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Full-Text Articles in Engineering

Viscosity Of Adsorbent Slurries For Washcoating Applications, Nitish Chauhan Dec 2023

Viscosity Of Adsorbent Slurries For Washcoating Applications, Nitish Chauhan

Theses and Dissertations

The viscosity of adsorbent slurries is pivotal in understanding their rheological behavior, yet, the research on adsorbent slurry viscosity has been limited. This study addresses this gap by analyzing porous and non-porous solutes' behavior in solvents and then applying it to the washcoating adsorbents on ceramic substrates. By examining MIL-101 (Cr), glass beads, silica nanoparticles, and Titania, the study aims to comprehend the viscosity variations of each solute in the solvents, water and ethanol. A key observation from this study was the significant role of wetting in determining viscosity, as initial results found that MIL-101 (Cr) exhibited the highest viscosity …

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Characterization Of Human Mobility From Cellular Data, Zaid Matloub Dec 2023

Characterization Of Human Mobility From Cellular Data, Zaid Matloub

Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation investigates human mobility patterns using crowd-sourced cellular network data from different Metropolitan Statistical Areas (MSAs) in the United States, spanning the Houston, New York-Newark, NJ City, and 13 other significant MSAs. By focusing on prominent spatial mobility parameters highlighted in existing literature, the study unveils consistent findings regarding the predictability of human mobility across diverse time scales and geographic regions. The research underscores the significance of selecting appropriate sampling thresholds based on the mobility parameters being examined, the size of the dataset, and available computational resources. Through a meticulous analysis, it emerges that while values such as mean …

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Task Optimization Utilizing Digital Transformation Concepts - Automation Project Execution Via Agile Methodology, Anthony Steven Maiello Dec 2023

Task Optimization Utilizing Digital Transformation Concepts - Automation Project Execution Via Agile Methodology, Anthony Steven Maiello

Theses and Dissertations

Task Optimization via the use of automated process improvements is becoming more widespread as more industries lean into the concepts surrounding digital transformation. This shift also necessitates a complementary adaptation in project management methodologies to support the rapid and ever-changing environment, requirements, and innovations. This thesis examines the effectiveness of Agile methodology in managing digital automation projects, with a specific focus placed on process improvements with systems engineering. It accomplished this by contrasting the original model, designed and derived utilizing traditional project management techniques, with the proposed model which is a direct result of the application of Agile project practices. …

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Path Planning Development Framework For Mobile Robots, Lauren-Ann Elizabeth Graham Dec 2023

Path Planning Development Framework For Mobile Robots, Lauren-Ann Elizabeth Graham

Theses and Dissertations

Planetary exploration relies on methods of path planning to achieve autonomous navigation in hazardous environments. Simulating harsh terrain, real-time varying physics, and robotics applications is vital for testing control algorithms here on Earth. Robotics Operating System (ROS) is a set of software libraries and tools that allow you to build and simulate robotic applications. Utilizing ROS, Gazebo, and Blender, a rough terrain simulation framework is created to explore and compare path planning algorithms using various desired robots and maps. ROS supports multiple path planning algorithms given its open-source abilities. This research focuses on path planning implementation of Proportional-Integral-Derivative (PID) control …

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Assessing The Thermodynamic Potential Of Deep Eutectic Solvents In The Absorption Of Greenhouse Gases Through Computational Methods., Thomas Michael Quaid Dec 2023

Assessing The Thermodynamic Potential Of Deep Eutectic Solvents In The Absorption Of Greenhouse Gases Through Computational Methods., Thomas Michael Quaid

Theses and Dissertations

Greenhouse gas (GHG) capture is a fundamental technology in the fight against climate change. Some species of devastating GHGs like fluorinated compounds are released directly to the air from industrial processes. Some GHGs are co-produced in sustainably derived biofuels which require absorptive upgrading. The development of more efficient, cost effective, and environmentally friendly methods of capturing GHG’s from pollutant sources and industrial streams is of utmost importance in the fight against climate change. Deep eutectic solvents have entered the separations stage as potential disruptors to conventional solvent choices for a variety of applications. Deep eutectic solvents (DES) are compounds of …

