Engineering Commons^™

Characteristics And Hydraulic Behavior Of Adsorptive Media For Use In Permeable Reactive Barriers, Shelby Rocha

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The Cargill ditch is located on the property of Se7en Wetlands, a 1600-ac treatment wetland system in Lakeland, Polk County, Florida. The Se7en Wetlands property was previously utilized for phosphate mining prior to the construction of the system. Nonpoint nutrient sources derived from remnants of abandoned phosphate mines – known as “legacy phosphorus” – become mobilized by stormwater runoff and impair surface water bodies by promoting harmful algal blooms (HABs). Thus, the Cargill ditch likely conveys nutrient rich flow resulting from legacy phosphorus and is thought to be one contributing factor in the occurrence of HABs within the treatment wetland …

An Empirical Investigation Of Network Topology On Majority Illusion, Behavior Adoption, And Polarization, Sreeja Sreekantan Nair

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Social influence plays a significant role in shaping opinions and behaviors both online and inthe physical world. The ways in which we interact with others and the information we receive can significantly influence our beliefs and attitudes towards different issues. While online social media provide platforms for such interactions, the underlying network structure can impact various social influence phenomena, including majority illusion, behavior adoption, and polarization.

This dissertation examines the role of network topology in three social influence processes:majority illusion, behavior adoption, and polarization. The majority illusion refers to a perception bias that occurs when individuals believe that an opinion …

Only Pick Once-Multi-Object Picking Algorithms For Picking Exact Number Of Objects Efficiently, Zihe Ye

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Picking up multiple objects at once is a grasping skill that makes a human worker efficient in many domains. However, the State of Arts Robot Grasping skill has not developed such ability to compete with human.This paper presents a system to pick a requested number of objects by only picking once (OPO). The proposed Only-Pick-Once System (OPOS) contains several graph-based algorithms that convert the layout of objects into a graph, cluster nodes in the graph, rank and select candidate clusters based on their topology. OPOS also has a multi-object picking predictor based on a convolutional neural network for estimating how …

Metachronal Locomotion: Swimming, Scaling, And Schooling, Kuvvat Garayev

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation deals with one type of underwater locomotion called metachronal swimming in which the organism sequentially beats its multiple appendages allowing phase lag between adjacent neighbors. Metachronally swimming species are widespread and include copepods, shrimp, ctenophores, and tomopterid worms to name few. First, using the high-speed recording and planar particle image velocimetry (PIV) measurement, I report on kinematics of fast metachronal swimmer and constructive vortex interactions among its appendages and discuss its implications for improved performance regarding the swimming. Second, I show how hydrodynamic performance of all metachronal swimmers (paramecia, copepods, tomopterid worms, krill etc.) can be scaled by …

Insect Classification And Explainability From Image Data Via Deep Learning Techniques, Tanvir Hossain Bhuiyan

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Since the dawn of the Industrial Revolution, humanity has always tried to make labor more efficient and automated, and this trend is only continuing in the modern digital age. With the advent of artificial intelligence (AI) techniques in the latter part of the 20th century, the speed and scale with which AI has been leveraged to automate tasks defy human imagination. Many people deeply entrenched in the technology field are genuinely intrigued and concerned about how AI may change many of the ways in which humans have been living for millennia. Only time will provide the answers. This dissertation is …

Analysis And Model Of Sensor-Less Modified Direct Torque Control Surface Permanent Magnet Synchronous Machine For Electrical Submersible Pumping Applications, Mulu Woldeyohannes

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation examines a novel sensor-less Direct Torque Control (DTC) strategy for Electrical Submersible Pump (ESP) systems using Surface Mounted Permanent Magnet Synchronous Motors (SPMSM) that are used for oil and gas production. As oil and gas are the two largest fuels in use today to generate energy, the technologies to improve efficiency, increase reliability and reduce carbon footprint are essential. SPMSM is one of the main motor topologies in use to improve the reliability and efficiency of ESP systems. Due to the absence of damper winding, SPMSM cannot be started using Direct On-Line (DOL) control. Instead, Variable Speed Drives …

