Engineering Commons^™

Utilization Of Flexsim Software To Identify The Suitable Layout Planning Of Production Line, Fidan Smaili, Hajredin Ibishi, Xhemajl Mehmeti, Afrim Gjelaj

UBT International Conference

The possibility of increasing production capacity by re-designing the actual layout and material flow at the Elsam factory is explained in this article. Planning of the actual layout needs some improvements because it does not meet customer demand. The actual layout is found to be disorganized on material flow which leads to a decrease in production capacity. Three different layouts are considered and analyzed. A comparison between the proposed and actual layout is shown to find out the influence on production capacity. According to the data taken from simulation software FlexSim, significant improvement is foreseen. This study reveals that redesigning …

Computer-Aided Optical Characterization And Sensing Applications: From Minerals To Waste, Giuseppe Bonifazi, Riccardo Gasbarrone, Kliton Bylykbashi

UBT International Conference

Optical based characterization techniques and related analytical methodologies, originally utilized in the mineral sector, can be profitably applied to solid waste streams products as resulting from different recycling processes. This approach, when supported by digital tools allows to perform a full characterization of compositional and textural attributes of the different particulate solids constituting the waste flow streams. To reach this goal specific physical-chemical attributes must be collected, analyzed and processed in order to define, according to market requirements, specific classes of quality to assume as reference to define optimal processing strategies. Computer-assisted optical characterization, coupled with hyperspectral sensing devices and …

Implementation Of Artificial Neural Network In Embedded Systems, Roni Kasemi, Bertan Karahoda

UBT International Conference

As we know the artificial intelligence, and specifically artificial neural networks, have improved rapidly in the last decade which leads to the application of these systems in commercial fields like in buying online products, medical applications, financial applications, etc. But we know also that ANN usually are complex systems that need a lot of computing power in order to function properly which limits their application in number of fields, including here embedded systems because of their limited hardware and software properties. In this paper our goal is to implement a fully functional ANN in ATmega328p microcontroller, which will be programmed …

Diversity And Inclusion In Automation, Ines Bula, Mary Doyle Kent, Peter Kopacek

UBT International Conference

Diversity and inclusion are the vital to the long-term success of any business. In Industry 4.0 and 5.0 there is a requirement that engineering firms have the best talent to foster innovation, entrepreneurship and growth. The best talent means offering engineering education to all members of society, including minority groups. Traditionally automation is not an engineering sector that attracts a diverse cohort. This paper looks at why science, technology engineering and math (STEM) in general, and automation in particular, flourishes when opened up to a more diverse and inclusive community and it offers insight as to how to attract this …

Energy Efficiency For A Farm Company: Nzefc – Nearly Zero Energy Farm Company. Case Of Study, Kliton Bylykbashi, Giuseppe Bonifazi

UBT International Conference

In this report, the energy consumption of 25 agricultural companies, which produce milk for the Soresina consortium, was evaluated.The purpose was to determine a Standard Energy Diagnosis Procedure (SEDP), for the agricultural sector. In the case of study below, the farm company has decided to adhere to a process of technological renewal, able to reduce to zero, the energy consumption, related to electricity and agricultural naphtha. Three are the intervention that the company has decided to adopt: Integration the photovoltaic system with a Storage System (battery); castrating a new biogas plant, with 75 kW electrical power; replacing the unifeed wagon …

Water Quality Analysis In Batllava Lake With Physico - Chemical Methods And Organic Materials, Florent Dobroshi, Faton Maloku, Krenar Dobroshi

UBT International Conference

Water is one of the most important sources of life that cannot be replaced by other matter, so without water no form of living on our planet can be thought of. Worldwide demand for potable water rises by 4%, which challenges not only quantity but also quality. Depending on the origin, natural waters have different characteristics. In addition to meeting the needs in many vital processes, biological and physiological needs of the organism, water is an essential substance for the development of industry. There are almost no industries that for one reason or another do not use water. Water is …

