Engineering Commons^™

Solution Phase And Membrane Immobilized Iron-Based Free Radical Reactions: Fundamentals And Applications For Water Treatment, Scott Romak Lewis

University of Kentucky Doctoral Dissertations

Membrane-based separation processes have been used extensively for drinking water purification, wastewater treatment, and numerous other applications. Reactive membranes synthesized through functionalization of the membrane pores offer enhanced reactivity due to increased surface area at the polymer-solution interface and low diffusion limitations. Oxidative techniques utilizing free radicals have proven effective for both the destruction of toxic organics and non-environmental applications. Most previous work focuses on reactions in the homogeneous phase; however, the immobilization of reactants in membrane pores offers several advantages. The use of polyanions immobilized in a membrane or chelates in solution prevents ferric hydroxide precipitation at near-neutral pH, …

Single View Modeling And View Synthesis, Miao Liao

University of Kentucky Doctoral Dissertations

This thesis develops new algorithms to produce 3D content from a single camera. Today, amateurs can use hand-held camcorders to capture and display the 3D world in 2D, using mature technologies. However, there is always a strong desire to record and re-explore the 3D world in 3D. To achieve this goal, current approaches usually make use of a camera array, which suffers from tedious setup and calibration processes, as well as lack of portability, limiting its application to lab experiments.

In this thesis, I try to produce the 3D contents using a single camera, making it as simple as shooting …

Development, Validation, And Application Of A Noninvasive Spinal Motion Measurement System, Shaun Kevin Stinton

University of Kentucky Doctoral Dissertations

Spontaneous vertebral fractures are a large and growing health care problem. Biomechanical factors, specifically, abnormal posture or gait‐related spinal motion may interact with age‐weakened bone to induce altered spinal biomechanics that in turn increase the likelihood of vertebral body fracture. This research takes steps towards the goal of reducing the number of vertebral fractures in two phases: 1) Validation of a noninvasive spinal motion measurement system in cadaver torsos and 2) Application of the measurement system in human subjects.

The cadaver study compared vertebral motion at 4 levels (T7,T12,L3,L5) as measured by adhesive skin markers versus motion measured by bone …

Fabrication And Study Of Molecular Devices And Photovoltaic Devices By Metal/Dielectric/Metal Structures, Bing Hu

University of Kentucky Doctoral Dissertations

A new class of electrodes with nanometer-scale contact spacing can be produced at the edge of patterned metal/insulator/metal this film structures. A key challenge is to produce insulator layers with low leakage current and have pristine metal contacts for controlled molecular contacts. Atomic layer deposition of high quality Al₂O₃ thin films onto Au electrodes was enabled by surface modification with a self-assembled monolayer of -OH groups that react with a monolayer of trimethylaluminum gas source. Ar ion milling was then used to expose the edge of the Au/dielectric/Au structure for molecular electrode contacts. The junctions are characterized …

Investigation Of Reactively Sputtered Boron Carbon Nitride Thin Films, Vinit O. Todi

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Research efforts have been focused in the development of hard and wear resistant coatings over the last few decades. These protective coatings find applications in the industry such as cutting tools, automobile and machine part etc. Various ceramic thin films like TiN, TiAlN, TiC, SiC and diamond-like carbon (DLC) are examples of the films used in above applications. However, increasing technological and industrial demands request thin films with more complicated and advanced properties. For this purpose, B-C-N ternary system which is based on carbon, boron and nitrogen which exhibit exceptional properties and attract much attention from mechanical, optical and electronic …

Exploiting Opponent Modeling For Learning In Multi-Agent Adversarial Games, Kennard R. Laviers

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

An issue with learning effective policies in multi-agent adversarial games is that the size of the search space can be prohibitively large when the actions of both teammates and opponents are considered simultaneously. Opponent modeling, predicting an opponent’s actions in advance of execution, is one approach for selecting actions in adversarial settings, but it is often performed in an ad hoc way. In this dissertation, we introduce several methods for using opponent modeling, in the form of predictions about the players’ physical movements, to learn team policies. To explore the problem of decision-making in multi-agent adversarial scenarios, we use our …

