Engineering Commons^™

Low Temperature Liquid Metal Batteries For Energy Storage Applications, Cameron A. Lippert, Kunlei Liu, James Landon, Susan A. Odom, Nicolas E. Holubowitch

Center for Applied Energy Research Faculty Patents

The present invention relates to a molten metal battery of liquid bismuth and liquid tin electrodes and a eutectic electrolyte. The electrodes may be coaxial and coplanar. The eutectic electrolyte may be in contact with a surface of each electrode. The eutectic electrolyte may comprise ZnC1₂:KCI.

Fluorinated Coal Derived Carbons And Electrodes For Use In Battery Systems And Similar, Stephen M. Lipka, Christopher R. Swartz

Center for Applied Energy Research Faculty Patents

An electrode including fluorinated and surface defluorinated coal is described, as well as methods of producing such and employing such within an electrical system. The coal in the electrodes is fluorinated at an amount of between 0.3 and 1 .4. The resulting coal products can be further surface defluorinated and maintain functionality within an electrical system.

Zirconia-Based Compositions For Use In Passive NoX Adsorber Devices, Deborah Jayne Harris, David Alastair Scapens, John G. Darab, Mark Crocker, Yaying Ji

Chemistry Faculty Patents

A passive NO_x adsorbent includes: palladium, platinum or a mixture thereof and a mixed or composite oxide including the following elements in percentage by weight, expressed in terms of oxide: 10-90% by weight zirconium and 0.1-50% by weight of least one of the following: a transition metal or a lanthanide series element other than Ce.

Although the passive NO_x adsorbent can include Ce in an amount ranging from 0.1 to 20% by weight expressed in terms of oxide, advantages are obtained particularly in the case of low-Ce or a substantially Ce-free passive NO_x adsorbent.

Introducing Phonetic Information To Speaker Embedding For Speaker Verification, Yi Liu, Liang He, Michael T. Johnson

Electrical and Computer Engineering Faculty Publications

Phonetic information is one of the most essential components of a speech signal, playing an important role for many speech processing tasks. However, it is difficult to integrate phonetic information into speaker verification systems since it occurs primarily at the frame level while speaker characteristics typically reside at the segment level. In deep neural network-based speaker verification, existing methods only apply phonetic information to the frame-wise trained speaker embeddings. To improve this weakness, this paper proposes phonetic adaptation and hybrid multi-task learning and further combines these into c-vector and simplified c-vector architectures. Experiments on National Institute of Standards and Technology …

Simulated Biological Fluid Exposure Changes Nanoceria’S Surface Properties But Not Its Biological Response, Robert A. Yokel, Matthew L. Hancock, Benjamin Cherian, Alexandra J. Brooks, Marsha L. Ensor, Hemendra J. Vekaria, Patrick G. Sullivan, Eric A. Grulke

Pharmaceutical Sciences Faculty Publications

Nanoscale cerium dioxide (nanoceria) has industrial applications, capitalizing on its catalytic, abrasive, and energy storage properties. It auto-catalytically cycles between Ce³⁺ and Ce⁴⁺, giving it pro-and anti-oxidative properties. The latter mediates beneficial effects in models of diseases that have oxidative stress/inflammation components. Engineered nanoparticles become coated after body fluid exposure, creating a corona, which can greatly influence their fate and effects. Very little has been reported about nanoceria surface changes and biological effects after pulmonary or gastrointestinal fluid exposure. The study objective was to address the hypothesis that simulated biological fluid (SBF) exposure changes nanoceria’s surface properties …

Optimal Combinations Of Utility Level Renewable Generators For A Net Zero Energy Microgrid Considering Different Utility Charge Rates, Evan S. Jones, Huangjie Gong, Dan M. Ionel

Power and Energy Institute of Kentucky Faculty Publications

High initial investment and the intermittent nature of resources are major challenges for large scale renewable generation. The size of photovoltaic (PV) and wind turbine (WT) farms in the microgrid needs optimized to avoid curtailment and to efficiently meet the demand of a power system. Battery energy storage systems (BESSs) may also be used to improve flexibility. This paper explores the optimal sizing for PV and wind generators, as well as a BESS at the utility level for a large grid-connected net zero energy (NZE) hybrid microgrid considering characteristics such as initial investment, levelized cost of energy (LCOE), operating costs, …

Overview Of Flywheel Systems For Renewable Energy Storage With A Design Study For High-Speed Axial-Flux Permanent-Magnet Machines, Murat G. Kesgin, Peng Han, Narges Taran, Dan M. Ionel

