Engineering Commons^™

Data-Driven Approaches For Achieving Carbon Neutrality: Predictive Models For Reducing Co2 Emissions And Enhancing Industrial Sustainability, Farzana Islam

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

In response to the escalating challenges posed by climate change and industrial inefficiency, this thesis presents a comprehensive investigation aimed at advancing the predictive modeling of global CO2 emissions and enhancing operational efficiency in steel manufacturing through Electric Arc Furnace (EAF) temperature optimization. Leveraging a rich dataset sourced from the World Development Indicators database alongside a meticulously curated dataset specific to EAF operations, our study applies an innovative blend of econometric and machine learning techniques, including Pooled Ordinary Least Squares (Pooled OLS), Random Effects (RE), Fixed Effects (FE), and Seasonal Autoregressive Integrated Moving Average with Exogenous Variables (SARIMAX) models. The …

Site Specific Probable Maximum Precipitation Implications For High Hazard Dams In West Virginia, Levi Jacob Cyphers

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Estimates of probable maximum precipitation (PMP) are necessary for designing the maximum reservoir storage necessary to prevent dam overtopping. Recent investigations in Ohio, Virginia, and Pennsylvania imply that reducing PMP rainfall estimates in West Virginia may be appropriate; however, additional studies in this data deficient region with changing climate is necessary before any reductions are contemplated. The objective of this study was to re-evaluate PMP for the Howard Creek Dam watershed in West Virginia. The 6-hr, 10 mi² PMP was evaluated for current (2019) and projected (2100) climates and compared to the design PMP. Then, the impact of the …

An Integrated Framework For Establishing Long-Term Transportation Management Strategies Promoting Sustainable Urban Growth, M Imtiaz Rahman

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Urban land areas are experiencing a more rapid expansion compared to their population growth on a global scale. This phenomenon, known as urban sprawl, is characterized by low-density development in the outskirts of cities. This unplanned urban growth leads to changing urban transportation patterns, posing a threat to sustainable development. In response, government agencies implement growth management practices, with transportation management strategies playing a crucial role in achieving sustainable urban growth. However, developing effective growth management strategies is difficult because of several challenges, including limited understanding of the key influencing factors, the complex interdependencies among these factors, and the uncertainties …

A Mixed Methods Approach To Evaluation And Modeling Of Ergonomic Stressors Due To Mass Decedent Handling, Vaishakhi Suresh

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Work-related injuries, illnesses, and musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) significantly impact the U.S. healthcare industry, leading to lost working days, high medical costs, and increased turnover rates among healthcare workers (HCWs). Increased physical and mental health risks due to the handling of deceased during COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated these issues. While the ergonomic risks of patient handling are well-studied, limited research exists on the ergonomic risks of manual handling of the deceased. Therefore, the primary objective of this study was to explore the challenges associated with decedent handling so that effective safety interventions to reduce the risk of injury and mental distress …

On Confidence And Sense Of Belonging In Cybersecurity Students: Analysis & Prediction, Sadaf Amna Sarwari

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

In recent years, there has been a rapid expansion of cybersecurity programs across higher education institutions in response to the widening skills gap in the cybersecurity job market. This study adopts quantitative and qualitative approaches to identify factors influencing West Virginia University (WVU)’s LANE Department of Computer Science and Electrical Engineering (LCSEE) students’ confidence and sense of belonging in the cybersecurity field. The results are based on data collected from surveys administered to LCSEE students in April 2022 and April 2023. The responses were analyzed using descriptive & inferential statistics and logistic regression techniques. Additionally, the 2023 data was utilized …

Spin Wave Devices For Embedded Applications And Information Processing, Raisa Fabiha

Theses and Dissertations

Device miniaturization is a prerequisite for modern day electronics. Spintronics offers immense potential in energy efficient data storage, solid states devices, ultrafast computing and other electronic applications because of their low power consumption, non-volatile nature and unique activation mechanism. The conventional nano-antennas used for wireless communication, biomedical and wearable devices and IoT applications are limited by the traditional Harrington limit. As we attempt to miniaturize the antenna size beyond its emitted wavelength (also called “subwavelength” antenna), its gain and efficiency plummet. To overcome this challenge, the researchers have proposed magnetoelectric antennas. The ultra-thin film based magnetoelastic antennas suffer from eddy …

On The Area-Averaged Effective Sound Absorption Coefficient Of Porous Materials Excited By A Monopole, Franck Sgard, Noureddine Atalla, Olivier Robin, Alain Berry

