Engineering Commons^™

A New Approach To Dynamic Modeling Of Continuum Robots, Nivedhitha Giri

All Theses

ABSTRACT
In this thesis, a new approach for developing practically realizable dynamic models for continuum robots is proposed. Based on the new dynamic models developed, a novel technique for analyzing the capabilities of continuum manipulators to be employed in various real world applications has also been proposed and developed.
A section of a continuum arm is modeled using lumped model elements (masses, springs and dampers). It is shown that this model, although an approximation to a continuum structure, can be used to conveniently analyze the dynamics of the arm with suitable tradeoff in accuracy of modeling. This relatively simple model …

Role Of Surface Coatings In Lithium-Ion Batteries, Archana Kayyar

All Theses

Rechargeable batteries that can charge and discharge at high rates have applications in hybrid and plug-in hybrid vehicles and they provide energy storages for wind energy. Various methods like reducing particle size, aliovalent doping and carbon coating have been researched in order to attain higher charge and discharge rates in rechargeable Li-ion batteries. In this work, the electrode materials were coated with amorphous films in an attempt to improve the rate capability of the batteries.
A study by Kang and Ceder suggested that a Li₄P₂O₇-like 'fast-ion conducting surface phase' could form on the surface …

A Methodology For Estimating And Comparing The Lifecycles Of High-Build And Conventional Waterborne Pavement Markings On Primary And Secondary Roads In South Carolina, Joseph Robertson

All Theses

Highway pavement markings constitute a vital component of roadway transportation systems and provide crucial visual cues for the basic driver task of following the road. In 2008, the South Carolina Department of Transportation (SCDOT) initiated a multi-year study to evaluate pavement markings on non-interstate primary and secondary roads in South Carolina. This thesis discusses development of a methodology for estimating and comparing the lifecycles of high-build and conventional waterborne pavement markings based on retroreflectivity levels. The methodology was developed using nearly 3 years of field data from 66 sites throughout South Carolina. This thesis provides an overview of data collection …

Fault-Tree Model For Bridge Collapse Risk Analysis, Caitlyn Davis-Mcdaniel

All Theses

Bridges are vital components of the United States surface transportation infrastructure and, moreover, support the growth of our nation's economy. However, over the past few decades the design capacity and service condition of many bridges in the U.S. has been challenged. Numerous incidents of bridge collapse call for an urgent need to develop a systematic method of assessing the failure risks and identifying the initiating events that can lead to a bridge collapse. This thesis presents a process of bridge failure risk analysis through fault-tree modeling and identification of specific countermeasures, to minimize failure risk, related to structural health monitoring …

Galaxy Browser: Exploratory Search Of Web Videos, Lei Pang, Song Tan, Hung-Khoon Tan, Chong-Wah Ngo

Research Collection School Of Computing and Information Systems

Most search engines return a ranked list of items in response to a query. The list however tells very little about the relationship among items. For videos especially, users often read to spend significant amount of time to navigate the search result. Exploratory search presents a new paradigm for browsing where the browser takes up the role of information exploring and presents a well-organized browsing structure for users to navigate. The proposed interface Galaxy Browser adopts the recent advances in near-duplicate detection and then synchronizes the detected near-duplicate information with comprehensive background knowledge derived from online external resources. The result …

Stochastic Policy Search For Variance-Penalized Semi-Markov Control, Abhijit Gosavi, Mandar Purohit

Engineering Management and Systems Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

The variance-penalized metric in Markov decision processes (MDPs) seeks to maximize the average reward minus a scalar time the variance of rewards. in this paper, our goal is to study the same metric in the context of the semi-Markov decision process (SMDP). in the SMDP, unlike the MDP, the time spent in each transition is not identical and may in fact be a random variable. We first develop an expression for the variance of rewards in the SMDPs, and then formulate the VP-SMDP. Our interest here is in solving the problem without generating the underlying transition probabilities of the Markov …

Executable System Architecting Using Systems Modeling Language In Conjunction With Colored Petri Nets In A Model-Driven Systems Development Process, Renzhong Wang, Cihan H. Dagli

Engineering Management and Systems Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