The Effect Of Concrete Sample Size In The Compressive Strength Value Of Concrete, Erion Luga, Erion Periku, Paulin Sheperi

UBT International Conference

Concrete is one of the most widely used construction materials. Compressive strength is one of the most important properties of hardened concrete. Different codes use different standards to define the characteristic strength. Albania nowadays is adapting the EN standards, but previously it used to apply the local code KTP. According to KTP standards the concrete samples were cubic specimens of 200mm side length. This study is an attempt to analyse the relation between sample size and compressive strength values of concrete specimens. For this purpose, 4 concrete classes of C8/10, C16/20, C20/25, C30/37 and 5 different cubic sizes of 50, …

Practicing Professional Ethics In Engineering: How This Field Is Developed And Its Importance, Ragip Behrami, Ilir Hetemi, Arton Qorri

UBT International Conference

Many associations of engineers around the world have worked to develop rules in an effort to regulate the ethical practice of the engineer’s profession. These rules are usually referred as Code of Ethics for Engineers and tries to explain how an engineer must practice his work with professional ethics. The purpose of this paper is to show, in informative form, how this field has developed around the world and to emphasize the importance of implementing these rules during the practice of the profession of engineer.

Waste Pollution Analysis Medical In Rural Parts Of Kosovo, Faton Maloku, Florent Dobroshi, Besa Veseli

UBT International Conference

Medical waste poses a greater risk to human health compared to other types of waste. Environmental pollution caused by medical waste can be large and can spread various diseases and epidemics, but pollution can be classified according to the most important components of the environment that are polluted and as the main component are: air pollution, water pollution, soil pollution. The practical work was carried out in the regional general hospital of Gjilan, hazardous waste that is generated in rural areas is managed in a controlled manner in the waste management plant which is also within the city hospital. In …

Pandemic Restrictions In Kosova As Indicator To Reduction Of Air Pollution, Afete-Shala Musliu

UBT International Conference

The chaotic situation of industrial and transportation grow around the globe is a situation that left substantial traces, both in the environment and in everyday life. With the introduction of the Pandemic by World Health Organization (WHO) of Covid19 in March 2020, many countries in the world imposed numerous instructions including the restriction of movement, both national and international, which also affected the use of motor vehicles thus, having direct impact on reduction of air pollution caused by motor vehicle’s emission. On 15th of March 2020 Kosova’s government also introduced numerous instructions including restriction of movement. The aim of this …

Sustainability Of Energy Production From Fossils And Reversible Energy In Kosovo, Djellza Perbeza, Ines Bula

UBT International Conference

Over the years Renewable Sources are the focus in terms of Energy. Renewable energy replaces traditional fuels in four different areas: electricity generation, water and space heating, motor fuels, and rural energy services. The development of the energy market and especially renewable energy is playing a key role in Kosovo, this can simultaneously lead to the stabilization of the new economy of the country. Only a sustainable, efficient and modern energy supply can ensure the rapid development of new industries. Energy production in Kosovo is currently supported by fossil fuels, mainly coal, while a small amount of energy is obtained …

The Production Of Biodiesel Using Waste Cooking Oil In Kosovo, Laura Nushi, Sami Makolli, Agron Millaku

UBT International Conference

The need for energy, fossil fuels and the emissions generated from these fuels are increasing daily. In recent years, biodiesel has attracted significant attention from worldwide researchers, governments, and industries as a renewable, biodegradable, and non-toxic fuel. Its production from waste cooking oil (WCO) provides an alternative energy means of producing liquid fuels from biomass for transport uses. Biodiesel production by recycling WCO and methanol in the presence of kaliumhydroxide (KOH), offers several benefits such as economic, environmental and waste management. This paper provides a comprehensive overview of the pre-treatment and the usage of WCO for the production of biodiesel …