On The Performance Enhancement Of Beamspace Mimo And Non-Orthogonal Multiple Access For Future Cellular Networks, Sinasi Cetinkaya

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The ever-growing demand for higher data rates and greater data capacity at lower cost has led the mobile cellular industry to investigate new physical layer techniques and possible utilization of unused spectrums at higher frequencies for next-generation cellular networks. Thus, exploitation of the millimeter-wave (mmWave) spectrum and non-orthogonal multiple-access (NOMA) have been envisioned as the most promising enablers in meeting capacity demand. Due to the smaller wavelengths offered in mmWave frequencies, it is possible to deploy many antennas into a relatively smaller physical space in mmWave frequencies. This property leads to a promising integration between mmWave and massive multiple-input multiple-output …

Multiple Access Techniques Enabling Diverse Wireless Services, Mehmet Mert Şahin

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The growing interest in diverse wireless applications such as virtual reality (VR), digital twin, ultra-massive broadband communication (u-MBB) has led the cellular industry to look for new multiple accessing schemes and new signal processing techniques for utilization of next-generation wireless technologies. Throughout the PhD duration, different studies are performed in regards to dual-functional and interference robust multiple accessing and control of electromagnetic radiation for cognitive radio systems. Firstly, a novel concept on non-orthogonal multiple access (NOMA), which is the coexistence of different waveform structures in the same resource elements is proposed. Secondly, a novel JCR waveform is proposed to serve …

Pamam- Cyclodextrin Conjugate Upregulates Brain-Derived Neurotropic Factor In Arpe-19 Cells, Gopika Ashokan

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Background: Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) is a major contributor to death and disability due to motorvehicle accidents, sports, physical abuse, and battlefield injuries. The primary insult to the brain leads to inflammation, vascular dysfunction, and oxidative stress in the brain as well as in the eye. This leads to loss of Retinal Ganglion Cells (RGCs) and downregulation of Brain derived Neurotopic Factor (BDNF). BDNF is a neurotrophic factor that binds to Tropomyosin Receptor Kinase B (TrkB) receptor to promote cell growth, survival, and differentiation. Current treatment strategies do not promote neuronal regeneration. Therefore, novel treatments are needed to restore vision …

Secure Reconfigurable Computing Paradigms For The Next Generation Of Artificial Intelligence And Machine Learning Applications, Brooks Olney

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The fields of artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) have been popular tools for data analysis at the edge, particularly through complex deep and convolutional neural networks (DNNs/CNNs), which can learn to parameterize a function given a labeled dataset. Indeed, these technologies have enabled significant progress across a wide range of fields and are becoming ubiquitous. However, training the best model for an application and subsequently using them to evaluate data in real-time requires an immense amount of computational power. Typically, ``smart" sensors at the edge rely on the cloud to accelerate this computation due to power and compute …

Evaluating Foot-Drop Interventions For Multiple Sclerosis Using A Multimodal System, Laura Marie Byrnes-Blanco

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation explores how multimodal walking impacts quantitative and qualitative aspects of gait for persons with multiple sclerosis (pwMS) experiencing foot-drop. Foot-drop can dramatically impede mobility and clinicians routinely prescribe ankle-foot-orthosis (AFO) and functional electrical stimulation (FES) devices to alleviate its impacts on daily life. However, little is known about how these devices affect pwMS while traversing environments with real-world complexity. To explore this topic, an interventional, parallel assigned study was conducted. A realistic nature pathway containing changes in floor pitch, audiovisual stimulation, and during-trial tasks (for dual-tasking) was generated in an immersive virtual reality system called CAREN: Computer Assisted …

A Human-In-The-Loop Robot Grasping System With Grasp Quality Refinement, Tian Tan

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The goal of this dissertation is to develop a grasping system for assistive robots that can help people with disabilities and the elderly to perform tasks of daily living. In developing this robot grasping system, we maximize its reliability, accuracy, and autonomy. High reliability and accuracy are required for robots to perform tasks around human users and to safely interact with objects that might be fragile or have contents that could spill. High autonomy is desired as users with disabilities are usually not dexterous enough to directly operate the robot. In this dissertation, a human-in-the-loop (HitL) robot grasping system is …