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Advancements In Molten Salt Physical Property Measurement: Archimedean Density, Couette Viscometer, And Flibe-Te Solution Penetration Analysis, Kent Powell Detrick Nov 2023

Advancements In Molten Salt Physical Property Measurement: Archimedean Density, Couette Viscometer, And Flibe-Te Solution Penetration Analysis, Kent Powell Detrick

Theses and Dissertations

This work primarily centers on measuring the physical properties of molten salts. It's dedicated to outlining the methodology, enhancing measurement methods, and scrutinizing data to uncover insights regarding the interaction between molten salt and solid structures in the context of designing and generating electrical energy in molten salt reactors. The initial phase of this research involved collaborating with Brigham Young University's molecular dynamics simulation group to create an Archimedean density measurement device. This endeavor was primarily geared towards generating empirical data for the purpose of enhancing molecular dynamics simulation data. The tasks encompassed designing and validating the experimental setup, with …

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A New Algorithm For Encounter Generation: Encounters From Actual Trajectories (Enact), James Anthony Ritchie Iii Nov 2023

A New Algorithm For Encounter Generation: Encounters From Actual Trajectories (Enact), James Anthony Ritchie Iii

Theses and Dissertations

There is ongoing research at the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and other private industries to examine a concept for delegated separation in multiple classes of airspace to allow unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) to remain well clear of other aircraft. Detect and Avoid (DAA) capabilities are one potential technology being examined to maintain separation. To evaluate these DAA capabilities, input traffic scenarios are needed, but current approaches are limited by the breadth of the traffic recordings available. This thesis derives a new mathematical algorithm that uses great circle navigation equations in an Earth spherical model and an accurate aircraft performance model …

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Passive Positioning Using Linear Multilateration, Eric R. Widdison Nov 2023

Passive Positioning Using Linear Multilateration, Eric R. Widdison

Theses and Dissertations

Passive localization of aircraft in flight using signal time of arrival (TOA) poses some unique challenges. The sensors must be deployed in an approximately coplanar configuration, which produces significant vertical uncertainty in the estimated position. This dissertation examines the traditional algorithms used in passive localization. It presents general forms of linear TOA, time difference of arrival (TDOA), angle of arrival (AOA), and frequency difference of arrival (FDOA) equations from the literature and explains how to apply an intuitive geometric interpretation of these equations. It presents two novel algorithms for passive localization. One uses a one dimensional AOA (1AOA) to improve …

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Heated Supersonic Jet Characteristics From Far-Field Acoustical Measurements, Matthew Austin Christian Nov 2023

Heated Supersonic Jet Characteristics From Far-Field Acoustical Measurements, Matthew Austin Christian

Theses and Dissertations

In the field of supersonic jet noise, measurements of full-scale afterburning jet engines are infrequent and provide unique opportunities to better understand jet noise phenomena. This thesis represents a phenomenological jet noise analysis using far-field noise data collected from a T-7A-installed GE F404-103 turbofan engine. One issue with the far-field acoustic data from the T-7A was the effects of ground reflections present in the spectra generated from the measured waveforms. A previously developed ground reflection model was implemented into the data to account for this interference. This work represents the first time this model has been implemented in data collected …

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Malicious Game Client Detection Using Feature Extraction And Machine Learning, Spencer J. Austad Nov 2023

Malicious Game Client Detection Using Feature Extraction And Machine Learning, Spencer J. Austad

Theses and Dissertations

Minecraft, the world's best-selling video game, boasts a vast and vibrant community of users who actively develop third-party software for the game. However, it has also garnered notoriety as one of the most malware-infested gaming environments. This poses a unique challenge because Minecraft software has many community-specific nuances that make traditional malware analysis less effective. These differences include unique file types, differing code formats, and lack of standardization in user-generated content analysis. This research looks at Minecraft clients in the two most common formats: Portable Executable and Java Archive file formats. Feature correlation matrices showed that malware features are too …

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Analysis Of Benefits Of Udot's Expanded Incident Management Team Program, Joel Clegg Hyer Nov 2023

Analysis Of Benefits Of Udot's Expanded Incident Management Team Program, Joel Clegg Hyer