Power and Energy Institute of Kentucky Faculty Publications

Flywheel energy storage is considered in this paper for grid integration of renewable energy sources due to its inherent advantages of fast response, long cycle life and flexibility in providing ancillary services to the grid, such as frequency regulation, voltage support, etc. The fundamentals of the technology and recent developments are reviewed, firstly with an emphasis on the design considerations and performance metrics. Then the progress and development trends in electric motor/generators employed in flywheel energy storage systems (FESS) are summarized, showing the potential of axial-flux permanent-magnet (AFPM) machines in such applications. Design examples of high-speed AFPM machines are provided …

Critical Path For Project Development, Steven Douglas Kreis, Bryan Gibson, Jeff Jasper, Christopher W. Van Dyke, Candice Y. Wallace, Rachel Catchings, Sarah M. Mccormack

Kentucky Transportation Center Research Report

Overseeing the delivery of highway projects at the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet (KYTC) requires the successful coordination of activities and inputs from multiple external agencies and members of the agency’s Project Development team, who have varied disciplinary backgrounds. Despite the complexity of project delivery, the Cabinet presently does not estimate hours and project milestone dates until after it has selected a design consultant. Moving forward KYTC should explore requiring consultants to develop a critical path method (CPM) schedule. To facilitate this process, this report describes a methodology for producing CPMs for design contracts/projects based on procedures outlined in A Guide to …

Smart Plug And Circuit Breaker Technologies For Residential Buildings In The Us, Rosemary E. Alden, Peng Han, Dan M. Ionel

Power and Energy Institute of Kentucky Faculty Publications

A significant proportion of the total energy in conventional homes across the United States is used by electric plug loads, which include various electronic devices and home appliances, excluding the heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) units and electric water heaters. Considerable energy savings are expected to be possible by managing these plug loads effectively based on user behavior data. Smart plugs and circuit breakers that can control and monitor energy usage on a real-time basis are becoming increasingly popular alongside the rapid development of smart home energy management. This paper reviews the recent advances on the subject matter with …

Post-Acquisition Processing Confounds In Brain Volumetric Quantification Of White Matter Hyperintensities, Ahmed A. Bahrani, Omar M. Al-Janabi, Erin L. Abner, Shoshana H. Bardach, Richard J. Kryscio, Donna M. Wilcock, Charles D. Smith, Gregory A. Jicha

Neurology Faculty Publications

BACKGROUND: Disparate research sites using identical or near-identical magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) acquisition techniques often produce results that demonstrate significant variability regarding volumetric quantification of white matter hyperintensities (WMH) in the aging population. The sources of such variability have not previously been fully explored.

NEW METHOD: 3D FLAIR sequences from a group of randomly selected aged subjects were analyzed to identify sources-of-variability in post-acquisition processing that can be problematic when comparing WMH volumetric data across disparate sites. The methods developed focused on standardizing post-acquisition protocol processing methods to develop a protocol with less than 0.5% inter-rater variance.

RESULTS: A series …

Proppant For Use In Hydraulic Fracturing To Stimulate A Well, Thomas Lee Robl, Anne Elizabeth Oberlink

Center for Applied Energy Research Faculty Patents

A proppant for use in hydraulic fracturing to stimulate a well is provided. The proppant is fly ash particles having a mean particle size (d50) of between 45 μm and 150 μm and a size distribution defined by (d10) ≤ 5 μm and (d98) ≤ 250 μm.

Optimization Of Geometry Parameters Of Inkjet-Printed Silver Nanoparticle Traces On Pdms Substrates Using Response Surface Methodology, Jumana Abu-Khalaf, Loiy Al-Ghussain, Ahmad Nadi, Razan Saraireh, Abdulrahman Rabayah, Safwan Altarazi, Ala’Aldeen Al-Halhouli

Mechanical Engineering Graduate Research

Inkjet printing is an emerging technology with key advantages that make it suitable for the fabrication of stretchable circuits. Specifically, this process is cost-effective and less complex compared to conventional fabrication technologies. Inkjet printing has several process and geometry parameters that significantly affect the electromechanical properties of the printed circuits. This study aims to optimize the geometry parameters of inkjet-printed silver nanoparticle traces on plasma-treated polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) substrates. The optimization process was conducted for two printed shapes, namely straight line and horseshoe patterns. The examined input factors for the straight line traces were: the number of inkjet-printed layers and line …

