Engineering Commons^™

Inéire Report And Policy Recommendations, Arjumand Younus, Simon Caton, Muhammad Atif Qureshi, Mingyeong Jeon, Arefeh Kazemi, Sandra Ruiz Moriana

Articles

Over the years there has been an increased amount of immigration into Ireland leading to the formation of a multicultural society. More recently however immigration has become a controversial issue within Ireland leading to growing anti-immigrant sentiment and political conflict (Costa, 2023) reported as early as 2018 in a report by Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission and Economic & Social Research Institute (McGinnity, Grotti, Russell, Fahey, et al., 2018). This project aims to provide a comprehensive analysis of the factors behind such sentiment and its consequences by means of collecting comprehensive data on it and performing a quantitative and …

When Routing Meets Recommendation: Solving Dynamic Order Recommendations Problem In Peer-To-Peer Logistics Platforms, Zhiqin Zhang, Waldy Joe, Yuyang Er, Hoong Chuin Lau

Research Collection School Of Computing and Information Systems

Peer-to-Peer (P2P) logistics platforms, unlike traditional last-mile logistics providers, do not have dedicated delivery resources (both vehicles and drivers). Thus, the efficiency of such operating model lies in the successful matching of demand and supply, i.e., how to match the delivery tasks with suitable drivers that will result in successful assignment and completion of the tasks. We consider a Same-Day Delivery Problem (SDDP) involving a P2P logistics platform where new orders arrive dynamically and the platform operator needs to generate a list of recommended orders to the crowdsourced drivers. We formulate this problem as a Dynamic Order Recommendations Problem (DORP). …

Understanding Multi-Homing And Switching By Platform Drivers, Xiaotong Guo, Andreas Haupt, Hai Wang, Rida Qadri, Jinhua Zhao

Research Collection School Of Computing and Information Systems

Freelance drivers in the shared mobility market frequently switch or work for multiple platforms, affecting driver labor supply. Due to the importance of driver labor supply for the shared mobility market, understanding drivers’ switching and multi-homing behavior is vital to managing service quality on – and effective regulation of – mobility platforms. However, a lack of individual-level data on driver behavior has thus far impeded a deeper understanding. This paper taxonomizes and estimates perceived switching and multi-homing frictions on mobility platforms. Based on a structural model of driver labor supply, we estimate switching and multi-homing costs in a platform duopoly …

Constrained Multiagent Reinforcement Learning For Large Agent Population, Jiajing Ling, Arambam James Singh, Duc Thien Nguyen, Akshat Kumar

Research Collection School Of Computing and Information Systems

Learning control policies for a large number of agents in a decentralized setting is challenging due to partial observability, uncertainty in the environment, and scalability challenges. While several scalable multiagent RL (MARL) methods have been proposed, relatively few approaches exist for large scale constrained MARL settings. To address this, we first formulate the constrained MARL problem in a collective multiagent setting where interactions among agents are governed by the aggregate count and types of agents, and do not depend on agents’ specific identities. Second, we show that standard Lagrangian relaxation methods, which are popular for single agent RL, do not …

A Study On Rapidly Exploring Random Tree Algorithms For Robot Path Planning, Sahil Sharma

Master's Theses

Robot path planning is a critical feature of autonomous systems. Rapidly-exploring Random Trees (RRT) is a path planning technique that randomly samples the robot configuration space to find a path between the start and end point. This thesis studies and compares the performance of four important RRT algorithms, namely, the original RRT, the optimal RRT (also termed RRT*), RRT*-Smart, and Informed RRT* for six different environments. The performance measures include the final path length (which is also the shortest path length found by each algorithm), time to find the first path, run time (of 1000 iterations) for each algorithm, total …

Upgrading Biomass To Bio-Oil: Catalytic Hydrodeoxygenation And Pyrolysis Of Vanillin And Anisole Biomass Model Compounds, Ahmad J. Yaghi

Theses

The purpose of this project is to investigate capacity of selected formulations of catalysts toward the hydrodeoxygenation (HDO) of biomass model compounds in the gas phase with the underlying aim to produce hydrocarbon cuts that can be directly used as transportation fuels. The first part of this project is to devoted to illustrate procedures for the synthesis of potent (HDO) catalysts. Synthesized catalysts encompass nickel (Ni), cobalt (Co) and palladium (Pd) supported on zeolite, cerium oxide (CeO₂) or alumina (Al₂O₃). Various characterization techniques such as X-ray Diffraction (XRD), Temperature Programmed Reduction (TPR) were deployed …