Études primaires

The area-averaged effective sound absorption coefficient (SAC) of a rigid-backed homogeneous porous material subjected to a monopole excitation is calculated as the absorbed-to-incident sound power ratio. Using Allard's model to describe the sound propagation above the porous material, an analytical model for this power-based SAC is proposed and proves to give a good approximation of the sound absorption performance under monopole excitation of sufficiently large areas of material. The impact of factors on the power-based SAC, such as monopole height, material radial dimension used to calculate the sound powers, and material properties is discussed. The power-based SAC frequency-dependent behavior is …

Machine Learning Applications In Spine Biomechanics, Farshid Ghezelbash, Amir Hossein Eskandari, Xavier Robert-Lachaine, Shufan Cao, Mehran Pesteie, Zhuohua Qiao, Aboulfazl Shirazi-Adl, Christian Larivière

Études primaires

Spine biomechanics is at a transformation with the advent and integration of machine learning and computer vision technologies. These novel techniques facilitate the estimation of 3D body shapes, anthropometrics, and kinematics from as simple as a single-camera image, making them more accessible and practical for a diverse range of applications. This study introduces a framework that merges these methodologies with traditional musculoskeletal modeling, enabling comprehensive analysis of spinal biomechanics during complex activities from a single camera. The real-world applications explored in this study include assessment in workplace lifting, evaluation of whiplash injuries in car accidents, and biomechanical analysis in professional …

Simulation Of A Pick And Place System For Electronic Cards Using A Yumi Cobot, Derrick Sze, Rosula Sj Reyes, Patricia Angela R. Abu

Electronics, Computer, and Communications Engineering Faculty Publications

Collaborative Robots are one of the main drivers of Industry 4.0, which started as a vision focusing on industrial production. It addresses several challenges in the current manufacturing industry such as performing repetitive work and requiring highly skilled workers. The goal of the research is to be able to simulate a pick and place environment with electronic cards using a YuMi cobot and mobile platforms in Coppeliasim. The mobile robot is responsible for transporting the electronic cards to the target location through path planning implemented using the OMPL plug-in. After arriving at the target location, YuMi will then perform the …

Investigating The Influence Of Container Design And A Bulge Reduction Technique In Corrugated Fiberboard Containers Under Static Compression, Jay Singh, Koushik Saha

Industrial Technology and Packaging

This study explored the bulge effect in corrugated fiberboard boxes caused by excessive weight, leading to compromised stacking strength and potential product damage. It investigated how container design, specifically the height variations of regular slotted containers (RSCs), affects bulging under compression and its vulnerability to environmental conditions. Testing met ASTM standards, with samples conditioned according to ASTM and TAPPI protocols, revealing that changes in box height influence bulge displacement. Subsequent research examined the impact of top-to-bottom static compression loads on bulging in tape-reinforced RSC designs, evaluating bulge reduction and compression strength across various tape placements and environments. Notably, previous studies …

Co-Evolving Multi-Agent Transfer Reinforcement Learning Via Scenario Independent Representation, Ayesha Siddiqua

Graduate Theses/Dissertations

Multi-Agent Reinforcement Learning (MARL) addresses complex tasks involving cooperation and competition among agents, training them to develop optimal policies for collective goals. However, facilitating simultaneous learning for multiple agents is challenging because the complexity increases rapidly with the number of agents. Current methods encompass a variety of centralized, decentralized, semi-centralized, and hybrid approaches to balance the trade-offs between computational efficiency, scalability, and coordination in MARL. In this study, I employed a centralized training with semi-centralized execution (CTSCE) framework, utilize both local observations from agents and abstracted global observations to effectively train agents in cooperative environments. Additionally, earning complex, domain-specific tasks …

A Review On Machine Learning Methods For Customer Churn Prediction And Recommendations For Business Practitioners, Awais Manzoor, M. Atif Qureshi, Etain Kidney, Luca Longo

Articles

Due to market deregulation and globalisation, competitive environments in various sectors continuously evolve, leading to increased customer churn. Effectively anticipating and mitigating customer churn is vital for businesses to retain their customer base and sustain business growth. This research scrutinizes 212 published articles from 2015 to 2023, delving into customer churn prediction using machine learning methods. Distinctive in its scope, this work covers key stages of churn prediction models comprehensively, contrary to published reviews, which focus on some aspects of churn prediction, such as model development, feature engineering and model evaluation using traditional machine learning-based evaluation metrics. The review emphasises …

