Engineering Commons^™

Disturbance-Rejection Control For Unbalanced Operation Of Microgrids: Invariant-Set Approach, Ehab Bayoumi

Mechanical Engineering

In microgrids, voltage imbalance control is crucial to preserving the required level of power quality. The article presents a tracker design that mitigates the unbalance in the microgrids. The proposed microgrid model includes positive and negative sequences, whereby the positive sequences are controlled, and the negative sequence is treated as an external disturbance (whose effect must be attenuated). The uncertainty in the external disturbance is modelled in the norm-bounded form. The suggested control is based on attracting (driving) the state trajectory into a small region, including the origin (attracting ellipsoid-set). The effect of the negative sequence components is attenuated by …

Cyber Resilience, Risk Management, And Security Challenges In Enterprise-Scale Cloud Systems: Comprehensive Review, Abdiaziz Abdi, Hajar Bennouri, Anthony Keane

Conference Papers

The cyberthreat landscape is constantly evolving with the rapid development of cloud computing. Today, businesses and consumers rely heavily on cloud infrastructure, which provides high availability and resilient systems. However, cloud and IoT platforms contain vulnerabilities that can compromise data confidentiality, integrity, and availability, leading to disruptions in service operations. These significant challenges pose serious threats such as vulnerabilities, misconfigurations, data breaches, faulty hardware, and application failures with high costs. IBM reports that the average cost of a data breach worldwide is approximately US$4.5 million per incident. This highlights the need for adequately designed resilience systems with high availability and …

Medial Patellofemoral Ligament Augmented With A Reinforced Bioinductive Implant Is Biomechanically Similar To The Native Medial Patellofemoral Ligament At Time Zero In A Cadaveric Model, Sean Mcmillan, Seth Sherman, Zachary Brown, Erik Brewer, Elizabeth Ford

Rowan-Virtua School of Translational Biomedical Engineering & Sciences Departmental Research

Purpose: To biomechanically compare primary medial patellofemoral ligament (MPFL) repair (MPFLr) augmented with a reinforced bioinductive implant (RBI) to the native MPFL ligament and a semitendinosus (semi-T) MPFL reconstruction (MPFLR) at time zero. Methods: Four fresh-frozen matched pair cadavers (8 knees) were used to biomechanically compare the native MPFL to augmented MPFLr (n = 4) and semi-T MPFLR (n = 4). The native MPFL (n = 8) was isolated, preserving the femoral and patellar attachments, and pulled to failure. The semi-T was harvested from 1 of the matched pairs and whipstitched, as was a 250-mm × 5-mm RBI. A standard …

Space Program: Center For Space Research - Austin, Texas #1, Robert J. Twiggs

Robert "Bob" Twiggs STEM Education Collection

A PowerPoint presentation created by Professor Bob Twiggs titled "Space Program: Center for Space Research - Austin, Texas" from July 12, 2024.

Fem-Based Conductive Heat Transfer Analytical Description Of Solidification Rate And Temperature Gradient During Lateral Laser Beam Oscillation Welding Of Aluminum Alloy, Jason Cheon, Cheolhee Kim, Sanghoon Kang, Minjung Kang

Mechanical and Materials Engineering Faculty Publications and Presentations

This study investigates the feasibility of utilizing the finite element method (FEM)-based conductive heat transfer (CHT) analysis simulation to determine temperature gradients and solidification rates at the solid–liquid interface during laser beam oscillation welding. By comparing experimental observations with FEM-based CHT analysis, the underlying microstructural evolution and grain formation during welding were examined. FEM-based CHT enables the calculation of temperature gradients (G) and solidification rates (R), offering insights into the formation of equiaxed structures, which are crucial for suppressing hot cracking. Columnar-to-equiaxed structure transition thresholds, such as G/R and G³/R, accurately predict …

Development Of Multivariate-Coupled Grouting Diffusion Model For Rcc, Xiao Sun, Yao Wang, Hengrui Liu, Zhuanjia Yang, Hongyan Ma

Civil, Architectural and Environmental Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