Computationally Aided Design Of A High-Performance Organic Semiconductor: The Development Of A Universal Crystal Engineering Core, Anthony J. Petty Ii, Qianxiang Ai, Jeni C. Sorli, Hamna F. Haneef, Geoffrey E. Purdum, Alex M. Boehm, Devin B. Granger, Kaichen Gu, Carla Patricia Lacerda Rubinger, Sean R. Parkin, Kenneth R. Graham, Oana D. Jurchescu, Yueh-Lin Loo, Chad Risko, John E. Anthony

Chemistry Faculty Publications

Herein, we describe the design and synthesis of a suite of molecules based on a benzodithiophene “universal crystal engineering core”. After computationally screening derivatives, a trialkylsilylethyne-based crystal engineering strategy was employed to tailor the crystal packing for use as the active material in an organic field-effect transistor. Electronic structure calculations were undertaken to reveal derivatives that exhibit exceptional potential for high-efficiency hole transport. The promising theoretical properties are reflected in the preliminary device results, with the computationally optimized material showing simple solution processing, enhanced stability, and a maximum hole mobility of 1.6 cm² V⁻¹ s⁻¹.

Access Management Best Practices, Adam Kirk, Chris Van Dyke

Kentucky Transportation Center Research Report

Research has persistently demonstrated that adopting a systematic access management framework improves highway operations and bolsters safety. Many state transportation agencies have adopted formal access management programs to systematize the application of access management techniques, however, the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet (KYTC) been unable to institute such a program due to institutional, regulatory, and political constraints. Recognizing the benefits of judicious access management, the Cabinet asked researchers at the Kentucky Transportation Center (KTC) to identify access management best practices that are effective, can be easily implemented, and are compatible with existing statutes and regulations. After reviewing national-level and state-level guidance on …

Systematic Comparison Of Two Axial Flux Pm Machine Topologies: Yokeless And Segmented Armature Versus Single Sided, Narges Taran, Greg Heins, Vandana Rallabandi, Dean Patterson, Dan M. Ionel

Power and Energy Institute of Kentucky Faculty Publications

This paper systematically compares two axial flux permanent magnet (AFPM) machines designed for a university student racing car application: a double-rotor single-stator yokeless and segmented armature (YASA) structure, and a single- stator single-rotor configuration. Both machines are optimized for minimum loss and active weight using 3D finite element analysis and the highest performing candidate designs are compared in more detail. The studies indicate that the benefits offered by the YASA configuration over the single-stator single-rotor machine are achieved only for specific designs that are heavier. For the design space with lower mass, albeit with increased losses, the Pareto front designs …

Identification Of Bridges With Fracture-Prone Details, Theodore Hopwood Ii, Rick Younce, Sudhir Palle

Kentucky Transportation Center Research Report

Welded steel girder bridges can contain details that can high welding and service stresses and are termed constraintinduced fractures (CIF). The Kentucky Transportation Cabinet has steel bridges with weld details known to cause CIFs whose girders have experienced fracture events. The Cabinet’s bridge inventory was reviewed and additional candidate bridges with potential CIF details were identified. A review of bridge plans and pictures along with followup field investigations pinpointed bridges with CIF details that warrant up-close (i.e., arm’s length) inspections. Several uninspected bridges were identified as candidates for inspection to determine if they contain CIF details. Guidance is provided to …

Usgs 104(B) Grant Program: Kentucky’S Fy 2018 Projects, Emily Koyagi, Steve Evans, Lindell Ormsbee

KWRRI Annual Technical Reports (USGS’s 104b Grant Program)

The Kentucky Water Resources Research Institute (KWRRI) is one of 54 federally authorized water resource institutes or centers throughout the United States and its territories. It operates under the authority of the Water Resources Research Act of 1964 (P.L. 88-379 codified at 42 U.S.C. 10301 et seq.) through the Water Resources Research Institutes Program administered by the United States Geological Survey (USGS). KWRRI’s annual base grant program under section 104(b) supports the following objectives specified in the Water Resources Research Act:

1. Plan, conduct, or otherwise arrange for competent applied and peer reviewed research that fosters: a. improvements in water …

Fabrication And Evaluation Of A Novel Non-Invasive Stretchable And Wearable Respiratory Rate Sensor Based On Silver Nanoparticles Using Inkjet Printing Technology, Ala’Aldeen Al-Halhouli, Loiy Al-Ghussain, Saleem El Bouri, Haipeng Liu, Dingchang Zheng