Theses and Dissertations

In 2019, the Utah Department of Transportation (UDOT) funded a research study evaluating the performance measures of UDOT's expanded Incident Management Team (IMT) program. The number of IMTs patrolling Utah roadways increased from 13 to 25 between 2018 and 2020. Crash data were collected from the Utah Highway Patrol's Computer Aided Dispatch database and from the UDOT TransSuite database to compare IMT performance measures between the two years and to evaluate the benefits of the expanded IMT program. However, these data were compromised due to the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. This study collected data for 2022 using the same …

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Evolutionary Conservation And Times Of Action Of Heterochronic Genes, Maria Ivanova Nov 2023

Evolutionary Conservation And Times Of Action Of Heterochronic Genes, Maria Ivanova

Theses and Dissertations

The heterochronic pathway of C. elegans is the most well-characterized system to date for controlling the sequence and timing of developmental events. However, we still have critical unanswered questions to address. First, little is known about the evolution of the heterochronic pathway, and of developmental timing in general. To determine if the roles of major heterochronic genes are conserved, I made mutants in orthologs of these genes in C. briggsae, using CRISPR/Cas9. My studies revealed a significant drift in the roles of some of the genes, although all of them are still involved in the developmental timing regulation, and several …

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Analog Artificial Neurons And Digital Amplifiers: Challenging The Roles Of Analog And Digital Circuit Architectures In Modern Cmos Processes, Taylor S. Barton Nov 2023

Analog Artificial Neurons And Digital Amplifiers: Challenging The Roles Of Analog And Digital Circuit Architectures In Modern Cmos Processes, Taylor S. Barton

Theses and Dissertations

As complimentary metal-oxide semiconductor (CMOS) technologies scale and field-effect transistor (FET) architectures change, the factors in deciding to utilize analog or digital transistor behaviors evolve. This thesis examines three case studies where traditionally analog or digital circuitry has dominated published works but I show that the opposite regime has significant benefits in scaled CMOS technologies. I present a highly digital operational amplifier (traditionally analog) and two artificial neurons (traditionally digital). In Chapters 2 and 3 I present a highly-digital five-stage zero-crossing-based amplifier which breaks the trade-off between slew rate and settling accuracy. I investigate the optimal charge pump design by …

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Using Severity Weighted Risk Scores To Prioritize Safety Funding In Utah, Tomas Barriga Aristizabal Nov 2023

Using Severity Weighted Risk Scores To Prioritize Safety Funding In Utah, Tomas Barriga Aristizabal

Theses and Dissertations

Budgets for transportation improvements are limited so it is important for governments to focus on improving locations most in need of safety funding. The objective of the Two-Output Model for Safety (TOMS) is to provide the Utah Department of Transportation (UDOT) a reliable method to prioritize safety improvements on state-owned roadways among the different regions. This research will improve the existing Crash Analysis Methodology for Segments (CAMS) and Intersection Safety Analysis Methodology (ISAM) being used to analyze crashes on Utah roadways. The scope of this project is improving on the existing CAMS and ISAM to work together within R, to …

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A Definition Of Reliable Water Supply For Public Water Systems, Easton Hopkins Nov 2023

A Definition Of Reliable Water Supply For Public Water Systems, Easton Hopkins

Theses and Dissertations

"Reliable water supply" does not have a universal definition in Utah, or the Western United States, where water resources are limited and such a definition would be especially useful. Utah's three water agencies and 500 public water systems have no consistent method to define, evaluate, and report it, potentially leading to an inability to meet regulatory water demands. We propose a unified definition of reliable water supply for Utah's public water suppliers that can also be used elsewhere. The qualitative definition we propose is necessary to precede quantitative evaluations, set policy, and provide consistency to water resources management in Utah. …

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Nano Composite Piezo-Responsive Foam Enabled Pressure Mapping, Jake Duane Sundet Nov 2023

Nano Composite Piezo-Responsive Foam Enabled Pressure Mapping, Jake Duane Sundet

Theses and Dissertations

Pressure injuries cause pain both physically and financially. By creating a comfortable pressure mapping system, pressure injuries can more easily be prevented, and a large expenditure avoided. Nano composite piezo-responsive foam (NCPF) is an inexpensive foam that can be used to measure a static load while still providing a comfortable interface. As NCPF compresses, the impedance changes, correlating to a change in pressure. Optimizing electrode geometry is needed to take full advantage of the impedance change NCPF incurs upon deformation. To optimize electrode geometry, a design of experiment was performed which concluded that a one square inch area of interlaced …