Industrial Archeology In The City Of Gjirokastra Seen From A Structural Perspective, Egla Luca

UBT International Conference

The industrial development in Albania arrived late. On the eve of independence, back in the early 1900s, the country was essentially an agricultural economy. The industrialization of the country span a period of almost 150 years starting from the earlier industrial traces to the end of the communist era. The industry helped to form the country's modern image, awareness, and understanding about the role of industrialization; and monuments that it left behind and the communities it has managed to build, and created opportunities to better known themselves/ourselves. (Luca, 2017) This paper is focused on the Industrial Archeology of the City …

Minlp Optimization Of Structures, Stojan Kravanja, Tomaž Žula

UBT International Conference

The paper discusses the mixed-integer non-linear programming (MINLP) approach to the optimization of structures. The MINLP is an optimization technique which is able to solve non-linear and discrete optimization problems. It calculates continuous variables (loads, dimensions, stresses, deflections, costs) and discrete variables (topology, standard sections, material grades). The MINLP optimization model of a structure should be developed. In the model, an objective function is subjected to structural analysis and dimensioning constraints in order to satisfied ultimate and serviceability limit states according to Eurocodes. Appropriate MINLP algorithms and strategies are used to solve the defined MINLP problem. Two numerical examples are …

Differences Of Lateral Behavior Of Buildings With Rc Slabs Without Beams Vs. Rc Slabs With Beams, Ilir Hetemi, Arbnor Hetemi

UBT International Conference

Lateral behavior of RC Buildings is a great importance when it is in question the earthquake happening, so in this paper are presented the differences between buildings which have slabs without beams compared with those that in their slabs have included beams. Analysis is done for low and middle rise building, because these buildings are predominant in our region. The reason why we have analyzed here the lateral behavior of such cases is due to the fact that nowadays around us are used so many building using slabs without beams because they represent a flexible solution in functional organizing the …

Experimental And Numerical Characterization Of Ultralow-Cycle Fatigue Behavior Of Slit Dampers, Ferit Gashi, Fransesco Petrini, Franco Bontempi

UBT International Conference

Slit Damper devices (SDs) have been increasingly studied in last years for they implementation in building constructions to enhance the seismic resistance of structures. SDs are designed as yielding fuses that dissipate energy through large inelastic deformations, while the rest of the structure remains mainly elastic. They are mainly implemented in structural connections at pre-identified locations along the structure and should be able to sustain as much hysteretic cycles as possible before material collapse or fatigue failure in order to prevent local collapses and consequent loss of dissipative capacity. In this paper, finite element (FE) detailed models of single SD …

Design Upgrade For The Hybrid Glulam-Steel Roof Structure Of The Sports Hall For The New High School In Graçanica, Bledian Nela

UBT International Conference

This paper presents the design upgrade of the roof structure for a sports hall which consists of coupled glulam beams with steel substructure. The initial design has foreseen main glulam beams which are coupled with steel trusses and strengthened with rigid steel bars over the entire length. Due to some construction issues and design misinterpretation, the as-built structure did not follow completely the design and reinforcement rebars have been used instead of steel bars intended to be acting as steel ties. A design upgrade was required to preserve the main structure of the roof established with glulam beams, purlins and …

Design Optimization Of Steel Building Using Minlp, Tomaž Žula

UBT International Conference

The paper presents the design optimization of the steel building. The structure consists of the main portal frames, which are mutually connected with the purlins. It is proposed that all structural elements are constructed from standard hot rolled IPE sections. The structural optimization is calculated by the mixed-integer non-linear programming approach, MINLP. The dimensioning of steel members is carried out in accordance with the design specifications of Eurocode 3. The Modified Outer-Approximation/Equality-Relaxation (OA/ER) algorithm, a three-phase MINLP strategy and a special prescreening procedure of discrete alternatives are used for the optimization. In addition to the optimal structural mass, the optimal …