Mechanical Engineering Graduate Research

The respiration rate (RR) is a key vital sign that links to adverse clinical outcomes and has various important uses. However, RR signals have been neglected in many clinical practices for several reasons and it is still difficult to develop low-cost RR sensors for accurate, automated, and continuous measurement. This study aims to fabricate, develop and evaluate a novel stretchable and wearable RR sensor that is low-cost and easy to use. The sensor is fabricated using the soft lithography technique of polydimethylsiloxane substrates (PDMS) for the stretchable sensor body and inkjet printing technology for creating the conductive circuit by depositing …

Spatial Positioning And Operating Parameters Of A Rotary Bell Sprayer: 3d Mapping Of Droplet Size Distributions, Adnan Darwish Ahmad, Binit B. Singh, Mark Doerre, Ahmad M. Abubaker, Masoud Arabghahestani, Ahmad A. Salaimeh, Nelson K. Akafuah

Institute of Research for Technology Development Faculty Publications

In this study, we evaluated the fundamental physical behavior during droplet formation and flow from a rotary bell spray in the absence of an electrostatic field. The impact of a wide range of operating parameters of the rotary bell sprayer, such as flow rates, rotational speeds, and spatial positioning, on droplet sizes and size distributions using a three-dimensional (3-D) mapping was studied. The results showed that increasing the rotational speed caused the Sauter mean diameter of the droplets to decrease while increasing flow rate increased the droplet sizes. The rotational speed effect, however, was dominant compared to the effect of …

Enhanced Crystallinity Of Triple-Cation Perovskite Film Via Doping Nh4Scn, Ziji Liu, Detao Liu, Hao Chen, Long Ji, Hualin Zheng, Yiding Gu, Feng Wang, Zhi Chen, Shibin Li

Electrical and Computer Engineering Faculty Publications

The trap-state density in perovskite films largely determines the photovoltaic performance of perovskite solar cells (PSCs). Increasing the crystal grain size in perovskite films is an effective method to reduce the trap-state density. Here, we have added NH₄SCN into perovskite precursor solution to obtain perovskite films with an increased crystal grain size. The perovskite with increased crystal grain size shows a much lower trap-state density compared with reference perovskite films, resulting in an improved photovoltaic performance in PSCs. The champion photovoltaic device has achieved a power conversion efficiency of 19.36%. The proposed method may also impact other optoelectronic …

On The Optimal Energy Controls For Large Scale Residential Communities Including Smart Homes, Huangjie Gong, Vandana Rallabandi, Michael L. Mcintyre, Dan M. Ionel

Power and Energy Institute of Kentucky Faculty Publications

Residences with smart home energy management (HEM) systems and solar generation are modifying domestic load profiles. Moreover, the growing penetration of solar photovoltaic (PV) energy brings the total net power demand further down as houses become local generators. High PV penetration introduces technical challenges for the power system including the "duck curve". This paper proposes a co-simulation framework for high PV penetration smart energy communities which allows the simultaneous simulation of home energy consumption along with control algorithms for each house, as well as system power flow. Models are developed and presented for one of the largest rural field demonstrators …

Evaluation Of Guardrail Needs And Update Of Guardrail Rating Program, Brian K. Howell, William Nicholas Staats, Nancy Albright

Kentucky Transportation Center Research Report

The Kentucky Transportation Cabinet (KYTC) seeks to reduce the frequency of roadway departure crashes, which often prove fatal. Roadside barriers such as guardrail have proven effective at mitigating these crashes, however, the demand for installations is high throughout the state. KYTC must prioritize prospective guardrail locations to match available funds with the most critical, or unsafe, sites. The current guardrail rating program (GRP) was established in 1989 to identify and prioritize guardrail needs. Despite periodic updates, the existing program no longer meets the transportation industry’s safety guidelines and policies. The Kentucky Transportation Center (KTC) studied national and state guardrail practices …

Measurement And Estimation Of The Equivalent Circuit Parameters For Multi-Mw Battery Systems, Oluwaseun M. Akeyo, Vandana Rallabandi, Nicholas Jewell, Dan M. Ionel

Power and Energy Institute of Kentucky Faculty Publications

This paper proposes and validates through simulations and measurements, a procedure for the determining the equivalent circuit parameters of large utility-scale batteries. It is considered that a large battery includes multiple cells connected in series and parallel, and therefore, its equivalent circuit can be represented as a series-parallel network of state of charge (SOC) dependent resistors and capacitors. Tests for determining these equivalent circuit parameters are proposed. These tests involve subjecting the battery energy storage system (BESS) to multiple charge and discharge cycles, while monitoring the terminal voltage and current response. A method for post-processing and analyzing the measurements in …

