Engineering Commons^™

Design And Analysis Of A Non-Isolated High Gain Step-Up Cuk Converter, Yasser Almalaq

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Renewable energy sources, such as solar energy, are desired for both economic and ecological issues. These renewable energy sources are plentiful in nature and have a terrific capability for power generation. The only drawback of solar energy, which is one of the best forms of energy sources, is that the output has a low voltage and needs to be stepped up in order to be inserted into the DC grid or an inverter for AC applications. To overcome this drawback, a high gain DC-DC power converter is required in this kind of system. These power converters are needed for a …

Improvements Of And Extensions To Fsmweb: Testing Mobile Apps, Ahmed Fawzi Al Haddad

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

A mobile application is a software program that runs on mobile device. In 2017, 178.1 billion mobile apps downloaded and the number is expected to grow to 258.2 billion app downloads in 2022 [19]. The number of app downloads poses a challenge for mobile application testers to find the right approach to test apps. This dissertation extends the FSMWeb approach for testing web applications [50] to test mobile applications (FSMApp). During the process of analyzing FSMWeb how it could be extended to test Mobile Apps, a number of shortcomings were detected which we improved upon. We discuss these first. We …

Protection Of High-Voltage Transformer Bushings And Other Brittle Structures Against Impact, Christine Nichole Henderson

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation contributes unique approaches to improve the fundamental understanding of the impact behavior of porcelain high-voltage (HV) transformer bushings under high-velocity impact, with a focus on their protection with feasible methods which could be quickly applied in service to prevent vandalism and other undesirable impact situations. The bushings are brittle and pressurized; prone to explosive damage when hit by a high-velocity projectile. Damaged bushings can destroy transformers and entire substations in complex fashions. This can put the power grid at risk for cascading failures and electrical blackouts, affecting consumers. Therefore, suggesting practical approaches which could be used to protect …

Increasing Distribution Grid Hosting Capacity Through Wire And Non-Wire Solutions, Abdulrahman N. Almazroui

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Increased deployment of distributed generation (DG) can adversely impact the operational performance of distribution networks. This increment can potentially change network power flow and result in several operational issues such as reduced power quality, overvoltage, and ineffective protection. In order to quantify the degradation bounds of distribution operation due to increasing DG integration, the concept of hosting capacity is introduced. The aim of this thesis is to increase the DG hosting capacity in distribution network by proposing several wire and non-wire solutions. To this end, these solutions include network reconfiguration, reactive power control, and energy storage system deployment. The network …

Nonlinear Controller Design For Uavs With Time-Varying Aerodynamic Uncertainties, Michail G. Michailidis

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) are here and they are here to stay. Unmanned Aviation has expanded significantly in recent years and research and development in the field of navigation and control have advanced beyond expectations. UAVs are currently being used for defense programs around the world but the range of applications is expected to grow in the near future, with civilian applications such as environmental and aerial monitoring, aerial surveillance and homeland security being some representative examples. Conventional and commercially available small-scale UAVs have limited utilization and applicability to executing specific short-duration missions because of limitations in size, payload, power …

A Policy Mechanism For Federal Recommendation Of Security Standards For Mobile Devices That Conduct Transactions, Ariel Huckabay

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The proliferation of mobile devices in the BRIC countries has prompted them to develop policies to manage the security of these devices. In China, mobile devices are a primary tool for payments. As a result, China instituted in 2017 a cyber security policy that applies to mobile devices giving China broad authority to manage cyber threats. The United States has a similar need for a cyber policy. Mobile devices are likely to become a primary payment tool in the United States soon. DHS has also identified a need for more effective security policy in mobile devices for government operations. This …

Application Of Microgrids In Supporting The Utility Grid, Alireza Majzoobi

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Distributed renewable energy resources have attracted significant attention in recent years due to the falling cost of the renewable energy technology, extensive federal and state incentives, and the application in improving load-point reliability. This growing proliferation, however, is changing the traditional consumption load curves by adding considerable levels of variability and further challenging the electricity supply-demand balance. In this dissertation, the application of microgrids in effectively capturing the distribution network net load variability, caused primarily by the prosumers, is investigated. Microgrids provide a viable and localized solution to this challenge while removing the need for costly investments by the electric …

Paving The Way For Multidisciplinary Smart Campus Infrastructure: Leveraging Du's Unique Campus For The Advancement Of Smart Campus Culture, Camerron T. Mismash

