Engineering Commons^™

Performance Of Ultrasound-Assisted Forward Osmosis Membrane Process In Desalination Of Seawater, Bara Awwad Al-Sakaji

Theses

The objective of this study was to investigate the effect of using ultrasound on water flux through forward osmosis membrane when applied for seawater desalination. A synthetically prepared solution simulating seawater characteristics was used. Parameters considered in the investigation included membrane cross-flow velocity (0.25 and 1.0 cm/s), flow configuration (co-current versus counter-current), direction of ultrasound waves relative to the membrane side (active layer versus support layer), and type of draw solution (NaCl versus MgCl₂). Furthermore, a two-level factorial design was considered in the analysis of the results obtained from the experimental work. This study revealed that applying a …

Thermo Hydraulic Performance Of Polymer Double-Pipe Heat Exchanger For Single-Phase Heating/Cooling Application, Ahmed Mohamed Gafar

Theses

This thesis details the model-based study carried out for understanding the thermal and hydraulic performance of double pipe heat exchangers with and without pin-fins; both counter and parallel flow configurations are considered in the study. The pin-fins are located on the outer wall of the inner pipe thereby extending into the annulus and in this study, the hot fluid is assumed to pass through the annulus. The model consists of multiple governing equations such as continuity equations, Navier-Stokes equations, and energy equations. A fluent module of Ansys Workbench is used for conducting the model-based study. Double pipe heat exchangers constructed …

Bending-Torsion Flutter Analysis Of A Viscoelastic Tapered Wing Carrying An Engine And Subjected To A Follower Thrust Force, Youssef Shaaban Abdelfattah Matter

Theses

Flutter, a dynamic divergent instability, is one of the significant phenomena of Aeroelasticity. This dangerous aeroelastic phenomenon can occur to any flexible structure subjected to aerodynamic forces such as aircraft wings, bridges, buildings, etc. It is important to analyze the flutter in order to predict the speed and frequency at which it occurs so that structural damages and failures can be avoided. This thesis is concerned with non-dimensional parametric modeling of the flutter of a viscoelastic tapered wing with an attached engine. The main objectives of this thesis are to determine regions of stability and boundaries of flutter speed and …

Behavior Of Steel Fiber-Reinforced Geopolymer Concrete Made With Recycled Concrete Aggregates, Abdalla Ahmed Moallim Hussein

Theses

Industrial by-products and recycled concrete aggregates (RCA) have the potential to fully replace cement and natural aggregates, respectively, in the production of concrete rather than being discarded wastefully into landfills or stockpiles. Yet, their combined use in the development of a novel RCA geopolymer concrete has been limited to nonstructural purposes, owing to the inferior mechanical and durability properties of said concrete. To improve the properties of geopolymer concrete made with RCA, steel fibers may be added to the mix. This research aims to study the feasibility of reutilizing locally available industrial solid wastes and RCA in geopolymer concrete for …

Development Of Piezoelectric Energy Harvesting System For Low-Frequency Vibrations, Mai Rabie Mahmoud Ismail

Theses

Harvesting energy from vibration sources has attracted the interest of researchers for the past three decades. Researchers have been working on the potential of achieving self-powered MEMS scale devices. Piezoelectric cantilever harvesters have caught the attention in this field because of the excellent combination of high-power density and compact structure. The main objective of this thesis is to develop a novel and optimum piezoelectric harvester system using lumped parameter model (LPM) for given vibration sources. The finite element model (FEM) is used in this work as an original approach to be utilized for optimal design optimization. Three types of validations …

Modelling And Control Of A Two-Link Rigid-Flexible Manipulator, Rahma Saeed Rasheed Alnajjar

Theses

The literature lacks data on the reliability of 3D models created by Autodesk Inventor software and imported to MATLAB Simulink software in comparison to mathematically generated models. In this contribution, a two-link rigid-flexible manipulator modelled in two different methods was demonstrated, one of which is using Lagrange equations and Finite Element Method to generate a mathematical model of the manipulator, and the other is creating a 3D model with the aid of Autodesk Inventor then import to MATLAB Simulink, both models were subsequently controlled by three types of controllers, conventional PID controller, LQR controller, and LQG controller. The research demonstrated …

Electrodeposition Study Of Alloys For Solar Energy, Corrosion Resistance, And Battery Applications, Thaier Tawfeek Alawadh