Virtual Router Approach For Wireless Ad Hoc Networks, Ai Hua Ho

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Wireless networks have become increasingly popular in recent years. There are two variations of mobile wireless networks: infrastructure mobile networks and infrastructureless mobile networks. The latter are also known as mobile ad hoc network (MANET). MANETs have no fixed routers. Instead, mobile nodes function as relay nodes or routers, which discover and maintain communication connections between source nodes and destination nodes for various data transmission sessions. In other words, an MANET is a self-organizing multi-hop wireless network in which all nodes within a given geographical area participate in the routing and data forwarding process. Such networks are scalable and self-healing. …

Multiagent Learning Through Indirect Encoding, David B. D'Ambrosio

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Designing a system of multiple, heterogeneous agents that cooperate to achieve a common goal is a difficult task, but it is also a common real-world problem. Multiagent learning addresses this problem by training the team to cooperate through a learning algorithm. However, most traditional approaches treat multiagent learning as a combination of multiple single-agent learning problems. This perspective leads to many inefficiencies in learning such as the problem of reinvention, whereby fundamental skills and policies that all agents should possess must be rediscovered independently for each team member. For example, in soccer, all the players know how to pass and …

Passive Wireless Saw Sensors With New And Novel Reflector Structures Design And Applications, Nikolai Kozlovski

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Surface acoustic wave (SAW) devices are a solution for today’s ever growing need for passive wireless sensors. Orthogonal frequency coding (OFC) together with time division multiplexing (TDM) provides a large number of codes and coding algorithms producing devices that have excellent collision properties. Novel SAW noise-like re- flector (NLR) structures with pulse position modulation (PPM) are shown to exhibit good auto- and cross-correlation, and anti-collision properties. Multi-track, multi-transducer approaches yield devices with adjustable input impedances and enhanced collision properties for OFC TDM SAW sensor devices. Each track-transducer is designed for optimum performance for loss, coding, and chip reflectivity. Experimental results …

Use Of Vegetative Mulch As Daily And Intermediate Landfill Cover, Assal Edwar Haddad

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Management of yard waste is a significant challenge in the US, where in 2008 13.2% of the 250 million tons of municipal solid waste (MSW) was reported to be yard waste. This study describes research conducted in the laboratory and field to examine the application of vegetative mulch as daily and intermediate landfill cover. Mulch was found to exhibit stronger physical properties than soil, leading to a more stable landfill slope. Compaction of mulch was found to be significantly greater than soil, potentially resulting in airspace recovery. Degradation of mulch produced a soil-like material; degradation resulted in lower physical strength …

Studies Related To Coulombic Fissions Of Charged Droplets And Hygroscopic Behavior Of Mixed Particles, Harry Cook Hunter Iii

University of Kentucky Doctoral Dissertations

This dissertation describes two independent studies related to charged aerosols. The first study examines the role of electrical conductivity on the amounts of charge and mass emitted during the break-up of charged droplets via Coulombic fission. The second study examines the hygroscopic behavior of mixed particles. The results from both studies are presented here in detail along with an in-depth discussion of pertinent literature and applications in modern technologies.

Charged droplets break-up via a process termed Coulombic fission when their charge density reaches a certain level during which they emit a portion of their charge and mass in the form …

Studies On Silicon Nmr Characterization And Kinetic Modeling Of The Structural Evolution Of Siloxane-Based Materials And Their Applications In Drug Delivery And Adsorption, Jyotrhirmai Ambati

University of Kentucky Doctoral Dissertations

This dissertation presents studies of the synthetic processes and applications of siloxane-based materials. Kinetic investigations of bridged organoalkoxysilanes that are precursors to organic-inorganic hybrid polysilsesquioxanes are a primary focus. Quick gelation despite extensive cyclization is found during the polymerization of bridged silane precursors except for silanes with certain short bridges. This work is an attempt to characterize and understand some of the distinct features of bridged silanes using experimental characterization, kinetic modeling and simulation. In addition to this, the dissertation shows how the properties of siloxane- materials can be engineered for drug delivery and adsorption.

