Engineering Commons^™

"Kompaktabiliteti Elektroenergjetik Kosovë-Shqipëri ", Adi Vokshi

Theses and Dissertations

Siç e dimë energjia elektrike është e nevojshme në të gjithë sektorët. Kjo shkakton kërkesë të madhe për energji elektrike edhe në Kosovë dhe Shqipëri.

Qëllimi i këtij punimi ështe që të analizohet prodhimi i energjisë elektrike në të dy vendet pasiqë ka mendime se një bashkim energjetik do të përmbushte këkesat për energji elektrike të të dy shteteve.

Por si është e mundur kjo?

Siç e dimë Kosova 97% të energjisë elektrike e prodhon nga termocentralet dhe ky është prodhim stabil 24/7. Ndërsa shqipëria 97% të energjisë e prodhon nga energjia hidrike, dhe kryesisht prodhimi me i madh arrihet …

Kontrollimi I Uljeve Dhe Plasaritjeve Në Traun Nga Betoni I Armuar Sipas Eurokodit 2 (Ec-2), Arxhent Jakupi

Theses and Dissertations

Situata e projektimit nga e cila mund t'a vërtetojmë se struktura jonë do të jetë e sigurtë nga veprimet e forcave është ajo e Gjendjes Kufitare të Shfrytëzimit. Në bazë të saj përcaktohet niveli i sigurisë së strukturës, nga e cila mund të mvaret edhe jetëgjatësia e saj. E gjitha kjo duhet bëhet që së paku struktura të qëndrojë e pamvarur duke mos pasur nevojë për intervenime pas një kohe jo të gjatë nga ndërtimi, të shfrytëzohet maksimalisht dhe duke mos shkaktuar pasoja në të ardhmen në njerëz apo qfarëdo qofshin ato.

Ky material mbulon gjendjet kufitare të përgjithëshme të …

Materialet Hidroizoluese, Arian Sadiku

Theses and Dissertations

Në këtë temë do të flasim për materialet hidroizoluese, në veçanti për llojet dhe karakteristikat e materialeve hidroizoluese me bazë polimere dhe të dhënat për materialet hidroizoluese. Janë përshkruar llojet dhe karakteristikat e materialeve si fizikia ndërtimore, rezistenca ndaj zjarrit, membrana hidroizoluese PVC, drenazhimi sipërfaqësor.

Një nga aplikimet më të rëndësishme në një ndërtim është hidroizolimi. Hidroizolimi përmirëson qëndrueshmërinë e shumë sipërfaqeve të ndryshme në ndërtim. Për më tepër, materialet hidroizoluese duhet të aplikohen në mënyrë që të sigurohet komoditeti i shtëpisë ose zyrës që do të përdoret pasi të përfundojë ndërtimi.

Hidroizolimi në ndërtesa është formimi i një pengese …

Recycling Of The Mixture Resulted From Roller Kiln Waste And Ceramic Tiles Sludge Waste In The Manufacturing Of Ceramic Floor Tiles, Mai H. Roushdy

Chemical Engineering

Ceramic tiles industry produced many types of wastes that are routinely discarded as stock piles. One of the environmental problems associated with roller kilns is the periodic need to grind its rollers which results in a waste powder. The second type of waste is ceramic tiles sludge which produced from a water treatment plant in the ceramic tiles factory. This paper investigates the probability of substituting part of the main body of floor tiles mixture by these two types of waste powder. Many Experiments were done on the raw materials. Rectangular tile specimens were molded, dried and fired. Linear firing …

Bioprinting With Human Stem Cell-Laden Alginate-Gelatin Bioink And Bioactive Glass For Tissue Engineering, Krishna C. R. Kolan, Julie A. Semon, Bradley Bromet, D. E. Day, Ming-Chuan Leu