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Facial Motion Augmented Identity Verification With Deep Neural Networks, Zheng Sun Oct 2023

Facial Motion Augmented Identity Verification With Deep Neural Networks, Zheng Sun

Theses and Dissertations

Identity verification is ubiquitous in our daily life. By verifying the user's identity, the authorization process grants the privilege to access resources or facilities or perform certain tasks. The traditional and most prevalent authentication method is the personal identification number (PIN) or password. While these knowledge-based credentials could be lost or stolen, human biometric-based verification technologies have become popular alternatives in recent years. Nowadays, more people are used to unlocking their smartphones using their fingerprint or face instead of the conventional passcode. However, these biometric approaches have their weaknesses. For example, fingerprints could be easily fabricated, and a photo or …

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Catalytic Hydrogenation Of Dimethyl Oxalate To Ethylene Glycol Using Silver Based Catalysts On Sba-15, Nicolas Edouard Gleason-Boure Oct 2023

Catalytic Hydrogenation Of Dimethyl Oxalate To Ethylene Glycol Using Silver Based Catalysts On Sba-15, Nicolas Edouard Gleason-Boure

Theses and Dissertations

Ethylene glycol (EG) is an important industrial chemical in the manufacturing of certain plastics. There is growing industrial interest in the production of dimethyl oxalate (DMO) from syngas, which can be hydrogenated to produce EG. Many studies have focused on the catalytic reduction of DMO using copper-based catalysts on silica supports, but fewer studies have been done on the effects of silver for this reaction. This work presents an in-depth study of silver catalysts prepared via various methods including incipient wetness impregnation, charge enhanced dry impregnation, and the use of various organic solvents. Reaction studies show that using pure methanol …

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Elastic Sensing Skin For Monitoring Of Concrete Structures, Emmanuel Abiodun Ogunniyi Oct 2023

Elastic Sensing Skin For Monitoring Of Concrete Structures, Emmanuel Abiodun Ogunniyi

Theses and Dissertations

Soft elastomeric capacitors (SECs) are emerging as potential low-cost solutions for monitoring cracks and strains in concrete infrastructure, a crucial aspect of structural health monitoring. Effective long-term monitoring of civil infrastructure can reduce the risk of structural failures and potentially reduce the cost and frequency of inspections. However, deploying structural health monitoring (SHM) technologies for bridge monitoring is expensive, especially long-term, due to the density of sensors required to detect, localize, and quantify cracks. Previous research on soft elastomeric capacitors (SEC) has shown their viability for low-cost monitoring of cracks in transportation infrastructure. However, when deployed on concrete for strain …

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Simulation-Based Optimization Of A Dc Microgrid: With Machine-Learning-Based Models And Hybrid Meta-Heuristic Algorithms, Tyler Van Deese Oct 2023

Simulation-Based Optimization Of A Dc Microgrid: With Machine-Learning-Based Models And Hybrid Meta-Heuristic Algorithms, Tyler Van Deese

Theses and Dissertations

The field of economic dispatch (ED) focuses on optimizing power flow in a power system to minimize costs. It has the potential to significantly enhance system effectiveness, and efficiency, and reduce operating costs. Various techniques have been employed to tackle this problem, each with its own strengths and weaknesses. One promising approach is simulation-based optimization (SBO), which allows for accurate modeling of system interactions and improved representation of expected results. However, SBO requires running numerous simulations to identify an optimal solution, and there is a possibility of not achieving the global optimum. This work aims to address these challenges using …

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Design Of A Test Frame And Its Corresponding Test Methods For A Deployable Composite Boom, William Luther Montgomery Oct 2023

Design Of A Test Frame And Its Corresponding Test Methods For A Deployable Composite Boom, William Luther Montgomery