Contribution Of Implicit Memory To Adaptation Of Movement Extent During Reaching Against Unpredictable Spring-Like Loads: Insensitivity To Intentional Suppression Of Kinematic Performance, Devon D. Lantagne, Leigh A. Mrotek, James B. Hoelzle, Danny G. Thomas, Robert A. Scheidt

Psychology Faculty Research and Publications

We examined the extent to which intentionally underperforming a goal-directed reaching task impacts how memories of recent performance contribute to sensorimotor adaptation. Healthy human subjects performed computerized cognition testing and an assessment of sensorimotor adaptation, wherein they grasped the handle of a horizontal planar robot while making goal-directed out-and-back reaching movements. The robot exerted forces that resisted hand motion with a spring-like load that changed unpredictably between movements. The robotic test assessed how implicit and explicit memories of sensorimotor performance contribute to the compensation for the unpredictable changes in the hand-held load. After each movement, subjects were to recall and …

Scour Mitigation At Bridge Abutments Using Spur Dikes, Dina Hamdy Mustafa Mustafa Al Sirtasy, Hossam Abd El-Aziz Ahmed Abd El-Gawad, Mohamed T. Shamaa

Mansoura Engineering Journal

One of the main reasons for bridge failure is local scour at the bridge abutments. Laboratory experiments, under clear water scour condition, were carried out to investigate scour reduction around the vertical bridge abutment by adding one upstream spur dike. Sand with a median and standard deviation of diameter equal to 0.80 mm and 2.173 mm respectively, formed the bed material. Three different stages of spur dikes with varying sets as: 1) distances from the abutment (6 sets), 2) orientation angles (4 sets), and 3) lengths (3 sets), were considered. Effects of all spur dikes are studied with respect to …

Exploring Topological Phonons In Different Length Scales: Microtubules And Acoustic Metamaterials, Ssu-Ying Chen

Dissertations

The topological concepts of electronic states have been extended to phononic systems, leading to the prediction of topological phonons in a variety of materials. These phonons play a crucial role in determining material properties such as thermal conductivity, thermoelectricity, superconductivity, and specific heat. The objective of this dissertation is to investigate the role of topological phonons at different length scales.

Firstly, the acoustic resonator properties of tubulin proteins, which form microtubules, will be explored The microtubule has been proposed as an analog of a topological phononic insulator due to its unique properties. One key characteristic of topological materials is the …

Quantifying Balance: Computational And Learning Frameworks For The Characterization Of Balance In Bipedal Systems, Kubra Akbas

Dissertations

In clinical practice and general healthcare settings, the lack of reliable and objective balance and stability assessment metrics hinders the tracking of patient performance progression during rehabilitation; the assessment of bipedal balance plays a crucial role in understanding stability and falls in humans and other bipeds, while providing clinicians important information regarding rehabilitation outcomes. Bipedal balance has often been examined through kinematic or kinetic quantities, such as the Zero Moment Point and Center of Pressure; however, analyzing balance specifically through the body's Center of Mass (COM) state offers a holistic and easily comprehensible view of balance and stability.

Building upon …

Advanced Traffic Video Analytics For Robust Traffic Accident Detection, Hadi Ghahremannezhad

Dissertations

Automatic traffic accident detection is an important task in traffic video analysis due to its key applications in developing intelligent transportation systems. Reducing the time delay between the occurrence of an accident and the dispatch of the first responders to the scene may help lower the mortality rate and save lives. Since 1980, many approaches have been presented for the automatic detection of incidents in traffic videos. In this dissertation, some challenging problems for accident detection in traffic videos are discussed and a new framework is presented in order to automatically detect single-vehicle and intersection traffic accidents in real-time.

