Engineering Commons^™

Study Of Gas Production From Shale Reservoirs With Multi-Stage Hydraulic Fracturing Horizontal Well Considering Multiple Transport Mechanisms, Chaohua Guo, Mingzhen Wei, Hong Liu

Geosciences and Geological and Petroleum Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Development of unconventional shale gas reservoirs (SGRs) has been boosted by the advancements in two key technologies: horizontal drilling and multi-stage hydraulic fracturing. A large number of multi-stage fractured horizontal wells (MsFHW) have been drilled to enhance reservoir production performance. Gas flow in SGRs is a multi-mechanism process, including: desorption, diffusion, and non-Darcy flow. The productivity of the SGRs with MsFHW is influenced by both reservoir conditions and hydraulic fracture properties. However, rare simulation work has been conducted for multi-stage hydraulic fractured SGRs. Most of them use well testing methods, which have too many unrealistic simplifications and assumptions. Also, no …

Study Of Mri Signal In The Presence Of Discrete Spherical Magnetic Particles, Paul Kokeny

Wayne State University Dissertations

Simulating signal behavior in Magnetic Resonance imaging (MRI) is often a necessary step in being able to understand how signal relates to certain physiological parameters. One such parameter of interest in the body is magnetic susceptibility since it is related to iron content. The bulk magnetic susceptibility of an object is a property that describes how magnetized it becomes when placed in an external magnetic field. When the bulk susceptibility of an object arises from the presence of discrete magnetic inclusions, the MRI phase signal inside the object can no longer be determined analytically by assuming it has a continuous …

A Simulation Method For Studying Effects Of Site-Specific Clutter On Sar-Gmti Performance, Marcus James Campbell

Browse all Theses and Dissertations

Synthetic aperture radar (SAR) is an invaluable tool for detection of ground moving targets when combined with processing techniques of ground moving target indication (GMTI). This work investigates a simulation methodology for studying impact of site-specific ground clutter on SAR-GMTI performance. A terrain model is proposed and is based on digital terrain elevation data (DTED) and national land-use land-cover data (NLCD) as provided by the US Geological Survey. The proposed physical optics simulation method capitalizes on high-fidelity digital target models in combination with the proposed terrain model. SAR phase history is generated for a moving commercial target in situ of …

Demonstrating The Functionality And Efficacy Of Blockchain-Based System In Healthcare Using Simulation Tools, Jad S. Mubaslat

Browse all Theses and Dissertations

Blockchain and cryptocurrencies have been a rapidly growing industry and area of academic research since Bitcoin's launch in early 2009. Blockchains have already been applied in spaces outside of finance, such as healthcare. This work explores the Bitcoin blockchain and a blockchain-based care coordination system through the use of modeling and simulation tools. Two agent based models are constructed: one to represent the Bitcoin blockchain, and a second to represent a blockchain-based care coordination system, MDChain. Insight is provided that is relevant to current issues within the Bitcoin community and predictions are made as to its future. The feasibility of …

Kinesthetic Learning Experience Simulation Using An Online Intervention To Improve Hands-On Ability, David Leach

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports

Students enrolled in mechanical and manufacturing engineering programs employ differing levels of mechanical aptitude and practical hands-on ability. Many students lack practical experience tinkering with mechanical devices and mechanisms prior to entering their post-secondary years. Student attention spans in traditional classroom environments appear to be decreasing with the ever-increasing addiction to immediate gratification provided by electronic devices, gaming software, and social media platforms. The question is then raised whether or not modern engineering students have the ability to improve mechanical aptitude by simulating a kinesthetic or tactile learning experience through an online tutorial. This project describes the development and testing …

Advanced Synchronous Machine Modeling, Yuqi Zhang

Theses and Dissertations--Electrical and Computer Engineering

The synchronous machine is one of the critical components of electric power systems. Modeling of synchronous machines is essential for power systems analyses. Electric machines are often interfaced with power electronic components. This work presents an advanced synchronous machine modeling, which emphasis on the modeling and simulation of systems that contain a mixture of synchronous machines and power electronic components. Such systems can be found in electric drive systems, dc power systems, renewable energy, and conventional synchronous machine excitation. Numerous models and formulations have been used to study synchronous machines in different applications. Herein, a unified derivation of the various …

