Engineering Commons^™

Coordinated Container Migration And Base Station Handover In Mobile Edge Computing, Mao V. Ngo, Tie Luo, Hieu T. Hoang, Q. S. Tony Quek

Computer Science Faculty Research & Creative Works

Offloading computationally intensive tasks from mobile users (MUs) to a virtualized environment such as containers on a nearby edge server, can significantly reduce processing time and hence end-to-end (E2E) delay. However, when users are mobile, such containers need to be migrated to other edge servers located closer to the MUs to keep the E2E delay low. Meanwhile, the mobility of MUs necessitates handover among base stations in order to keep the wireless connections between MUs and base stations uninterrupted. In this paper, we address the joint problem of container migration and base-station handover by proposing a coordinated migration-handover mechanism, with …

A New Type Of Crumb Rubber Asphalt Mixture: A Dry Process Design And Performance Evaluation, Feng Ma, Jiasheng Dai, Zhen Fu, Jenny Liu, Wenhao Dong, Zhen Huang

Civil, Architectural and Environmental Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

To obtain a crumb rubber asphalt mixture with excellent performance, this study combined trans-polyoctenamer rubber (TOR), crumb rubber, and other additives to establish a new type of crumb rubber (CRT). The objective of this study was to design and evaluate the road performance of the new type of crumb rubber asphalt mixture (CRTAM) with a skeleton dense texture through a dry process. First, the skeleton intrusion compact volume method was used to optimize the grading of coarse and fine aggregates, and the design of the CRTAM gradation was carried out through the same and unequal volume replacement grading method. Then, …

Bending Behavior And Deflection Prediction Of High-Strength Sfrc Beams Under Fatigue Loading, Dan Ying Gao, Zhi Qiang Gu, Chenglin Wu

Civil, Architectural and Environmental Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

The experiments of high-strength steel-fiber-reinforced concrete (SFRC) beams subjected to fatigue bend loading were conducted in this work. A total of 12 beams were tested to failure, including 2 under static loading and 10 under fatigue loading. The main varying parameters of the tested beams included the stress level, fiber volume fraction, and strength of the steel reinforcement. The fatigue life, mid-span deflection, residual deflection, and crack width were measured and evaluated. The stiffness degradation of high-strength SFRC beams was analyzed. The results indicated that both the stress level and fiber volume fraction have significant influences on the fatigue life …

Modeling Of Scrap Dissolution In Molten Iron For The Case Of Heat Transfer-Controlled Process By Different Approaches And Comparison Of Their Accuracies, Ajay Kumar Shukla, Brahma Deo, D. G.C. Robertson

Materials Science and Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Dissolution of steel scrap in molten iron is studied by using analytical as well as numerical approaches for the case of a heat transfer-controlled process. The approaches used are Green's function approach, quasi-static approach, integral profile method (IPM) (with parabolic profile), and finite difference methods (FDM). Application of FDM explicit and FDM implicit with fixed grid and variable grid is described. Accuracy of all the approaches is compared in terms of total dissolution time evaluated from overall heat balance criterion. The selection rule of time step and deciding the suitable approach for achieving minimum error for different operating conditions, represented …

Aging Response On The Stress Corrosion Cracking Behavior Of Wrought Precipitation-Hardened Magnesium Alloy, G. R. Argade, S. K. Panigrahi, R. S. Mishra

Materials Science and Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Constant immersion testing and slow strain rate testing (SSRT) are conducted on wrought magnesium alloy in a 3.5 wt.% NaCl solution. After solution annealing (SA) at 525 °C for 8 h, the alloy was isothermally aged at 210 °C for 15 h, 48 h, and 144 h to obtain underaged (UA), peak-aged (PA), and overaged (OA) microstructures, respectively. After 32 days of constant exposure in chloride solution, the SA and UA samples showed the lowest (~ 0.10 mg cm−2 day−1) and the highest (~ 0.20 mg cm−2 day−1) weight loss, respectively. SSRT was carried out at an initial strain rate …

The Effects Of Covid-19 On Productivity In Project Management: A Case Study, Emily Lynne Gonzalez

