral Aneurysms, Hashem Mhd Hicham Alargha

Theses

A cerebral aneurysm is a vascular disorder characterized by abnormal focal dilation of a brain artery which is considered as a serious and potentially life-threatening condition. Cerebral aneurysms affect around 2%-5% of adults and they are fatal and can rupture with an overall mortality rate of more than 50%. Through computational fluid dynamics investigation, this study is offering a closer look into the initiation growth and rupture of cerebral aneurysms. Four focus points are studied in this thesis which are sensitivity analysis of blood viscosity in aneurysms, the effect of cerebral aneurysm size on wall stresses and strain, hazard effects …

Thermal Analysis For The Purpose Of Fault Diagnosis Of Commercial Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cells (Pemfc), Reem Izzeldin Elsadig Salim

Theses

The world's awareness towards the amount of destruction that our extensive and ignorant lifestyles in the past few decades have imposed on the environment is growing day after day. This resulted in an increased governmental and research interest towards the development and use of green technology. Fuel Cells are one of the green technologies that received a major share of research interest in the past decade.

However, despite their promising features, Fuel Cell systems still lack a solid fault diagnosis and predictive maintenance study. There are numerous faults that have to be detected and diagnosed on a fuel cell power …

Oil Recovery By Flooding; Sensitivity Analysis To Technical Parameters, Rana Osama Fahmi Saqer

Theses

Numerous enhanced oil recovery techniques including miscible gas injection, chemical, thermal and other methods are applied at the third phase of production after both primary and secondary recovery have been exhausted. Polymer flooding is one of the chemical methods that recover more oil by decreasing the mobility of the system; by increasing the viscosity of the injected water that results in an improvement in the volumetric sweep efficiency.

The objective of this work is to asses and select the development options using polymer process that maximize oil recovery for a synthetic reservoir model where technical parameters are optimized thoroughly.

Reservoir …