This work proposes an executable system architecting paradigm for discrete-event system modeling and analysis through integration of a set of modeling tools, executable formalisms, analytical tools, and animation tools. the essential step is converting SysML-Based specifications into colored Petri nets through a conversion scheme proposed here. Such a paradigm permits rigorous static and dynamic system analysis, as well as formal verification of the behavior and functionality of the SysML-Based design. This paper also compares the capabilities of the proposed executable system architecting paradigm with other executable formalisms. Further, it discusses the basic principles of executable architecture specification and analysis for …

Methodology For Behavioral-Based Malware Analysis And Detection Using Random Projections And K-Nearest Neighbors Classifiers, Jozsef Hegedus, Yoan Miche, Alexander Ilin, Amaury Lendasse

Engineering Management and Systems Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

In This Paper, a Two-Stage Methodology to Analyze and Detect Behavioral-Based Malware is Presented. in the First Stage, a Random Projection is Decreasing the Variable Dimensionality of the Problem and is Simultaneously Reducing the Computational Time of the Classification Task by Several Orders of Magnitude. in the Second Stage, a Modified K-Nearest Neighbors Classifier is Used with Virus total Labeling of the File Samples. This Methodology is Applied to a Large Number of File Samples Provided by F-Secure Corporation, for Which a Dynamic Feature Has Been Extracted during Deep guard Sandbox Execution. as a Result, the Files Classified as False …

Work In Progress - Virtual Facilitation And Procedural Knowledge Education, Ray Luechtefeld, Steve Eugene Watkins

Electrical and Computer Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Engineering students acquire both conceptual and procedural knowledge as part of their education. While conceptual knowledge, such as understanding why certain design practices are required or having knowledge of the general principles of engineering development, is essential, procedural knowledge to enact specific engineering practices is also needed. This kind of knowledge, such as balancing chemical equations, solving calculus problems, or finding Thevenin-Norton equivalents, is usually taught through rote problem solving, sometimes with the guidance of teaching assistants or aid from the instructor if students find themselves "stuck". However, a Virtual Facilitator, designed to help students develop team skills, can also …

Simulations Of Pulse Signals With X-Parameters, Nick K.H. Huang, Lijun Jiang

Electrical and Computer Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Nonlinearity is becoming increasingly important to IC technologies. From the PHD formalism, X-parameter models provide an accurate frequency-domain method under large-signal operating points to characterize their nonlinear behaviors. In this work, X-parameter models are investigated to handle time-domain pulse signals which is critical to IC signal integrity but was not studied before. Two representative circuits, an analog LNA and a digital CMOS buffer, were employed to characterize the X-parameter performance. The results obtained in this paper provide the first hand data for pulse signal responses of X-parameters in signal integrity modelings. © 2011 IEEE.

Compact Metallic Rfid Tag Antennas With A Loop-Fed Method, Peng H. Yang, Yan Li, Lijun Jiang, W. C. Chew, Terry Tao Ye

Electrical and Computer Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Several compact, low profile and metal-attachable RFID tag antennas with a loop-fed method are proposed for UHF RFID systems. The structure of the proposed antennas comprise of two parts: (1) The radiator part consists of two shorted patches, which can be treated as two quarter-wave patch antennas or a cavity. (2) A small loop printed on the paper serves as the feeding structure. The small loop provides the needed inductance for the tag and is connected to the RFID chip. The input impedance of the antenna can be easily adjusted by changing loop dimensions. The antenna has the compact size …

Optofluidic Glucose Sensor Utilizing An Epoxy-Based, Transparent Dry Film Resist, Zhan Gao, Sijia Gong, Chang Soo Kim, David B. Henthorn

Electrical and Computer Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

An enzymatic, fluorescent glucose sensor was constructed with a novel epoxy-Based, optically transparent dry film resist (PerMX 3000 series, DuPont). This material was utilized as the main active material for fluidic structure and optical interrogation. This sensor was based on the enzymatic reaction of glucose oxidase (GOD) and utilized a ruthenium complex fluorophore as the reporting agent. Both the oxygen-sensitive ruthenium complex and GOD were incorporated into poly (ethylene glycol) (PEG)-Based hydrogel materials, which were lithographically patterned and embedded inside the PerMX fluidic channel after wafer-bonding process. the optofluidic sensing platform with this embedded sensing elements exhibited a wide dynamic …

