Engineering Commons^™

Inelastic Behavior Of Steel And Composite Frame Structure Subjected To Earthquake Loading, P. D. Gajbhiye, Nuha S. Mashaan, V. Bhaiya, Rajan L. Wankhade, S. P. Vishnu

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Steel construction is used more often these days as an alternative to the R.C.C. when lightweight, high-strength, large-span structures with a faster erection are required. Extensive studies have been conducted by researchers to study the seismic performance of reinforced concrete and steel structures, both in terms of elastic and inelastic behavior. Composite construction is also a recent advancement in the building industry with similar advantages. However, no emphasis has been given to the comparison between the inelastic behavior of steel and composite structures when subjected to lateral loads. This study compares the inelastic behavior of steel and a composite frame …

Role Of Air Staging In A Batch-Type Fixed Bed Biomass Combustor Under Constant Primary Air, Awais Junejo, Yasir M. Al-Abdeli, Jacobo Porteiro

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Staged combustion of biomass is the most suitable thermo-chemical conversion for achieving lower gaseous emissions and higher fuel conversion rates. In a staged fixed bed combustion of biomass, combustion air is supplied in two stages. In the first stage, primary air is provided below the fuel, whereas in the later stage, secondary air is supplied in the freeboard region. The available literature on the effects of air staging (secondary air location) at a constant primary air flow rate on combustion characteristics in a batch-type fixed bed combustor is limited and hence warrants further investigations. This study resolves the effect of …

An Investigation Of The Morphological, Thermal, Mechanical, And Barrier Properties Of An Active Packaging Containing Micro- And Nano-Sized Zno Particles, Raihan Syarifa, Yasaman Esmaeili, Shima Jafarzadeh, Farhad Garavand, Shahrom Mahmud, Fazilah Ariffin

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Biodegradable films are extremely important for food packaging applications since they minimize environmental effects. However, their application areas are limited due to insufficient characteristics required for particular applications. The objective of the present research was to improve the properties of sago-based biodegradable films embedded with nano- and micro-ZnO (zinc oxide). Nano and micro-ZnO were incorporated in the films at different percentages (1%, 3%, and 5%) in that the films were formed using the solvent casting method. The physicochemical, barrier, thermal, optical, morphology, and mechanical properties of sago-based films were investigated. Adding 5% of micro- and nano-ZnO significantly improved film thickness …

Optimum Design, Socioenvironmental Impact, And Exergy Analysis Of A Solar And Rice Husk-Based Off-Grid Hybrid Renewable Energy System, Barun K. Das, Rakibul Hassan, Polamarasetty P. Kumar, Ismail Hoque, Ramakrishna S.S. Nuvvula, Anas M. Maruf, Arnob Das, Paul C. Okonkwo, Baseem Khan

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

This study examines the optimal sizing of an off-grid hybrid system comprising solar photovoltaic (PV), rice husk-based biomass, and lead-acid battery for meeting the electric demand of a rural community. Considering a selected remote village in Bangladesh as a case study, the proposed optimized system is primarily compared with the diesel generator and the micro gas turbine (MGT)-based options in techno-economic and environmental terms. The potential social benefits, such as the employment creation and the improvement in the human development index in the locality, have been investigated in this study. Moreover, the impacts of operational greenhouse gas emissions on the …

Experimental Study On The Mechanical Controlling Factors Of Fracture Plugging Strength For Lost Circulation Control In Shale Gas Reservoir, Chengyuan Xu, Lingmao Zhu, Feng Xu, Yili Kang, Haoran Jing, Zhenjiang You

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

The geological conditions of shale reservoir present several unique challenges. These include the extensive development of multi-scale fractures, frequent losses during horizontal drilling, low success rates in plugging, and a tendency for the fracture plugging zone to experience repeated failures. Extensive analysis suggests that the weakening of the mechanical properties of shale fracture surfaces is the primary factor responsible for reducing the bearing capacity of the fracture plugging zone. To assess the influence of oil-based environments on the degradation of mechanical properties in shale fracture surfaces, rigorous mechanical property tests were conducted on shale samples subsequent to their exposure to …

Influence Of Three-Dimensional Printing Parameters On Compressive Properties And Surface Smoothness Of Polylactic Acid Specimens, Hamed Bakhtiari, Mostafa Nikzad, Majid Tolouei-Rad