First, …

Bacterial Motion And Spread In Porous Environments, Yasser Almoteri

Dissertations

Micro-swimmers are ubiquitous in nature from soil and water to mammalian bodies and even many technological processes. Common known examples are microbes such as bacteria, micro-algae and micro-plankton, cells such as spermatozoa and organisms such as nematodes. These swimmers live and have evolved in multiplex environments and complex flows in the presence of other swimmers and types, inert particles and fibers, interfaces and non-trivial confinements and more. Understanding the locomotion and interactions of these individual micro-swimmers in such impure viscous fluids is crucial to understanding the emergent dynamics of such complex systems, and to further enabling us to control and …

Boundary Integral Equation Methods For Superhydrophobic Flow And Integrated Photonics, Kosuke Sugita

Dissertations

This dissertation presents fast integral equation methods (FIEMs) for solving two important problems encountered in practical engineering applications.

The first problem involves the mixed boundary value problem in two-dimensional Stokes flow, which appears commonly in computational fluid mechanics. This problem is particularly relevant to the design of microfluidic devices, especially those involving superhydrophobic (SH) flows over surfaces made of composite solid materials with alternating solid portions, grooves, or air pockets, leading to enhanced slip.

The second problem addresses waveguide devices in two dimensions, governed by the Helmholtz equation with Dirichlet conditions imposed on the boundary. This problem serves as a …

Colloidal Behavior Of Nanobubbles And Their Application In Enhancing Plant Growth: Mechanisms Of Nanobubble Interactions With Microbial And Soil Species, Shan Xue

Dissertations

Climate change has resulted in increasing uncertainties of water resources and disturbance on agricultural activities. For example, the shortage of water resources, land erosion and pollution from runoff significantly affect agricultural sustainability. This dissertation research focuses on the fundamental studies of nanobubble (NB) water and explores the benefits for irrigation to enhance plant germination and growth. Unlike bulk bubbles, NBs exhibit prolonged stability in water and possess large surface areas that facilitate efficient mass transfer and potential tailored reactions (e.g., disinfection). However, the enhancement mechanisms for NBs on seed germination and plant growth remain elusive.

This research first evaluated the …

Data-Driven 2d Materials Discovery For Next-Generation Electronics, Zeyu Zhang

Dissertations

The development of material discovery and design has lasted centuries in human history. After the concept of modern chemistry and material science was established, the strategy of material discovery relies on the experiments. Such a strategy becomes expensive and time-consuming with the increasing number of materials nowadays. Therefore, a novel strategy that is faster and more comprehensive is urgently needed. In this dissertation, an experiment-guided material discovery strategy is developed and explained using metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) as instances. The advent of 7r-stacked layered MOFs, which offer electrical conductivity on top of permanent porosity and high surface area, opened up new …

Synergistic Effect Of Air Sparging In Separation Via Nano-Carbon Immobilized Membrane Distillation Process And Optimization, Mitun Chandra Bhoumick

Dissertations

Membrane distillation (MD) has gained significant popularity as a separation and purification technique in diverse domains, such as saline/brackish water treatment, organic recovery, and wastewater treatment. The objective of this research is to advance MD by developing a novel air sparged membrane distillation in treating saline water, recovering solvents, and achieving preconcentration. To optimize the flux and selectivity in membrane distillation, the study also employed a response surface method based on a central composite rotatable design.

In this study, a novel air-sparged membrane distillation (ASMD) is introduced for the treatment of saline water, utilizing a nanocarbon immobilized membrane. The performance …

On Explainability Of Neural Networks, Cem Benar

Dissertations

It is widely reported that deep neural networks outperform most competitors for a range of applications. The state-of-the-art neural networks have built-in inductive bias of architectural choices, regularizations, optimizer types, and initialization methods. Using inductive bias is intuitive to enhance the model approximation. Deep neural networks are mostly dense and heavily overparameterized. They tend to be biased towards low-rank solutions to reduce complexity and improve generalization performance, known as implicit regularization. The implicit regularization as observed in specific architectures and various real-world data sets suggests to overparameterize neural networks judiciously and learn compressed representations (lower rank approximation) with improved performance. …

Toward Smart And Efficient Scientific Data Management, Jinzhen Wang

Dissertations

Scientific research generates vast amounts of data, and the scale of data has significantly increased with advancements in scientific applications. To manage this data effectively, lossy data compression techniques are necessary to reduce storage and transmission costs. Nevertheless, the use of lossy compression introduces uncertainties related to its performance. This dissertation aims to answer key questions surrounding lossy data compression, such as how the performance changes, how much reduction can be achieved, and how to optimize these techniques for modern scientific data management workflows.