Eigenvalue Distributions Of Mimo Rayleigh-Product Channels With Arbitrary-Power Co-Channel Interference And Noise, Yongpeng Wu, Shi Jin, Xiqi Gao, Chengshan Xiao, Matthew R. Mckay

Electrical and Computer Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

This paper studies the eigenvalue distributions of multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) Rayleigh-product channels in the presence of both co-channel interference and thermal noise. We first present exact expressions for the marginal ordered eigenvalue distributions of the channel Gram matrix when multichannel beamforming is employed, from which we obtain exact results of the outage probability on each eigenmode. Our results apply to a wide class of multichannel systems which transmit on the eigenmodes of the MIMO channel, allowing for transmission on any numbers of eigen subchannels, with any numbers of antennas, any numbers of scatterers in the environment, and any numbers of …

On The Preconditioner Of Conjugate Gradient Method A Power Grid Simulation Perspective, Chung Han Chou, Nien Yu Tsai, Hao Yu, Che Rung Lee, Yiyu Shi, Shih Chieh Chang

Electrical and Computer Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Preconditioned Conjugate Gradient (PCG) method has been demonstrated to be effective in solving large-scale linear systems for sparse and symmetric positive definite matrices. One critical problem in PCG is to design a good preconditioner, which can significantly reduce the runtime while keeping memory usage efficient. Universal preconditioners are simple and easy to construct, but their effectiveness is highly problem dependent. on the other hand, domain-specific preconditioners that explore the underlying physical meaning of the matrices usually work better but are difficult to design. in this paper, we study the problem in the context of power grid simulation, and develop a …

Distribution Lmp-Based Economic Operation For Future Smart Grid, Fanjun Meng, Badrul H. Chowdhury

Electrical and Computer Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

A new methodology for calculating the distribution locational marginal prices (D-LMP) with distributed multi-agent paradigm is presented. the proposed D-LMP employs an optimal power flow methodology to evaluate the marginal energy component, especially for renewable generations, as well as the marginal congestion and loss components, which are critical for the valuation and settlement purposes. It is also illustrated that the D-LMP can be used as pricing signal to achieve maximum system social surplus and encourage distributed renewable energy penetration in distribution system. © 2011 IEEE.

Localization Of Objects Using Cross-Correlation Of Shadow Fading Noise And Copulas, Mohammed Rana Basheer, Sarangapani Jagannathan

Electrical and Computer Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

While fading, in general, is detrimental to accurately localizing a target, fading correlation between adjacent receivers may be exploited to improve localization accuracy. Therefore, this paper presents a novel wireless localization scheme that employs a combination of cross-correlation between shadow fading noise and copula technique to recursively estimate the location of a transmitter. a stochastic filter that models multipath fading as an Ornstein-Uhlenbeck process followed by a Generalized Auto Regressive Conditional Heteroskedasticity (GARCH) filtering is proposed to extract shadow fading residuals from measured RSSI values. Subsequently, Student-t Copula function is used to create the log likelihood function, which acts as …

Improving The Efficiency Of Lpg Compression Ignition Engines For Passenger Cars Through Waste Heat Recovery, Alberto Boretti

Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

The turbocharged direct injection lean burn Diesel engine is the most efficient now in production for transport applications with full load brake efficiencies up to 40 to 45% and reduced penalties in brake efficiencies reducing the load by the quantity of fuel injected. the secrets of this engine's performances are the high compression ratio and the lean bulk combustion mostly diffusion controlled in addition to the partial recovery of the exhaust energy to boost the charging efficiency. the major downfalls of this engine are the carbon dioxide emissions and the depletion of fossil fuels using fossil diesel, the energy security …

Efficient Uncertainty Quantification In Multidisciplinary Analysis Of A Reusable Launch Vehicle, Benjamin R. Bettis, Serhat Hosder, Tyler Winter

Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

The objective of this study was to apply a recently developed uncertainty quantification framework to the multidisciplinary analysis of a reusable launch vehicle (RLV). This particular framework is capable of efficiently propagating mixed (inherent and epistemic) uncertainties through complex simulation codes. the goal of the analysis was to quantify uncertainty in various output parameters obtained from the RLV analysis, including the maximum dynamic pressure, cross-range, range, and vehicle takeoff gross weight. Three main uncertainty sources were treated in the simulations: (1) reentry angle of attack (inherent uncertainty), (2) altitude of the initial reentry point (inherent uncertainty), and (3) the Young's …

Capacitance Calculation For A Shared-Antipad Via Structure Using An Integral Equation Method Based On Partial Capacitance, Hanfeng Wang, Albert E. Ruehli, Jun Fan

Electrical and Computer Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

An integral equation method used for capacitance extraction for axially symmetric geometries is extended in this paper to calculate the via-plane capacitances in shared-antipad via structures, by changing the circular ring cells to arc ones. the proposed method is validated with a commercial finite element method-based tool for a typical structure used in modern high-speed printed circuit design. © 2011 IEEE.