Biological Sciences Faculty Research & Creative Works

Three-dimensional (3D) bioprinting technologies have shown great potential in the fabrication of 3D models for different human tissues. Stem cells are an attractive cell source in tissue engineering as they can be directed by material and environmental cues to differentiate into multiple cell types for tissue repair and regeneration. In this study, we investigate the viability of human adipose-derived mesenchymal stem cells (ASCs) in alginate-gelatin (Alg-Gel) hydrogel bioprinted with or without bioactive glass. Highly angiogenic borate bioactive glass (13-93B3) in 50 wt% is added to polycaprolactone (PCL) to fabricate scaffolds using a solvent-based extrusion 3D bioprinting technique. The fabricated scaffolds …

Relationship Between Ischemic Stroke And Pulse Rate Variability As A Surrogate Of Heart Rate Variability, Ajay K. Verma, Parshuram M. Aarotale, Parastoo Dehkordi, Jau-Shin Lou, Kouhyar Tavakolian

Electrical Engineering Faculty Publications

Autonomic reflex ascertains cardiovascular homeostasis during standing. Impaired autonomic reflex could lead to dizziness and falls while standing; this is prevalent in stroke survivors. Pulse rate variability (PRV) has been utilized in the literature in lieu of heart rate variability (HRV) for ambulatory and portable monitoring of autonomic reflex predominantly in young, healthy individuals. Here, we compared the PRV with gold standard HRV for monitoring autonomic reflex in ischemic stroke survivors. Continuous blood pressure and electrocardiography were acquired from ischemic stroke survivors (64 ± 1 years) and age-matched controls (65 ± 2 years) during a 10-minute sit-to-stand test. Beat-by-beat heart …

Rapid Repair Of Bridge Decks In Cold Weather, Abheetha Peiris, Issam E. Harik

Kentucky Transportation Center Research Report

Using regular concrete or mortar to repair potholes in concrete bridge decks is typically infeasible in cold weather due to extended set and curing times. However, several commercially available rapid-set repair materials can be used at temperatures near or below freezing. This study evaluated five such materials to assess their properties and determine which are most suited to executing pothole repairs in cold weather. For each material, laboratory testing evaluated set times, compressive strength gains, and bond strength to existing concrete at three temperatures: 35°F, 15°F, and 0°F (1.7°C, -9.4°C, and -17.8°C, respectively). Testing identified Phoscrete as the repair material …

Edge Drain Performance, Kean H. Ashurst Jr., Brad W. Rister

Kentucky Transportation Center Research Report

Edge drain systems are used on new highway construction projects and rehabilitation projects to reduce the moisture content of the pavement block and subgrade. Maintaining dry conditions in and around these components increases the subgrade strength and extends a pavement’s surface life. Edge drain systems can only operate effectively, however, if the entire subsurface drainage system functions properly. While many studies have demonstrated the benefits of edge drain systems, no comprehensive investigation of their performance has been undertaken in the state of Kentucky in over 20 years. After the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet (KYTC) identified problems with an edge drainage system …

Measuring Congestion For Strategic Highway Investment For Tomorrow (Shift) Implementation (Pl-32), Mei Chen, Xu Zhang, Fahmida Rahman, Jacob Brashear, Reginald R. Souleyrette

Kentucky Transportation Center Research Report

The Kentucky Transportation Cabinet (KYTC) has moved toward a data-driven decision-making process, the Strategic Highway Investment Formula for Tomorrow (SHIFT), to allocate funds for highway improvement projects. SHIFT requires that candidate projects be scored on five critical metrics: safety, asset management, congestion, economic growth, and benefit/cost analysis.

The measure of congestion used in SHIFT 2018 was a combination of volume-to-service flow ratio (VSF) and design hourly volume (DHV). VSF is a traditional performance measure developed based on limited data, primarily for sketch planning purposes. However, it does not accurately reflect the dynamics of traffic congestion of many facilities.