Theses and Dissertations

Deployable composite booms (DCB) are an advanced class of support beams growing in applications including solar collectors and solar sails. DCBs can be coiled or folded into a compact footprint and the ability to be deployed, and in some design, concepts redeployed, making them optimal components for aerospace where weight and volume are finite resources. DCBs are a cutting-edge technology that has yet to be perfected with a need for longer booms with increased stiffnesses to accommodate the latest proposed designs. Atomic-6 has proposed a 16-foot boom manufactured using an autoclave process which aims to reach the goal of producing …

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Polybenzimidazole Membranes For Electrochemical Applications With Harsh Operating Conditions, Kris Likit-Anurak Oct 2023

Polybenzimidazole Membranes For Electrochemical Applications With Harsh Operating Conditions, Kris Likit-Anurak

Theses and Dissertations

Polybenzimidazole (PBI) membranes are high temperature proton exchange membranes (PEMs) which have advantages such as being able to operate in high temperatures, strong acid environments, and have no need for external humidity during operation. PBI membranes have been demonstrated to work effectively in multiple electrochemical devices, including fuel cells, hydrogen separation pumps, redox flow batteries, and a hybrid sulfur electrolyzer. In this work, para-PBI and densified para-PBI membrane have been used to improve electrochemical performance in harsh operating conditions that are both high temperature (≥120 ̊C) and high acid concentration (≥ 5M). First, we demonstrated the use of para-PBI membranes …

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Water Quality Monitoring And Mapping Using Rapidly Deployable Sensor Nodes, Mohamed Abdelwahab Oct 2023

Water Quality Monitoring And Mapping Using Rapidly Deployable Sensor Nodes, Mohamed Abdelwahab

Theses and Dissertations

Efficient and continuous monitoring of water quality parameters plays a pivotal role in responding to pollution incidents and ensuring the safety of both human consumption and ecological resources. This research introduces an affordable and dependable in-situ water quality sensor package designed for seamless continuous monitoring, providing essential data to facilitate informed decision-making in water resource management. The sensor package enables comprehensive on-site assessment of key water characteristics, including pH, temperature, turbidity (measured in NTU), and total dissolved solids (TDS, measured in ppm). Spatial interpolation techniques, specifically Kriging, are employed to extrapolate variable values at unobserved locations based on nearby measurements. …

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Design And Fabrication Of High-Resolution Epitaxial 4h-Sic Metal Insulator Semiconductor Detectors, Omerfaruk Karadavut Oct 2023

Design And Fabrication Of High-Resolution Epitaxial 4h-Sic Metal Insulator Semiconductor Detectors, Omerfaruk Karadavut

Theses and Dissertations

In the last two decades, significant strides have been made in the epitaxial film growth of 4H-silicon carbide (4H-SiC), establishing it as a premier wide bandgap material for radiation detection application under harsh environments. This is primarily attributed to its unique combination of physical properties such as high thermal conductivity, wide bandgap, robust breakdown field, and radiation hardness. Metal/4H-SiC epitaxial layer Schottky barrier diodes (SBDs) have emerged as reliable radiation detectors for harsh environments. However, the utilization of thicker epitaxial layer devices encounters challenges due to the minimum achievable doping concentration in 4H-SiC epitaxial layers, necessitating higher bias voltages for …

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Load Determination, Strengthening, And Behavior Study Of Prestressed Concrete Channel Bridge Girders In South Carolina, Elhussien Khaled Elbatanouny Oct 2023

Load Determination, Strengthening, And Behavior Study Of Prestressed Concrete Channel Bridge Girders In South Carolina, Elhussien Khaled Elbatanouny

Theses and Dissertations

The South Carolina Department of Transportation (SCDOT) is currently engaged in a multi-year effort to assess the structural integrity of its inventory of over 9,000 bridges. This assessment process is expected to result in an increase in the number of bridges that require load postings, repairs, or replacements across South Carolina. This could potentially lead to adverse economic repercussions due to restricted truck routes, bridge closures, repair work, and the need for bridge replacements. To alleviate the escalating costs associated with these challenges, it is imperative to explore methods aimed at reducing the need for load postings and bridge closures …

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Studies Of Damage Tolerance In Automated Fiber Placement Based Heterogeneous Meso-Architectured Carbon/ Epoxy Composite Laminates., Karan Kodagali Oct 2023