Passive Control Of Structures – The Dynamic Case, F. H. Selmani

UBT International Conference

Lately, powerful earthquakes stroke some parts of the world, while the Balkan peninsula was hit by moderate ones. During a powerful earthquake, a building structure is invaded by an enormous quantity of kinetic energy . From the manner this energy is, first absorbed, then dissipated throughout building structure depends, not only the reaction of structure as a whole, or structural elements in particular, but the nature, the distribution and the quantity of the damages also. As Nikola Tesla once quoted: “If you want to find the secrets of universe, think in terms of energy, frequency and vibration”. In order to …

Damage Observed In Structures Of Different Types During The Inspection After The Durrës Earthquake Of 26.11.2019 And Proposals For Their Repair, Arsim Rapuca, Naim Mushi

UBT International Conference

During the inspection of various construction structures such as: school buildings, houses, multi-storey buildings, etc. of different structural systems after the Durrës earthquake of 26.11.2019, various damages were observed in structural and non-structural elements. Damages were of various natures such as: defects during the implementation of structures, defects in the quality of materials, construction of additional floors on existing ones, use of structures with poor ductility such as massive masonry systems, negligence of supervision or construction without supervision, etc. In reinforced concrete structures, damage to the ground floor columns (mainly in plastic hinge regions), damage to the protective layers of …

9th International Conference On Business, Technology And Innovation 2020, University For Business And Technology - Ubt

UBT International Conference

Welcome to IC – UBT 2020

UBT Annual International Conference is the 9th international interdisciplinary peer reviewed conference which publishes works of the scientists as well as practitioners in the area where UBT is active in Education, Research and Development. The UBT aims to implement an integrated strategy to establish itself as an internationally competitive, research-intensive university, committed to the transfer of knowledge and the provision of a world-class education to the most talented students from all background. The main perspective of the conference is to connect the scientists and practitioners from different disciplines in the same place and make …

Failure Sampling With Optimized Ensemble Approach For The Structural Reliability Analysis Of Complex Problems, Christopher Eamon, Kapil Patki, Ahmad Alsendi

Civil and Environmental Engineering Faculty Research Publications

Failure sampling is a structural reliability method based on modified conditional expectation suitable for complex problems for which reliability index-based approaches are inapplicable and simulation is needed. Such problems tend to have non-smooth limit state boundaries or are otherwise highly nonlinear. Previous studies recommended implementation of failure sampling with an extrapolation technique using Johnson's distribution or the generalized lambda distribution. However, what implementation method works best is problem dependent. The uncertainty of which approach provides best results for a particular problem limits the potential effectiveness of the method. In this study, a solution is proposed to this issue that eliminates …

Coal Exploration Using Electrical Resistivity Method In Some Parts Of Benue Trough, Nigeria, Saminu Olatunji, Abdulgafar T. Jimoh

Tanzania Journal of Science

Geoelectrical resistivity sounding technique was used to delineate the occurrence and extents of coal seam. Fifteen points were sounded with Schlumberger configuration in the suspected coal deposit site bounded by longitudes 7.344° E and 7.366° E, and latitudes 7.318° N and 7.33° N. The vertical electrical sounding (VES) data were analyzed and the corresponding geo-electric parameters at various depths were modeled. The earth model within the study area was correlated with available lithology of a nearby mine site. The sounding signatures are KQHK and KHK curve types which revealed five to six distinct geo-electrical equivalent layers. The wet to dry …

Performance Evaluation Of Aspect Dependent-Based Ghost Suppression Methods For Through-The-Wall Radar Imaging, Mugundu Rambika, Abdi T. Abdalla, Baraka J. Maiseli, Alfred J. Mwambela