Construction Management

The COVID-19 pandemic has affected many aspects of the construction industry and one of the main aspects that has been affected is productivity. Monitoring productivity on a job is important because it allows us to identify areas that take up the most time and thus gives us the opportunity to allocate resources effectively. Due to safety regulations and new protocols being put in place, the productivity levels on every job has changed. Whether its out in the field or in the office, workplace productivity has certainly been affected by COVID-19. This case study focuses on how the pandemic has affected …

Direct Numerical Simulations Of Acoustic Disturbances In Various Rectangular Nozzle Configurations, Nathaniel Hildebrand, Meelan M. Choudhari, Lian Duan

Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

We perform Direct Numerical Simulations (DNS) to study the acoustic freestream disturbances radiating from the turbulent boundary layers along the contoured nozzle walls of a hypersonic wind tunnel with a rectangular test section. To begin with, the effects of the spanwise end walls are suppressed by confining the spanwise computational domain to a finite segment of the overall nozzle cross section and by imposing periodic boundary conditions across that spanwise domain. Besides providing a building-block configuration to reveal partial effects of the enclosed acoustic environment within the wind tunnel, these computations serve as a steppingstone toward the goal of fully-3D …

Direct Numerical Simulation Of Turbulent Pressure Fluctuations Over A Cone At Mach 8, Junji Huang, Lian Duan, Katya M. Casper, Ross M. Wagnild, Neal P. Bitter

Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Direct numerical simulations (DNS) were conducted to characterize the pressure fluctuations under the turbulent portion of the boundary layer over a sharp 7◦ half-angle cone at a nominal freestream Mach number of 8 and a unit Reynolds number of Reunit = 13.4 x 106/m. The axisymmetric cone geometry and the flow conditions of the DNS matched those measured in the Sandia Hypersonic Wind Tunnel at Mach 8 (Sandia HWT-8). The DNS-predicted wall pressure statistics, including the root-mean-square (r.m.s.) fluctuations and the power spectral density (PSD), were compared with those measured in the Sandia HWT-8. A good comparison between the DNS …

Seismic Performance Of Mechanically Spliced Bridge Columns Through Analytical Studies, Mathew Ray Lavoy

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Reinforcement continuity in concrete members is traditionally achieved through lap splicing. Mechanical bar splices are an alternative to traditional lap splices. Mechanical bar splices utilize mechanical devices known as bar coupler to connect the ends of reinforcing bars. Bar couplers are common in accelerated bridge construction applications at non-critical members but are not allowed in the plastic hinge region of bridge columns probably due to a lack of knowledge on how they affect seismic performance of columns. A comprehensive analytical study was carried out to determine how bar couplers used at the base of bridge columns affect: 1) column lateral …

Environmental Impact Of The Mechanical Coal Processing Plant, Witold Bialy, Wes Grebski, Greg Galecki, Wojciech Kaniak

Mining Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

The enrichment of hard coal is one of the stages of mineral resources management. It is aimed at adapting its quality parameters to different recipients' requirements, considered as a stage of mineral resources management. This process is treated as a stage of clean coal technologies or as a process of improving the economics of mining plants, which takes place in the Mechanical Coal Processing Plant (ZMPW). Adaptation of the quality of commercial coal products to the needs of specific recipients consists of removing useless components of the excavated material. In this publication, factors having a negative impact on the environment …

A Novel Data-Driven Scheme For The Ship Wake Identification On The 2-D Dynamic Sea Surface, Yanming Zhang, Lijun Jiang

Electrical and Computer Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Because the ship wake spreads into an area much larger than that of the ship hull in the sea surface, it has been widely used in the ship detection. However, due to the complex sea wave motion and the high sea state, the ship wake detection is still a challenging task. In this paper, we propose a novel data-driven method based on dynamic mode decomposition (DMD) to detect, reconstruct, and locate the Kelvin wake on the two-dimensional dynamic sea surface. Through the proposed method, the sea's dynamic characteristics including the oscillation frequency and decay/growth rate of ship wakes and the …

Real-Time Assembly Operation Recognition With Fog Computing And Transfer Learning For Human-Centered Intelligent Manufacturing, Wenjin Tao, Md Al-Amin, Haodong Chen, Ming-Chuan Leu, Zhaozheng Yin, Ruwen Qin

Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

In a human-centered intelligent manufacturing system, every element is to assist the operator in achieving the optimal operational performance. The primary task of developing such a human-centered system is to accurately understand human behavior. In this paper, we propose a fog computing framework for assembly operation recognition, which brings computing power close to the data source in order to achieve real-time recognition. For data collection, the operator's activity is captured using visual cameras from different perspectives. For operation recognition, instead of directly building and training a deep learning model from scratch, which needs a huge amount of data, transfer learning …

Thermodynamic Properties Of Hydroxylammonium Nitrate-Based Electric Solid Propellant Plasma, Matthew S. Glascock, Patrick D. Drew, Joshua L. Rovey, Kurt A. Polzin

Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Electric solid propellants are advanced solid chemical rocket propellants controlled by electric current. An electric solid propellant may also be used in an electric propulsion system: specifically, an ablative pulsed plasma thruster. Previous experiments with the electric solid propellant known as high-performance electric propellant, or HIPEP, suggest its ablation processes are similar to the traditional propellant polytetrafluoroethylene (C2 F4). Better understanding of the ablation and the resulting propulsion performance of HIPEP requires a model of its vapor composition, bulk plasma quantities, and thermodynamic properties. Such a model was developed and favorably compared with previous analogous model predictions found in the …

On The Effects Of High-K Dielectric Resurf In High-Voltage Bulk Finfets, Chia Hui Cheng, Jun Wei Lai, Kai Ting Hu, Chih Fang Huang, Feng Zhao

Electrical and Computer Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

High-K dielectric reduced surface field (RESURF) effects in high-voltage bulk FinFETs through three-dimensional simulation are discussed in this paper for the first time. Compared to a planar gate LDMOSFET where the length of the drift region is the same, dielectric RESURF significantly increases the optimal implant dose for the drift region to a higher value, although BV2/Ron,sp is similar. By using a high-K dielectric in the shallow trench isolation (STI) to further enhance the dielectric RESURF, the BV is increased and the Ron,sp is reduced, yielding a significantly improved BV2/Ron,sp, together with a better ON/OFF current ratio. However, with the …

Artificial Synaptic Behavior Of Aloe Polysaccharides-Based Device With Au As Top Electrode, Z. X. Lim, I. A. Tayeb, Z. A.A. Hamid, M. F. Ain, A. M. Hashim, J. M. Abdullah, A. A. Sivkov, F. Zhao, K. Y. Cheong

Electrical and Computer Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Formulated, processed, and dried Aloe polysaccharides thin film sandwiched between ITO as bottom electrode and Au as top electrode has been adopted as an artificial synapse to emulate behavior of neuromorphic computing. The synaptic plasticity or weight has been modulated with this simple metal-insulator-metal structure by applying voltage sweep and voltage pulse, with excitatory postsynaptic current being monitored. Synaptic potentiation and depression have been demonstrated by applying 6 consecutive sweeps of voltage in positive and negative polarity, respectively. By varying number (10 - 50) of voltage pulses, variable synaptic weight has been measured with paired pulse facilitation and post-tetanic potentiation …

Cagniard-Dehoop Technique-Based Computation Of Retarded Partial Coefficients: The Coplanar Case, Martin Stumpf, Giulio Antonini, Albert E. Ruehli

Electrical and Computer Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Efficient computation of partial elements plays a key role in the Partial Element Equivalent Circuit (PEEC) method. A novel analytical method for computing retarded partial coefficients based on the Cagniard-DeHoop (CdH) technique is proposed. The methodology is first theoretically developed and then illustrated on the computation of a surface retarded partial coefficient pertaining to two coplanar rectangular surface elements. An efficient way for incorporating loss mechanisms in the time domain (TD) via the Schouten-Van der Pol theorem is proposed. Illustrative numerical examples demonstrating the validity of the introduced solution are given.

