Engineering Commons^™

2019 Nebraska Water Productivity Report, Mesfin Mekonnen, Christopher Michael Usher Neale, Chittaranjan Ray, Galen E. Erickson, Adam Liska, Haishun Yang, Thiago L. Romanelli, Arjen Y. Hoekstra

Daugherty Water for Food Global Institute: Faculty Publications

Nebraska’s agricultural production is diverse and vast, ranking the state fourth in total value of agricultural products in the U.S. The state is a national leader in terms of agricultural production: it is the third largest producer of corn and second largest in cattle production. Nebraska is also the second largest producer of ethanol and distillers’ grains. The production and use of these three commodities are highly interlinked. Corn is a major input in livestock feed and the ethanol industry. Ethanol plants then produce distillers’ grains as a co-product that is also used as livestock feed, thus forming what the …

Design, Control, And Optimization Of Robots With Advanced Energy Regenerative Drive Systems, Poya Khalaf

ETD Archive

We investigate the control and optimization of robots with ultracapacitor based regenerative drive systems. A subset of the robot joints are conventional, in the sense that external power is used for actuation. Other joints are energetically self-contained passive systems that use ultracapacitors for energy storage. An electrical interconnection known as the star configuration is considered for the regenerative drives that allows for direct electric energy redistribution among joints, and enables higher energy utilization efficiencies. A semi-active virtual control strategy is used to achieve control objectives. We find closed-form expressions for the optimal robot and actuator parameters (link lengths, gear ratios, …

A New Era For Reuse Social Enterprises In Ireland? The Capacities Required For Achieving Sustainability, Gerard Doyle

Articles

The conventional linear relationship between production and consumption is no longer sustainable. A key component of the transition towards a more sustainable society is the continuation in use of products for longer and the development of a repair and reuse culture. Reuse social enterprises contribute to addressing a range of environmental, economic and social issues facing urban areas. This paper is concerned with, firstly, the motivations for citizens to establish reuse social enterprises in Ireland. Secondly, the paper examines the factors that contribute to reuse social enterprises in Ireland becoming sustainable.

The research points to the necessity of reuse social …

Distribution Of Tm 3+ And Ni 2+ In Chalcogenide Glass Ceramics Containing Ga2s3 Nanocrystals: Influence On Photoluminescence Properties, Xiaosong Lu, Zhiqiang Lai, Jing Ren, Lukas Strizik, Tomas Wagner, Yanqiu Du, Gerald Farrell, Pengfei Wang

Articles

The distribution of Tm3+ and Ni2+ ions is unambiguously exhibited in 80GeS2-20Ga2S3 chalcogenide glass ceramics (GCs) containing Ga2S3 nanocrystals (NCs) by using advanced analytical transmission electron microscopy. Distinctively different distribution patterns of Tm3+ and Ni2+ ions are observed in the GCs obtained by controlled crystallization. The distribution of the dopants imposes strong influence on their optical properties which are revealed by absorption and photoluminescence (PL) spectra. Detailed discussions are given of the mechanisms of the crystallization-induced PL enhancement and quenching of the Tm3+ mid-infrared and Ni2+ near-infrared emissions, respectively.

Improving Unsupervised Learning With Exemplar Cnns, Eric Arazo, Noel E. O'Connor, Kevin Mcguinness

Session 3: Deep Learning for Computer Vision

Most recent unsupervised learning methods explore alternative objectives, often referred to as self-supervised tasks, to train convolutional neural networks without the supervision of human annotated labels. This paper explores the generation of surrogate classes as a self-supervised alternative to learn discriminative features, and proposes a clustering algorithm to overcome one of the main limitations of this kind of approach. Our clustering technique improves the initial implementation and achieves 76.4% accuracy in the STL-10 test set, surpassing the current state-ofthe- art for the STL-10 unsupervised benchmark. We also explore several issues with the unlabeled set from STL-10 that should be considered …