Peak And Differential Temperature Determination Of Drilled Shafts, Amanda A. Lewis

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The term “mass concrete” characterizes a specific concrete condition that typically requires unique considerations to mitigate extreme temperature effects on a structure. Mass concrete has historically been defined by the physical dimensions of a “mass”-ive concrete element with the intent of identifying when differential temperatures may induce early-onset cracking, leading to reduced service life. More recently, in addition to differential temperature considerations, extreme upper temperature limits have been imposed by the American Concrete Institute to prevent long-term concrete degradation. Studies dating back to 2007 show shafts as small as 48 inches in diameter can exceed both differential and peak temperature …

Scale-Up Of Perovskite Oxides For Conversion Of Co2 To Co Through Reverse Water-Gas Shift Chemical Looping, Hanzhong Shi

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

CO2 conversion to CO has the benefit of further conversion to hydrocarbon-based fuels and chemicals. Due to CO2 being an important greenhouse gas, its conversion to CO and an increase of the carbon cycling will help reduce the greenhouse effect. Reverse water-gas shift chemical looping (RWSG-CL) is a two-step process that can be employed for the conversion of CO2 to CO. The first step involves partial reduction of oxygen by hydrogen to form oxygen vacant oxide, and the second step is the conversion of CO2 to CO over these partially reduced materials to regain their original structures. The RWSG-CL process …

Development And Implementation Of Telemetry Devices To Identify And Characterize Sources Of Intraocular Pressure Variability In Rats, Christina M. Nicou

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Eye health depends partially on intraocular pressure (IOP) as abnormal levels can lead to ocular tissue damage. Glaucoma is a neurodegenerative disease that affects nearly 80 million people worldwide [1]. It is associated with elevated IOP, which can lead to irreversible blindness. Relatively little is known about IOP dynamics and the physiological factors that affect it as IOP is typically monitored using tonometry. Tonometry is a common tool used by clinicians and researchers to measure IOP noninvasively. It provides a good estimate of IOP mean but not variance because data collection takes time. Readings can also be influenced by subject …

Adiabatic Temperature Rise And Durability Performance Of Slag Blended Concrete, Hai Zhu

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Performance and durability of slag blended concrete was investigated in this study focusing on slag and cement characteristics. Seven slags with variable Al2O3 content, Al2O3/MgO ratio and fineness were selected for investigation. The eight selected cements included ASTM Type I, Type I(HA), Type II(MH), Type II(MH)(HA), and Type IL(10 and 14). Cementitious materials studied here were subjected to a battery of tests including physical, chemical and mineralogical characterization. Performance and durability testing included heat of hydration measurements, sulfate optimization, external sulfate resistance, adiabatic temperature rise and chloride ingress.

Adiabatic temperature rise was assessed on 60% slag blended concrete, using Type …

Synergistic Effect Of Temperature And Acid Catalyst To Enhance L-Ald, Prabhsimran Singh

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Liquid Atomic layer deposition (LALD) is an emergent technology used for depositing thin films. Extensive research has been done on this method, designing different techniques and modifications for the deposition of films. Wastage of alkoxide precursors, extra purging cycle, and extensive time for the reaction when added stoichiometrically are some of the drawbacks which shift the focus from metal alkoxide as precursors. In this thesis, modifications for the L-ALD method for the complete reaction of alkoxide precursors when added stoichiometrically were achieved. Temperature and catalyst’s synergistic effects were utilized for the modification. This modified method was applied for the doping …

Human Spacesuit Interaction During Eva Of The Legs Using A Force Sensing System, Niraliben D. Patel