This report …

Spatially Continuous Strain Monitoring Using Distributed Fiber Optic Sensors Embedded In Carbon Fiber Composites, Sasi Jothibasu, Yang Du, Sudharshan Anandan, Gurjot S. Dhaliwal, Rex E. Gerald Ii, Steve Eugene Watkins, K. Chandrashekhara, Jie Huang

Electrical and Computer Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

A distributed fiber optic strain sensor based on Rayleigh backscattering, embedded in a fiber-reinforced polymer composite, has been demonstrated. The optical frequency domain reflectometry technique is used to analyze the backscattered signal. The shift in the Rayleigh backscattered spectrum is observed to be linearly related to the change in strain of the composite material. The sensor (standard single-mode fiber) is embedded between the layers of the composite laminate. A series of tensile loads is applied to the laminate using an Instron testing machine, and the corresponding strain distribution of the laminate is measured. The results show a linear response indicating …

Comparative Analysis Of Feature Selection Methods To Identify Biomarkers In A Stroke-Related Dataset, Thomas Clifford, Justin Bruce, Tayo Obafemi-Ajayi, John Matta

Electrical and Computer Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

This paper applies machine learning feature selection techniques to the REGARDS stroke-related dataset to identify health-related biomarkers. A data-driven methodological framework is presented to evaluate multiple feature selection methods. In applying the framework, three classifiers are chosen in conjunction with two wrappers, and their performance with diverse classification targets such as Current Smoker, Current Alcohol Use, and Deceased is evaluated. The performance across logistic regression, random forest and naïve Bayes classifier methods, as quantified by the ROC Area Under Curve metric and selected features, was similar. However, significant differences were observed in running time. Performance of the selected features was …

Switching Dynamics And Conductance Quantization Of Aloe Polysaccharides-Based Device, Z. X. Lim, I. A. Tayeb, Z. A.A. Hamid, M. F. Ain, A. M. Hashim, J. M. Abdullah, F. Zhao, K. Y. Cheong

Electrical and Computer Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

The switching behaviors of polysaccharides-based resistive random-access memories change substantially depending on the electrical inputs. Here, the switching dynamics of the device are presented by varying the applied current compliance (CC) and voltage sweeping rate (ν). The results show that the device resistance in the low-resistance state (RLRS) can be modulated over five orders of magnitude by varying (CC) and ν in the typical current-voltage measurements. The (RLRS) modulation is attributed to the variable tunneling gap between the filament tip and the top electrode (TE). Conductance quantization is observed once a single-atomic contact with resistance ≤12.9kΩ is formed. Depending on …

Physico-Chemical Characteristics Of Ethanol–Diesel Blend Fuel, Tarek M. Aboul-Fotouh, Eslam Alaa, M. A. Sadek, Hany A. Elazab

Chemical and Biochemical Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

In this research we are discussing the physicochemical characteristics of sweet diesel after desulphurization alone and also these characteristics are tested with the adding of high purity HPLC ethanol (99.9%). Those fuel properties of ethanol blended with diesel were experimentally determined to find their stability and to increase their properties and efficiency in the diesel engines. First, we made 4 blends of diesel with ethanol and the fifth sample was pure diesel. The samples were 0% ethanol and 100 % diesel, the second sample was 5% ethanol and 95 % diesel, the third sample was 10 % ethanol and 90% …

High Octane Number Gasoline-Ether Blend, Tarek M. Aboul-Fotouh, Sherif K. Ibrahim, M. A. Sadek, Hany A. Elazab

Chemical and Biochemical Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Gasoline produced in Egypt is a low-grade gasoline that contains high concentration of harmful components that are having a toll on our environment. In addition, those pollutants cause countless diseases and deaths annually to the Egyptian population. This paper targets two main sectors in the production of commercial gasoline. The improvement engine efficiency through the upgrading of octane number is first experimented by using a blend stock that ranges from gasoline fractions and Isomerates. An optimum was then chosen depending on the results obtained from different tests. Through those experiments, it was determined which samples obeyed the EU regulation for …

Laboratory Manual For Engineering Electronics, Sandip Das, Walter Thain, Sheila Hill

Engineering Open Textbooks

The primary objective of this project was to improve the laboratory manuals and associated ancillary learning resources for the junior-level course, Engineering Electronics (EE3401), which is a required course for students in three different degree programs at Kennesaw State University – Electrical Engineering, Mechatronics Engineering, and Computer Engineering.