The phase behavior of polymerizing …

Steel Beams Strengthened With Ultra High Modulus Cfrp Laminates, Nisal Abheetha Peiris

University of Kentucky Doctoral Dissertations

Advanced composites have become one of the most popular methods of repairing and/or strengthening civil infrastructure in the past couple of decades. While the use of Fiber Reinforced Polymer laminates and sheets for the repair and strengthening of reinforced concrete structures is well established, research on the application of FRP composites to steel structures has been limited. The use of FRP material for the repair and rehabilitation of steel members has numerous benefits over the traditional methods of bolting or welding of steel plates. Carbon FRPs (CFRPs) have been preferred over other FRP material for strengthening of steel structures since …

Synthesis And Energy Applications Of Oriented Metal Oxide Nanoporous Films, Qingliu Wu

University of Kentucky Doctoral Dissertations

This dissertation mainly addresses the synthesis of well-ordered mesoporous titania thin films by dip coating with PEO-PPO-PEO triblock copolymer surfactant template P123. Because P123 is composed of poly(ethylene oxide) [PEO] and poly(propylene oxide) [PPO] blocks, concentrations of ingredients are adjusted to tune the films’ wall thickness, pore size and mesophase. Structural changes are consistent with partitioning of species among PEO blocks, PPO blocks, and the PEO/PPO interface. Titanates localize near PEO and increase wall thickness (by 5 nm to 7 nm). Depending on aging temperature, PPG either swells the PPO cores (when it is hydrophobic) or introduces large (>200 …

Nanostructured Arrays For Sensing And Energy Storage Applications, Raghu Mangu

University of Kentucky Doctoral Dissertations

Vertically aligned multi walled carbon nanotube (MWCNT) arrays fabricated by xylene pyrolysis in anodized aluminum oxide (AAO) templates without the use of a catalyst, were integrated into a resistive sensor design. The steady state sensitivities as high as 5% and 10% for 100 ppm of NH₃ and NO₂ respectively at a flow rate of 750 sccm were observed. A study was undertaken to elucidate (i) the dependence of sensitivity on the thickness of amorphous carbon layers, (ii) the effect of UV light on gas desorption characteristics and (iii) the dependence of room temperature sensitivity on different NH_{3 …}

A Multi-Stage Decision Support Model For Coordinated Sustainable Product And Supply Chain Design, Haritha Metta

University of Kentucky Doctoral Dissertations

In this research, a decision support model for coordinating sustainable product and supply chain design decisions is developed using a multi-stage hierarchical approach. The model evaluates alternate product designs and their corresponding supply chain configurations to identify the best product design and the corresponding supply chain configuration that maximizes the economic, environmental and societal benefits. The model considers a total life-cycle approach and incorporates closed-loop flow among multiple product lifecycles. In the first stage, a mixed integer linear programming model is developed to select for each product design an optimal supply chain configuration that maximizes the profit. In the subsequent …

Micro-Forest Fire Detection (Mffd) Lwir Detector And Principle Component Analysis For Fire Detection, Bryce Du

Electrical Engineering

No abstract provided.