The Grouting Quality of Grout-Enriched Roller Compacted Concrete (RCC) is Difficult to Be Quantified Due to the Fact that the Crucial Effects, Such as Infiltration and the Compaction of the Skeleton of the RCC, Are Not Taken into Consideration. Combined with Model Testing, This Study Proposes an Improved Grouting Prediction Model Which Considers the Coupling Effect of Pore Fractal Properties, Time Variation of Grout Rheological Properties and Infiltration. Moreover, the Influence of Construction Parameters Such as Grouting Parameters, Construction Period Selection, Grouting Pipe Arrangement on the Grouting Effect Was Clarified. the Tests Indicated that the Maximum Diffusion Range of Slurry …

Slimsat, Robert J. Twiggs, Nick Pugh

Robert "Bob" Twiggs STEM Education Collection

A PowerPoint Presentation created by Professor Bob Twiggs and Nick Pugh titled "SlimSat" from July 11, 2024.

Biocompatibility Of Mussel-Inspired Water-Soluble Tissue Adhesives, Aishwarya V. Menon, Amelia A. Putnam-Neep, Caitlin E. Brown, Christa J. Crain, Gert Breur, Sanjeev K. Narayanan, Jonathan Wilker, Julie C. Liu

School of Chemical Engineering Faculty Publications

Wound closure in surgeries is traditionally achieved using invasive methods such as sutures and staples. Adhesion-based wound closure methods such as tissue adhesives, sealants, and hemostats are slowly replacing these methods due to their ease of application. Although several chemistries have been developed and used commercially for wound closure, there is still a need for better tissue adhesives from the point of view of toxicity, wet-adhesion strength, and long-term bonding. Catechol chemistry has shown great promise in developing wet-set adhesives that meet these criteria. Herein, we have studied the biocompatibility of a catechol-based copolymer adhesive, poly([dopamine methacrylamide]-co-[methyl methacrylate]-co-[poly(ethylene glycol) methyl …

The Growth Of Ethanol In Brazil: Sugarcane, Corn, And A Few Other Things, Fabio Mattos

Cornhusker Economics

Although we can expect more ethanol produced from corn in the coming years, it is unclear whether it will keep expanding at the same pace as in recent years or how much it will contribute to total ethanol production.

One point to keep an eye on is the typical dynamics of markets. If supply and demand conditions and price movements make corn-ethanol more profitable, ethanol plants in Brazil will keep increasing their production. If it makes more economic sense to produce corn-ethanol (as it happened recently), they will use more corn to produce ethanol.

Supply and demand conditions for ethanol, …

Geospatial Analysis Of Hydrologic Nitrogen In Ohio Using Terrain Ruggedness Index (Tri) And Terrain Position Index (Tpi), Shreyas N. Rajagopalan, Olatunde D. Akanbi, Vibha S. Mandayam, Erika I. Barcelos, Roger H. French

Student Scholarship

Hydrologic nitrogen in ecosystems can significantly impact water quality. Excessive nitrogen, often originating from agricultural runoff, wastewater discharge, and industrial activities, can lead to eutrophication – the over-enrichment of water bodies with nutrients, resulting in excessive algal growth and depleted oxygen levels. This study aims to use geospatial analytics to identify areas in Ohio that are more susceptible to high nitrogen levels due to their topographic characteristics.

Terrain Ruggedness Index (TRI) and Terrain Position Index (TPI) are two key metrics derived from Digital Elevation Models (DEMs) that can help characterize the landscape. TRI measures the variability in elevation of adjacent …

Fairification Of Geospatial Data, Attiksh Ansool Panda, Olatunde D. Akanbi, Vibha S. Mandayam, Erika I. Barcelos, Roger H. French

Student Scholarship

FAIRification (Findability, Accessibility, Interoperability, and Reusability) of geospatial and temporal data from the United States Geological Survey (USGS) is crucial for the continuance of the National Science Foundation (NSF) Engineering Research Center for Advancing Sustainable and Distributed Fertilizer Production (CASFER) whose aim is to aid in the development of eco-friendly fertilizers. The USGS data contains key information about water quality and contaminants, which are important metrics for our geospatial project since our work aims to track the contaminants' flow and work towards their reduction and subsequent elimination. FAIR principles refer to - Findability, Accessibility, Interoperability, and Reusability. This is important …

Geospatial And How It's Used By Casfer, Eduardo A. Castillo, Olatunde D. Akanbi, Vibha S. Mandayam, Erika I. Barcelos, Roger H. French

Student Scholarship

Project CASFER has a goal to develop the next generation of decarbonized nitrogen based fertilizer. They want to do this by

• Capturing nitrogen from waste, recycling the nitrogen, then producing and distributing CASFER fertilizers to farmers. 