Tanzania Journal of Science

There are many approaches which address multipath ghost challenges in Through-the-Wall Radar Imaging (TWRI) under Compressive Sensing (CS) framework. One of the approaches, which exploits ghosts’ locations in the images, termed as Aspect Dependent (AD), does not require prior knowledge of the reflecting geometry making it superior over multipath exploitation based approaches. However, which method is superior within the AD based category is still unknown. Therefore, their performance comparison becomes inevitable, and hence this paper presents their performance evaluation in view of target reconstruction. At first, the methods were grouped based on how the subarrays were applied: multiple subarray, hybrid …

A Simplified Accuracy Enhancement To The Saleh Am/Am Modeling And Linearization Of Solid-State Rf Power Amplifiers, Haider Al-Kanan, Fu Li

Electrical and Computer Engineering Faculty Publications and Presentations

The Saleh behavioral model exhibits high prediction accuracy for nonlinearity of traveling-wave tube power amplifiers (TWT-PAs). However, the accuracy of the Saleh model degrades when modeling solid-state power amplifiers (SSPAs) technology. In addition, the polynomial expansion of the Saleh model consists of only odd-order terms as analyzed in this work. This paper proposes a novel model accuracy enhancement for the Saleh amplitude-to-amplitude (AM/AM) model when applied to radio frequency (RF) SSPAs. The proposed model enhancement accounts for the second-order intermodulation distortion, which is an important nonlinearity challenge in wideband wireless communications. The proposed static AM/AM model is a three-parameter rational …

A Framework For Augmenting Building Performance Models Using Machine Learning And Immersive Virtual Environment, Chanachok Chokwitthaya

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Building performance models (BPMs), such as building energy simulation models, have been widely used in building design. Existing BPMs are mainly derived using data from existing buildings. They may not be able to effectively address human-building interactions and lack the capability to address specific contextual factors in buildings under design. The lack of such capability often contributes to the existence of building performance discrepancies, i.e., differences between predicted performance during design and the actual performance.

To improve the prediction accuracy of existing BPMs, a computational framework is developed in this dissertation. It combines an existing BPM with context-aware design-specific …

Study Of Control Schemes For Series Hybrid-Electric Powertrain For Unmanned Aerial Systems, Darren A. Dehesa Jr

LSU Master's Theses

Hybrid-Electric aircraft powertrain modeling for Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS) is a useful tool for predicting powertrain performance of the UAS aircraft. However, for small UAS, potential gains in range and endurance can depend significantly on the aircraft flight profile and powertrain control logic in addition to the subsequent impact on the performance of powertrain components. Small UAS aircraft utilize small-displacement engines with poor thermal efficiency and, therefore, could benefit from a hybridized powertrain by reducing fuel consumption. This study uses a dynamic simulation of a UAS, representative flight profiles, and powertrain control logic approaches to evaluate the performance of a …

International Conference On Energy Efficiency Engineering, University For Business And Technology - Ubt

UBT International Conference

UBT Annual International Conference is the 9th international interdisciplinary peer reviewed conference which publishes works of the scientists as well as practitioners in the area where UBT is active in Education, Research and Development. The UBT aims to implement an integrated strategy to establish itself as an internationally competitive, research-intensive university, committed to the transfer of knowledge and the provision of a world-class education to the most talented students from all background. The main perspective of the conference is to connect the scientists and practitioners from different disciplines in the same place and make them be aware of the recent …

International Conference On Civil Engineering, Infrastructure And Environment, University For Business And Technology - Ubt

UBT International Conference

UBT Annual International Conference is the 9th international interdisciplinary peer reviewed conference which publishes works of the scientists as well as practitioners in the area where UBT is active in Education, Research and Development. The UBT aims to implement an integrated strategy to establish itself as an internationally competitive, research-intensive university, committed to the transfer of knowledge and the provision of a world-class education to the most talented students from all background. The main perspective of the conference is to connect the scientists and practitioners from different disciplines in the same place and make them be aware of the recent …

Semi-Annual Progress Report #7, Missouri University Of Science And Technology. Inspire - University Transportation Center

Semi-Annual Progress Reports

No abstract provided.