One of the major challenges in adopting lossy compression techniques is the trade-off between data accuracy …

Cell Encapsulation In Gelatin Methacryloyl Bioinks Impairs Microscale Diffusion Properties, Elvan Dogan, Christina Holshue, Anant Bhusal, Roshni Shukla, Amir K. Miri

Henry M. Rowan College of Engineering Departmental Research

Light-assisted bioprinted gelatin methacryloyl (GelMA) constructs have been used for cell-laden microtissues and organoids. GelMA can be loaded by desired cells, which can regulate the biophysical properties of bioprinted constructs. We study how the degree of methacrylation (MA degree), GelMA mass concentration, and cell density change mass transport properties. We introduce a fluorescent-microscopy-based method of biotransport testing with improved sensitivity compared to the traditional particle tracking methods. The diffusion capacity of GelMA with a higher MA significantly decreased compared to a lower MA. Opposed to a steady range of linear elastic moduli, the diffusion coefficient in GelMA varied when cell …

Integrated Land Use And Transportation Modeling Considering The Impact Of Autonomous Vehicles, Roksana Asadi

Dissertations

The advent of autonomous urban mobility is expected to effect changes in land use patterns and urban development. A new framework for integrated land use and transportation system models that incorporate Autonomous Vehicles (AVs) and Shared Autonomous Vehicles (SAVs) will be needed to investigate the development of transportation and land use plans and policies. This study aims to analyze the impacts of AVs and SAVs on land use changes by defming scenarios that consider different shares of these emerging transportation modes. Also, this study explores the corollary effects of various land use factors by applying them to a case study …

Early Exposure/Long-Term Gains: Encouraging Underrepresented Middle School Students To Pursue Stem Careers, Trinetia Respress, Owen Johnson, Londee Boyd, Twianie Roberts

The Journal of the Research Association of Minority Professors

Preparing middle school students in STEM for their transition to high school and ultimately for post-secondary endeavors requires early exposure to STEM subjects. This early exposure not only builds a foundation for the ever-changing skills that are needed for the workforce, but also boosts student achievement and test scores (STEM Education Works, 2021). The MUREP project focuses on increasing the number of underrepresented minority students interested in STEM fields. The purpose of this study is to examine underrepresented minority middle school students’ attitudes toward STEM and their expressed interest in STEM post-secondary subjects and careers after participation in the MUREP …

Use Of Neural Networks In Intelligent Measurement Tools, N.R Yusupbekov, Y.Sh. Avazov, Umidjon Ruziev Phd

Chemical Technology, Control and Management

The paper presents algorithms for processing the measurement signal with the possibilities of adaptation, learning and decision making. A comparative analysis of the methods of intellectual processing of measurement data is carried out. A model of a measuring instrument for determining the structure of a neural network has been developed. The problem of error reduction due to measurement noise filtering with the use of neural networks is considered. The structure of the neural network has been developed for intelligent processing of the measurement signal and ensuring the implementation of the functions of reconfiguration, calibration, self-diagnosis and self-control. A neural network …

Algorithms For Synthesis Of Adaptive Control Systems Based On The Neural Network Approach, Jasur Sevinov, Oxunjon Boborayimov, Sh.M. Abdishukurov

Chemical Technology, Control and Management

Here are algorithms for the synthesis of adaptive control systems based on the neural network approach presented. The issues of choice of architectures of neural networks that produce parametric identification of the object regulation. Adaptative neural networks that reproduce the optimal parameters of implemented controllers, methods of forming training samples for their training are considered. The other question of using the theory of artificial neural networks for approximating the functional of the controller's tuning parameters are determined. Structures of synthesized neural networks of parametric identification of objects with self-alignment in an open loop ACS are proposed. Algorithms made it possible …

A Student Induction Program’S Impact On Young “Techies’” Purpose In Life And Its Effects On Their Well-Being: A Case Study Of Telangana, India, Ankit Shah

Dissertations

India's higher education system aims to develop well-rounded individuals with intellectual curiosity, a spirit of service, and a strong ethical foundation. However, the current state of technical higher education in India is criticized for mono-disciplinarity and rigid boundaries that do not provide an appropriate context for developing socially conscious individuals who make productive contributions to society. To address this growing concern, the Department of Higher Education in India introduced the Student Induction Program (SIP). The primary objective of the SIP is to foster purpose, which is not only meaningful to the students themselves but also to their nation; as such, …