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

While the mechanical performance of fused filament fabrication (FFF) parts has been extensively studied in terms of the tensile and bending strength, limited research accounts for their compressive performance. This study investigates the effect of four process parameters (layer height, extrusion width, nozzle temperature, and printing speed) on the compressive properties and surface smoothness of FFF parts made of Polylactic Acid (PLA). The orthogonal Taguchi method was employed for designing the experiments. The surface roughness and compressive properties of the specimens were then measured and optimized using the analysis of variance (ANOVA). A microscopic analysis was also performed to identify …

Investigating The Potential Of High-Density Polyethylene And Nano Clay Asphalt-Modified Binders To Enhance The Rutting Resistance Of Asphalt Mixture, Ashraf Abdel-Raheem, Anmar Dulaimi, Ahmed S. Mohamed, Ghada S. Moussa, Yasin O. Özkılıç, Nuha Mashaan, Ramadhansyah P. Jaya, Talaat Abdel-Wahed

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

This study investigates the potential of two bitumen modifiers, high-density polyethylene (HDPE) and nano clay (NC), to enhance the rutting resistance of asphalt mixture. Four HDPE asphalt binders were prepared by mixing the HDPE at percentages of 2%, 4%, 6%, and 8% with the virgin binder, while four NC asphalt binders were produced by mixing the NC at percentages of 1%, 2%, 3%, and 4%. The consistency and flow of virgin binder, HDPE binders, and NC binders were evaluated by penetration, softening point, and viscosity tests. The results show a gradual increment in the binder stiffness by increasing the percentage …

Memory-Based Adaptive Sliding Mode Load Frequency Control In Interconnected Power Systems With Energy Storage, Farhad Farivar, Octavian Bass, Daryoush Habibi

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

This paper presents a memory-based adaptive sliding mode load frequency control (LFC) strategy aimed at minimizing the impacts of exogenous power disturbances and parameter uncertainties on frequency deviations in interconnected power systems with energy storage. First, the dynamic model of the system is constructed by considering the participation of the energy storage system (ESS) in the conventional decentralized LFC model of a multiarea power system. A disturbance observer (DOB) is proposed to generate an online approximation of the lumped disturbance. In order to enhance the transient performance of the system and effectively mitigate the adverse effects of power fluctuations on …

Physical Layer Authenticated Image Encryption For Iot Network Based On Biometric Chaotic Signature For Mpfrft Ofdm System, Esam A. A. Hagras, Saad Aldosary, Haitham Khaled, Tarek Hassan

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

In this paper, a new physical layer authenticated encryption (PLAE) scheme based on the multi-parameter fractional Fourier transform–Orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (MP-FrFT-OFDM) is suggested for secure image transmission over the IoT network. In addition, a new robust multi-cascaded chaotic modular fractional sine map (MCC-MF sine map) is designed and analyzed. Also, a new dynamic chaotic biometric signature (DCBS) generator based on combining the biometric signature and the proposed MCC-MF sine map random chaotic sequence output is also designed. The final output of the proposed DCBS generator is used as a dynamic secret key for the MPFrFT OFDM system in which …

Hydrogen-Wettability Alteration Of Indiana Limestone In The Presence Of Organic Acids And Nanofluid, Mirhasan Hosseini, Rossen Sedev, Mujahid Ali, Muhammad Ali, Jalal Fahimpour, Alireza Keshavarz, Sefan Iglauer

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

This study focuses on the wettability alteration (changing from a hydrophobic state to a hydrophilic state) of Indiana limestone for hydrogen (H₂) geological storage. We examine the effect of hexanoic acid C₆, lauric acid C₁₂, and stearic acid C₁₈, on the wettability of Indiana limestone at ambient (298 K and 0.1 MPa) and reservoir (323 K and 8.27 MPa) conditions. The effects of silica nanofluids (silica with deionized water) at various concentrations (0.1 wt%, 0.25 wt%, and 0.5 wt%) on the wettability reversal of stearic-aged samples were tested at ambient and reservoir …

Direct Recycling Of Lithium-Ion Battery Materials Using Physical Separation Methods., Tinuade Ololade Folayan

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports

The increased demand for Lithium-ion batteries for Electric vehicles has influenced worldwide interest in the research and development of methods for recycling end-of-life Lithium-ion batteries. Direct recycling method has gained more attention in recent times as a method that is low-cost with the ability to recover all Lithium-ion battery materials without changing the chemical and structural properties of the recycled materials.

