Engineering Commons^™

Instrumentation And Development Of A Mass Spectrometry System For The Study Of Gas-Phase Biomolecular Ion Reactions, Ziqing Lin

Open Access Dissertations

Gas-phase reactions of biomolecular ions are highly relevant to the understanding of structures and functions of the biomolecules. Mass spectrometry is a powerful tool in investigating gas-phase ion chemistry. Various mass spectrometers have been developed to explore ion/molecule reactions, ion/ion reactions, ion/photon reactions, ion/radical reactions etc., both at atmospheric pressure and in vacuum. In-vacuum reactions have an advantage of involving pre-selecting the ions for the reactions using a mass analyzer. Over the decades, a variety of mass analyzers have been employed in the research of ion chemistry. Hybrid configurations, such as quadrupole ion trap with a time-of-flight and or a …

Modeling, Optimization, And Sensitivity Analysis Of A Continuous Multi-Segment Crystallizer For Production Of Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients, Bradley James Ridder

Open Access Dissertations

We have investigated the simulation-based, steady-state optimization of a new type of crystallizer for the production of pharmaceuticals. The multi-segment, multi-addition plug-flow crystallizer (MSMA-PFC) offers better control over supersaturation in one dimension compared to a batch or stirred-tank crystallizer. Through use of a population balance framework, we have written the governing model equations of population balance and mass balance on the crystallizer segments. The solution of these equations was accomplished through either the method of moments or the finite volume method. The goal was to optimize the performance of the crystallizer with respect to certain quantities, such as maximizing the …

Structure-Activity Relationships For The Water-Gas Shift Reaction Over Supported Metal Catalysts, Kaiwalya D. Sabnis

Open Access Dissertations

The Water-Gas Shift (WGS) reaction (CO + H₂O → CO₂ + H₂) is an important chemical process for industrial hydrogen production. The overall goal of this project is to use kinetic experiments and in situ characterization techniques in tandem, in order to derive structure-activity relationships for various catalytic systems. These relationships facilitate the rational catalyst design by identification of catalyst descriptors. In order to establish such relationships, various studies were undertaken, such as (i) effect of transition admetals on the WGS catalysis by molybdenum carbide (ii) effect of residual oxygen content on the performance of …

Novel Techniques For Quasi Three-Dimensional Nanofabrication Of Transformation Optics Devices, Paul R. West

Open Access Dissertations

Current nanofabrication is almost exclusively limited to top-down, two-dimensional techniques. As technology moves more deeply into the nano-scale regime, fabrication of new devices with quasi three-dimensional geometries shows great potential. One excellent example of an emerging field that requires this type of non-conformal 3D fabrication technique is the field of Transformation Optics. This field involves transforming and manipulating the optical space through which light propagates. Arbitrarily manipulating the optical space requires advanced fabrication techniques, which are not possible with current two-dimensional fabrication technologies. One step toward quasi three-dimensional nanofabrication involves employing angled deposition allowing new growth mechanisms, and enabling a …

Kesterite Thin-Film Solar Cell Absorbers Derived Using Inhomogeneous Czts Nanoparticles, Wei-Chang D. Yang

Open Access Dissertations

My doctoral research focuses on understanding the structure-property-processing relationship of the kesterite materials to improve their device performance. It is recognized in both my own work and the recent literature that the structural and compositional integrities of CZTSSe are crucial to derive the solar cell grade kesterite thin-films. Analytical electron microscopy (AEM) allows me to demonstrate the structural and compositional inhomogeneity of the CZTS nanoparticles and CZTSSe thin-films at the nanoscale. For example, the observed forbidden reflections in TED patterns and FFT diffractograms corresponding to HRTEM images indicate that cation disorder leads to stacking faults in CZTS nanoparticles. Probe-corrected STEM …

Characterization And Mechanical Properties Of Solar Grade Silicon In Granular And Nanopowder Form, Mohamad Bilal Zbib

Open Access Dissertations

Polycrystalline silicon is mainly used for solar cell applications, structures in micro-electromechanical systems, and production of single crystal Si. One of the relatively new methods for producing large quantities of polysilicon is fluidized bed reactor (FBR), where two main morphologies are produced, granular solid (1-3 mm) and nanopowders (30-300 nm). Grinding and fracture occurs in the granular solid during shipping and handling which can affect the final product properties and create safety issues. The microstructure and the morphology of both the granular and the nanopowder forms of Si were examined using scanning and transmission electron microscopes (SEM and TEM). The …