On The Linear Precoder Design For Mimo Channels With Finite-Alphabet Inputs And Statistical Csi, Weiliang Zeng, Chengshan Xiao, Mingxi Wang, Jianhua Lu

Electrical and Computer Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

This paper investigates the linear precoder design that maximizes the average mutual information of multiple-input multiple-output channels with finite-alphabet inputs and statistical channel state information known at the transmitter. This linear precoder design is an important open problem and is extremely difficult to solve: First, average mutual information lacks closed-form expression and involves complicated computations; Second, the optimization problem over precoder is nonconcave. This study explores the solution to this problem and provides the following contributions: 1) a closed-form lower bound of average mutual information is derived. It achieves asymptotic optimality at low and high signal-to-noise ratio regions and, with …

Linear Precoding For Mimo Multiple Access Channels With Discrete-Constellation Inputs, Mingxi Wang, Weiliang Zeng, Chengshan Xiao

Electrical and Computer Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

In this paper, we study linear precoding for multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) multiple access channels (MAC) with discrete-constellation inputs. We derive the constellation-constrained capacity region for the MIMO MAC with an arbitrary number of users. Due to the non-concavity of the objective function, we obtain the necessary conditions for the weighted sum rate (WSR) maximization problem through Karush-Kuhn-Tucker (KKT) analysis. to find the optimal precoding matrices, we propose an iterative algorithm utilizing alternating optimization strategy and gradient descent update. Numerical results show that when inputs are digital modulated signals and the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) is in the medium range, our proposed …

Impact Of Spatial Correlation Of Fading Channels On The Performance Of Mimo Underwater Communication Systems, Jesse Cross, Jian Zhang, Yahong Rosa Zheng

Electrical and Computer Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

The spatial and intertap correlation matrices of fading channels are first estimated for underwater multiple input multiple output (MIMO) systems using real experimental data. We confirm that underwater MIMO channels exhibit strong spatial and temporal correlation. the bit error rate (BER) performance of the MIMO system at different correlation scenarios are also evaluated with computer simulation. at BER=0.01%, the required SNR of highly correlated channel is 5 dB higher than the i.i.d. channel. BER results of the experimental data also quantitatively show the performance degradation caused by the correlation. © 2011 IEEE.

Characterization Of Crushed Rock-Concrete Interface Behavior Through The Parallel Gradation Technique, Domenica Cambio, Xin Kang, Louis Ge

Civil, Architectural and Environmental Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

The response of a soil-structure system subjected to monotonic or cyclic loading is influenced significantly by the mechanical behavior of soil-structure interface. in this paper, the friction characteristics of the crushed rock-concrete interface and the role of the crushed rock deformability were examined through a series of monotonic and cyclic direct shear tests. the physical modeling technique of parallel gradation was adopted where two parallel gradation curves of the crushed rocks were prepared and used in the tests. the tests were carried out in dry condition and with two initial void ratios representing both loose and dense states. Two concrete …

Measuring Global Response Of A Wind Turbine To Simulated Earthquake Shaking Assisted By Point Tracking Videogrammetry, Ian Prowell, Tim Schmidt, Ahmed Elgamal, Chia Ming Uang, Hal Romanowitz, J. Edward Duggan

Civil, Architectural and Environmental Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Experiments investigating earthquake response of structures traditionally use conventional wired instruments such as strain gauges, displacement transducers, and accelerometers deployed at key areas of interest throughout structure. for wind turbines the rotor is one of these key areas, but due to rotation it is not possible to use wired instruments without a special slip ring. in a recent experiment conducted using the Network for Earthquake Engineering Simulation (NEES) Large High Performance Shake Table (LHPOST) at the University of California, San Diego (UCSD) the global response of a full scale 65-kW turbine (22 m hub height) was monitored using a novel …

New Test Set For Video Quality Benchmarking, Joaquin Raventos

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

A new test set design and benchmarking approach (US Patent pending) allows a "standard observer" to assess the end-to-end image quality characteristics of video imaging systems operating in day time or low-light conditions.