A lithium-ion battery contains a complex mixture of materials with significantly different physical properties. This work develops physical separation techniques as Direct recycling methods to recycle individual battery components without damaging the functional integrity of the recycled materials. In …

Quantifying The Impact Of Wide Base Tires On Pavement Performance In Michigan, Lei Yin

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports

This study aimed to investigate the use of wide base tires (WBT) in Michigan to quantify the effect of different percentages of WBT loads on flexible and rigid pavements. Surveys and field investigations were conducted to quantify the WBT usage in Michigan. The JULEA (for flexible pavements) and Illislab (for JPCP) software programs were used to calculate the mechanical response between dual tire (DT) and WBT loads, while the Mechanical-Empirical (ME) pavement design process was utilized for damage accumulation and pavement distress analysis. Investigation results rationalized the assumption of WBT proportion for design purposes as 10% currently and up to …

An Entropy-Based Risk Index (Eri) Of Mining Health And Safety Using Clustering And Statistical Methods, Dharmasai Eshwar Reddy Sirigiri

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports

Over the last decade, the mining industry has seen a significant reduction in the number of fatalities in the United States. However, the annual employee hours have also decreased during the same period. Therefore, it is crucial to evaluate the historical mining data and identify the potential risks of a mine through the mine risk index. The risk indicators also describe the severity of accidents and injuries at mine sites. The variables such as citation, order, significant & substantial citations, lost time, and no lost time injuries and penalties are considered for the determination of the risk index. However, using …

Chemical Decomposition Of Flexible Polyurethane Foam To Generate A Media For Microbial Upcycling, Kaushik Baruah

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports

Polyurethane waste is becoming a global concern as a large amount is being disposed of in landfills every year, and only a fraction is being recycled. Several polyurethane recycling techniques exist, of which ammonolysis and base-catalyzed hydrolysis is the least explored. Flexible polyurethane foam (FPUF) decomposition can generate amines that can act as a carbon source for the growth of microbial consortia. This study aims to generate a novel media capable of microbial upcycling via ammonolysis and base-catalyzed hydrolysis of flexible polyurethane foams (FPUFs) using ammonium hydroxide and subsequently determine the reaction conditions for maximum solubilization of polyurethane foam in …

Developing A Regional Scale Landslide Early Warning System In A Data-Sparse Region Using Remote Sensing, Geostatistics, And Google Earth Engine, Vishnu Chakrapani Lekha

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports

The Landslide Early Warning System (LEWS) is a non-structural approach to mitigate landslide risk by alerting vulnerable communities at an early stage. This study aimed to develop a regional LEWS for rain-induced shallow landslides in Idukki, a mountainous district in India with sparse rainfall data. The landslide model consists of a rainfall component and a slope stability component. Satellite precipitation data can be used in data-sparse regions, but they must be calibrated because they tend to underestimate rainfall. To improve the accuracy of satellite data, this study used a geostatistics-based multi-criteria approach to identify optimal locations to install new rain …

The Rhetorical Art Of Risk Assessment: Lessons From Risk Management In Rural And Tribal Communities, John L. Velat

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports

Risk assessment, mitigation, and communication rely on data from multiple sources to form a complete understanding of hazards and how to manage them. Experts can use these data to make informed decisions about the nature and extent of risks and inform the public to protect health, the environment, and economic welfare. However, in an effort to objectively make decisions, technical experts and policymakers increasingly rely on quantitative data as the most important determiner of risk, which can alienate the public, limit risk understanding, and delay or miss obvious signals of impending catastrophe. I examine several cases based on my experiences …

Virus Inactivation By Novel Virucidal Materials, Sneha Singh

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports

The development of virucidal coatings to inactivate a broad spectrum of viruses has gained popularity. Antiviral coating of personal protective equipment such as facial coverings can reduce the accumulation of viral load and mitigate transmission of airborne illnesses, which occur primarily through direct contact with respiratory aerosols or droplets carrying infectious viruses. Moreover, modification of PPE to inactivate viruses upon contact improves their reusability and reduces waste. Coating high frequency touch surfaces with similar virucidal coatings can reduce the risk of disease transmission associated with contaminated surfaces. This study explores the development of three novel virucidal materials to control the …