Simulation Of An Ethylene Flame With Turbulence, Soot And Radiation Modeling, Santu Golder

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This thesis will investigate soot models that are available in commercial codes. We will look at the effect of turbulence models, gravity, soot models and radiation. Simulations will be compared to Coppalle and Joyeux [1]. The flame is an ethylene air diffusion flame at a Reynolds number of 5700. Simulations show the SST turbulence model, one-step soot model and Rosseland radiation model including gravity agree well with experimental data (temperature and soot). Flamelet soot modeling from Carbonell et al. [2] and flamelet radiation modeling from Doom [3] has been incorporated and compared as well.

Dynamic Simulation Of The Cad Model In Simmechanics With Multiple Uses, Jiri Zátopek, Zdenek Ú?Ední?Ek, José Machado, João Sousa

Turkish Journal of Electrical Engineering and Computer Sciences

When designing a mechatronic system, several steps are taken into account. One of the main steps is the design of a CAD model representing the physical part of the system, and another major point is the development of the mathematical model necessary for the respective controller design. This paper combines both design steps and shows the advantages of using this approach. First, a CAD model is created considering the kinematic and dynamic behavior of the system as well as respective material properties. This CAD model is, in parallel, used for both purposes: as the main basis for developing a mathematical …

A Model-Based Transformation Framework For Designing And Analyzing Wireless Sensor Networks, Raoudha Saida, Yessine Hadj Kacem, Mohammed Sulaiman Bensaleh, Mohamed Abid

Turkish Journal of Electrical Engineering and Computer Sciences

Wireless sensor networks (WSNs) comprise resource-constrained (e.g., memory, processing, and energy) sensor nodes that are deployed in different areas and are able to monitor environmental conditions. Simulation has been widely used in order to evaluate the network performance. In this context, software designers need to evaluate, refine, and validate high-level models for WSN applications at early stages of development via simulation tools, in particular for WSN applications supporting energy-harvesting devices. In the present paper, we propose a model-based transformation framework that allows the modeling and simulation of a WSN system supporting energy-harvesting capabilities. In this proposal, we start from a …

Investigation Of Microstructure And Mechanical Properties By Direct Metal Deposition, Jingwei Zhang

Doctoral Dissertations

"Microstructure and properties of Direct Metal Deposition (DMD) parts are very crucial to meeting industrial requirements of parts quality. Prediction, and control of microstructure and mechanical properties have attracted much attention during conventional metal manufacturing process under different conditions. However, there is few investigations focused on microstructure simulation and mechanical properties control under different process parameters during DMD process. This dissertation is intended to develop a multiscale model to investigate Ti6Al4V grain structure development and explore Ti6Al4V based functionally graded material (FGM) deposit properties during DMD process. The first research topic is to investigate and develop a cellular automaton-finite element …

Towards Characterizing Lnapl Remediation Endpoints, Kaveh Sookhak Lari, John L. Rayner, Greg B. Davis

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Remediating sites contaminated with light non-aqueous phase liquids (LNAPLs) is a demanding and often prolonged task. It is vital to determine when it is appropriate to cease engineered remedial efforts based on the long-term effectiveness of remediation technology options. For the first time, the long term effectiveness of a range of LNAPL remediation approaches including skimming and vacuum-enhanced skimming each with and without water table drawdown was simulated through a multi-phase and multi-component approach. LNAPL components of gasoline were simulated to show how component changes affect the LNAPL's multi-phase behaviour and to inform the risk profile of the LNAPL. The …

Meso-Scale Simulation Of Size-Dependent Shear Behavior In Glass Fiber Reinforced Polymer Reinforced Concrete Beams Without Stirrups, Sina Khodaie

Theses and Dissertations

There is extensive experimental evidence of the decrease in the shear stress at failure at increasing effective depths in concrete beams reinforced with glass fiberreinforced polymer (GFRP) bars without shear reinforcement. An important practical implication is that extrapolating strength values from typical laboratory-scaled experiments to design larger members may be misleading. The complexity of the underlying mechanics is reflected in the difficulty of using commercially available numerical tools to accurately estimate shear strength irrespective of beam size. This dissertation presents research on a Lattice Discrete Particle Model (LDPM) based model to simulate the response of scaled slender GFRP reinforced concrete …