Hybrid Triboelectric-Piezoelectric Nanogenerator For Long-Term Load Monitoring In Total Knee Replacements, Mahmood Chahari, Emre Salman, Ryan Willing, Shahrzad Towfighian

Mechanical Engineering Faculty Scholarship

A self-powered and durable pressure sensor for large-scale pressure detection on the knee implant would be highly advantageous for designing long- lasting and reliable knee implants as well as obtaining information about knee function after the operation. The purpose of this study is to develop a robust energy harvester that can convert wide ranges of pressure to electricity to power a load sensor inside the knee implant. To efficiently convert loads to electricity, we design a cuboid-array-structured tribo-pizoelectric nanogenerator (TPENG) in vertical contact mode inside a knee implant package. The proposed TPENG is fabricated with aluminum and cuboid-patterned silicone rubber …

Generalized Conditional Feedback System With Model Uncertainty, Chengbo Dai, Zhiqiang Gao, Yangquan Chen, Donghai Li

Electrical and Computer Engineering Faculty Publications

Model uncertainty creates a largely open challenge for industrial process control, which causes a trade-off between robustness and performance optimality. In such a case, we propose a generalized conditional feedback (GCF) system to largely eliminate conflicts between robustness and performance optimality. This approach leverages a nominal model to design an optimal control in the virtual domain and defines an ancillary feedback controller to drive the physical process to track the trajectory of the virtual domain. The effectiveness of the proposed GCF scheme is demonstrated in a simulation for six typical industrial processes and three model-based control methods, and in a …

Functionalized Microfiltration Membranes For Aerosol Capture To Chloro-Organic Degradation, Rollie George Mills

Theses and Dissertations--Chemical and Materials Engineering

The environmental remediation of water and air sources is a challenging field, due to widespread contamination, pollutant variety, and efficiency of existing treatment options. Remediation of certain pollutants, such as per- and polyfluorinated chemicals (PFAS), polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), volatile organic compounds (VOCs), and viral aerosols, has shown promise via adsorptive, degradative, or filtration-based processes, each with their respective advantages and limitations. Membrane technology is one option that has exhibited considerable pollutant removal from environmental sources via reverse osmosis (RO) filtration, but is limited by low permeabilities and lack of pollutant detoxification. With the support of NIEHS and NSF, the functionalization …

Molecular Understanding And Design Of Deep Eutectic Solvents And Proteins Using Computer Simulations And Machine Learning, Usman Lame Abbas

Theses and Dissertations--Chemical and Materials Engineering

Hydrophobic deep eutectic solvents (DESs) have emerged as excellent extractants. A major challenge is the lack of an efficient tool to discover DES candidates. Currently, the search relies heavily on the researchers’ intuition or a trial-and-error process, which leads to a low success rate or bypassing of promising candidates. DES performance depends on the heterogeneous hydrogen bond environment formed by multiple hydrogen bond donors and acceptors. Understanding this heterogeneous hydrogen bond environment can help develop principles for designing high performance DESs for extraction and other separation applications. This work investigates the structure and dynamics of hydrogen bonds in hydrophobic DESs …

Thermomechanical Process Simulation And Quantification Of Nanoscale Precipitation Influencing Ductility And Strength During Alloy Processing, Alyssa Stubbers

Theses and Dissertations--Chemical and Materials Engineering

Experimental process simulation and quantification of microstructure development during processing are challenging due to limitations with machinery temperature capability, inadequate resolution and sampling volume of currently available characterization techniques, and difficulty characterizing material microstructures as close to processing-relevant conditions as possible. This dissertation addresses how process simulation can be performed using Gleeble thermomechanical technologies and how microstructure development during these processing simulations can be quantified both in-situ and ex-situ.

The first portion of this dissertation demonstrates how Gleeble technologies can be applied to simulate complex material processing conditions in order to produce process-property profiles that can be used to inform …

Exploring The Effect Of Casting Solution Composition, Additives, And Casting Conditions On The Morphology And Separation Performance Of Pvdf Membranes, Rachel Kaplan

Theses and Dissertations--Chemical and Materials Engineering

Global water scarcity and quality concerns in the past decade have led to a looming global water crisis. Polymeric membranes have emerged as a potential solution due to their modularity, operational reliability, and wide range of contaminant removal. Polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) is often selected as a membrane material for its enhanced chemical resistance, thermal stability, and mechanical strength. However, these membranes often require more complex fabrication methods or support materials to achieve optimum performance. Flat-sheet unsupported PVDF membranes were fabricated via nonsolvent induced phase separation. The influence of solvent, polymer composition, pore forming additives, and casting conditions were explored with …