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Astronauts perform a multitude of tasks in space, both in the spacecraft and outside of the spacecraft. Extravehicular Activity (EVA) refers to any activity that is completed outside of the spacecraft, whether it is work on the actual spacecraft, spacewalks, or conducting sample collections on other planets and moons. To do this safely, a pressurized Extravehicular Mobility Unit (EMU) or commonly known as the spacesuit is used. There have been multiple iterations of the United States EMU with advances to further optimize the astronaut safety and EVA tasks. However, there is still relatively little information on the movement of the …

Eeg Classifier Validation Methods For Neuroprosthetic Hand Development, Keigo Yamauchi

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

To date, many challenges have been reported in the development of neuroprosthetic hands using EEG and neural signals. In this study, we report the results of a literature review on Brain Computer Interface (BCI) technology, an investigation of estimation methods using applications in MATLAB, and the results of Electroencephalography (EEG) classification to assist in the development of neural prosthetic hands using biological signals such as EEG. Confusion Matrix was created using Motor Imagery (MI) data as the predictive value, and the average accuracy of more than 90% was obtained for the K-Nearest Neighbor (KNN) and decision tree method. The results …

Restoration And Modification Of A Sputter Tool For The Deposition Of A Zno Guiding Layer Via Rf Sputtering, Matthew Watson

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

In this thesis, a novel sputter tool was restored and modified to deposit a ZnO film for future applications as a guiding layer on a surface acoustic wave (SAW) device. Some restorations and modifications included a water chiller being sized and added to the tool, leak checks to establish an ultra-high vacuum of 10-6 Torr, then finally heat lamps for temperature control were installed. Once modified, one of the preexisting magnetrons was utilized to deposit a ZnO via RF sputtering onto a quartz substrate. The layer was characterized via energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy which showed the existence of Zn on the …

Modeling Leachate Treatment Processes In Adsorbent-Amended Hybrid Constructed Wetland, Ishfaqun Nisa

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Due to their efficiency in removing ammonia nitrogen, Constructed Wetlands (CW) are currently considered a very useful method for on-site leachate treatment. In recent years, the use of adsorbent media in CWs, such as zeolite and biochar, to improve pollutant removal efficiency has been explored and these studies indicate that incorporating zeolite can improve the nitrification process, while the addition of biochar can enhance the denitrification process and the removal of organic compounds. However, studies on mechanistic/process models simulating performance of adsorbent-amended CWs for treating landfill leachate are limited. This study presents simulation results for both unamended and adsorbent-amended hybrid …

Remote Medical Diagnosis Via Infrared Thermography And Augmented Reality, Frederick M. Selkey

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Fast, accurate, and non-invasive diagnostic techniques are required by the medical industry to increase the success of medical treatments and enhance the quality of patient care. Medical IRT has been demonstrated reasonably effective at diagnosing and monitoring several physiological conditions. Diversities in the human body, physical and psychological condition, measurement equipment, and environment all influence the sensitive readings obtained by passive IR measurement devices. New standards for medical IRT and fever screening have been demonstrated effective, but there is limited adherence to the guidelines [36]. Absolute temperature readings require regular calibration checks and can easily be thrown off by noise. …

The Influence Of Corrosion Mitigating Fluids On Post Tensioned Tendon Grout Properties And Steel To Grout Bond Strength, Sarita Ale Magar

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Corrosion has been a persistent problem causing the failure of post-tensioned tendons in segmentally constructed bridges. To address this issue, the impregnation method has been considered where the corrosion-mitigating fluids are pressure injected into the interstitial spaces between the seven wires of steel strands. A previous study showed that this method was able to arrest corrosion. However, it compromised the bond strength between the steel and the strand. For that reason, this study aims to identify a fluid that can be impregnated into the interstitial spaces without sacrificing bond performance. The most promising fluid found in the study is an …

Field-Base Exploratory Study Of Microbial Activity In Eight Potable Water Storage Tanks In Barbados, Katelyn M. Long

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

There have been many initiatives to combat the global phenomenon of water scarcity. Potable water storage tanks have become widely known among water insecure countries and communities to provide adequate water quantity and quality for consumer use. Despite ubiquitous use in many low- and middle-income communities (LMIC), knowledge of microbial activity inside potable water storage tanks is limited. Barbados is a Small Island Developing State (SIDS), labeled as a high income country, and also water scarce. The Barbados Water Authority (BWA) has adapted potable water storage tanks for hundreds of residents as a solution to water quantity and water quality …