Structure-Thermal Coupling In Viscoelastic Material In Rubber Bushing Of Vehicle System, Zhengui Zhang

Open Access Dissertations

The objective of this research is to utilize the frequency-dependent viscoelastic material model and characterize the dynamic response of rubber bushing under external excitation. Furthermore, with appropriate modeling, two heat generation mechanisms of rubber bushing are explored and their thermal fields are investigated. Due to the nonlinear force-deflection relationship of the viscoelastic material, finding satisfactory mechanical properties of rubber components still poses a great challenge. However, industry nowadays is in urgent demand for precise finite element analysis (FEA) modeling of rubber components. For example, a proper constitutive relationship of rubber components is critical to providing a reliable and trustable simulation …

Behavior Of Reinforced Concrete Panels Subject To Impact By Non-Deformable Projectiles, Amer Abdel Karim Alkloub

Open Access Dissertations

In impact resistance of reinforced concrete (RC) panels against projectiles the contribution of the orthogonal mesh reinforcement has been ignored. In this study the contribution of mesh reinforcement to impact resistance and itseffect on the nature of local damage caused by impact of non-deformable projectiles are investigated. The investigation included a combination of 53 experiments and series of finite-element based numerical simulations. Three levels of local damage modes were investegated based on the severity of the degree of damage in the impacted panels. Mesh reinforcement ratio within the range of reinforcement ratio considered, namely 0.19% to 0.48%, was irrelevant to …

Laser Scanner Jitter Characterization, Page Content Analysis For Optimal Rendering, And Understanding Image Graininess, Yi-Ting Chen

Open Access Dissertations

In Chapter 1, the electrophotographic (EP) process is widely used in imaging systems such as laser printers and office copiers. In the EP process, laser scanner jitter is a common artifact that mainly appears along the scan direction due to the condition of polygon facets. Prior studies have not focused on the periodic characteristic of laser scanner jitter in terms of the modeling and analysis. This chapter addresses the periodic characteristic of laser scanner jitter in the mathematical model. In the Fourier domain, we derive an analytic expression for laser scanner jitter in general, and extend the expression assuming a …

Advanced Wireless Communications Using Large Numbers Of Transmit Antennas And Receive Nodes, Junil Choi

Open Access Dissertations

The concept of deploying a large number of antennas at the base station, often called massive multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO), has drawn considerable interest because of its potential ability to revolutionize current wireless communication systems. Most literature on massive MIMO systems assumes time division duplexing (TDD), although frequency division duplexing (FDD) dominates current cellular systems. Due to the large number of transmit antennas at the base station, currently standardized approaches would require a large percentage of the precious downlink and uplink resources in FDD massive MIMO be used for training signal transmissions and channel state information (CSI) feedback. First, we propose …

Overweight Vehicle Permitting Alternatives, Stephanie R Everett

Open Access Dissertations

Overweight vehicles exceed the federal and/or state statutory limits for either the gross vehicle weight (GVW) or the weight of individual axles or axle groups. National and state limits on vehicle weights were established to preserve the highway infrastructure. Past research has shown that overweight operations, while causing significant damage to roads and bridges, can enhance the trucking industry productivity, and thus yield economic benefits both regionally and nationally. In the United States, individual states administer oversize and overweight vehicle permit programs to regulate and collect revenues from overweight operations. Differences in the truck size and weight limits and overweight …

Surface Analytical Investigation On Organometal Triiodide Perovskite, Chengong Wang, Xiaoliang Liu, Congcong Wang, Zhengguo Xiao, Cheng Bi, Yuchuan Shao, Jinsong Huang, Yongli Gao

Department of Mechanical and Materials Engineering: Faculty Publications

In a little over a year, there has been an unexpected breakthrough and rapid evolution of highly efficient solid-state hybrid solar cells based on organometal trihalide perovskite materials. This technology has the potential to produce solar cells with the very highest efficiencies while retaining the very lowest cost. The authors have measured the electronic density of states of CH₃NH₃PbI₃ using ultraviolet photoemission spectroscopy (UPS), inverse photoemission spectroscopy (IPES), and x-ray photoemission spectroscopy (XPS). The valence band maximum and conduction band minimum positions are obtained from the UPS and IPES spectra, respectively, by linear extrapolation of …

