Engineering Commons^™

Physical Layer Security Of The Internet Of Things: Modeling And Analysis, Ali Alsadi

Theses and Dissertations

Motivated by the fifth generation of mobile networks, the Internet of Things (IoT) has emerged as one of the most promising and interesting technologies that are currently evolving IoT, which is expected to be deployed on a large-scale beyond 2020. However, this technology's main drawback is the security issue due to the variety of network access technologies and the wireless medium's nature. Thus, in the last decade, considerable efforts were expended to address this issue. However, much of the work has focused on the data link and upper layers, and much less attention has been given to the physical layer …

Prestressed Concrete Slabs With Bonded And Unbonded Tendons, Jasmin Abdelhalim

Theses and Dissertations

Post-tensioning concrete technology increases the resistance of flexural concrete members. This technology allows for the production of slenderer sections, and sequentially less usage of material preserving the sustainability concept in construction engineering. Post-tensioning process can be done using bonded or unbonded steel tendons. The unbonded tendons are thought to have better resistance to corrosion for structures exposed to severe environmental conditions. The unbonded tendon’s steel strands are painted with grease and covered with plastic sheathing to prevent the moisture from reaching the steel strands thus they can provide high corrosion resistance. According to the ACI 318-19 and other codes of …

Shfrytëzimi I Energjisë Solare Si Burim Termik Për Një Shtëpi Banimi, Xhafer Musliu

Theses and Dissertations

Një ndër faktorët kryesorë të zhvillimit ekonomik të një vendi dhe ngritjes së mirëqenies së shoqërisë padyshim se është siguria e furnizimit me energji. Furnizimi me energji elektrike në Kosovë mbështetet pothuajse plotësisht në energjinë e prodhuar nga termocentralet (97%), përkatësisht Kosova për përmbushjen e nevojave të veta energjetike mbështetet ekskluzivisht në linjit, e kjo falë rezervave enorme që disponon vendi ynë.

Megjithatë rezultatet e këtij sektori lënë për të dëshiruar, gjë e cila ndërlidhet me ekonominë e varfër të vendit. Sigurimi i furnizimit të qëndrueshëm, cilësor, të sigurtë dhe të pandërprerë me energji elektrike është një prej kushteve kryesore …

Potenciali I Prodhimit Të Energjisë Së Ripërtërishme Me Erë, Andrian Shatri

Theses and Dissertations

Në ditët e sotme bota po ballafaqohet me një virus i cili ka shkaktuar probleme të mëdha dhe po merrë shumë jetë njerëzish. Populli i planetit tonë mendjen e tyre kryesisht e ka të fokusuar tek ky virus i cili na ka bërë të harrojmë që virusi kryesor në këtë planet është ngrohja globale e cila kryesisht shkaktohet nga gabimet e qenieve njerëzore të cilët me arrogancën dhe padijeninë e tyre janë duke e shkatërruar natyrën (tokat,malet,shtresat e ajrit). Pandemia që është shkaktuar nga ky virus bëri që të mbyllen shumë industri të ndryshme, qytete nga e gjithë bota janë …

Secondary Resonances Of Electrostatically Actuated Mems And Nems Circular Plates, Julio S. Beatriz

Theses and Dissertations

Two methods are used in the investigation, which are the Method of Multiple Scales (MMS) and the Reduced order Model (ROM) with up to 6 modes of vibration. The MMS is done in three ways, one based on soft excitation and the other models based on the usage of the bookkeeping parameter, ε, in the electrostatic term. These are referred to as the 1 term no ε, and the 2 term no ε, which allow it to model hard excitation. The influence of the number of terms in the Taylor expansion is explored.