In this project, we have developed and transformed the previous lab manuals, as well as added new learning materials. We have included detailed technical instructions within the lab manuals, revised the contents for improved readability, implemented coherent formatting across all manuals, introduced interactive links as necessary, developed and integrated pre-lab exercises, created …

A Computationally Efficient U-Net Architecture For Lung Segmentation In Chest Radiographs, Barath Narayanan, Russell C. Hardie

Electrical and Computer Engineering Faculty Publications

Lung segmentation plays a crucial role in computer-aided diagnosis using Chest Radiographs (CRs). We implement a U-Net architecture for lung segmentation in CRs across multiple publicly available datasets. We utilize a private dataset with 160 CRs provided by the Riverain Medical Group for training purposes. A publicly available dataset provided by the Japanese Radiological Scientific Technology (JRST) is used for testing. The active shape model-based results would serve as the ground truth for both these datasets. In addition, we also study the performance of our algorithm on a publicly available Shenzhen dataset which contains 566 CRs with manually segmented lungs …

Integrated Aeration For Enhanced Nitrogen Conversion And Removal And The Effect Of Sampling Frequency On Productivity Estimates In Algae-Based Wastewater Treatment Systems, Lauren Parker

Master's Theses

Raceway ponds can be used to cultivate microalgae for purposes such as wastewater treatment and feedstock for animal feeds and biofuels. Besides nitrogen assimilation in biomass, nitrification can be a wastewater treatment mechanism but one that is hindered by the low nighttime dissolved oxygen concentrations (DO) common in wastewater treatment raceways. The large diel difference in pond conditions and changing influent wastewater quality also raises the question of the optimal frequency and timing of grab sample collection, to obtain representative water quality data. Three sets of triplicate pilot raceways (1,000-L, 0.30-m deep, fed primary clarifier effluent) were operated at an …

Implementation Of A Scale Semi-Autonomous Platoon To Test Control Theory Attacks, Erik Miller

Master's Theses

With all the advancements in autonomous and connected cars, there is a developing body of research around the security and robustness of driving automation systems. Attacks and mitigations for said attacks have been explored, but almost always solely in software simulations.

For this thesis, I led a team to build the foundation for an open source platoon of scale semi-autonomous vehicles. This work will enable future research into implementing theoretical attacks and mitigations. Our 1/10 scale car leverages an Nvidia Jetson, embedded microcontroller, and sensors. The Jetson manages the computer vision, networking, control logic, and overall system control; the embedded …

The Effects Of Atomic Oxygen On Patch Antenna Performance And Lifetime, Max J. Barta

Master's Theses

The space environment is a volatile and challenging place for satellites to survive in. For Low Earth Orbiting (LEO) satellites, atomic oxygen (AO) is a constant corrosive effect that degrades the outer surface of satellites over long durations. Atomic oxygen exists in the atmosphere between 180 and 675 km and has a relatively high energy at 4.5 eV, which allows AO to break molecular bonds in materials on the surfaces of spacecraft. As the number and complexity of CubeSat missions increase, there is an increased risk that AO degradation on commercial off the shelf parts (COTS), such as antenna, could …

Investigation Of Fundamental Principles Of Rigid Body Impact Mechanics, Khalid Alluhydan

Mechanical Engineering Research Theses and Dissertations

In impact mechanics, the collision between two or more bodies is a common, yet a very challenging problem. Producing analytical solutions that can predict the post-collision motion of the colliding bodies require consistent modeling of the dynamics of the colliding bodies. This dissertation presents a new method for solving the two and multibody impact problems that can be used to predict the post-collision motion of the colliding bodies. Also, we solve the rigid body collision problem of planar kinematic chains with multiple contacts with external surfaces.