Theses

Copper-Zinc-Tin sulphide (CZTS) compound is one of the alloys, which has significantly caught the attention of a considerable number of researchers since the beginning of the century. Consequently, academic laboratories started investigating the alloy in-depth with its various combination due to its valuable applications with high potential usage. The CZTS alloy has a high tendency to replace the current copper indium gallium selenide (CIGS) thin-film solar cell system due to scarcity of CIGS components, and toxic manufacturing procedures compared to CZTS. Nevertheless, CZTS is a new studied compound with exceptionally low photovoltaic empirical efficiency and an inadequate understanding of its …

Scenario-Based Simulation Of Treatment Processes For Minimization Of Sludge Production From Al-Saad Wastewater Treatment Plant, Omar Gamil Abdelmajeed Hussien

Theses

The biological-activated sludge treatment process is the most widely used approach to treating domestic wastewater. It involves the transformation of soluble and particulate organic matter to gases and large amounts of settleable biomass (produced sludge). This sludge is considered one of the most pressing management challenges since its treatment represents approximately 50 to 60% of the total operational cost of a wastewater treatment plant (WWTP). The traditional management of excess sludge is by disposal in landfills, incineration, or agriculture reuse in the form of fertilizers but due to energy and environmental concerns, many jurisdictions developed strict policies and regulations for …

Numerical Investigation Of Mesh-Based Enhancement Of Vapor Bubble Condensation, Omar Darwish Ali Alqadi Alhammadi

Theses

The aim of this work is to study the vapor bubble condensation process and the enhancement technique via affecting bubbles dynamic using a mesh-based structure. The bubble dynamics and thermal behavior are studied by considering the heat and mass transfer through the bubble’s interface area between the vapor and liquid regions and the resulting condensation effects. The thermal characteristics of bubbles are observed considering the initial and final liquid temperatures. Additionally, the bubble dynamics are studied in terms of several parameters including the relative velocity of the bubble, bubble deformation, interfacial area, and the bubble diameters. The relation between the …

Performance Of Cement-Free Geopolymer Concrete Made With Ceramic Waste Powder Using Taguchi Method, Ponalagappan Chokkalingam

Theses

The ceramic industry produces a substantial amount of waste during its production processes. Recycling and reutilizing such ceramic waste is a challenge due to its extended biodegradation period. Consequently, the ceramic industry is dedicated to attaining a sustainable solution to dispose of this waste rather than discarding it wastefully into landfills or stockpiles. In turn, the demand for ordinary Portland cement has been on a steady increase, leading to concerns about the sustainability of the construction industry. As a sustainable alternative to cement, alkali-activated binders have been proposed owing to their ability to reduce carbon emissions, preserve nonrenewable natural resources, …

Performance Evaluation Of Cement-Free Geopolymer Concrete Made With Recycled Concrete Aggregates And Steel Fibers, Jamal Ahmad Husam Samer Medljy

Theses

Sustainable and innovative alternatives have been investigated to replace concrete’s main components, natural aggregates, and cement. Previous studies have been carried out to replace NA and cement with recycled concrete aggregates (RCA) and inorganic alkali-activated geopolymer binders, respectively. Yet, such sustainable concrete has only been proposed for non-structural purposes, owing to the inferior properties of RCA. This research work aims to assess the feasibility of reutilizing RCA from construction and demolition waste and locally available industrial solid by-products in the production of sustainable geopolymer concrete for structural applications. The binding materials were either in the form of a single precursor, …

Development Of Heat Insulation Composite Materials Based On Bio-Polyesters And Natural Filler, Hyder Ali Reyah Al Abdallah

Theses

The increasing waste - bio or synthetic - is a critical issue, and managing this waste is a huge challenge for industry and academia. The use of biodegradable materials is sought as an eventual factor in decreasing the current level of waste generation. Therefore, one of the main research areas nowadays is to develop bio-composite materials over fuel-based materials where the bio-composites or waste-based composites serve several advantages both environmentally and economically, including the biodegradability feature of the bio fillers, and the affordability due to its abundant presence in nature. Bio-waste, specifically from agricultural sources, can be used as fillers …

Neurovascular Catheter Measurement System Development For Process And Design Effect Evaluation, Cathal Tadhg Merz