Erratum: “The Operation Mechanism Of Poly (9,9-Dioctylfluorenyl-2,7-Diyl) Dots In High Efficiency Polymer Solar Cells” [Appl. Phys. Lett. 106, 193904 (2015)], Chunyu Liu, Yeyuan He, Xinyuan Zhang, Zhiqi Li, Jinfeng Li, Liang Shen, Zhihui Zhang, Wenbin Guo, Shengping Ruan

Department of Mechanical and Materials Engineering: Faculty Publications

We have noticed an error in Fig. 7 of the original article. Figs. 7(a) and 7(b) should be exchanged and the revised figure is shown below. We apologize for this error.¹

Electronic Structure Evolution Of Fullerene On Ch3Nh3Pbi3, Chenggong Wang, Congcong Wang, Xiaoliang Liu, John Kauppi, Yuchuan Shao, Zhengguo Xiao, Cheng Bi, Jinsong Huang, Yongli Gao

Department of Mechanical and Materials Engineering: Faculty Publications

The thickness dependence of fullerene on CH₃NH₃PbI₃ perovskite film surface has been investigated by using ultraviolet photoemission spectroscopy (UPS), X-ray photoemission spectroscopy (XPS), and inverse photoemission spectroscopy (IPES). The lowest unoccupied molecular orbital and highest occupied molecular orbital (HOMO) can be observed directly with IPES and UPS. It is observed that the HOMO level in fullerene shifts to lower binding energy. The XPS results show a strong initial shift of core levels to lower binding energy in the perovskite, which indicates that electrons transfer from the perovskite film to fullerene molecules. Further deposition of fullerene …

Improving The Sensitivity Of A Near-Infrared Nanocomposite Photodetector By Enhancing Trap Induced Hole Injection, Liang Shen, Yanjun Fang, Qingfeng Dong, Zhengguo Xiao, Jinsong Huang

Department of Mechanical and Materials Engineering: Faculty Publications

We report the enhancement of the photoconductive gain of nanocomposite near-infrared photodetectors by a zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnO NPs) rich surface at the nanocomposite/cathode interface. An argon plasma etching process was used to remove polymer at the surface of nanocomposite films, which resulted in a ZnO NPs rich surface. The other way is to spin-coat a thin layer of ZnO NPs onto the nanocomposite layer. The ZnO NPs rich surface, which acts as electron traps to induce secondary hole injection under reverse bias, increased hole injection, and thus the external quantum efficiency by 2–3 times. The darkcurrent declined one order …

Color And Texture Morphing With Colloids On Multilayered Surfaces, Ziguang Chen, Shumin Li, Andrew Arkebauer, George Gogos, Li Tan

Department of Mechanical and Materials Engineering: Faculty Publications

Dynamic morphing of marine species to match with environment changes in color and texture is an advanced means for surviving, self-defense, and reproduction. Here we use colloids that are placed inside a multilayered structure to demonstrate color and texture morphing. The multilayer is composed of a thermal insulating base layer, a light absorbing mid layer, and a liquid top layer. When external light of moderate intensity (∼0.2 W cm−2) strikes the structure, colloids inside the liquid layer will be assembled to locations with an optimal absorption. When this system is exposed to continuous laser pulses, more than 18 000 times …

Quantification Of Plaque Stiffness By Brillouin Microscopy In Experimental Thin Cap Fibroatheroma, Giuseppe Antonacci, Ryan M. Pedrigi, Avinash Kondiboyina, Vikram V. Mehta, Ranil De Silva, Carl Paterson, Rob Krams, Peter Torok

Department of Mechanical and Materials Engineering: Faculty Publications

Plaques vulnerable to rupture are characterized by a thin and stiff fibrous cap overlaying a soft lipid-rich necrotic core. The ability to measure local plaque stiffness directly to quantify plaque stress and predict rupture potential would be very attractive, but no current technology does so. This study seeks to validate the use of Brillouin microscopy to measure the Brillouin frequency shift, which is related to stiffness, within vulnerable plaques. The left carotid artery of an ApoE^-/- mouse was instrumented with a cuff that induced vulnerable plaque development in nine weeks. Adjacent histological sections from the instrumented and control arteries …

Mammalian Synthetic Biology: Emerging Medical Applications, Zoltan Kis, Hugo Sant'ann Pereira, Takayuki Homma, Ryan M. Pedrigi, Rob Krams

Department of Mechanical and Materials Engineering: Faculty Publications

In this review, we discuss new emerging medical applications of the rapidly evolving field of mammalian synthetic biology.We start with simple mammalian synthetic biological components and move towards more complex and therapy-oriented gene circuits. A comprehensive list of ON–OFF switches, categorized into transcriptional, post-transcriptional, translational and posttranslational, is presented in the first sections. Subsequently, Boolean logic gates, synthetic mammalian oscillators and toggle switches will be described. Several synthetic gene networks are further reviewed in the medical applications section, including cancer therapy gene circuits, immuno-regulatory networks, among others. The final sections focus on the applicability of synthetic gene networks to drug …

Using Natural Fibers, Glass Fiber And Pipes To Increase Wall Strength And Thermal Efficency In Buildings, Dominic L. Hanna

Summer Community of Scholars Posters (RCEU and HCR Combined Programs)

No abstract provided.