Adapted K-Nearest Neighbors For Detecting Anomalies On Spatio–Temporal Traffic Flow, Youcef Djenouri, Asma Belhadi, Jerry Chun-Wei Lin, Alberto Cano

Computer Science Publications

Outlier detection is an extensive research area, which has been intensively studied in several domains such as biological sciences, medical diagnosis, surveillance, and traffic anomaly detection. This paper explores advances in the outlier detection area by finding anomalies in spatio-temporal urban traffic flow. It proposes a new approach by considering the distribution of the flows in a given time interval. The flow distribution probability (FDP) databases are first constructed from the traffic flows by considering both spatial and temporal information. The outlier detection mechanism is then applied to the coming flow distribution probabilities, the inliers are stored to enrich the …

Eulerian Video Magnification Adaptation For Live Cell Microscopy Analysis, Paul Leamy, Jane Courtney

Session 5: Medical and Biomedical Imaging

In this paper an adaptation of the Eulerian Video Magnification technique is described for use with .TIFF files produced by a photo-conversion time lapse protocol for live cell microscopy, specifically for research into Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome. The tracking and characterisation of a protein found in Human Immunodeficiency Virus, to determine its dynamics and pathways is a key determinant in understanding the protein’s function. The aim of this algorithm is to process an image sequence in the temporal direction with the result being that changes in fluorescence for particular pixel locations, or regions of interest, are tracked and filtered thereby …

Visualizing And Interpreting Feature Reuse Of Pretrained Cnns For Histopathology, Mara Graziani, Vincent Andrearczyk, Henning Muller

Session 6: Applications, Architecture and Systems Integration

Reusing the parameters of networks pretrained on large scale datasets of natural images, such as ImageNet, is a common technique in the medical imaging domain. The large variability of objects and classes is, however, drastically reduced in most medical applications where images are dominated by repetitive patterns with, at times, subtle differences between the classes. This paper takes the example of finetuning a pretrained convolutional network on a histopathology task. Because of the reduced visual variability in this application domain, the network mostly learns to detect textures and simple patterns. As a result, the complex structures that maximize the channel …

Utilizing Deep Neural Networks For Brain–Computer Interface-Based Prosthesis Control, Thomas C. Noel, Brian R. Snider

Faculty Publications - Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science

Limb amputations affect a significant portion of the world’s population every year. The necessity for these operations can be associated with related health conditions or a traumatic event. Currently, prosthetic devices intended to alleviate the burden of amputation lack many of the premier features possessed by their biological counterparts. The foremost of these features are agility and tactile function. In an effort to address the former, researchers here investigate the fundamental connection between agile finger movement and brain signaling. In this study each subject was asked to move his or her right index finger in sync with a time-aligned finger …

Clues About Bluffing In Clue: Is Conventional Wisdom Wise?, David Hansen, Kyle D. Hansen

Faculty Publications - Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science

We have used the board game Clue as a pedagogical tool in our course on Artificial Intelligence to teach formal logic through the development of logic-based computational game-playing agents. The development of game-playing agents allows us to experimentally test many game-play strategies and we have encountered some surprising results that refine “conventional wisdom” for playing Clue. In this paper we consider the effect of the oft-used strategy wherein a player uses their own cards when making suggestions (i.e., “bluffing”) early in the game to mislead other players or to focus on acquiring a particular kind of knowledge. We begin with …

Object Position Labelling In Video Using Prbs Audio Multilateration, Padraic Mcevoy, Paul Leamy, Damon Berry, David Dorran, Ted Burke

Session 4: 2D, 3D Scene Analysis and Visualisation

Supervised machine learning approaches for tracking objects’ positions in video typically require a large set of images in which the positions are labelled. Human labelling is time-consuming and automatic position labelling using visual markers is generally not possible because visible markers would corrupt the data. Here, we present an approach in which an object is tracked using a hidden tag that emits a PRBS audio signal. Four microphones arranged in a planar cross formation capture parallel recordings of the PRBS signal. Multilateration, using the time difference of arrival (TDoA) of the PRBS at each microphone, is used to estimate the …