Development Of A Framework And Analysis System To Support Intervention In Newborn Healthcare, Holly E. Lane

Industrial, Manufacturing, and Systems Engineering Dissertations - Archive

One of the most vulnerable populations in healthcare is the newborn infant. As hospitalization for childbirth is the largest cause for entry into a healthcare facility, the population of newborns each year is extensive as is their cost of care. Newborn infants also may have additional costs associated with readmission for common or preventable illnesses, which may occur due to insufficient infant screening or lack of caregiver knowledge. Much research has been done to attempt to determine causes of readmission, what contributes to an increased or decreased readmission rate among newborns, and how healthcare interventions can impact these rates and …

Design And Implementation Of A Stand-Alone Tool For Metabolic Simulations, Milad Ghiasi Rad

School of Computing: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

In this thesis, we present the design and implementation of a stand-alone tool for metabolic simulations. This system is able to integrate custom-built SBML models along with external user’s input information and produces the estimation of any reactants participating in the chain of the reactions in the provided model, e.g., ATP, Glucose, Insulin, for the given duration using numerical analysis and simulations. This tool offers the food intake arguments in the calculations to consider the personalized metabolic characteristics in the simulations. The tool has also been generalized to take into consideration of temporal genomic information and be flexible for simulation …

Material Properties Design Using Simulations And Experiments For Powder Injection Molding Of Lead Zirconate Titanate (Pzt)., Bhushan Pramod Bandiwadekar

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Powder injection molding (PIM) process simulations can be performed to minimize the number of injection molding experiments by estimating material properties necessary for PIM simulations. In current work, lead zirconate titanate (PZT) powder-polymer binder feedstock was compounded for 45 vol. % and 52 vol. % solids loading. PIM experiments on designed micro-pillar array geometry were performed using 52 vol. % PZT. Using PIM experiments results as basis, PIM simulations were performed on designed micro-pillar array geometries to understand the effectiveness of PIM simulations with the use of estimated feedstock properties in predicting molding behavior that have micro-features. Additionally, PIM simulations …

Modeling And Simulation Of Iii-Nitride-Based Solar Cells Using Nextnano®, Malak Refaei

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Nextnano³ software is a well-known package for simulating semiconductor band-structures at the nanoscale and predicting the general electronic structure. In this work, it is further demonstrated as a viable tool for the simulation of III-nitride solar cells. In order to prove this feasibility, the generally accepted solar cell simulation package, PC1D, was chosen for comparison. To critique the results from both PC1D and Nextnano3, the fundamental drift-diffusion equations were used to calculate the performance of a simple p-n homojunction solar cell device analytically. Silicon was picked as the material for this comparison between the outputs of the two simulators as …

A Parameterized Simulation Of Doppler Lidar, David B. Chester

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Upcoming missions to explore planetary bodies in the solar system will require accurate position and velocity data during descent in order to land safely at a predesignated site. A Doppler lidar instrument could provide measurements of the altitude, attitude, and velocity of the landing vehicle to supplement the data collected by other instruments. A flexible simulation tool would aid the tasks of designing and testing the functionality of such an instrument.

LadarSIM is a robust parameterized simulation tool developed for time of flight lidar at Utah State University's Center for Advanced Imaging Ladar. This thesis outlines how LadarSIM was modified …

Mechanistic Modeling Of Nanoparticle-Stabilized Supercritical Co2 Foams And Its Implication In Field-Scale Eor Applications, Doris Patricia Ortiz Maestre

LSU Master's Theses

Previous experimental studies show that nanoparticle-stabilized supercritical CO₂ foams (or, NP CO₂ foams) can be applied as an alternative to surfactant foams, in order to reduce CO₂ mobility in gas injection enhanced oil recovery (EOR). These nanoparticles, if chosen correctly, can be an effective foam stabilizer attached at the fluid interface in a wide range of physicochemical conditions.