These methods are used to investigate the …

Characterization Of The Rf Magnetron Sputtered P-Si & N-Si On Si Substrate And Effect Of Process Parameters On Their Structural & Electrical Properties, Prosanto Biswas

Theses and Dissertations

In our work, we applied Taguchi Signal-to-noise (SNR) analysis to investigate the effect of varying three process parameters, namely- sputtering power, working pressure, and Ar gas flow rate on the surface and morphological properties of the RF sputtered p-Si and n-Si on Si substrate. We also inspected the contribution of process parameters on those properties by applying Analysis of Variance (ANOVA). Characteristics of thin films fabricated by RF magnetron sputtering vary with the recipes. Process parameters such as power, pressure, process gas flow rate, substrate temperature, and target to substrate distance determine the quality of the thin films. Some of …

Novel Coating Methods On Centrifugally-Spun Polymer Fibers For Applications In Lithium-Ion Batteries, Jonathan G. Ayala

Theses and Dissertations

The work presented in this thesis focuses on the processing, characterization, and electrochemical results of centrifugally spun composite carbon fiber electrodes for application as anode material in lithium-ion batteries. The work is presented as a compilation of two major projects. First, the use of novel Co3O4 wet coatings to increase the capacity of carbon fibers produced from Polyacrylonitrile (PAN). In this work, PAN fibers are produced via the Forcespinning method, and were heat treated by oxidation in air at 200 °C for four hours, and subsequent carbonization at 600 °C for six hours. The electrochemical performance of the Co3O4/C composite-fiber …

Detecting The Leakage In The Pipeline System Through Flow Parameter Analysis, Hao Fu

Theses and Dissertations

The pipeline is an efficient way to transport oil and gas over long distances. However, leakage can occur when the pipes have been running for a long time. The leak of energy resources will cause economic loss in millions of dollars, pollute the local environment, and result in safety problems. Therefore, the technology of pipeline leak detection is very crucial during the energy transport process.

The goals of the research are to develop mathematical models based on experimental data and CFD simulation to detect single and multiple leaks in a pipeline and/or pipeline system. The new methods use daily recorded …

A Meta-Analysis On The Constitutive Behavior Of Engineered Cementitious Composite, Marie Angelica Ventura Vallangca

Theses and Dissertations

A meta-analysis is conducted for the mechanical properties of an Engineered Cementitious Composite (ECC). ECC is a special type of fiber reinforced cementitious composites that is characterized by high ductility (3-5% strain) with 1.5-2% fiber content by volume. The brittle nature and weak tensile strength of concrete cause various damages such as cracking. ECC has superior cracking resistance considered as a sustainable alternative for construction and repair. Meta-analysis is a statistical method to remove a possible bias of a single set of data. A meta-analysis collects and analyzes a large group of data obtained from multiple investigations of the same …

Lower Rio Grande Valley Tap Water Hardness Removal Using Conductive Concrete Cathode In Electrochemical Precipitation, Mirza Addaito Billah

Theses and Dissertations

Electrochemical water softening has obtained significant attention in recent years due to being environmentally friendly. One of this method's significant problems is the requirement of high cathodic surface area for enough efficiency. As most electrochemical cells use costly metal cathodes with meager service life and low structural integrity, practical large-scale implementation is scarce. In this research, graphite-concrete cathodes were proposed to replace conventional metal cathodes in the electrochemical water softening process. Graphite concrete has been used for heating pavement and electrical conductive roads. In this research concrete mixed with graphite powder by volume was successfully used as a cathode to …

Metamaterial Inspired Multi-Band Antenna For Mm-Wave 5g Wireless Communication, Mohammad Ashif Hossain Chowdhury

Theses and Dissertations

Due to the constant demand for speed and capacity in wireless communication, mm-wave bands are getting special interest. Most of the high-speed 5G bands are in the mm-wave region. As the mm-wave signal is prone to absorption and faces a significant free space path loss, an antenna with narrow beam, high gain, and high efficiency is required. The antenna also needs to be working in multiple frequencies, as there is a multitude of mm-wave frequencies allocated by the regulator for 5G communication. In this study, we designed an antenna capable of working in high 5G bands consisting of 25GHz,28GHz, and …

Planning A Renewable Power System In Texas As An Introduction To Smart Power Grid, Ghaleb S. Al Duhni

Theses and Dissertations

Design electrical systems from six renewable energy sources: photovoltaic, wind energy, geothermal, concentrated solar energy, biomass energy, and hydropower in addition to a storage system in the state of Texas, This power system converts the electric system in Texas into a 100 % renewable energy power system. Optimization technique has applied to the results to make the system economical and reduce the wasting resources, this system is considered as decentralized as well which is a great advantage for achieving the smart grid technology compared with the conventional plants where the generation parts are deposed in a small part of the …