Geoaware - A Simulation-Based Framework For Synthetic Trajectory Generation From Mobility Patterns, Jameson D. Morgan

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Recent advances in location acquisition services have resulted in vast amounts of trajectory data; providing valuable insight into human mobility. The field of trajectory data mining has exploded as a result, with literature detailing algorithms for (pre)processing, map matching, pattern mining, and the like. Unfortunately, obtaining trajectory data for the design and evaluation of such algorithms is problematic due to privacy, ethical, dataset size, researcher access, and sampling frequency concerns. Synthetic trajectories provide a solution to such a problem as they are cheap to produce and are derived from a fully controllable generation procedure. Citing deficiencies in modern synthetic trajectory …

Quadrotor Uav Flight Control With Integrated Mapping And Path Planning Capabilities, Jason A. Gauthier

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Quadrotor UAVs have become a common and easily acquirable hardware platform for research and development with control laws, mapping systems, and path planning. In this research, a non-linear model of a quadrotor UAV is linearized with model parameters being identified using collected flight data. The PID, LQR, and backstepping control laws are implemented. An adaptive control law is also implemented to handle the loss of effectiveness in motor actuation. Additionally, this research also implements a laser-based SLAM algorithm for mapping and localization in an unknown two-dimensional environment. Path planning and obstacle avoidance algorithms are implemented onboard using the Robot Operating …

Ab Initio Modeling Of An Electron Transport Layer Interface In Hybrid Perovskite Solar Cells, Krantikumar Subhash Pawar

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Hybrid organic-inorganic perovskite solar cell is an emerging technology which has shown the fastest advancement in power conversion efficiency within a few years since introduction, thus making it one of the clean energy breakthroughs. These cells are based on thin-film technology which makes them suitable to manufacture using low-cost solution processing methods. As these types of cells are easily tunable with the selection of different materials, interfacial engineering is an important approach to increasing their efficiency. One of the main hurdles in this regard is the loss caused by the recombination of separated charges. An approach to tackle these issues …

Prevention Of Harmful Algal Blooms By The Mitigation Of Phosphorus Nutrient Loading Via Filtration By Steel Wool And Activated Carbon, Samantha Zidd, Sara Kidd, Ronald Simpson

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

Harmful Algal Blooms (HABs) are a devastating ecological and economic consequence of the abundance of nutrient-rich agricultural runoff entering aquatic ecosystems (Baker et al. 2014). Bioavailable phosphorus from synthetic fertilizers is one of the major nutrients contributing to this global issue. Preliminary studies indicate that dissolved phosphorus can be removed from an aqueous environment when passed through a composite mixture of granular steel wool particles and activated carbon (Erickson, Gulliver, and Weiss (2007). Further research was conducted using higher quality concentration measurements to determine what grades of steel wool (0000, 000, 00) and types of activated carbon (GAC, PAC, EAC) …

Behavior Of Sandwich Core Under Extreme Temperature Conditions, Mikayla L. Aowad

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

Sandwich materials are growing in popularity as more research and data is collected. I am studying the inner foam of the sandwich composites. I am testing the bending strength of the material by performing a three point bend test on foam specimens of varying density and material. The specimens will be tested at room temperature as well as extreme low temperature. I am studying how the mechanical properties of the material change as the material’s surroundings change. Cell wall thickness and cell size will be analyzed to see if there is a correlation between those parameters and the strength of …

Extracting Information From Subroutines Using Static Analysis Semantics, Luke A. Burnett

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Understanding how a system component can interact with other services can take an immeasurable amount of time. Reverse engineering embedded and large systems can rely on understanding how components interact with one another. This process is time consuming and can sometimes be generalized through certain behavior.We will be explaining two such complicated systems and highlighting similarities between them. We will show that through static analysis you can capture compiler behavior and apply it to the understanding of a function, reducing the total time required to understand a component of whichever system you are learning.

Predicting Subjective Sleep Quality Using Objective Measurements In Older Adults, Reza Sadeghi

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Humans spend almost a third of their lives asleep. Sleep has a pivotal effect on job performance, memory, fatigue recovery, and both mental and physical health. Sleep quality (SQ) is a subjective experience and reported via patients’ self-reports. Predicting subjective SQ based on objective measurements can enhance diagnosis and treatment of SQ defects, especially in older adults who are subject to poor SQ. In this dissertation, we assessed enhancement of subjective SQ prediction using an easy-to-use E4 wearable device, machine learning techniques and identifying disease-specific risk factors of abnormal SQ in older adults. First, we designed a clinical decision support …

Identifying Knowledge Gaps Using A Graph-Based Knowledge Representation, Daniel P. Schmidt