CASFER is made up of 5 different universities that all work together to make up CASFER, Texas Tech University, Case Western University, FAMU, Georgia tech, and MIT.

Experimentally Verified Effective Doping Model For Lactate And Troponin Ofet Biosensors Using Machine Learning Algorithm, Sameh O. Abdellatif, Hana Masalam, Salma Ahmed

Electrical Engineering

No abstract provided.

Experimental Validation Of An Analytical Transient Model For Saturated Boosting Gain In Dc–Dc Converters With Variable Duty Cycle, Goliana Samir, Simon Ezzat, Wagdy Anis, Sameh O. Abdellatif

Electrical Engineering

No abstract provided.

Low-Power Dc-Dc Converters For Smart And Environmentally-Friendly Electric Vehicles: Design, Simulation, And Fabrication On A Glass Substrate, Michelle Makar, Sameh O. Abdellatif

Electrical Engineering

No abstract provided.

Assessing The Relative Sustainability Of Point-Of-Use Water Disinfection Technologies For Off-Grid Communities, Bright C. Elijah, Ali Ahmad, Yalin Li, Jaime Plazas-Tuttle, Lewis Stetson Rowles

Civil Engineering & Construction: Faculty Publications

Point-of-use (POU) water disinfection technologies can be adopted to provide access to safe drinking water by treating water at the household level; however, navigating various POU disinfection technologies can be difficult. While numerous conventional POU devices exist, emerging technologies using novel materials or advanced processes have been under development and claim to be of lower cost with higher treatment capacity. However, it is unclear if these claims are substantiated and how novel technologies compare to conventional ones in terms of cost and environmental impacts when providing the same service (i.e., achieving a necessary level of disinfection for safe drinking water). …

Article Comprising Bonded Substrate Comprising Nanocrystals And Method Of Making And Using Same, Michael D. Sherburne

AFIT Patents

The present invention relates to devices for measuring property changes via in-situ micro-viscometry and methods of using same. The aforementioned device is inexpensive and can be used to quickly and accurately measure numerous physical and chemical property changes, including but not limited to the rate of chemical cure, change in tack, and rate of mass loss, for example, rate of moisture, solvent and/or plasticizer change.

From Cnns To Transformers In Multimodal Human Action Recognition: A Survey, Muhammad Bilal Shaikh, Douglas Chai, Syed Muhammad Shamsul Islam, Naveed Akhtar

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Due to its widespread applications, human action recognition is one of the most widely studied research problems in Computer Vision. Recent studies have shown that addressing it using multimodal data leads to superior performance as compared to relying on a single data modality. During the adoption of deep learning for visual modelling in the past decade, action recognition approaches have mainly relied on Convolutional Neural Networks (CNNs). However, the recent rise of Transformers in visual modelling is now also causing a paradigm shift for the action recognition task. This survey captures this transition while focusing on Multimodal Human Action Recognition …

Early Detection Of Pipeline Natural Gas Leakage From Hyperspectral Imaging By Vegetation Indicators And Deep Neural Networks, Pengfei Ma, Tarutal Ghosh Mondal, Zhenhua Shi, Mohammad Hossein Afsharmovahed, Kevin Romans, Liujun Li, Ying Zhuo, Genda Chen

Civil, Architectural and Environmental Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

The timely detection of underground natural gas (NG) leaks in pipeline transmission systems presents a promising opportunity for reducing the potential greenhouse gas (GHG) emission. However, existing techniques face notable limitations for prompt detection. This study explores the utility of Vegetation Indicators (VIs) to reflect vegetation health deterioration, thereby representing leak-induced stress. Despite the acknowledged potential of VIs, their sensitivity and separability remain understudied. In this study, we employed ground vegetation as biosensors for detecting methane emissions from underground pipelines. Hyperspectral imaging from vegetation was collected weekly at both plant and leaf scales over two months to facilitate stress detection …

Fundamental Limits In Measuring The Anisotropic Rotational Diffusion Of Single Molecules, Weiyan Zhou, Tingting Wu, Matthew D. Lew