Learning To Detect Pedestrian Flow In Traffic Intersections From Synthetic Data, Abhijit Baul

Theses and Dissertations

Detecting pedestrian flow in different directions at at traffic-intersection has always been a challenging task. Challenges include different weather conditions, different crowd densities, occlusions, lack of available data, and so on. The emergence of deep learning and computer vision algorithms has shown promises to deal with these problems. Most of the recent works only focus on either detecting combined pedestrian flow or counting the total number of pedestrians. In this work, we have tried to detect not only combined pedestrian flow but also pedestrian flow indifferent directions. Our contributions are, 1) we are introducing a synthetic pedestrian dataset that we …

Robust Distributed Formation Control Of Uavs With Higher-Order Dynamics, Md Nur-A-Adam Dony

Theses and Dissertations

In this thesis, we introduce distributed formation control strategies to reach an intended linear formation for agents with a diverse array of dynamics. The suggested technique is distributed entirely, does not include inter-agent cooperation or a barrier of orientation, and can be applied using relative location information gained by agents in their local cooperation frames. We illustrate how the control optimized for agents with the simpler dynamic model, i.e., the dynamics of the single integrator, can be expanded to holonomic agents with higher dynamics such as quadrotors and non-holonomic agents such as unicycles and cars. Our suggested approach makes …

Centrifugally-Spun Ceramic/Carbon Composite Fibers And Their Use As Anode Materials In Li-Ion Batteries, Gabriel Gonzalez

Theses and Dissertations

The work in this thesis focuses in the study of Centrifugally Spun Short Fiber Composites and their Implementation as Alternate Anode Material in Li-Ion Batteries. Due to their high theoretical capacity, abundance, and environmental friendliness, metal oxides have been widely studied as alternate anode materials for lithium ion batteries (LIBs). In this research work, the processing of SnO2 and SnO2/TiO2 ceramic short fibers as well as flexible and porous metal oxide carbon fibers (FPMOCFs) by centrifugal spinning followed by an optimized coating technique is reported. In addition, the electrochemical performance of the composites was also investigated and is provided.

Designing Mimo Omnidirectional Millimeter-Wave Metamaterialantenna For 5g Communications, Khan Md Zobayer Hassan

Theses and Dissertations

A highly efficient, low profile, wideband metamaterial antenna is presented for mm-wave 5G communications. The designed metamaterial resonator structure works as a radiator and operates in the FCC auctioned 28 GHz frequency spectrum (27.5 - 28.350 GHz). The proposed antenna is fabricated on a 10.3mm x 10.3mm and .0787 mm thick Rogers RT5880/Duroid substrate and probe feed is used as the feeding mechanism. The effect of different design parameters on the performance of the antenna is examined and then optimized for the best possible performance. The designed antenna shows wideband characteristics with an impedance bandwidth of 2.22 GHz (27.49 – …

Development Of A Cyberinfrastructure For Assessment Of The Lower Rio Grande Valley North And Central Watersheds Characteristics, Linda Isabel Navarro Navarro

Theses and Dissertations

Due to an increase in urbanization in the Lower Rio Grande Valley (LRGV), there have been substantial modifications to hydrology causing a decline in water quality to the Laguna Madre watershed. The major concern is the inflow of freshwater from the North and Central waterways released to the Lower Laguna Madre which is designated as an impaired watershed for high concentrations of bacteria and low dissolved oxygen. The objective of this study is to perform a watershed characterization to determine potential pollution sources of each watershed by developing a cyberinfrastructure and collect a wide inventory of data. The objective will …

Study Of Particle Size Effect On The Performance Of Tio2 Nanoparticles As Lubricant Additives On Vegetable Oil-Based Nanolubricants, Dario F. Rodriguez

Theses and Dissertations

Recently there has been an increase in concern regarding the use of petroleum-based lubricants. This has created an interest in readily available biodegradable lubricants such as vegetable oils. This work evaluates the rheological and tribological performance of grapeseed, and sunflower oils altered with 5, 18, and 40 nanometer titanium dioxide (TiO2) nanoparticles at differing concentrations. Block-on-ring tests were performed using the ASTM G-077-05 standard procedure. The effect of nanoparticle size and concentration and shear rate on the viscosity were evaluated and the experimental data was compared to conventional models. Roughness tests were performed on the wear scar of the blocks …

Design Of Multi-Layered Lenses For Resolusion Enhancement, S. M. Zia Uddin

Theses and Dissertations

Lenses are important optical device having numerous applications in our day-to-day life. As the conventional lenses, we use concave or convex lenses. These lenses are made with natural materials and the image quality imperfect. Furthermore, they are bulky, and design is complex. Consequently, mass production is difficult.