By using NP CO₂ foam experiments available in the literature, this study performs two tasks: (i) presenting how a mechanistic foam model can be used to fit experimental data and determine required model parameters, and (ii) investigating the …

State-Based Peridynamic Particle Method, Siavash Nikravesh Kazeroni

Civil Engineering ETDs

In this study, a novel discrete Peridynamics framework called the “State-Based Peridynamic Particle Model (SPPM)” is introduced. In this approach, a solid body is simulated by neither solving differential equations nor integral equations; instead, the simulation is accomplished by directly solving discrete systems of equations using finite summations. SPPM is formulated for a random distribution of particles, hence, it can be considered as a meshfree method. The assumptions of continuity and homogeneity are not necessary for this approach. The SPPM is a generalization of the “State-Based Peridynamic Lattice Model (SPLM)”. In the SPLM formulation, for sake of simplicity and computational …

Development Mems Acoustic Emission Sensors, Adrian Enrique Avila Gomez

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this research is to develop MEMS based acoustic emission sensors for structural health monitoring. Acoustic emission (AE) is a well-established nondestructive testing technique that is typically used to monitor for fatigue cracks in structures, leaks in pressurized systems, damages in composite materials or impacts. This technology can offer a precise evaluation of structural conditions and allow identification of imminent failures or minor failures that can be addressed by planned maintenances routines. AE causes a burst of ultrasonic energy that is measured as high frequency surface vibrations (30 kHz to 1 MHz) generated by transient elastic waves that …

Computational Prediction Of Conductivities Of Disk-Shaped Particulate Composites, Jian Qiu

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The effective conductivities are determined for randomly oriented disk-shaped particles using an efficient computational algorithm based on the finite element method. The pairwise intersection criteria of disks are developed using a set of vector operations. An element partition scheme has been implemented to connect the elements on different disks across the lines of intersection. The computed conductivity is expressed as a function of the density and the size of the circular disks or elliptical plates. It is further expressed in a power-law form with the key parameters determined from curve fittings. The particle number and the trial number of simulations …

Modeling And Simulation Of Microgrid, Ahmad Alzahrani, Mehdi Ferdowsi, Pourya Shamsi, Cihan H. Dagli

Electrical and Computer Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Complex computer systems and electric power grids share many properties of how they behave and how they are structured. A microgrid is a smaller electric grid that contains several homes, energy storage units, and distributed generators. The main idea behind microgrids is the ability to work even if the main grid is not supplying power. That is, the energy storage unit and distributed generation will supply power in that case, and if there is excess in power production from renewable energy sources, it will go to the energy storage unit. Therefore, the electric grid becomes decentralized in terms of control …

Modelling And Simulation Of Hydrogen Production Via Membrane Reactor, Aya Abdel-Hamid Smail Mourad

Chemical and Petroleum Engineering Theses

A membrane reactor is a promising device to produce pure hydrogen and enrich CO₂ from syngas. A simulation study of a double tubular catalytic membrane reactor for the water-gas shift reaction (WGS) under steady-state operation is presented in this work. The membrane consists of a dense Pd layer (selective to H₂) deposited on a porous glass cylinder support. The reaction side was filled with a commercial iron-chromium oxide catalyst, designed as Girdler G-3. The mass of the catalyst was 12.1 g and the height of the catalyst bed was 8 cm. The WGS model was carried out …

Parallelization Of A Three-Dimensional Full Multigrid Algorithm To Simulate Tumor Growth, Dylan Goodin, Chin F. Ng, Hermann B. Frieboes

Commonwealth Computational Summit

We present the performance gains of an openMP implementation of a fully adaptive nonlinear full multigrid (FMG) algorithm to simulate three-dimensional multispecies desmoplastic tumor growth on computer systems of varying processing capabilities. The FMG algorithm is applied to solve a recently published thermodynamic mixture model that uses a diffuse interface approach with fourth-order reaction-advection-diffusion PDEs (Cahn-Hilliard-type equations) that are coupled, nonlinear, and numerically stiff. The model includes multiple cell species and extracellular matrix (ECM), with adhesive and elastic energy contributions in chemical potential terms, as well as including blood and lymphatic vessels represented as continuous vasculatures. Advection-reaction-diffusion PDEs are employed …

Simulation, Performance And Interference Analysis Of Multi-User Visible Light Communication Systems, Adel Aldalbahi

Dissertations

The emergence of new physical media such as optical wireless, and the ability to aggregate these new media with legacy networks motivate the study of heterogeneous network performance, especially with respect to the design of protocols to best exploit the characteristics of each medium.