Electrical & Systems Engineering Publications and Presentations

Many biophysical techniques, such as single-molecule fluorescence correlation spectroscopy, Förster resonance energy transfer, and fluorescence anisotropy, measure the translation and rotation of biomolecules to quantify molecular processes at the nanoscale. These methods often simplify data analysis by assuming isotropic rotational diffusion, e.g., that molecules wobble within a circular cone. This simplification ignores the anisotropy present in many biological contexts that may cause molecules to exhibit different degrees of diffusion in different directions. Here, we loosen this assumption and establish a theoretical framework for describing and measuring anisotropic rotational diffusion using fluorescence imaging. We show that anisotropic wobble is directly quantified …

Exploring Equity, Diversity, And Inclusion In Computer Science Undergraduate Curricula, Ouldooz Baghban Karimi, Giulia Toti, Fiona Mcneill, Alice Gao, Rutwa Engineer, Shanon Reckinger, Peggy Lindner, Jinyoung Hur, Rebecca Robinson, Anna Sollazzo, Richard Wicentowski

Engineering Management and Systems Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

One of the less explored approaches to foster equity, diversity, and inclusion (EDI) in Computer Science (CS) is through changes to the curriculum. Despite sporadic work on the adoption of Culturally Responsive Computing (CRC) and Universal Design for Learning (UDL), the inclusion of equity-minded courses, or modifications on specific elements of the curriculum such as introductory programming courses, there has never been a wide exploration or adoption of a successful equity-minded undergraduate CS curriculum. In this work, we explore undergraduate CS curricula, with a special focus on upper division, lower division, and service courses (courses offered to non-CS students). For …

Electrospun Ibuprofen-Loaded Blend Pcl/Peo Fibers For Topical Drug Delivery Applications, Diala Bani Mustafa, Tsuyoshi Sakai, Osamu Sato, Mitsuo Ikebe, Shih-Feng Chou

Mechanical Engineering Faculty Publications and Presentations

Electrospun drug-eluting fibers have demonstrated potentials in topical drug delivery applications, where drug releases can be modulated by polymer fiber compositions. In this study, blend fibers of polycaprolactone (PCL) and polyethylene oxide (PEO) at various compositions were electrospun from 10 wt% of polymer solutions to encapsulate a model drug of ibuprofen (IBP). The results showed that the average polymer solution viscosities determined the electrospinning parameters and the resulting average fiber diameters. Increasing PEO contents in the blend PCL/PEO fibers decreased the average elastic moduli, the average tensile strength, and the average fracture strains, where IBP exhibited a plasticizing effect in …

Robotics Lab With The Lego Spike Prime Robot, Susan Imberman, Tatiana Anderson, Chang Guo, Vladimir Frants, Daniel Agman, Orit D. Gruber

Open Educational Resources

This lab introduces the field of Robotics. Robotics is a field that combines Artificial Intelligence with Engineering. In this lab, the student will be experimenting with the LEGO® Spike Prime Robot. The student's final report should include a copy of all the completed answers, program code, and observations.

After completing this lab experiment, the student will proceed to answer the following questions in the Observations section at the end of the lab report:

• List some applications of robotics in daily living and industry ?

• How does a robot sense and react to its environment?

• What new ideas were observed during …

A Review Of Computational Fluid Dynamics Approaches Used To Investigate Lubrication Of Rolling Element Bearings, Farshid Sadeghi, Ujjawal Arya, Saeed Aamer, Andreas Meinel

School of Mechanical Engineering Faculty Publications

Optimizing bearing performance is based on effective lubrication, especially in high-speed machinery, where minimizing churning and drag losses is of significant importance. Over the past few decades, extensive research has been conducted into the better understanding of different aspects of bearing lubrication. These investigations have employed a combination of experimental methods and advanced computational fluid dynamics (CFD) models. This article provides a comprehensive overview of critical aspects of bearing lubrication, with a specific emphasis on recent advances in CFD models. Lubricant flow and distribution patterns are discussed while examining their impact on drag and churning losses. An extensive discussion is …

Internal Structure Of Incipient Soot From Acetylene Pyrolysis Obtained Via Molecular Dynamics Simulations, Khaled Mosharraf Mukut, Anindya Ganguly, Eirini Goudeli, Georgios Kelesidis, Somesh P. Roy