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Institutions are embracing smart technologies to reap their benefits while simultaneously innovating new uses. From localized renewable energy generation to health monitoring and everything in between, academic campuses globally are paving the way for smart technology application. Eight primary categories have been identified in which institutions are applying smart technologies. Energy development is on the forefront of these smart initiatives. The University of Denver has begun its Smart Campus Initiative by implementing a revolving fund to invest in campus improvements related to the offset of carbon. By comparing how institutions are investing in smart campus initiatives and analyzing costs associated …

Distribution Level Building Load Prediction Using Deep Learning, Abdulaziz S. Almalaq

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Load prediction in distribution grids is an important means to improve energy supply scheduling, reduce the production cost, and support emission reduction. Determining accurate load predictions has become more crucial than ever as electrical load patterns are becoming increasingly complicated due to the versatility of the load profiles, the heterogeneity of individual load consumptions, and the variability of consumer-owned energy resources. However, despite the increase of smart grids technologies and energy conservation research, many challenges remain for accurate load prediction using existing methods. This dissertation investigates how to improve the accuracy of load predictions at the distribution level using artificial …

On The Stability Analysis Of Linear Continuous-Time Distributed Systems, Mohammad Shekaramiz

Electrical and Computer Engineering Faculty Publications

This paper discusses the stability problem of linear continuous-time distributed systems. When dealing with large-scale systems, usually there is not thorough knowledge of the interconnection models between different parts of the entire system. In this case, a useful stability analysis method should be able to deal with high dimensional systems accompanied with bounded uncertainties for its interconnections. In this paper, in order to formulate the stability criterion for large-scale systems, stability analysis of LTI systems is first considered. Based on the existing methods for estimating the spectra of square matrices, sufficient criteria are proposed to guarantee the asymptotic stability of …

An Analysis On The Correlation Between Atmospheric Parameters And Toa Reflectance Of Pseudo Invariant Calibration Sites (Pics), Yugeen Chaulagain

Electrical Engineering and Computer Science Plan B Projects

The objective of this work is to understand and quantify the relationship(s) between atmospheric parameters and TOA reflectance. The analysis uses Landsat-7 ETM+ and Landsat-8 OLI images data acquired over the Algodones Dunes and a desert site near Wadi ad-Dawasir, Saudi Arabia. The analysis focuses on atmospheric water content and barometric pressure, as ground truth measurements of these quantities are likely to be readily available from relatively nearby weather stations. Section II of the paper discusses the methodology used in the analysis. Section III presents the analysis results. Finally, Section IV provides a summary and considers potential directions for future …

Process Sustainability Evaluation For Manufacturing Of A Component With The 6r Application, Ana E. Bonilla Hernández, Tao Lu, Tomas Beno, Claes Fredriksson, Ibrahim S. Jawahir

Institute for Sustainable Manufacturing Faculty Publications

Sustainability in manufacturing can be evaluated at product, process and system levels. The 6R methodology for sustainability enhancement in manufacturing processes includes: reduced use of materials, energy, water and other resources; reusing of products/components; recovery and recycling of materials/components; remanufacturing of products; and redesigning of products to utilize recovered materials/resources. Although manufacturing processes can be evaluated by their productivity, quality and cost, process sustainability assessment makes it a complete evaluation. This paper presents a 6R-based evaluation method for sustainable manufacturing in terms of specific metrics within six major metrics clusters: environmental impact, energy consumption, waste management, cost, resource utilization and …

Approximate Kernel Reconstruction For Time-Varying Networks, Gregory Ditzler, Nidhal Carla Bouaynaya, Roman Shterenberg, Hassan Fathaliah-Shaykh

Henry M. Rowan College of Engineering Departmental Research

Most existing algorithms for modeling and analyzing molecular networks assume a static or time-invariant network topology. Such view, however, does not render the temporal evolution of the underlying biological process as molecular networks are typically “re-wired” over time in response to cellular development and environmental changes. In our previous work, we formulated the inference of time-varying or dynamic networks as a tracking problem, where the target state is the ensemble of edges in the network. We used the Kalman filter to track the network topology over time. Unfortunately, the output of the Kalman filter does not reflect known properties of …

Inspire Newsletter Spring 2019, Missouri University Of Science And Technology. Inspire - University Transportation Center

INSPIRE Newsletters

No abstract provided.

Inspire Newsletter Fall 2019, Missouri University Of Science And Technology. Inspire - University Transportation Center

INSPIRE Newsletters

No abstract provided.