This study considers Visible Light Communications (VLC), which is expected to coexist with legacy and future radio frequency (RF) media. While most of the research on VLC has been done on optimizing the physical medium, research on higher network layers is only beginning to gain attention, requiring new analyses and tools for performance analysis.

The first …

Performance Analysis Of Constant Speed Local Abstacle Avoidance Controller Using A Mpc Algorithym On Granular Terrain, Nicholas Haraus

Master's Theses (2009 -)

A Model Predictive Control (MPC) LIDAR-based constant speed local obstacle avoidance algorithm has been implemented on rigid terrain and granular terrain in Chrono to examine the robustness of this control method. Provided LIDAR data as well as a target location, a vehicle can route itself around obstacles as it encounters them and arrive at an end goal via an optimal route. This research is one important step towards eventual implementation of autonomous vehicles capable of navigating on all terrains. Using Chrono, a multibody physics API, this controller has been tested on a complex multibody physics HMMWV model representing the plant …

Role Of Surface Factors On Heterogeneous Ice Nucleation, Brittany Glatz

All Dissertations

Heterogeneous ice nucleation is the primary pathway for ice formation. However, the detailed molecular mechanisms by which surfaces promote or hinder ice nucleation are not well understood. We present results from extensive molecular dynamics and forward flux sampling (FFS) simulations of ice nucleation near modified surfaces. The surfaces are modified to investigate the effects of different surface factors on the rate and mechanism of ice nucleation. We find that the surface charge distribution has significant effects on ice nucleation. We also investigate the interplay of surface lattice and hydrogen bonding properties in affecting ice nucleation. We find that lattice matching …

Efficient Implementation Of Stochastic Inference On Heterogeneous Clusters And Spiking Neural Networks, Khadeer Ahmed

Dissertations - ALL

Neuromorphic computing refers to brain inspired algorithms and architectures. This paradigm of computing can solve complex problems which were not possible with traditional computing methods. This is because such implementations learn to identify the required features and classify them based on its training, akin to how brains function. This task involves performing computation on large quantities of data. With this inspiration, a comprehensive multi-pronged approach is employed to study and efficiently implement neuromorphic inference model using heterogeneous clusters to address the problem using traditional Von Neumann architectures and by developing spiking neural networks (SNN) for native and ultra-low power implementation. …

Simulating Dynamic Failure Of Polymer-Bonded Explosives Under Periodic Excitation, Rachel Kohler, Camilo Duarte Cordon, Marisol Koslowski

The Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF) Symposium

Accidental mishandling of explosive materials leads to thousands of injuries in the US every year. Understanding the mechanisms behind the detonation process is crucial to prevent such accidents. In polymer-bonded explosives (PBX), high-frequency mechanical excitation generates thermal energy and can lead to an increase in temperature and vapor pressure, and potentially the initiation of the detonation process. However, the mechanisms behind this energy release, such as the effects of dynamic fracture and friction, are not well understood. Experimental data is difficult to collect due to the different time scales of reactions and vibrations, so research is aided by running simulations …

Modelling Catalytic Structures With Python And Ase, Tommie L. Day, Peilin Liao, Pilsun Yoo

The Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF) Symposium

Voltaic cells hold great potential as a source of clean electricity generation. These fuel sources are more efficient than combustion engines, and they do not produce environmentally harmful by-products. The electrochemical reaction which occurs within the cell is typically catalyzed by platinum, which increases the cost. The search for a better performing, less expensive catalyst is hindered by the lack of a complete, predictive theory of catalysis. Using Quantum Espresso and the Atomic Simulation Environment library for Python, we created a tool for nanoHUB.org which can visually and computationally model catalytic surfaces. This tool can simulate nanoparticles and metallic surfaces …