Process Automation And Robotics Engineering For Industrial Processing Systems, Drake Stimpson

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Automation in industrial systems applications has emerged as the fundamental solution for improving quality, production rate, and efficiency of a process. Much of the recent popularity surrounding the transition of processes from manually operated tasks to automated systems can be attributed to the concept of Industry 4.0, which outlines the fundamental guidelines for integrating cyber-physical systems into industrial processes. Due to rapid advancement of technology in robotics and automation as well as the increase in accessibility of resources to this technology, the capability to develop automated systems has become feasible for small-scale enterprise. This work presents a two-part initiative to …

Deep Reinforcement Learning Based Optimization Techniques For Energy And Socioeconomic Systems, Salman Sadiq Shuvo

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Optimization, which refers to making the best or most out of a system, is critical for an organization's strategic planning. Optimization theories and techniques aim to find the optimal solution that maximizes/minimizes the values of an objective function within a set of constraints. Deep Reinforcement Learning (DRL) is a popular Machine Learning technique for optimization and resource allocation tasks. Unlike the supervised ML that trains on labeled data, DRL techniques require a simulated environment to capture the stochasticity of real-world complex systems. This uncertainty in future transitions makes the planning authorities doubt real-world implementation success. Furthermore, the DRL methods have …

The Influence Of Bipolar Electrochemical Cell Geometry On The Studies Of Pitting Corrosion, Amin Kazem Ghamsari

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Bipolar electrochemistry (BPE) is a technique that provides a wireless alternative totraditional electrochemistry to elicit redox reactions. It has been utilized in different applications, including studying localized corrosion, gradient electrodeposition, propulsion of micromotors, and water treatment. The popularity of the method is not solely dependent on its wirelessness but more due to the simultaneous presence of cathodic and anodic poles on the same surface, which also begets its name as bipolar. The concept of the method is based on the polarization of conductive objects in an electric field in the presence of an electrolyte. In BPE, instead of controlling the …

Rehabilitation Technologies To Abate Infiltration In Sanitary Sewers, Steve Youssef

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

In urban coastal environments, sewer infrastructure is plagued by infiltration which seeps into aging and compromised pipes. Infiltration increases pumping costs, reduces treatment efficiency, and may trigger release of partially treated wastewater at water reclamation facilities. To restore pipes and abate infiltration, local utilities rely on structural and non-structural trenchless rehabilitation technologies. These methods are commonly used throughout the United States and the world due to their numerous benefits compared to traditional open-cut construction. However, limited data is available regarding their efficacy in reducing infiltration in sewer systems. In this study, we analysed infiltration in a small urban sewershed in …

Research On Stability And Resilience Of Modern Power Systems, Yi Zhou

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

With more and more renewable energy generation integrated into the utility grid, the modern power system circumstance and its operating characteristics have changed significantly. Since most renewable energy resources are inverter-based resources (IBR), the prominent characteristics of the power electronics and the cyber distribution in the renewable energy generation system make the power grid stability more diverse and complex.

This dissertation addresses the power system resilience problems from two points of view. The first one is from the inverter level, which deals with the problems of short circuit ratio (SCR) drop. With low SCR, the IBR system operation point may …

Load And Resistance Factor Design (Lrfd) Resistance Factors For Tip Grouted Drilled Shafts, Anhar Sarsour

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Pressure grouting beneath the tip of drilled shafts, also known as postgrouting, has been used for more than fifty years throughout the world and has shown to be an effective means to enhance both the usable and ultimate end bearing resistance. In short, postgrouting is a form of compaction grouting beneath the shaft tip (performed after concrete has cured) that can improve the soil strength and increase the axial shaft stiffness. Until 2006, there was no published design methodology and hence the anticipated performance was speculated to be a function of injected grout volume, shaft uplift and/or the achieved grout …