Evaluating Shallow Mixing Protocols As Application Methods For Microbial Induced Calcite Precipitation Targeting Expansive Soil Treatment, Bhaskar C. S. Chittoori, Tasria Rahman, Malcolm Burbank, Arif Ali Baig Moghal

Civil Engineering Faculty Publications and Presentations

Expansive soils, also known as swell-shrink soils, undergo substantial volumetric changes due to moisture fluctuations from seasonal variations. These volumetric changes cause millions of dollars in damages annually. Microbial Induced Calcite Precipitation (MICP) is a promising soil improvement technique, which uses urease producing bacteria to precipitate calcium carbonate. In this study, a stabilization alternative for expansive soils was studied using MICP. Specifically, indigenous bacteria were stimulated by mixing enrichment and cementation solutions with expansive natural soils to precipitate calcium carbonate and make soil stronger and less expansive. This study examined three expansive soils with varying plasticity and mineralogical characteristics. Two …

18-02 Investigating And Prioritizing Factors For Quantifying Bikeability, Valerian Kwigizile, Jun-Seok Oh, Sia M. Lyimo

Transportation Research Center Reports

Bikeability is an important element that must be considered in planning bicycle facilities. The resource constraints make it imperative for the planners and engineers to be able to identify and shortlist important factors that promote cyclists’ friendly environment. The current study utilized the Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP), a multiple criteria decision analysis technique, to rank the relative importance of bikeability factors for on-road bicycle facilities. AHP is the most applied multiple criteria decision analysis technique due to its ability to convert subjective judgment to a numerical value which can easily be incorporated in the decision-making process. A survey was administered …

Santa Clara Magazine, Volume 61 Number 1, Winter 2019, Santa Clara University

Santa Clara Magazine

14 - IN THE BEGINNING An interview with Santa Clara University President Kevin O’Brien, S.J. on what's next and noticing what we swim in. Matt Morgan

22 - ADAM, EVE, AND THE APPLE If making—and appreciating—art makes us human, what happens when we get help making a masterpiece from something unhuman? Lauren Loftus.

28 - BEDROCK When faced with tough decisions, Santa Clara values stand as good guides, says Leon Panetta ’60, J.D. ’63. Leslie Griffy.

Microfluidic Pcr On Gold Nanorods For Combined Screening And Detection Of Ctdna, Cathy Li

ENGS 86 Independent Projects (AB Students)

Microfluidics and liquid biopsy on chip are growing in popularity as a method of detection and analysis used in point of care devices. The advantages of liquid biopsy include minimal invasiveness, low cost, shorter time from analysis to results, and less consumption of sample and reagents. Liquid biopsy has shown the ability to detect small concentrations of a biomarker of interest. However, some biomarkers, such as circulating tumor deoxyribose nucleic acid (DNA), exist in very small concentrations that make detection challenging. The integration of miniaturized polymerase chain reaction (PCR) with liquid biopsy techniques is a promising solution. Gold nanoparticles are …

Bioelectrical Circuits: Lecture 7, Jacek P. Dmochowski, Luis Cardoso

Open Educational Resources

No abstract provided.

Pairing A Robot To A Virtual Entity To Provide Haptic Feedback In Virtual Reality, Tristan G. Fogt

ENGS 88 Honors Thesis (AB Students)

Virtual reality (VR) environments are most commonly used for entertainment and gaming, though are also employed in rehabilitative and professional contexts. Virtual reality systems currently have highly convincing visual and aural feedback, allowing for a superficially immersive experience for the user. However, these systems lack haptic feedback, breaking the immersive experience as soon as the user tries to interact with a virtual object or entity physically, which severely limits the uses of VR.

To solve this, instead of the conventional approach of trying to simulate feeling something that isn’t actually there, a physical robot was created to exist in real …

Detecting Malicious Behavior In Openwrt With Qemu Tracing, Jeremy Porter

Browse all Theses and Dissertations

In recent years embedded devices have become more ubiquitous than ever before and are expected to continue this trend. Embedded devices typically have a singular or more focused purpose, a smaller footprint, and often interact with the physical world. Some examples include routers, wearable heart rate monitors, and thermometers. These devices are excellent at providing real time data or completing a specific task quickly, but they lack many features that make security issues more obvious. Generally, Embedded devices are not easily secured. Malware or rootkits in the firmware of an embedded system are difficult to detect because embedded devices do …

Assessing The Role Of Polyphenols As A Vascular Protectant Against Drug Induced Vascular Injury, Anson Jacob Oommen

Browse all Theses and Dissertations

Vascular injury is identified during pre-clinical toxicity testing within certain pharmacological classes of drug candidates and induces degenerative and hyperplastic changes in endothelial (ECs) and vascular smooth muscle (VSMCs) cells. This drug-induced vascular injury has been show as a side-effect caused by various classes of drugs, including, antibacterial (e.g., azithromycin), anti-malarial (e.g., quinoline), anti-viral (e.g., anti-hepatitis C virus interferons) and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (e.g., ibuprofen), and affects normal cardiovascular function and can further lead to various cardiovascular conditions like arrhythmia, cardiac arrest, high blood pressure, and even heart attack. The search for agents capable of reducing vascular injury side-effects by …