Theses

Neurovascular guide catheters are used to treat problems affecting blood vessels within the brain through minimally invasive procedures. Catheters are inserted into the patient via their femoral or brachial arteries and manually navigated to the brain to deliver treatment. This procedure replaces the requirement to cut into the patient’s skull and brain tissue but is limited by reduction of blood vessel lumen diameter and increase in tortuosity of blood vessels deep in the brain. During these procedures, catheters can sometimes fail by kinking or fracturing into two pieces. The rate of failure by fracture of a particular neurovascular catheter device …

Adaptive Uplink Data Rate Prediction And Networkselection In A Vehicular Mobile Channel, Georgi Nikolov

Theses

The rapid acceleration into the digital age brings a worldwide interconnectedness of an unprecedented level. This interconnectedness transforms the modern transportation network by linking its infrastructure components (e.g., signaling systems, traffic control systems, maintenance systems) together. Intelligent transportation systems (ITS) can utilize this newly emerged network infrastructure, improving traffic safety, traffic control, and reducing transportation-related environmental impacts, changing the way drivers, businesses and governments deal with road transport. It is expected that in the near future self-aware vehicles (e.g., trains, cars or trucks) will constitute the majority of the transportation infrastructure. Vehicles need to be able to reliably communicate critical …

Material Handling System For An Advanced Flexible Manufacturing Environment, Con Cronin

Theses

A Flexible Manufacturing System (FMS) is a method of production that is designed to easily adapt to changes in the type and quantity of the product being manufactured. Machines and computerised systems can be configured to manufacture a variety of parts and to handle the changing levels of production that is required. The aim of this project was to investigate the current manufacturing processes of Kostal Ireland GmbH with the aim of developing a bespoke prototype material handling system to achieve flexible manufacturing. Kostal Ireland GmbH currently do not have the ability to change their manufacturing operations easily when a …

Optimisation Of Grass Measurement Technologies Through Field Experimentation And Numerical Simulation Methods, Darren Joseph Murphy

Theses

Maximising pasture utilisation through optimal grassland management is vital in terms of ensuring the economic sustainability and mitigating the environmental impact of both Irish and global pasture-based livestock production. Frequent and accurate measurement of grass quantity and quality is one of the main methods of maximising grass production and utilisation on pasture-based farms. The most prominent grass measurement tool used on Irish pasture is the rising plate meter (RPM), however, there are a range of issues with this method including operator bias, precision and difficulties in accounting for spatial variation. Currently, there is no definitive protocol for grass measurement which …

Preparation And Characterization Of Reactive Composites Combining Boron With Mixed Oxides, Purvam Mehulkumar Gandhi

Theses

Thirteen liquids have been explored as Process Control Agents (PCAs) for high-energy mechanical milling of two metal oxide powders, CuO and Bi₂O₃, with the practical purpose to reduce the sizes of powder particles and refine their crystal structure. Multiple liquid properties have been considered to analyze their effect on evolution of both particle and crystallite sizes during milling for each oxide. Experimental data were analyzed using the δ-AICc (Akaike Information criterion) correlation function applied to linear relations between liquid properties and powder characteristics. Multiple linear correlation models were ranked based on the highest log-likelihood and the …

Treated Hfo2 Based Rram Devices With Ru, Tan, Tin As Top Electrode For In-Memory Computing Hardware, Yuvraj Dineshkumar Patel

Theses

The scalability and power efficiency of the conventional CMOS technology is steadily coming to a halt due to increasing problems and challenges in fabrication technology. Many non-volatile memory devices have emerged recently to meet the scaling challenges. Memory devices such as RRAMs or ReRAM (Resistive Random-Access Memory) have proved to be a promising candidate for analog in memory computing applications related to inference and learning in artificial intelligence. A RRAM cell has a MIM (Metal insulator metal) structure that exhibits reversible resistive switching on application of positive or negative voltage. But detailed studies on the power consumption, repeatability and retention …

Cycloidal-Drive Joint Design For Wearable Exoskeletons, Abhi J. Rawal

Theses

This thesis's scope was to construct a highly back drivable and compact joint design that can be used for wearable exoskeletons specifically designed to assist with rehabilitation. A compact cycloidal gear transmission was designed to satisfy the compactness requirement while ensuring the minimum torque is required for backdriving the mechanism. The joint was designed based on the compact cycloidal drive specifications, and the backdrivability test was performed to measure the minimum torque required (1.20 Nm) to backdrive. The joint design incorporates various important features such as rotation lock feature to prevent hyperextension, a housing design that offers the benefit of …