Results Of The Study Of The Pumpkin Drying Process, Jasur Esirgapovich Safarov, Shahnoza Abduvakhitovna Sultanova, Andrey Svyatoslavovich Ponasenko, Gani Toshkhujaevich Dadaev

Chemical Technology, Control and Management

The article presents the results of the study of the pumpkin drying process, comparisons with different drying models are carried out. A mathematical model for numerical analysis has been developed. Pumpkin drying rates are calculated and various drying models are investigated. 5 different drying models were used to verify the accuracy of experimental data and search for the most suitable model. The experimental data obtained for the drying air temperature of 45 °C, 55 °C and 65 °C were applied to various drying models.

Electromagnetic Current Transducer For Control Of Reactive Power Consumption Of An Asynchronous Motor From A Single-Phase Supply Of Renewable Energy Source, Llhomjon Xakimovich Siddikov, Saidikrom Saidmurodovich A'Zamov, Dilyorbek Doniyorbek O'G'Li Karimjonov

Chemical Technology, Control and Management

In the world, the demand for electricity and its quality is increasing, in order to further increase the share of renewable energy sources, the reactive power that generates the magnetic field and current in asynchronous motors, which consumes more than 60% of the electricity generated from them and provided by them The research of electromagnetic current transformers, which allows controlling the consumption, evaluating the asymmetry and nonsinusoidal indicators of reactive power and energy, remotely sensing and measuring these quantities with appropriate devices, and converting them into a standard signal, is considered an urgent issue . The research results of the …

Methods For Control Of The Technical And Operational Parameters Of Vehicles, Erkin Uljaev, Utkirjon Murodillaevich Ubaydullaev

Chemical Technology, Control and Management

The necessity of automating the control and evaluation of the technical and operational indicators of motor vehicles (ATS) is substantiated. A classification of the main technical and operational indicators of vehicles has been carried out. Motor vehicles can be classified according to dimensions, weight, carrying capacity, cross-country ability, speed, maneuverability and other indicators. A brief review and analysis of well-known technical means of foreign firms, designed to automate the control and evaluation of the technical and operational indicators of vehicles and agricultural machinery, has been carried out. It is noted that more than 90% of the considered devices and means …

Systematic Analysis Of Methods Of Control Of Dynamic Objects In Conditions Of Non-Measurable Disturbances, Mamirov Farkhodovich Uktam, Buronov Mamurjon Ugli Bunyod

Chemical Technology, Control and Management

The article presents a systematic analysis of control methods of dynamic objects under non-measurable disturbances. It is important to study all the factors affecting the control object in order to increase the efficiency of the control system. Due to the immeasurable nature of disturbances affecting control objects, it is shown that they cause negative effects and increase the complexity of control systems in this case. In the control of dynamic objects of this type, the possibilities of control by indirect measurement of disturbances or by estimation of object position and disturbances have been explored. The use cases, shortcomings and achievements …

Development Of The Computer Model Of The Waste Water Treatment Process Using Ion-Exchange Resins In The Matlab Program, Jaloliddin Abdurazzakovich Eshbobaev, Bakhodir Tajiddinovich Khamidov, Adham Tilovovich Norkobilov, Orifjon Sharipovich Kodirov

Chemical Technology, Control and Management

In this work, a mathematical model of industrial wastewater treatment technology was formed. First, wastewater treatment technologies were analyzed and the technology of ion-exchange resin treatment was selected. A water purification device using ion-exchange resins was made, and tested on the Kungrad soda plant and the results were obtained. According to these results, it was determined that the cleaning coefficient of the device is up to 98-99%. In this article, a mathematical model of a wastewater treatment device using ion-exchange resins was developed using the stoichiometric matrix method. After the mathematical model of the process was found, a graph of …

The Morphology Analysis Of Soil In Remote Sensing Image Processing, Mirzayan Mirzaaxmedovich Kamilov, Mirzaakbar Xakkulmirzayevich Hudayberdiev, Bobomurod Mamitjonovich Tojiboev

Chemical Technology, Control and Management

This article analyzed various techniques used in satellite image processing to analyze soil morphology. Analysis of soil morphology using satellite imagery plays a crucial role in soil science research, Land Management, and environmental monitoring. It provides an economical and efficient means of studying large-scale soil variability, providing information on land sustainable use, resource management and soil conservation decisions.