Alternative Method For Low Frequency Impact Sound Measurement For Building Field Tests, Sunit Girdhar

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports

What do high heels, dog nails, and dragging furniture have in common? They are all frequent sources of noise pollution and annoyance in multi-story buildings. Building codes exist to control and mitigate such noise, but these codes are outdated and fail to protect the residents against noise annoyance. Footstep noise is still the number one cause of complaints among the residents. The impact performance of floor-ceiling assemblies is characterized using a single-number rating called the Impact Sound Rating (ISR). A standard tapping machine is used in pre-defined locations on the floor and the radiated Sound Pressure Level (SPL) is measured …

Evaluating Geomechanical Uncertainty In Open Pit Mine Planning, Evan Ricchio-Hitchcock

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports

Open pit mine planning encompasses a variety of uncertainties. Uncertainty due to geomechanics is most critical for a safe operation in an open pit mine. Without sufficient knowledge of the geomechanical properties of the subsurface, a reliability analysis of the slope stability could be challenging. Slope stability is a crucial step in pit optimization since the cash flow analysis of a mine is constrained by a stable slope angle. However, obtaining a stable slope angle with certainty is difficult to achieve as geomechanical parameters are modeled using a very limited number of samples. This thesis proposes a method to integrate …

Stability Of Linicoal-Oxide Electrode Material Under High-Temperature Ceramic Fuel Cell Conditions, Wei Zhang

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports

LiNi0.8Co0.15Al0.05O2 (LNCA) is an important cathode material for room-temperature operation of lithium-ion batteries (LIBs). As an emerging research area, LNCA was recently applied as electrodes (both cathode and anode) for high-temperature ceramic fuel cells (CFCs) with impressive performances. However, the stability of LNCA electrode material under CFC operating conditions (i.e., reactive atmospheres and high temperatures) remains unknown. In this dissertation: (1) The stability of LNCA in air and H2 atmospheres was systematically evaluated at elevated temperatures (i.e., the operating electrode environments of H2-fueled CFCs). It was found that LNCA exhibited excellent stability in air within a wide temperature range from …

Implementation And Optimization Of Multi-Resonance And Phase Control Of The Electrical Power Take-Off On A Wec Array For Improved Performance, Madelyn G. Veurink

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports

Many governments around the world are pledging to reduce their consumption of fossil fuels as they look to curb the amount of green house gasses they release into the atmosphere. These green house gasses are what scientists blame for global warming and the recent increase in extreme weather events. Producing electricity is one of the largest producers of these gasses but utilizing renewable sources can greatly decrease the amount of green house gasses produced. Common forms of renewable energies are wind and solar and both of these green energies have reached a state of maturation where they are economically viable …

Eutrophication On Twin Lakes: Applying A Phosphorus Budget And Shoreline Surveys To Assess Current & Historical Lake Health, Tyler K. Lemahieu

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports

The Twin Lakes system, a series of lakes including Lake Gerald and Lake Roland, was historically categorized as oligotrophic but is now mesotrophic having experienced cultural eutrophication. A mass balance phosphorus budget model was constructed for the Twin Lakes system in Houghton, Co. Michigan for the 2022 stratified season. Additional spatial insights were gleaned through a survey of shoreline water quality, which corroborated the model results. The lakes currently experience substantial depletion of hypolimnetic dissolved oxygen during late summer stratification. A budget reveals approximately 22% (6.6 kg) of the current 29.5 kg total phosphorus inputs to Twin Lakes (during the …

Advanced Tools For Time-Resolved Imaging Of Tissue Metabolism, Arthur Petusseau

Dartmouth College Ph.D Dissertations

Medical imaging is a crucial tool in diagnosing and treating diseases, and by far the most common set of tools used for point-of-care guidance between a physician and patient are optical devices. For example, visible light imaging has unique applications in endoscopy, dermatology, microscopy, and this range of devices utilize a wide range of optical signals for sensing the tissue. Fluorescence imaging has become a niche but growing methodology in medical diagnostics and treatment because of its simplicity and the ability to integrate reporter molecules, that can reveal detailed information about cellular structures, metabolism, signaling, and other biomolecular features of …