The shapes of entrance and exit faces of lenses has impact on its imaging capability. The Lens material also play a vital role for reconstructing the image. Flat lenses can be considered as a good alternative of the conventional lenses. One of the advantages of this Flat lenses is that it can restore …

Development And Characterization Of Nanofiber-Based Thermoelectric And Piezoelectric Composites, Julio Enrique Trevino

Theses and Dissertations

This study focuses on the development and characterization of nanofiber-based composites with the goal of developing flexible, lightweight, and cost effective thermoelectric and piezoelectric devices. The following materials were used in the development of the composites: polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) with polyaniline (PANI), polypyrrole (PPY), polyindole (PIN), polyanthranilic acid (PANA), polycarbazole (PCZ), polyacrylonitrile (PAN), functionalized multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNT-COOH), and camphorsulfonic acid (CSA). Blends and in-situ polymerization techniques were utilized to increase the desired thermoelectric/piezoelectric response. Nanofiber systems were produced utilizing the Forcespinning® technique. The morphology, structure, electrochemical, thermal stability, thermoelectric, and piezoelectric performance was analyzed. All of the nanofiber PVDF/CP …

Assessing The Feasibility Of A Biofilter In Medium-To-High Scale Industries, Javier A. Garcia

Theses and Dissertations

The removal of volatile organic compounds, VOCs, from contaminated sources of air stream has become a major air pollution risk. Excessive amounts discharged to the atmosphere are highly risky to human health and to the environmental system. Demand for sustainable VOC control technologies has become crucial for the reduction of emissions. Biological treatments of waste gas streams, such as biofiltration, have proven to be cost effective and environmentally friendly compared to conventional pollution control technologies. The goal of this research is to simulate data for a given biofilter model, and to evaluate if it is economically and environmentally feasible to …

Exploration Of Antimicrobial And Cell Proliferation Properties Of Nanofibers Incorporating Nopal (O. Cochenillifera) Extract, Cristobal Rodriguez

Theses and Dissertations

This study focused on the fabrication of Forcespinning® nanofibers composed of Opuntia cochenillifera, ‘nopal’, mucilage (N) extract, chitosan (CH), and pullulan (PL) (N/CH/PL) were developed with an optimum fiber average diameter of 406±127 nm, and studied for their ability to sustain adhesion and proliferation of mouse embryonic fibroblast (NIH 3T3) cells. After a 6-day incubation period, N/CH/PL nanofibers displayed robust cell proliferation, while also exhibiting inhibitory properties through an N extract dip-coating process against gram-negative bacteria Escherichia coli in a 24 h bacterial growth study. A demonstration of integrated natural bioactive compounds with combined biodegradable polymers, provide an enhanced …

Automated Quality Control In Manufacturing Production Lines: A Robust Technique To Perform Product Quality Inspection, Mark Anthony Reyna

Theses and Dissertations

Quality control (QC) in manufacturing processes is critical to ensuring consumers receive products with proper functionality and reliability. Faulty products can lead to additional costs for the manufacturer and damage trust in a brand. A growing trend in QC is the use of machine vision (MV) systems because of their noncontact inspection, high repeatability, and efficiency. This thesis presents a robust MV system developed to perform comparative dimensional inspection on diversely shaped samples. Perimeter, area, rectangularity, and circularity are determined in the dimensional inspection algorithm for a base item and test items. A score determined with the four obtained parameter …

An Investigation Of Runway Risks Using A Systems Approach, Mehnaz Hassan

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to explore and determine if Causal Analysis Based on System Theory ( could divulge differing underlying causes in the Taxiway overflight incident of Air Canada Flight 759 at San Fran cisco International Airport, as compared to traditional investigation methods used by the National Transportation Safety Board ( Investigations tend to focus on trying to establish the probable cause of an accident or incident, and as a result, the systemic components tend to be overlooked which leads to the common underlying causes of the event left unsolved. Adopting a systems approach to assessing runway risks …