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Knowledge integration and knowledge bases are becoming more and more prevalent in the systems we use every day. When developing these knowledge bases, it is important to ensure the correctness of the information upon entry, as well as allow queries of all sorts; for this, understanding where the gaps in knowledge can arise is critical. This thesis proposes a descriptive taxonomy of knowledge gaps, along with a framework for automated detection and resolution of some of those gaps. Additionally, the effectiveness of this framework is evaluated in terms of successful responses to queries on a knowledge base constructed from a …

Eye-Tracking To Evaluate Trust In Human-Atr Interaction, Samuel Francis Adelman

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Human collaboration with targeting aids have allowed analysts to achieve a greater level of coordination and productivity in a variety of fields. This project investigates the impact that an Assisted Target Recognition (ATR) algorithm’s false alarm rate and the task Target of Interest (TOI) level has on user-system trust and use in a targeting decision task. Previous studies suggest that an increased number of false alarms in an ATR task negatively impacts analyst trust in the system. This study will further contribute to this research, aiming to provide a better framework for appropriate tolerance levels within ATR algorithms, utilizing pre-truthed …

Single-Pixel Camera Based Spatial Frequency Domain Imaging For Non-Contact Tissue Characterization, Alec M. Petrack

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Optical imaging has demonstrated potential as a medical imaging modality for measuring tissue functionality. Recently, interest in fluorescence guided surgery has emerged from improvements in optical imaging that have allowed real-time feedback. Of the optical imaging modalities, spatial frequency domain imaging (SFDI) has gained a lot of interest. Unlike spectroscopic techniques, such as functional near infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) and frequency domain spectroscopy that measure bulk tissue properties, SFDI quantifies tissue functionality locally and wide field making it practical for clinical applications. Unfortunately, traditional SFDI systems use multi-pixel detectors, which may not exhibit ideal spectral characteristics, have limited sensitivity, be expensive, …

An Approach To Cluster And Benchmark Regional Emergency Medical Service Agencies, Swetha Kondapalli

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Emergency Medical Service (EMS) providers are the first responders for an injured patient on the field. Their assessment of patient injuries and determination of an appropriate hospital play a critical role in patient outcomes. A majority of states in the US have established a state-level governing body (e.g., EMS Division) that is responsible for developing and maintaining a robust EMS system throughout the state. Such divisions develop standards, accredit EMS agencies, oversee the trauma system, and support new initiatives through grants and training. But to do so, these divisions require data to enable them to first understand the similarities between …

Medical Device For Loading Of Knee At Differing Angles, Alex Dragota

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

Abstract

This was a design report for a device that would be used in patellar instability research. The device would be used inside an MRI machine and allow the patient to adjust the angle of their knee to the desired position.

Methods: Solidworks was used in the design process to model and to simulate the strength of the components used. The Solidworks simulation software allowed for a better understanding of the strength of individual components and the strength of the full device. Complexity of operating the device while inside an MRI machine were taken into account by using animations of …

Implementation Of Real-Time Decision Support Technology At Akron Water Reclamation Facility, Hunter Durbin

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

Advances in computer science, data analytics, hardware, and software are changing the way that sewer collection systems are able to operate. By combining these technologies into something called a Real-Time Decision Support System (RTDSS), operators of sewer collection systems can make operational decisions supported by data being recorded throughout the sewer system in real-time. A RTDSS has the potential to optimize the available capacity of a sewer collection system at a lower cost compared to traditional construction solutions. The City of Akron is in the process of implementing a RTDSS in their sewer collection system. This report analyzes how the …

Zips Racing Electric Can Communications, Andrew Jordan, Adam Long, Susanah Kowalewski, Rami Nehme

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

The CAN protocol has been a standard of electronic communication networks of automotive vehicles since the early 2000s due to its robust reliability in harsh environments. For the 2020 competition year, the Zips Racing Electric design team will be building an entirely new, fully-electric vehicle with CAN communication implemented rather than communicating via pure analog signals. Hardware and software can be utilized to read analog electrical signals from a source, such as accelerator and brake sensors, and encode them into a digital message that meets the CAN 2.0B communication protocol standard. Likewise, software can be used to extract data from …