Incident Duration Time Prediction Using A Supervised Topic Modeling Method, Jihyun Park

Theses

Precisely predicting the duration time of an incident is one of the most prominent components to implement proactive management strategies for traffic congestions caused by an incident. This thesis presents a novel method to predict incident duration time in a timely manner by using an emerging supervised topic modeling method. Based on Natural Language Processing (NLP) techniques, this thesis performs semantic text analyses with text-based incident dataset to train the model. The model is trained with actual 1,466 incident records collected by Korea Expressway Corporation from 2016-2019 by applying a Labeled Latent Dirichlet Allocation(L-LDA) approach. For the training, this thesis …

Human Activity Recognition Using Wearable Sensors: A Deep Learning Approach, Jialun Xue

Theses

In the past decades, Human Activity Recognition (HAR) grabbed considerable research attentions from a wide range of pattern recognition and human–computer interaction researchers due to its prominent applications such as smart home health care. The wealth of information requires efficient classification and analysis methods. Deep learning represents a promising technique for large-scale data analytics. There are various ways of using different sensors for human activity recognition in a smartly controlled environment. Among them, physical human activity recognition through wearable sensors provides valuable information about an individual’s degree of functional ability and lifestyle. There is abundant research that works upon real …

Determination Of The Cost Optimum Passive Cooling Design Solutions For Residential Buildings In Uae: The Case Study Of Sharjah Governmental Villas, Raghad Azzam Ghazal

Theses

على مدى العقود الثلاثة الماضية، شهدت الإمارات العربية المتحدة تطور ا حضري ا سريعا ، وتم تصنيفها كأعلى نشاط بناء في العالم لكل كيلومتر مربع. قطاع البناء هو أكبر مستهلك للطاقة وأكبر مساهم في انبعاثات ثاني أكسيد الكربون في دولة الإمارات العربية المتحدة، حيث يستخدم حوالي 60 ٪ من إجمالي الكهرباء. يستهلك القطاع السكني حوالي 30 ٪ من إجمالي استهلاك الكهرباء )هيئة كهرباء ومياه دبي، 2017 (. الهدف من هذه الأطروحة هو تحديد أفضل الحلول المستدامة من حيث التكلفة الإجمالية للفلل السكنية في الإمارات العربية المتحدة. المنهجية المتبعة في هذه الأطروحة ستأخذ في عين الاعتبار الجوانب البيئية والاقتصادية لمرحلتي الإنشاء …

Calcium Phosphate/Ionic Liquid Ptfe Composite Membrane For Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cell Applications, Ahmad Ibrahim Hasan Ka’Ki

Theses

The dependence on fossil fuels can be possibly reduced by the utilization of renewable energy sources. Fuel cells offer a promising alternative for renewable power generation. Among the various types of fuel cells, Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cell (PEMFC) is recently attracting attention due to its several advantages of high-power density, all solid structure, and silent operation. The diverse types of materials used in this type of fuel cell raised drawbacks related to fuel cell cost and durability. By far, Nafion of DuPont is still the current state-of-the-art membrane for PEMFCs. It is known for its high ionic conductivity and …

Impact Of Different Environmental Conditions On The Thermo-Mechanical Characteristics Of Compacted And Non-Compacted Carbon/Epoxy Plain Weave Woven Laminated Composites, Maryam Hamad Helal Thabet Al Kuwaiti

Theses

Fibre-reinforced polymeric composites used for aerospace applications are subjected to different environmental conditions during their operational life, such as moisture and temperature, which can adversely affect their performance over time. On the other hand, the standard fabrication process of these composite aircraft components requires a certain level of in-process vacuum compaction during the composite lay-up process to ensure the escape of entrapped air between the composite layers to prevent the formation of voids, through the application of bleeders/breathers around the composite laminate known for creating a channel for air to escape through. The aim of this study is to evaluate …

A New Green Composite Based On Polylactic Acid Mixed With Biomass From Uae Date Palm Waste For Cutlery And Food Packaging Applications, Noran Hussein Awad Elsayed Mousa