Dynamic Analysis Of Vehicle Performance For Changes To Rear Axle Housing, Diane Peters, Yaomin Dong, Vimal Patel

Mechanical Engineering Presentations And Conference Materials

This paper explores the performance improvements of a 2013 Ford Mustang Shelby GT500 resulting from changes to the rear axle housing. In previous work, described in [1, 2], the rear axle housing was optimized in order to minimize its weight. It was expected that the decrease in weight would lead to improved fuel economy; in this work, the vehicle was simulated for the EPA highway drive cycle (HWFET) both before and after the optimization of the housing, in order to quantify the changes in fuel economy. It was found that the optimization of the housing did produce a modest improvement …

The Dark Side Of Servant Leadership, Thomas W. Camm

Mining Engineering

No abstract provided.

Assessment Of Live Load Distribution Characteristics Of Press-Brake-Formed Tub Girder Superstructures, Guilherme Petty

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

The scope of this thesis project was to refine the development of live load distribution factors for tub girders. This was done in three stages. First, experimental data was gathered to assess live load distribution on the Amish Sawmill Bridge located in Fairbank, Iowa. Then, finite element analysis models were developed to benchmark against experimental data. Finally, a series of parametric studies were performed to explore the distribution factors of steel tub girders under various design conditions and to generate more accurate live load distribution factors. Results drawn from this research project demonstrate that press-brake-formed steel tub girders exhibit consistent …

Numerical Simulation For The Hydrodynamic Performance Of Hydropower Turbine Near Free Surface, Zeda Yin

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

The performance of hydropower turbine in shallow water can be affected by the presence of free surface. Therefore, it is of great interest to investigate the influence of free surface on hydropower turbine performance through computational simulations. For a better understanding of flow field around hydropower turbine operating in shallow water, it is important to analyze the flow over a single hydrofoil beneath free surface first. Therefore, as the first part of this thesis, the Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) methodology was used for numerical simulation of 2D unsteady incompressible viscous flow over a hydrofoil under the free surface. The computation …

Developments Towards High-Flux Silica Nanosphere Substrates To Support Conforming Self-Assembled Gold Nanoparticle Monolayers For Applications In Size-Selective Filtration, Ryan Baker Vincent

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

Hydrophobic thiol coated gold nanoparticles have recently been investigated for their ability to self-assemble into robust, ultra-thin, porous membranes at a liquid-vapor interface. Due to the well-ordered, hexagonal close-packed nanoparticle arrays formed during the self-assembly process, these 2-dimensional sheets have very well-defined pore structures and have been shown to span gaps of several microns under ideal conditions. While these self-assembled nanoparticle monolayers have very promising applications in the field of size-selective filtration due to their well-defined pore structure, they need to be supported by a rigid substrate with a large amount of open area. Here, tightly packed arrays of silica …

Proposed Delivery And Return Water Temperatures For Dartmouth College Hot Water Network, Storm Mata

ENGS 86 Independent Projects (AB Students)

This study aimed to verify the viability of the planned hot water heating network at Dartmouth, and determine the necessary hot water radiator areas needed to satisfy the empirically-determined heat demand for buildings on campus, using 5 year of steam con- sumption data. In order to verify viability, the pressure and temperature of the delivery steam and return condensate of the current heating network were used to find the amount of heat delivered per pound of steam to campus. The above-mentioned steam consump- tion data were then used to find the max heat demand for the past five years and …

Quaternion Information Theoretic Learning Adaptive Algorithms For Nonlinear Adaptive, Carlo Safarian

Engineering Ph.D. Theses

Information Theoretic Learning (ITL) is gaining popularity for designing adaptive filters for a non-stationary or non-Gaussian environment [1] [2] . ITL cost functions such as the Minimum Error Entropy (MEE) have been applied to both linear and nonlinear adaptive filtering with better overall performance compared with the typical mean squared error (MSE) and least-squares type adaptive filtering, especially for nonlinear systems in higher-order statistic noise environments [3].