Models For Evaluation Of Supply Chain Risk With Application To Healthcare Management, Ford Guangfu Zeng

Industrial, Manufacturing, and Systems Engineering Dissertations - Archive

Over the past two decades, supply chain management has come to be a key component of organization competitiveness and effectiveness. In the same period, most organizations have put a great deal of effort into improving their own and their supplier's supply chain performance. To a large extent, much of this effort has been aimed at improving the efficiency of supply chain operations. However, organizations have ignored or played down the risks from supply chain disruptions when developing supply strategies, which focus on cost reduction. It is proposed, therefore, that one such standard measure should measure the risk involved with organizations …

Mathematical Optimization Techniques For Managing Selective Catalytic Reduction For Coal-Fired Power Plants, Passakorn Phananiramai

Industrial, Manufacturing, and Systems Engineering Dissertations - Archive

Coal is one of the most important energy sources in the U.S. However, it is also one of the biggest air polluters where the major emissions generated from coal combustion are oxides of nitrogen (NOx). NOx leads to ozone formation and make people more susceptible to respiratory illness. The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has steadily tightened the regulation for NOx emissions that can be discharged into the atmosphere. Many techniques and technologies can all assist with NOx removal. However, to meet upcoming EPA mandates, more aggressive technique such as Selective Catalytic Reduction (SCR) is highly recommended. SCR is an …

Investigations Into Library Web Scale Discovery Services, Jason Vaughan

Library Faculty Research

Web scale discovery services for libraries provide deep discovery to a library’s local and licensed content, and represent an evolution, perhaps a revolution, for end user information discovery as pertains to library collections. This article frames the topic of Web scale discovery, and begins by illuminating Web scale discovery from an academic library’s perspective – that is, the internal perspective seeking widespread staff participation in the discovery conversation. This included the creation of a Discovery Task Force, a group which educated library staff, conducted internal staff surveys, and gathered observations from early adopters. The article next addresses the substantial research …

Techno-Economic Analysis And Engineering Design Consideration Of Algal Biofuel In Southern Nevada, Jian Ma

Mechanical Engineering Faculty Research

As the biological and chemical technologies in algae biofuels production, engineering design, siting and resources are playing some dominant role in successfully developing and scaling locally. The southwest region in U.S. has been identified by DoE and the USDA as the most suitable area for developing algal biofuel production due to several merits like the high level of solar radiation, large arid land not good for food production. Among this region, Southern Nevada has unique advantage to grow microalgae biomass, which is the large amount of CO2 emission from about 16 power plants in Clark County to support the world …

Diffuse-Charge Dynamics Of Ionic Liquids In Electrochemical Systems, Hui Zhao

Mechanical Engineering Faculty Research

We employ a continuum theory of solvent-free ionic liquids accounting for both short-range electrostatic correlations and steric effects (finite ion size) [Bazant et al., Phys. Rev. Lett. 106, 046102 (2011)] to study the response of a model microelectrochemical cell to a step voltage. The model problem consists of a 1-1 symmetric ionic liquid between two parallel blocking electrodes, neglecting any transverse transport phenomena. Matched asymptotic expansions in the limit of thin double layers are applied to analyze the resulting one-dimensional equations and study the overall charge-time relation in the weakly nonlinear regime. One important conclusion is that our …

Role Of Hydrodynamic Behavior Of Dna Molecules In Dielectrophoretic Polarization Under The Action Of An Electric Field, Hui Zhao

Mechanical Engineering Faculty Research

A continuum model is developed to predict the dielectrophoretic polarizability of coiled DNA molecules under the action of an alternating current electric field. The model approximates the coiled DNA molecule as a charged porous spherical particle. The model explains the discrepancies among scaling laws of polarizability of different-sized DNA molecules with contour length and such discrepancies are attributed to different hydrodynamic behavior. With zero or one fitting parameter, theoretical predictions are in good agreement with various experimental data, even though in experiments there are some uncertainties in regard to certain parameters.