Axial-Field Vernier-Type Flux Modulation Machines For Low-Speed Direct-Drive Applications, Vandana Rallabandi, Peng Han, Murat G. Kesgin, Narges Taran, Dan M. Ionel

Power and Energy Institute of Kentucky Faculty Publications

This paper proposes different configurations of axial-field machines featuring a very large ratio of the number of rotor poles to stator teeth and coils suitable for low-speed direct-drive traction applications. The machines have a single rotor with spoke-type permanent magnets and the stator teeth include auxiliary slots, the function of which is to enhance the high-polarity component of the stator magnetomotive force interacting with the rotor to produce a net torque. The machines can be constructed with three or two phases, in which case they inherently exhibit high tolerance to faults due to the combined effect of a lack of …

Analysis Of Traffic Crash Data In Kentucky (2014-2018), Eric R. Green, Kenneth R. Agent, Paul A. Ross

Kentucky Transportation Center Research Report

Executive Summary

This report documents an analysis of traffic crash data in Kentucky for the years of 2014-2018. A primary objective of this study was to determine average crash statistics for Kentucky highways. Rates were calculated for various types of highways and for counties and cities. Difference criteria were used for exposure.

Average and critical numbers and rates of crashes were calculated for various types of highways in rural and urban areas. These rates used crashes identified on highways where traffic volumes were available. Improved methods of identifying crash locations have resulted in higher rates for the last couple of …

2019 Safety Belt Usage Survey In Kentucky, Erin Lammers-Staats, Kenneth R. Agent, Eric R. Green

Kentucky Transportation Center Research Report

The objective of the survey summarized in this report was to establish a statewide safety belt usage rate in Kentucky for 2019. This rate can be compared to those determined from previous surveys. The 2019 statewide survey documents the continued effect associated with law enforcement, related education, and general public attitude.

On The Control Of A Solid State Transformer For Multi-Mw Utility-Scale Pv-Battery Systems, Yibin Zhang, Oluwaseun M. Akeyo, Jiangbiao He, Dan M. Ionel

Power and Energy Institute of Kentucky Faculty Publications

The utility-scale photovoltaic (PV)-battery systems typically include multiple power converters connected to the grid via traditional line frequency transformers (LFT), which may be considered bulky, and inefficient when compared with the emerging solid state transformers (SST). This paper proposes a SST with power and voltage controls for utility-scale PV-battery systems. The PV system was modeled based on available data from a universal solar facility located in Kentucky, USA. Furthermore, this paper provides detailed controller designs for the proposed utility-scale PV-battery system based on a SST which includes: the PV-side dual-active bridge (DAB) converter tracks the maximum power point, the PV …

A Hybrid Analytical And Fe-Based Method For Calculating Ac Eddy Current Winding Losses Taking 3d Effects Into Account, Narges Taran, Dan M. Ionel

Power and Energy Institute of Kentucky Faculty Publications

This paper proposes a new hybrid analytical and numerical FE-based method for calculating ac eddy current losses in wire windings and demonstrates its applicability for axial flux electric machines. The method takes into account 3D field effects in order to achieve accurate results and yet greatly reduce computational efforts. It is also shown that hybrid methods based on 2D FE models, which require semi-empirical correction factors, may over-estimate the eddy current losses. The new 3D FE-based method is advantageous as it employs minimum simplifications and considers the end turns in the eddy current path, the magnetic flux density variation along …

Investigation Of The Accuracy Of Alcohol And Drug Involvement Reporting, William Nicholas Staats

Kentucky Transportation Center Research Report

Executive Summary

Researchers compared the 2013 to 2017 fatal crash data from the KSP database to the crash data from the FARS database to check the consistency and accuracy of alcohol and drug involvement reporting for drivers in the KSP database. The indications of alcohol and drug involvement in the FARS database were used as the ground truth due to the inclusion of laboratory test results confirming the presence of alcohol and/or drugs in a driver’s system. For the five-year study period, the indications for alcohol involvement were 85.8% consistent and the indications of drug involvement were 66.2% consistent between …

Nanogaps On Atomically Thin Materials As Non-Volatile Read/Writable Memory Devices, Douglas Robert Strachan, Abhishek Sundararajan, Mathias Joseph Boland

Physics and Astronomy Faculty Patents

The present invention relates to the presence of nanogaps across a metal dispersed over an atomically-thin material, such that the nanogap exposes the atomically-thin material. The resulting device offers an ultra-short gap with ballistic transport and demonstrated switching in the presence of a gate or dielectric material in close proximity to the channel.