Theses

Petroleum-based plastic cutlery is widely used and due to its non-biodegradable properties, they cause serious threats to the environment. Therefore, there is a need to fabricate such products from biodegradable material. Date Palm Rachis (DPR) waste was used as a filler in three levels of 30 wt%, 40 wt% and 50 wt% for cost-performance optimization balance and to improve the thermal behaviours of the biodegradable Polylactic Acid (PLA). The preparation of biodegradable PLA/date palm waste composites was done using a melt mixing extruder at 180°C by varying parameters such as mixing time, the composition of date palm waste biomass, biomass …

Studying The Impact Of Urban Densification On Social Sustainability: The Case Of Bida Bin Ammar Neighborhood In Al Ain, Uae, Lubna Mohammad Ghaffar Shekfa

Theses

As cities are under the influence of rapid development, industrialization, modernization, and globalization, a key task for local authorities, urban planners, and residents are to understand what makes a neighbourhood socially sustainable. In Al Ain City in the UAE, urban sprawl has been a persistent sustainability problem caused by low urban density and has led to the heavy reliance on private cars. To overcome this problem, urban densification as a sustainable planning approach is recommended. Al Ain 2030 Plan has adopted this approach for the redevelopment of the Asharej District. This research aims at studying the application of urban densification …

Housing Occupants’ Motivational Drivers For Energy-Savings In The United Arab Emirates: An Exploratory Study, Monaya Muhammed Syam

Theses

The fast urbanization in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) accounts for 70% of energy consumption with the residential sector leading the way, urgently calling for mitigating strategies. Energy-efficient housing in hot climates has been extensively researched in terms of design, building materials and systems. However, an energy performance gap subsides as a direct result of occupants’ behaviour, catalyzing focused research. Moreover, understanding the housing occupants’ behaviour, motivation, and impetus to save energy proved to significantly increase energy savings. Exploring this topic in the UAE is vital given its distinctive specifics; fast-growing economy, harsh hot climate, and heterogeneous population. The latter …

Comparison Of Longitudinal Changes In Resting State Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging Between Alzheimer’S And Healthy Controls, Berk Can Yilmaz

Theses

Resting State Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (rs-fMRI) is a technique that is widely used for analyzing brain function using different approaches and methods. This study involves rs-fMRI analysis of Blood Oxygenation Level Dependent (BOLD) signals acquired from Alzheimer’s disease (AD) Patients and Healthy Controls (HC). Each subject in the study had both functional and anatomical images with at least one rs-fMRI scan with their Anatomical (T1) scans. Previous rs-fMRI studies have demonstrated that AD shows differences in Amplitude of Low Frequency (<0.1 Hz) Fluctuations (ALFF), and Regional Homogeneity (ReHo) measures according to HCs.

The aim of the study is to investigate individual and group level differences using ReHo and mALFF related …

A Model For Thermal Diffusion And Local Tissue Damage From The Measurement Of Temperature In Electrosurgical Incision, Marek Vira

Theses

The extremely high temperatures applied over extremely short time intervals that are characteristic of electrosurgery result in a unique tissue damage pattern. Cesarean delivery and hysterectomy, the two most frequently performed procedures in obstetrics and gynecology (OB/GYN), commonly employ electrosurgical incision. While it is controversial, it has been suggested that tissue damage produced by electrosurgery could increase surgical site infection rates. While recommendations for the settings in the use of the electrosurgical unit do exist, there is no current technique for real time assessment of the viability of tissue around the site of the electrosurgical incision. Current methods for analyzing …

Developing A New Formula For Predicting Oil Recovery Factor In Water Flooded-Heterogeneous Reservoirs, Mohamed Khaled Aljifri

Theses

In this work, two sets of empirical correlations were developed for predicting the recovery factor (RF) in water-flooded layered oil reservoirs. The first set of these correlations encompasses four key parameters believed to have a significant impact on waterflooding performance, namely, reservoir heterogeneity (permeability variation coefficient), injected water viscosity, permeability anisotropy (ratio of vertical permeability to horizontal permeability), and water injection rate. This first set consists of two expanded forms, one for predicting the RF at water breakthrough time (BT) and the other for predicting the RF at the end of the project (EOP). Out of the aforementioned four key …