It uses randomized targets based on extensive application of Photometry, Geometrical Optics, and Digital Media.

The benchmarking takes into account the target’s contrast sensitivity, its color characteristics, and several aspects of human vision such as visual acuity and dynamic response. The standard observer is part of the "extended video imaging system" (EVIS).

The new test set allows image quality benchmarking by a panel of standard observers at …

Implementation Of Medicinal Leech Preparation To Investigate The Connection Between The Motor Neuron And Muscle Fiber Via Sharp Electrode Electrophysiology, Chandra Nikole Miller

Master's Theses

There are forty registered organophosphates in the United States and they range from pesticides and insecticides to nerve agents or neurotoxins such as sarin. Organophosphates (OP’s) have been used in chemical warfare for years and tend to lead to death due to an attack on the nervous system. Chemical assays and mass microscopy have been used to assess the concentration of OP’s in the environment, but both methods require the body to metabolize the OP first, which can be detrimental to the victim. It is crucial to come up with a method to investigate and detect these neurotoxins without causing …

Digitally Controlled, Modular Electronic Load, Jason L. March

Master's Theses

This project entails the design and development of a digitally controlled, modular electronic load. The proposed load is unique from existing designs because it has the added ability to increase its maximum current level by adding identical modules in parallel. Each module is designed to sink a maximum of 5A at 60V but more modules allow for more current. The cost and simplicity of the design are considered such that it can be reproduced in-house to replace, whenever possible, the resistor box for load testing of any analog circuits but more specifically power electronic circuits.

The design process as well …

Impact Of Collateral Enlargement On Smooth Muscle Phenotype, Alexander Jerome Bynum

Master's Theses

Peripheral Artery Disease is a very serious disease characterized by an arterial occlusion due to atherosclerotic plaques. In response to an arterial occlusion, arteriogenesis occurs, causing smooth muscle cells to transition from a contractile to synthetic state. Also following an arterial occlusion, functional impairment was seen in the collateral circuit. An immunofluorescence protocol was developed in order to assess the impact of collateral enlargement (arteriogenesis) on smooth muscle phenotype at various time points. Smooth muscle α-actin was used to mark all smooth muscle cells, Ki-67 was used to label proliferating smooth muscle cells, and a fluorescent nuclear stain was used …

Experimental Investigation Of A 2-D Air Augmented Rocket: Effects Of Nozzle Lip Thickness On Rocket Mixing And Entrainment, Trevor Allen Montre

Master's Theses

Cold-flow tests were performed using a simulated Air Augmented Rocket (AAR) operating as a mixer-ejector in order to investigate the effects of varied primary nozzle lip thickness on mixing and entrainment. The simulated primary rocket ejector was supplied with nitrogen at a maximum chamber stagnation pressure of 1712 psi, and maximum flow rate of 1.67 lb_m/s. Secondary air was entrained from a plenum, producing pressures as low as 6.8 psi and yielding maximum stagnation pressure ratios as high as 160. The primary ejector nozzles each had an area ratio of approximately 20, yielding average primary exit Mach numbers …

Quantifying The Tibiofemoral Joint Space Using X-Ray Tomosynthesis, Benjamin Kalinosky, John M. Sabol, Kelly Piacsek, Beth Heckel, Taly Gilat Schmidt

Biomedical Engineering Faculty Research and Publications

Purpose: Digital x-ray tomosynthesis (DTS) has the potential to provide 3D information about the knee joint in a load-bearing posture, which may improve diagnosis and monitoring of knee osteoarthritis compared with projection radiography, the current standard of care. Manually quantifying and visualizing the joint space width (JSW) from 3D tomosynthesis datasets may be challenging. This work developed a semiautomated algorithm for quantifying the 3D tibiofemoral JSW from reconstructed DTS images. The algorithm was validated through anthropomorphic phantom experiments and applied to three clinical datasets. Methods: A user-selected volume of interest within the reconstructed DTS volume was enhanced with 1D multiscale …