Development Of Glutathione-Responsive Disulfide-Containing Poly(Beta-Amino Esters) With Varied Hydrophilicity And Acrylate Functionality, Anastasiia Aronova

Theses and Dissertations--Chemical and Materials Engineering

Smart biomaterials are becoming promising for therapeutic deliveries due to their ability to respond to changes in the environment. Redox-responsive hydrogels are a promising type of smart polymer that can swell and degrade according to cellular oxidative stress levels. Glutathione, abundant in cells, is crucial in redox-responsive biomaterials, serving as a key reactive molecule. This study explored the degradation kinetics of glutathione-responsive poly(β-amino ester) (PBAE) polymers created through a single-step Michael addition. We examined how disulfide content influences the degradation kinetics of these PBAE networks. Additionally, we investigated how the hydrophilicity and functionality of acrylate affect the degradation of disulfide-containing …

Faceting Of Tungsten Via Environmental Control Of Temperature, Pressure And Chemistry, And Evolution Of Thermionic Cathode Materials, Huanhuan Bai

Theses and Dissertations--Chemical and Materials Engineering

Scandate cathode presents a great potential of being used as electron emitters in vacuum electron device due to its excellent emission performance. However, it is burdened by several issues, including poor emission uniformity, inadequate reproducibility, and limited lifetime, which have impeded its further industrial application. Therefore, extensive efforts and studies need to be conducted to obtain a more comprehensive understanding of scandate cathode.

W particles, as the base material, play a fundamental role in scandate cathode. Most recent experimental research has reported that the highly faceted crystallography of W grains contributes to the properties of scandate cathode. In order to …

Sustained Release Systems For Endometrial Cancer, Claire E. Rowlands

Theses and Dissertations--Chemical and Materials Engineering

Endometrial cancer (EC) is the sixth most common cancer in women worldwide and is the most common cancer of female reproductive organs. From 2007-2016 there has been a global rise in incidence of EC of 1.3 %. Typically, EC is treated with surgery, but at later stages surgery is less effective requiring chemotherapy and/or radiation therapy. These treatment options are less effective than surgery and there are very few FDA approved chemotherapies for EC. The minuscule number of effective treatment options as well as an increase in incidence shows the need for creating improved treatments for EC. There has been …

Experimental Characterization And Quantification Of Deformation Behavior In A Porous Carbon Fiber Network, Robert N Quammen

Theses and Dissertations--Chemical and Materials Engineering

Due to their wide range of attractive functional properties (such as low thermal conductivity and low density) porous materials are utilized in a variety of applications. In order to characterize these properties and others, the intrinsically heterogeneous microstructures of these materials need to be taken into account. These microstructures result in interactions across multiple length scales spanning several orders of magnitude. This makes the creation of robust computational models and straight-forward predictions of mechanical properties difficult for porous materials. With this in mind, this dissertation aims to provide experimental mechanical and deformation information spanning the length scales of interest for …

Novel Precursors For Carbon Fiber Prepared By Direct Carbonization, Leah Noble

Theses and Dissertations--Chemical and Materials Engineering

For decades carbon fiber-based composites have been most heavily employed in lightweight, structural applications where low density and high strength are necessary, most notably within the aerospace industry. However, the advancement of carbon fiber into a wider array of industries has largely been limited by the high financial and energetic costs associated with its manufacture. Moreover, with an increasing societal emphasis on sustainability, there is an ever-growing desire for low-energy carbon fiber production pathways. One such pathway is the conversion of precursor fiber to carbon fiber by direct carbonization, wherein the energy-intensive, pre-carbonization stabilization step is omitted from the carbonization …

On The Modes Of Nanosecond Pulsed Plasmas For Combustion Ignition Of Quiescent Ch₄-Air Mixtures, Chunqi Jiang, Akash C. Dhotre, Meimei Lai, Sayan Biswas, James R. Macdonald, Isaac W. Ekoto

Bioelectrics Publications

The effect of transient plasma modes on ignition kernel development are discussed here for a quiescent CH₄-air combustion model system. A 10 ns high-voltage pulse was applied to a pin-to-pin electrode in lean fuel-air mixtures at room temperature and atmospheric pressure. High-impedance streamer, transient spark and low-impedance spark discharges were identified based on pulse waveforms of voltage and current. A sustained ignition kernel expansion was observed when the plasma discharge transitioned into a transient spark or spark discharge. The minimum ignition energy was obtained at the transient spark mode, which has less than a third of the energy …