Studies Of Damage Tolerance In Automated Fiber Placement Based Heterogeneous Meso-Architectured Carbon/ Epoxy Composite Laminates., Karan Kodagali

Theses and Dissertations

Traditional unidirectional (UD) carbon fiber-reinforced polymer matrix composites manufactured via automated fiber placement (AFP) are widely used in aerospace structures. While heterogeneous at the micro-scale, these materials are homogeneous at the meso-scale (ply-scale). The major limitation is its limited toughness, poor damage tolerance/impact resistance capability and the inability to sufficiently redistribute stresses, resulting in strength-toughness tradeoffs, making them susceptible to impact damage. From previous studies, there is an understanding that fiber architecture has a first order effect on the damage tolerance. Introducing new discontinuous/heterogeneous meso-scale architectures, through an optimal merger of material and structure, can result in unprecedented property improvements …

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Robustness Of Convolutional Neural Networks: Analysis And Applications, Xin Zhang Oct 2023

Robustness Of Convolutional Neural Networks: Analysis And Applications, Xin Zhang

Theses and Dissertations

Convolutional neural networks (CNNs) have gained increasing popularity and versatility in recent decades, finding applications in diverse domains including image recognition, natural language processing, recommendation systems, as well as safety-critical areas like autonomous driving, medical diagnostics, and military fields. However, the widespread use of CNNs in safety-critical applications has also given rise to concerns regarding their robustness. The low robustness of CNNs may lead to erroneous predictions and even significant losses of human life and property, especially when dealing with corner cases or boundary cases in real-world problem-solving. Most existing methods for evaluating CNNs still heavily rely on their accuracy …

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Understanding The Corrosion And Discharge Behaviour Of Zinc Anodes In Primary Alkaline Batteries, Brian James Lenhart Oct 2023

Understanding The Corrosion And Discharge Behaviour Of Zinc Anodes In Primary Alkaline Batteries, Brian James Lenhart

Theses and Dissertations

Primary zinc alkaline batteries power a wide array of everyday use electronic devices such as remote controls, calculators, cameras, and flashlights and will own an appreciable share of the battery market for the foreseeable future. Primary alkaline batteries generally utilize carbon, gas diffusion air, or manganese dioxide cathode but always coupled with a slurry zinc anode. There are several issues with this primary alkaline platform, largely emphasized by the performance of the zinc anode, such as a gassing phenomenon which leads to battery rupture and under certain circumstances, low material utilization leading to low energy density. The gassing and material …

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Electric Freight Transportation System Planning And Truck Operation Optimizations, Xuanke Wu Oct 2023

Electric Freight Transportation System Planning And Truck Operation Optimizations, Xuanke Wu

Theses and Dissertations

The substantial demand for fossil fuel consumption is a significant contributor to greenhouse gas emissions, drawing considerable public attention to health and environmental problems. As a result, vehicle electrification is currently recognized as the most effective approach to reduce CO2 emissions from transportation. However, compared to traditional fossil fuel-powered vehicles, electric vehicles have notable disadvantages, including higher upfront purchasing price, longer recharging time, and most significantly, lower driving ranges. All these challenges can potentially result in increased overall operational costs for logistics companies. This thesis proposes a comprehensive optimization modeling framework for electric freight transportation system planning and operations with …

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Real-Time Product Structural Validation For Fused Filament Fabrication, Yanzhou Fu Oct 2023

Real-Time Product Structural Validation For Fused Filament Fabrication, Yanzhou Fu

Theses and Dissertations

Fused filament fabrication (FFF) is one of the fastest-growing, most promising, and widely-used Additive manufacturing (AM) technologies, as its capabilities of largely reducing material waste, feasible and flexible designing complicated structure or geometry product. Except for the advantages mentioned above, the unique affordability has made FFF a popular technique for small-scale 3D printing. However, its widescale adaption for industrial applications still faces significant challenges, especially for Industry 4.0, due to the process’s intrinsic uncertainties. During the printing process, even a trivial bonding gap or material void dramatically influences the final product’s structural quality and mechanical properties. Therefore, a defect detection …

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