Autojack - Hydraulic Powertrain System, Tyce Vu

All Undergraduate Projects

A primary problem for mechanics and automotive enthusiasts is the risk associated with lifting and securing a vehicle with conventional jack stands. Often times, improper jack-stand installation results in the vehicle collapsing unexpectedly, causing injury and/or death. This problem can be minimized through the application of a newly re-designed vehicle lifting system. The conventional method for lifting cars is time consuming and can be unsafe in many circumstances. A better, safer, and more efficient lift design was needed; the AutoJack. The approach of the AutoJack design was entirely focused on the safety of lifting a vehicle. Safety was improved by …

Sonoprobe, Christian Miles Barrett

All Undergraduate Projects

The current ultrasound probes used in hospitals today use the same design produced in the mid 90s. Ultrasound probes consist of a transducer at the end of a handle. To perform an exam, an ultrasound technician (sonographers) must manipulate the probe at the wrist. To produce a clear image, the technician must apply pressure against the patient at different angles. Due to the extensive rotational movement and pressure the wrist takes when scanning a patient with an ultrasound probe, there is a high rate of carpal tunnel and other wrist injuries in sonographers. This new ultrasound probe will take the …

Controlling The Three-Dimensional Environment Of Catalytic Active Sites For Selective Heterogeneous Catalysis, Bingwen Wang

Wayne State University Dissertations

This thesis focuses on developing high performance heterogeneous catalytic structures for chemical and fuel production processes. This thesis work proposes to achieve enhanced catalytic performance by tuning the 3D environment of catalytically active sites. Two approaches toward development of enhanced catalytic structures are demonstrated.

The first approach involves tuning the 3D environment of active sites via the construction of the “inverted” structures, where metal core NPs are coated with a porous oxide layer. A facile, room-temperature method is utilized to synthesize the probe system, inverted Pd@TiO2 catalyst, with control over the oxide film and NPs structure. The “inverted” structures with …

Task Based Risk Assessment For Human Factors Impact On Aviation Maintenance Deviations: A Case Study On Three Specific Tasks And Their Operational Implications, Stephen Caffrey, Laís Veloso Lara, Christopher Murtagh, Maria Chiara Leva, Victor Hrymak

Conference papers

This paper investigates human performance on a set of selected tasks in an aviation maintenance organisation, where a significant prevalence of unsafe acts and conditions were observed. The methodology began with visual inspections of the work environment. Semi structured interviews were then undertaken to gain an insight into the job demands and critical issues reported by front line operators. Three representative critical tasks were then selected for a detailed task analysis. This fed into a task based risk assessment that mapped out safety critical deviations together with timelines for nominal and deviation paths. The likelihood and severity of potential outcomes …

Study Of Acceleration Sensitivity And Nonlinear Behavior In Silicon-Based Mems Resonators, Beheshteh Khazaeili Najafabadi

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The focus of this work is to study nonlinear behavior in silicon-based micro-resonators and more specifically develop models that could predict acceleration sensitivity and amplitude-frequency nonlinearity in such resonators. Acceleration sensitivity in silicon bulk-acoustic wave (BAW) oscillators is studied and a correlation between the resonator alignment to different crystalline planes of silicon and the observed acceleration sensitivity is established. It is shown both with experiment and the proposed finite element model, that the oscillator vibration sensitivity is significantly lower when the silicon-based lateral-extensional (LE) mode resonator is aligned to < 110 > orientation compared to when the same resonator is aligned to < 100 > . …

Synthesis Of Two-Dimensional Molybdenum Disulfide Nanostructures Using Molybdenum Trioxide Thin Film Via Chemical Vapor Depostion, Vanessa Charles

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Two dimensional (2D) materials-based nanostructures have attracted much attention due to their unique properties which exhibit promising prospects for application in catalysis and energy storage devices. Control growth method is important in synthesizing these nanostructures. Chemical vapor deposition (CVD) is a powerful method that provides scalability and controllable way to grow high quality 2D materials-based nanostructures. Here, we report a novel CVD growth method of 2D molybdenum disulfide (MoS2) based different structures in which thin film of molybdenum trioxide (MoO3) was used as the source of molybdenum (Mo), while sulfur (S) powder was used for the chalcogen precursor. Precise control …

Ua66/16/2 Ogden College Of Science & Engineering Ogden College Of Science & Engineering Publications, Wku Archives

WKU Archives Collection Inventories

Publications created by and about Industrial & Engineering Technology.