Quaternion valued data processing is beneficial in applications such as robotics and image processing, particularly for performing transformations in 3-dimensional space. Particularly the benefit for quaternion valued processing includes performing data transformations in …

Engineering News, Winter 2019, School Of Engineering

Engineering News

No abstract provided.

Xr-Based Workforce Develop In The Southwestern Region Of Ohio, Thomas Wischgoll

Computer Science and Engineering Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Fabrication Of Photonic Lpcvd Silicon-Nitride Waveguides, Robert Dalheim

Journal of the Microelectronic Engineering Conference

No abstract provided.

Fabrication Of Algan/Gan Hemts, Vijay Gopal

Journal of the Microelectronic Engineering Conference

No abstract provided.

Etching Process Characterization Of Nitride Layer And Poly Silicon Layer Using Trion Iii Etcher, Sudmun Habib

Journal of the Microelectronic Engineering Conference

No abstract provided.

Capping Layers For Increased Thermal Stability Of Igzo Thin-Film Transistors, Jason Konowitch

Journal of the Microelectronic Engineering Conference

No abstract provided.

Super Activation Obtained By Melt Uv Laser Annealing Of Highly Surface-Segregated Dopants In High Ge Content Sige, Leonard M. Rubin

Journal of the Microelectronic Engineering Conference

No abstract provided.

Livabilitylab Sponsored Project:Force And Position Monitoring System Multidisciplinary Senior Design 1, Nick Petreikis

Journal of the Microelectronic Engineering Conference

No abstract provided.

Research Day Abstracts 2018-2019

Student Research

No abstract provided.

Generational Aspects Of U.S. Public Opinion On Renewable Energy And Climate Change, Lawrence C. Hamilton, Joel N. Hartter, Erin Bell

Sociology

The topics of climate change and renewable energy often are linked in policy discussions and scientific analysis, but public opinion on these topics exhibits both overlap and divergence. Although renewable energy has potentially broader acceptance than anthropogenic climate change, it can also sometimes face differently-based opposition. Analyses of U.S. and regional surveys, including time series of repeated surveys in New Hampshire (2010–2018) and northeast Oregon (2011–2018), explore the social bases of public views on both issues. Political divisions are prominent, although somewhat greater regarding climate change. Such divisions widen with education, an interaction effect documented in other studies as well. …

Exploring The Challenges To Sustainable Rural Drinking Water Services In Chile, Jami Nelson-Nuñez, Jeffrey P. Walters, Denisse Charpentier

Faculty Publications - Biomedical, Mechanical, and Civil Engineering

Many countries around the world now face the dual challenges of closing the remaining gaps in access to drinking water in rural areas while further addressing the issues of equity, quality, and sustainability outlined in the new Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Our research explores the key factors for sustainability in rural drinking water services in Chile, an important example not only due to its success in rural water access but also because of the new directions the country is taking to achieve the SDGs. Drawing on results from a Delphi study of Chilean rural water experts, we discuss the most …

A Microfluidic Patterned Model Of Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease: Applications To Disease Progression And Zonation, Beyza Bulutoglu,, Camilo Rey-Bedón, Young Bok Abraham Kang, Safak Mert, Martin L. Yarmush, O. Berk Usta

Faculty Publications - Biomedical, Mechanical, and Civil Engineering

Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) and its progressive form non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) affect 25% of the world population. NAFLD is predicted to soon become the main cause of liver morbidity and transplantation. The disease is characterized by a progressive increase of lipid accumulation in hepatocytes, which eventually induce fibrosis and inflammation, and can ultimately cause cirrhosis and hepatic carcinoma. Here, we created a patterned model of NAFLD on a chip using free fatty acid gradients to recapitulate a spectrum of disease conditions in a single continuous liver tissue. We established the NAFLD progression via quantification of intracellular lipid accumulation and …