Analysis And Suppression Of Engine Hood Vibrations Under Random Road Excitations, Hooman Farrokhzadeh

Wayne State University Theses

Vehicle designs and developments must meet safety legislations along with market demands. Safety regulations are mainly concerned with how a vehicle body performs in crashes, during which pedestrian collision is the one of the most important issues. When a vehicle strikes a pedestrian, its engine hood will most likely hit the head of the pedestrian, causing serious injuries. To reduce the severity of the injuries, along with market demands to improve vehicle fuel economy and performance, engineers have considered the design solution of reduction of the vehicle hood thickness (and hence its weight) and the use of advanced light materials. …

Quantitative Brain Electrical Activity In The Initial Screening Of Mild Traumatic Brain Injuries After Blast, Chengpeng Zhou

Wayne State University Theses

ABSTRACT

QUANTITATIVE BRAIN ELECTRICAL ACTIVITY IN THE INITIAL SCREENING OF MILD TRAUMATIC BRAIN INJURIES AFTER BLAST

by

CHENGPENG ZHOU

August 2015

Advisor: Dr. John Michael Cavanaugh, Dr. Chaoyang Chen

Major: Biomedical Engineering

Degree: Master of Science

Objective: Quantitative electroencephalography (QEEG) has been reported to be sensitive in the diagnosis and measurement of mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) in civilian setting and thus may be a promising tool in individuals who have been exposed to blast forces. Using a swine model, this study investigated EEG changes early after blast exposure. The purpose was to determine if QEEG can detect brain activity …

Evaluation Of Mems Fabricated Fractal Based Free Standing Scaffolds For The Purposes Of Developing A Brain Bioreactor, Brandy Broadbent

Wayne State University Theses

The brain is the most complex organ in the body due to the multiple cell types,

billions of tightly packed synapses, extracellular matrix, and intricate topography. Microelectrical-mechanical

fabrication techniques exhibit promise in the field of neuronal

tissue engineering because the shape is highly controllable and a variety of materials can

be used in creation of bioreactors. This work evaluates the ability of a free standing TiO2

coated fractal scaffold to support healthy neuronal growth. Also evaluated is the

propensity for the neurons to take advantage of the 3D growing surface without the use of

complex extracellular matrix factors over the …

Experimental Investigation On Combustion And Ionization During Cold Starting And Idling Of A Diesel Engine, Sahil Deodatta Sane

Wayne State University Theses

Diesel engine performance during cold starting is very crucial for smooth engine start at undesirable emission level. The development of cold start strategies that improve combustion stability relies mainly on the understanding of the combustion process during the cold starting. Even for modern diesel engines, the conditions during the cold start is far from normal operation characterized by large amount of unburned hydrocarbon emissions and long start to idling time. Thus, the use of an in-cylinder combustion sensor to measure the combustion quality during engine starting can significantly improve engine cold start control strategies. The ion current sensor has the …

Development Of A Human Heart Rate And Skin Temeprature Monitoring System, Giribabu Sinnapolu

Wayne State University Theses

Continuous heart rate monitors (CHRM) can give unique insights into a person's physiological and psychological state; however, existing CHRMs are not suitable for continuous monitoring because they do not provide beat-to-beat accuracy and comfort needed for all-day use. Our group is currently developing a miniature earlobe mounted CHRM system which is both comfortable and provides beat-to-beat accuracy, based on a miniature heart rate sensing technology developed previously in our lab. The objective of this thesis is to design low power system firmware to perform key tasks: i) acquire heart rate and skin temperature data from wearable sensors; ii) signal process …

Evaluation Of An Eye Tracking-Based Assessment And Debrief Tool For Training Next Generation Multirole Tactical Aviation Skills, Meredith Carroll, Glenn Surpris, Greg Sidor, Winston Bennett Jr.