In the first part of this dissertation, we study planar collisions of Balls and …

Impedance-Based Microfluidic Platform For Quantitative Biology, Amin Mansoorifar

Mechanical Engineering Research Theses and Dissertations

Dielectric properties of biological cells are functions of cellular structure, content, state, and phenotype. Dielectric spectroscopy (DS) is a nondestructive method to characterize dielectric properties by measuring impedance data over a frequency range. This method has been widely used for various applications such as counting, sizing, and monitoring biological cells and particles. Recently, this method has been suggested to be utilized in various stages of the drug discovery process due to its low sample consumption and fast analysis time.

In this thesis, we have developed a lab-on-a-chip device that uses an electro-activated microwells array for capturing, making DS measurements on, …

Cost-Effective Methods To Retrofit Metal Culverts Using Composites, Mahmoud Reda Taha, Susan Bogus Halter

Data

One of the current pressing problems for all DOTs is the corrosion-oriented deterioration of existing metal culverts. These metal culverts typically are designed for a life of 50 years. However, corrosion is making them last no longer than 30 years. A Glass Fiber Reinforced Polymers (GFRP) pipe section has been evaluated as a fit-in GFRP profile liner for complete repair and rehabilitation of the corroded metal culvert with an expected life of 75 years. This is mainly because of the corrosion free nature of the GFRP material. A comprehensive rehabilitation methodology and laboratory scale three-point bending test was conducted to …

The Gouda, The Bad, And The Ugly: Prioritizing Intersections For Pedestrian Safety In Tillamook, Or With Different Risk Estimation Methods, Kelly M. White

Civil and Environmental Engineering Master's Project Reports

The following report explores five different pedestrian risk estimation methods at urban intersections. Six study intersections in Tillamook, Oregon were chosen as a case study to analyze each risk estimation method and apply the values to a project prioritization process. Ultimately, risk factors of both exposure and infrastructure contribute to the highest amount of risk for pedestrians. The Oregon Department of Transportation's State Planning and Research Report 779 was identified as the most comprehensive risk estimation method.

Study On Safety Control Of Composite Roof In Deep Roadway Based On Energy Balance Theory, Zhengzheng Xie, Nong Zhang, Yuxin Yuan, Guang Xu, Qun Wei

Mining Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Improving the safety and stability of composite roof in deep roadway is the strong guarantee for safe mining and sustainable development of coal mines. With three roadways of different composite roofs in Hulusu Coal Mine and Menkeqing Coal Mine as the research background, this paper explores the mechanical properties and energy dissipation law of coal-rock structures with different height ratios from the perspective of energy release and dissipation through lab experiments. The results indicate that the key to the stability of coal-rock structures lies in maintaining relatively low dissipation energy. Based on experimental results and the energy balance theory, two …

Tuned Photomechanical Switching Of Laterally Constrained Arches, Matthew L. Smith, J Gao, A A. Skandani, N Deering, D H. Wang, A A. Sicard, M Plaver, L-S Tan, T J. White, M R. Shankar

Faculty Publications

Laterally constrained arches driven between stable states by light, represent a unique space for compliant mechanism design. Exploiting mechanical multistability can overcome limitations of functional photomechanical actuators, which include limited repeatability, actuation speed, and positioning characteristics. Here, the addition of lateral constraints to an elastic bistable arch system is proposed as a method for toggling between bifurcated states by controlling the location of actinic irradiation. This approach expands the design space for photomechanical, mutistable structures and actuators. Arch behavior as a function of system parameters is simulated, including conditions leading to multistability. An experimental demonstration and exploration of a constrained …