Streaming Potential Generated By A Pressure-Driven Flow Over Superhydrophobic Stripes, Hui Zhao

Mechanical Engineering Faculty Research

The streaming potential generated by a pressure-driven flow over a weakly charged slip-stick surface [the zeta potential of the surface is smaller than the thermal potential (25 mV)] with an arbitrary double layer thickness is theoretically studied by solving the Debye–Huckel equation and Stokes equation. A series solution of the streaming potential is derived. Approximate expressions for the streaming potential in the limits of thin double layers and thick double layers are also given in excellent agreement with the full solution. To understand the impact of the slip, the streaming potential is compared against that over a homogeneously charged smooth …

Development Of Visualization Facility At The Gis And Remote Sensing Core Lab, University Of Nevada, Las Vegas, Haroon Stephen, William J. Smith, Zhongwei Liu

Public Policy and Leadership Faculty Presentations

Visualization using advanced computational and graphic equipment has become a standard way of present day research. Availability of low cost and fast processing units, high resolution displays with graphic processing units, and specialized software has brought complex visualization capabilities to an office desktop. Nevertheless, when dealing with large datasets such as, global climate, geospatial, and social data the office desktop falls short and calls for a centralized visualization facility with high end computing and graphics equipment.

Visualization Facility at GIS and Remote Sensing Core Lab would be a useful and important addition to the UNLV IT infrastructure. It would provide …

The Carbon Footprint Associated With Water Management Policy Options In The Las Vegas Valley, Nevada, Eleeja Shrestha, Sajjad Ahmad, Walter Johnson, Jacimaria R. Batista

Civil and Environmental Engineering and Construction Faculty Research

A system dynamics model was developed to estimate the carbon dioxide (CO₂) emissions associated with conveyance of water from the water source to the distribution laterals of the Las Vegas Valley. In addition, the impact of several water management policies, including water conservation, reuse, and population growth rate change was evaluated. The results show that, at present, nearly 0.53 million metric tons of CO₂ emissions per year are released due to energy use for water conveyance in distribution laterals of the Valley from Lake Mead, located 32.2 km (20 miles) southeast of the Las Vegas at an …

Hrc Enews — 2011 Winter, Megan K. Svarz

Publications (HRC)

This issue contains staff accomplishments and announcements, event listings, and a "new faces" listing for new staff, affiliates, and researchers.

Brooklyn's Thirst, Long Island's Water: Consolidation, Local Control, And The Aquifer, Jeffrey A. Kroessler

Publications and Research

The creation of greater New York City in 1898 promised a solution to the problem of supplying Brooklyn and Queens with water. In the 1850s, the City of Brooklyn tapped ponds and streams on the south side of Queens County, and in the 1880s, dug wells for additional supply. This lowered the water table and caused problems for farmers and oystermen, many of whom sued the city for damages. Ultimately, salt water seeped into some wells from over-pumping. By 1896, Brooklyn’s system had reached its limit. Prevented by the state legislature from tapping the aquifer beneath Suffolk’s Pine Barrens, the …

Life Cycle Inventory Of Hdpe Bottle-Based Liquid Milk Packaging Systems, Jay Singh, Aric Krasowski, S. Paul Singh

Industrial Technology and Packaging

This study aims at providing a relatively straightforward methodology to serve as a decision-making tool when more than one packaging solution could be available to a user. It involves a life cycle inventory (LCI) analysis and comparison of three currently available 3.79 l (1 gallon) packaging systems for liquid milk. Two of the primary container types studied use reusable plastic crates (RPCs) for stacking and shipping,
while the third type is a heavier duty container that does not require secondary shipping containers. The three primary containers studied are identified as original, cube and stackable throughout this paper. The study shows …

A Multiple Performance Analysis Of Market-Capacity Integration Policies, Ahmed M. Deif, Hoda A. Elmaraghy

Industrial Technology and Packaging

A model that uses simulation augmented with Design of Experiments (DOE) is presented to analyse the performance of a Make-to-Order (MTO) reconfigurable manufacturing system with scalable capacity. Unlike the classical capacity scaling policies, the proposed hybrid capacity scaling policy is determined using multiple performance measures that reflect cost, internal stability and responsiveness. The impact of both tactical capacity and marketing policies and their interaction on the overall performance was analysed using DOE techniques and real case data. In addition to the different insights about the trade-offs involved in capacity planning decisions, the presented results challenged the conventional capacity planning wisdoms …