Mechanical Engineering Faculty Research and Publications

A series of reactive molecular dynamics simulations is used to study the internal structure of incipient soot particles obtained from acetylene pyrolysis. The simulations were performed using the ReaxFF potential at four different temperatures. The resulting soot particles are cataloged and analyzed to obtain statistics of their mass, volume, density, C/H ratio, number of cyclic structures, and other features. A total of 3324 incipient soot particles were analyzed in this study. Based on their structural characteristics, the incipient soot particles are classified into two classes, termed type 1 and type 2 incipient soot particles in this work. The radial distribution …

Machine Learning-Guided Design Of Nanolubricants For Minimizing Energy Loss In Mechanical Systems, Kollol Sarker Jogesh, Md. Aliahsan Bappy

Mechanical Engineering Faculty Publications

This study explores the significant potential of machine learningguided design in optimizing nanolubricants, focusing on their application in reducing friction and wear in mechanical systems. Utilizing neural networks and genetic algorithms, the research demonstrates how advanced computational techniques can accurately predict and enhance the tribological properties of nanolubricants. The findings reveal that nanolubricants, particularly those containing graphene and carbon nanotubes, exhibit marked improvements in reducing friction coefficients and wear rates compared to traditional mineral oil-based lubricants. Additionally, the enhanced thermal stability and load-carrying capacity of these nanolubricants contribute to substantial energy savings and increased operational efficiency. The study underscores the …

Experimentation With Speech Recognition And Word Error Rates, Sarah Zelikovitz, Orit D. Gruber

Open Educational Resources

In this lab you will be using the speech recognition program in Windows. After the initial training session, you will proceed to conduct experiments to evaluate the accuracy of the speech program.

At the end of this lab, you will be able to answer the following questions:

What is the purpose of speech recognition programs ?

• What are some applications of speech recognition programs ?

• What is the metric to evaluate speech recognition programs?

• What parameters are used to test speech recognition programs?

Emerging Cyber Risks & Threats In Healthcare Systems: A Case Study In Resilient Cybersecurity Solutions, Abdiaziz Abdi, Hajar Bennouri, Anthony Keane

Conference Papers

The exponential growth of digitalisation in healthcare and the ongoing threat of cybersecurity breaches are significant and cast a shadow over the industry’s progress. As the cost of data breaches reaches unprecedented levels, reaching an average of US$10.93 million in 2023 alone, and the frequency of attacks escalates, evidenced by a staggering 60% increase in phishing incidents between 2022 and 2023 reported by Smarttech247, Healthcare infrastructure is at a critical intersection. In this paper, we address the complex relationship between harnessing the potential of digital systems to improve and combating the escalating risks posed by cyber threats. The cyberattack on …

Block Copolymer Formation And Synthesis Of Fingerprint-Patterned Azo Nanowires For Sensor Applications, Madhurima Kundu, Yasser Ismail, Radian Belu, Fred Lacy

Student Presentations

The study focuses on utilization of block copolymer (BCPs) as template for selective infiltration of AZO precursors. BCPs consist of chemically distinct polymer blocks that are self-assembled into well-defined domains with different morphologies. Vapor phase infiltration (VPI) provides a controlled approach for synthesizing fingerprint-patterned AZO nanowires, offering advantages in terms of conformal coating, vertical alignment, precursor control, scalability, and compatibility with atomic layer deposition (ALD) platforms making it suitable for different applications. The aim of this research is to fabricate nanostructured materials with controlled compositions and patterns which have applications in optoelectronic, sensing, surface engineering, and high-resolution imaging systems. The …

Quantum & Classical Machine Learning Studies Of Semiconductor Crystal Epitaxy, Andrew S. Messecar, Steven M. Durbin, Robert A. Makin

Waldo Library Student Exhibits

Molecular beam epitaxy (MBE) is an ultra–high vacuum crystal growth technique for the synthesis of high–purity materials. MBE allows for controlled deposition to the precision of a single atomic layer.

Understanding the optimal synthesis conditions for MBE can enhance experiment design and accelerate the discovery of new materials.

In this study, we apply materials informatics – investigating the utility of both quantum and conventional machine learning algorithms – to a decade’s worth of plasma–assisted MBE (PAMBE) data of GaN and InN. The goal is to investigate the relationships between PAMBE growth conditions and figures of merit for semiconductor crystals.