Issues Pertaining To Rebuilt Vehicle Titles, Valerie J. Keathley, Andrew Martin, Jeeyen Koo, Jennifer R. Walton

Kentucky Transportation Center Research Report

In Kentucky, salvage titles are issued when a vehicle has been wrecked, destroyed, or damaged and the cost of repairs exceeds 75 percent of the vehicle’s fair market value. Once a vehicle is repaired to roadworthy condition it is issued a rebuilt title. Kentucky issued 110,000 rebuilt and salvage titles in 2018. Over the 2014 to 2018 period, the number of rebuilt and salvage titles issued climbed 31 percent. The economic impact of rebuilt and salvage titles in Kentucky is considerable — approximately $331 million in 2018, based on data for the taxable values or sales prices of vehicles.

To …

Rapid Retrofit And Strengthening Of Bridge Components, Abheetha Peiris, Issam E. Harik

Kentucky Transportation Center Research Report

Rapid repair of damaged or deteriorated concrete bridge components will prevent the entire bridge from suffering irreversible damage in the future due to gradual spalling of concrete or corrosion of exposed steel. CFRP laminates and fabrics have become popular for repairing and strengthening of concrete girders. A series of CFRP materials — branded CatStrong — specifically designed for the repair and retrofit of bridges was developed at the Kentucky Transportation Center and the University of Kentucky. These materials include the CFRP Rod Panels (CatStrong CRPs), Unidirectional and Triaxial Carbon Fabric (CatStrong UCF and TCF), and Triaxial Carbon Wrap (CatStrong TCW). …

Truss Bridge Rehabilitation Prioritization, Abheetha Peiris, Issam E. Harik

Kentucky Transportation Center Research Report

Kentucky’s inventory of historic steel truss bridges is declining rapidly. There are more than 150 historic truss bridges in the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet’s (KYTC) bridge inventory. Most of these bridges require maintenance to avoid replacement. However, prioritizing the rehabilitation of these bridges based on their historic importance is challenging. While AASHTO’s Guidelines for Historic Bridge Rehabilitation and Replacement contain guidance on selecting bridges for preservation, currently there is no guidance on how to prioritize those historic bridges selected for rehabilitation. Building on a previous study that identified historic truss bridges in Kentucky meriting preservation, the Kentucky Transportation Center (KTC) developed …

Effect Of Humic Acid Extracted From Thailand's Leonardite On Rice Growth, B Jomhataikool, K Faungnawakij, S Kuboon, W Kraithong, S Chutipaichit, M Fuji, A Eiad-Ua

Journal of Metals, Materials and Minerals

Humic acid have been successfully extracted from leonardite using base-acid treatment. Humic acid is an essential part of soil. This material, present in good soil, makes available of uptake to the plant and the soil nutrients for improving the physical structure of the soil. To extract humic and fulvic acid, the Leonardite is processed in a strongly basic aqueous solution. To precipitate the humic acid, the solution is adjusted to pH 1 with a mineral acid. Carbon, Oxygen, Nitrogen, Aluminium, Silicon and Potassium were extracted from humic acid in humate form (Humic acid reacted with KOH). Rice grower have expressed …

Investigation Of Dissimilar Joining Ferritic Stainless Steel 430 To Austenitic Stainless Steel 304 By Transient Liquid Phase Bonding Process, H Nasri Nasrabadi, M Kasiri Asgarani, K Amini

Journal of Metals, Materials and Minerals

In this study, dissimilar joining of ferritic stainless steel 430 with austenitic stainless steel 304 with BNi-2 Interlayer was investigated by the joint process of the transient liquid phase under inert gas. The joint process was carried out at a constant temperature of 1120°C and at four storage times of 30, 60, 120 and 180 min. To investigate the microscopic structure of the optical microscope, a scanning electron microscope and an X-ray diffraction spectroscopy were used to investigate the mechanical properties of the microhardness and stretching device. At 120 min of storage, due to the proper penetration of the interlayer …