Aeronautics Faculty Publications

As tactical aircraft become increasingly complex, pilots’ cognitive resources will become increasingly strained, especially as more critical and multifaceted information is presented on Helmet Mounted Displays (HMDs). Therefore, it is critical to ensure training results in pilots learning optimal strategies for operating in this information-rich environment, including appropriate attention allocation between different dynamic, adjustable displays and efficient scan strategies. To achieve this, a performance assessment and debrief system was developed that incorporates eye tracking technology into an HMD-enabled multirole fighter simulation to capture and process gaze data to aid in diagnosing why a pilot error occurred. The system utilizes eye …

Hybrid Adaptive Neuro-Fuzzy B-Spline--Based Sssc Damping Control Paradigm Using Online System Identification, Laiq Khan, Rabiah Badar

Turkish Journal of Electrical Engineering and Computer Sciences

B-spline membership functions have produced promising results in the field of signal processing and control due to their local control property. This work explores the potential of B-spline--based adaptive neuro-fuzzy wavelet control to damp low frequency power system oscillations using a static synchronous series compensator (SSSC). A comparison of direct and indirect adaptive control based on hybrid adaptive B-spline wavelet control (ABSWC) is presented by introducing the online identification block. ABSWC with identification (ABSWCI) provides the sensitivity information of the plant needed to control the system. The parameters of the control and identification block are updated online using a gradient …

An Accelerated And Accurate Three-Dimensional Ray Tracing Using Red-Black Tree With Facet Mining And Object Bouncing Techniques, Mohammad Jakirul Islam, Ahmed Wasif Reza, Kamarul Ariffin Noordin, Kaharudin Dimyati, Abu Sulaiman Mohammad Zahid Kausar

Turkish Journal of Electrical Engineering and Computer Sciences

Recent trends show that it is a major challenge to predict the exact propagation path accurately and efficiently for three-dimensional (3D) indoor environments. Therefore, this study introduces a new 3D ray tracing algorithm based on a red-black tree with facet mining and object bouncing techniques. The red-black tree data structure offers a faster object searching operation while repeatedly performing intersection tests. On the other hand, extensive ray-facet intersection tests can be eliminated by using object and facet bouncing techniques, whereas the facet mining makes it easier to trace the transmitted ray paths accurately. The proposed method is compared with ray …

Mppt Of Pv Array Using Stepped-Up Chaos Optimization Algorithm, Lihua Wang, Xueye Wei, Yuqin Shao, Tianlong Zhu, Junhong Zhang

Turkish Journal of Electrical Engineering and Computer Sciences

In order to achieve maximum efficiency, a maximum power point tracking (MPPT) scheme should be applied in photovoltaic systems. Among all the MPPT schemes, the chaos optimization scheme is one of the hot topics in recent years. In this study, a novel stepped-up chaos optimization algorithm is presented. A chaos mapping $x_{n+1} =\mu \sin (\pi x_{n} )$ is used as a chaos generator to produce a chaos variable. In the process of MPPT, a coarse search is done to find the current optimal solution in a certain range, and then a fine search reduces the space of optimized variables. Compared …

A Comparative Performance Evaluation Of Various Approaches For Liver Segmentation From Spir Images, Evgi̇n Göçeri̇, Mehmet Zübeyi̇r Ünlü, Oğuz Di̇cle

Turkish Journal of Electrical Engineering and Computer Sciences

Developing a robust method for liver segmentation from magnetic resonance images is a challenging task because of the similar intensity values between adjacent organs, the geometrically complex liver structure, and injection of contrast media. Most importantly, a high anatomical variability of a healthy or diseased liver is a major challenge in defining the exact boundaries of the liver. Several artifacts of pulsation, motion, and partial volume effects are also among the variety of factors that make automatic liver segmentation difficult. In this paper, we present an overview of liver segmentation methods in magnetic resonance images and show comparative results of …

A Mobile And Web Application-Based Recommendation System Using Color Quantization And Collaborative Filtering, Fi̇dan Kaya, Gürel Yildiz, Adnan Kavak

Turkish Journal of Electrical Engineering and Computer Sciences

In this paper, a recommendation system based on a mobile and web application is proposed for indoor decoration. The main contribution of this work is to apply two-stage filtering using linear matching and collaborative filtering to make recommendations. In the mobile application part, the image of the medium captured by a mobile phone is analyzed using color quantization methods, and these color analysis results along with other user-defined parameters such as height, width, and type of the product are sent to the web server. In the web application part, a large data set is first filtered via linear matching in …