Exploring The Effects Of Communication Delays And Personality On Stress During Simulated Space Missions, Shayan Shirshekar

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of communication delays and personality on stress levels during a simulated spaceflight mission. The study used an experimental, within-groups, repeated-measures design to explore these effects during a simulated Mars mission, specifically: (a) 1–3-second (s) (control) and (b) a 2-minute (min) one-way communication delay expected during the early transit phase of a Mars mission. The Big Five personality traits served as moderating variables and included extraversion, agreeableness, conscientiousness, neuroticism, and openness to experience. This study was developed and tested with participants analogous to an astronaut population: healthy individuals possessing or pursuing …

Over The Ocean Rf Propagation Modeling And System Design For Wireless Broadband Systems, Rayan Enaya

Theses and Dissertations

The research presented in this document considers the development of a terrestrial wireless communication system for providing connectivity to vessels within coastal waters. The system operates in the 2.4GHz ISM band and can provide throughputs that are on the order of 1-20Mbps. Several important aspects of the system design are considered. First, the propagation path loss in the2.4GHz band over the coastal water is characterized. The characterization is performed through an extensive measurement campaign. A practical propagation model is developed. Second, since 2.4GHz is an unlicensed spectrum, it hosts many other wireless systems. These systems create substantial noise in the …

Uplink Throughput Prediction And Device Geolocation In Cellular Communication System Using Machine Learning Methodology, Engin Eyceyurt

Theses and Dissertations

Continuously increasing the number of interconnecting devices, cloud services, and social media usage require enormous amounts of mobile data. Due to the rapid increase in cellular data demand, accurate cellular data prediction has become more critical. The increase in the number of mobile subscribers raised the issue of whether users' location can be determined. The most important uses of geolocation technology are emergencies and security purposes. In addition to emergency and security affairs, geolocation technology can decrease cellular network maintenance costs. Mobile network systems have become highly complex with a large number of parameter and feature add-ons. Along with the …

Dynamic Route Optimization For Waste Collection In Smart City, Abdullah Suliman Alwabli

Theses and Dissertations

Waste collection is a critical component of the municipal service to the community within urban set-ups. Increasing levels of waste generation present significant challenges in urban areas due to unprecedented population growth. Consequently, due to the accumulating amounts of waste, waste management has become a primary concern. Several problems also emanate from the current inadequate and inefficient waste management systems that rely on non-scientific techniques. This paper proposes using IoT-based smart bins to improve the waste management process by optimizing waste collection. Al-Awali District in the Saudi Arabian city of Mecca will be the main focus of this study, where …

Stability And Control Flight Testing Of The Dassault Falcon 10/100, Andres Mauricio Alarcon Vega

Theses and Dissertations

The Falcon 10/100 is a transport category aircraft developed by Dassault Aviation in 1971. Production of the aircraft ceased in 1989, but it remains available on the secondhand market. Certification for these types of aircraft follow FAR Part 25 of the code of federal regulations. Aircraft stability and control flying qualities are dependent on the mission profile and intended use case of the aircraft. External factors, such as turbulence, are relevant for transport category aircraft because poor stability could affect the flying characteristics and result in an unpleasant ride. On the other hand, in a trimmed condition, an aircraft with …

Scaling Laws For Fixed-Wing Single-Engine Electric Propulsion Systems, Fnu Hem Lata

Theses and Dissertations

The rise of new aircraft propulsion methods (e.g., powered by batteries, fuel cells, or hybrid electric systems), the increased use of automated and integrated flight control systems, and the envisioned use of personal Vertical Take-off and Landing (VTOL) vehicles in urban environments (urban aerial mobility) lead to novel technical and regulatory challenges for aircraft manufacturers, certification authorities and operators. Of primary concern are operational safety and closely connected pilot situation awareness and workload. The Trajectory Energy Management task involves manipulating flight and propulsion controls to achieve a planned flight profile. The key areas to focus on in Trajectory Energy Management …