Design Of Next-Generation Neural Interfaces For Decoding The Brain, Yi Qiang

Dartmouth College Ph.D Dissertations

The primary goal of neural interface technology is to establish a connection between the nervous system and the external world by recording and modulating neural signals. Over the past few decades, microelectrode array (MEA) technology has played an essential role in the acquisition of electrophysiological signals, with impressive progress being made towards developing high-density, large-throughput, and ultra-flexible MEAs. However, despite these advancements, there remain long-standing limitations in current neural interfaces. For example, electrophysiology is limited in its ability to distinguish cell types and has limited spatial resolution due to its electrical recording nature. Furthermore, conventional neural MEAs are limited to …

Winter Dynamics Of Storm Water Management Ponds And Winter Tolerance In Three Aquatic Plant Species, Patrick Strzalkowski

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

The vast majority of the research into the performance of stormwater management ponds (SWMPs) has been performed in warm regions or during the warmer seasons in temperate regions. It is presumed that SWMPs are inactive in the winter as any potential stormwater is trapped in snow and ice. The main goal of this thesis was to test this presumption and to study the dynamics and performance of three SWMPs during the winter. Remote water level loggers were installed into the three SWMPs and daily grab samples from the influents and effluents were taken and analyzed for total phosphorus (TP), chloride, …

Phosphorus Release And Recovery From Simulated Ferric Wastewater Sludge, Aseel Alnimer

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

Phosphorus (P) is a fundamental element necessary for all life forms and a key component in the fertilizer industry. Meanwhile, the excessive load of P to water bodies due to human activities has the potential to promote eutrophication. Wastewater treatment plants remove P either biologically or chemically and produce P rich sludge which could be a potential renewable source for P. At present, commercial technologies exist for P recovery from biological wastewater sludge. However, P recovery from chemical sludge particularly iron(III)-phosphate (Fe-P) sludge generated in chemical P removal plants that use iron(III) salts remains a challenge.

This study explored, in …

How Online Discourse Networks Fields Of Practice: The Discursive Negotiation Of Autonomy On Art Organisation About Pages, Tommie Soro

Articles

This article examines how the online discourse of art organisations forges relationships between the artworld and the fields of politics and economy. Combining elements of Pierre Bourdieu’s field analysis and Norman Fairclough’s critical discourse analysis, the article analyses an elite art magazine, e-flux, and an elite art museum, IMMA, and the activities of discourses, genres, and utterances on their about pages. Its results suggest that the about pages of these organisations forge links between the artworld and the fields of politics and economy by mobilising discourse in these fields and by incorporating discourse practices from these fields. The ideological tension …

Optimizing Human Performance To Enhance Safety: A Case Study In An Automotive Plant, Maria Chiara Leva, Michaela Demichela, Carlos Albarran Morillo, Franco Modaffari, Lorenzo Comberti

Articles

Human factors play a relevant role in the dynamic work environments of the manufacturing sector in terms of production efficiency, safety, and sustainable performance. This is particularly relevant in assembly lines where humans are widely employed alongside automated and robotic agents. In this situation, operators’ ability to adapt to different levels of task complexity and variability in each workstation has a strong impact on the safety, reliability, and efficiency of the overall production process. This paper presents an application of a theoretical and empirical method used to assess the matching of different workers to various workstations based on a quantified …

Reinforcement Learning For Stock Option Trading, James Garza

ICT

Reinforcement learning has recently seen an increase in popularity due to its ability to learn from past experience and its capability of adapting quickly and effectively to new market conditions. This research will focus on reinforcement learning and its importance in trading stock options. Option traders can trade options with one of two option expirations: American or European style. This research will base the analysis on the American expiration style, considered more challenging in trading than the European expiration style. This could lead to the possibility of improving the current trading techniques. In addition, this research aims to understand the …

Evaluating The Potential Of Ensemble Learning For One Day-Ahead Forecasting Of Power System Demand In Ireland, Karol Skowronski

ICT

Accurate One Day-Ahead Demand Forecasting (ODADF) is crucial for electrical network reliability, the environment, and trading markets. While individual models face challenges in achieving accurate predictions, ensemble learning models have emerged as potential solution. They have achieved success in ODADF in several countries; however, there has been no research conducted for the Irish power system. Therefore, research objectives were formed, to develop a framework of ensemble learning models, evaluate their performance, and examine their potential for ODADF in Ireland, to fill the gap. Experimentation, and CRISP-DM were selected as primary research methodology, and project management framework, respectively. The development of …