Simultaneous Evaluation Of Tibiofemoral And Patellofemoral Mechanics In Total Knee Arthroplasty: A Combined Experimental And Computational Approach, Yashar A. Behnam, Ahilan Anantha Krishnan, Hayden Wilson, Chadd W. Clary

Center for Orthopaedic Biomechanics: Faculty Scholarship

Contemporary total knee arthroplasty (TKA) has not fully restored natural patellofemoral (P-F) mechanics across the patient population. Previous experimental simulations have been limited in their ability to create dynamic, unconstrained, muscle-driven P-F articulation while simultaneously controlling tibiofemoral (T-F) contact mechanics. The purpose of this study was to develop a novel experimental simulation and validate a corresponding finite element model to evaluate T-F and P-F mechanics. A commercially available wear simulator was retrofitted with custom fixturing to evaluate whole-knee TKA mechanics with varying patella heights during a simulated deep knee bend. A corresponding dynamic finite element model was developed to validate …

Design, Testing And Neural Network Modeling Of A Low-Friction Wave Energy Converter Testbed, Vasu Bhardwaj

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports

Point absorber wave energy converters (WECs) transform water wave kinetic energy into other useful forms, typically electrical. While it’s possible to extract energy from passive WECs, more energy can be captured using active control where its power take-off (PTO) acts as both a generator and an actuator. Control strategies usually require accurate models often obtained during model-scale testing. Unfortunately, friction can dominate the dynamic response in small WEC models. A frictionless point absorber WEC testbed is described in this report which allows the researcher to focus on fundamental hydrodynamic behavior instead of friction. It uses air bearings for vertical motion …

Comprehensive Review And Development Of A High-Pressure Hydraulic Impedance Tube For Vibroacoustic Attenuator Characterization, Matthew D. Beals

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports

This research establishes a versatile test bench for characterizing hydraulic vibroacoustic attenuators. The primary evaluation metric is the transfer matrix, determined experimentally, with an emphasis on key properties such as transmission loss. To ensure accuracy and broad applicability, the methodology is based on industry-standard techniques for determining the transfer matrix. A comprehensive literature review consolidates existing approaches for hydraulic attenuator characterization. The test bench features a hydraulic impedance tube equipped with eight dynamic pressure transducer (DPT) taps strategically positioned before and after the sample interface. This setup accommodates arbitrary samples terminated with standard hydraulic fittings. Using ASTM E2611, the transfer …

Analytical And Machine Learning Modeling Of Direct Carbonation Of Natural Silicate Minerals, William Hanson

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports

The climate-altering effects of atmospheric CO₂ make it necessary to develop innovative technologies that can remove it from the atmosphere. Mineral carbonation is a scalable technology to sequestrate and store CO2 in a stable carbonate mineral form. The efficiency of the mineral carbonation process depends on both feed mineralogy and process parameters. Comprehensive modeling and prediction of mineral carbonation efficiency for different CO₂ – reactive rocks has not been achieved in the past. In this thesis work, analytical and machine learning models are developed to predict the carbonation efficiency of dunite reactions. It is found that random forest …

Enhancing Resilience Of Critical Infrastructural Systems Against Severe Weather Conditions, Miaomiao Li

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports

As climate change intensifies natural hazards and extreme weather events, critical infrastructure systems like power networks and pavements are increasingly vulnerable to damage. While significant progress has been made in studying individual hazards for specific systems, there remains a need for comprehensive frameworks addressing parametrized fragility for key components in critical infrastructure and their application in system risk and resilience evaluation. This dissertation investigates the failure mechanisms and fragility of power systems and pavements under extreme conditions, including winter storms, hurricanes, heatwaves, and flooding. Using structural analysis, numerical modeling, and statistical methods, this work evaluates system vulnerabilities, develops fragility models, …

Enhancing Privacy While Revealing Vulnerabilities: Strategies For Adaptation, Optimization, And Model Extraction, Madhureeta Das

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports

In the evolving landscape of machine learning and artificial intelligence, this dissertation presents a series of innovative contributions spanning several critical areas: embracing semi-supervised domain adaptation for secure knowledge transfer, enhancing the model performance of tiny models, and executing model stealing attacks via diversified prompts. The overarching goal is to enhance the performance, scalability, and security of AI models across various applications.

The first research focus is on semi-supervised domain adaptation within federated learning frameworks. By leveraging semi-supervised learning techniques, this work addresses the challenge of adapting models trained on a source domain to perform effectively on a target domain …