Engineering Commons^™

Immersive Rehearsal In A Simulated Environment (Irise), Cassandra Clouse

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Recent advancements in virtual environment (VE) technology and the growth of VE use in treating and training individuals are opening up new possibilities for rehearsal in safe and rich environments. Research has shown that VEs can be used to treat those with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), but very little research has been done to suggest good guidelines for creating an effective environment. This research was conducted to help inform the design of systems that let veterans rehearse potentially stressful experiences in a safe environment before having to physically step into that environment. We investigated responses to specific design components …

Blended Wing Design Considerations For A Next Generation Commercial Aircraft, Jay Abhilash Vora

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The current aircraft design has not changed significantly in the last few decades. Growing environmental concerns and fuel prices are driving manufacturers to develop unconventional but efficient aircraft configurations. The blended wing body (BWB) configuration provides an alternate and more efficient means of subsonic travel. The BWB aircraft replaces the traditional wings and fuselage with hybrid wing shape where the fuselage and wings have integrated. Major aircraft manufacturers are researching the BWB concept incorporating electric propulsion for civil transport use. In this research a 300 passenger BWB aircraft aerodynamic shape is designed. This aircraft is used to assess the aerodynamic …

Differential Microrna Expression In Barrett's Esophagus Correlates With Regulation Of Posterior Homeotic Genes, Reilly June Clark

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Barrett’s Esophagus (BE) is characterized by the appearance of an intestinal-like epithelium in the distal esophagus. The molecular mechanisms behind BE development are unknown. BE is often preceded by Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease (GERD) and predisposes patients to esophageal adenocarcinoma (EAC). Due to the high mortality rate associated with EAC, BE patients are continuously monitored through upper endoscopy with biopsy for progression to low grade dysplasia (LGD), high grade dysplasia, and EAC. This monitoring technique poses numerous risks, so alternative surveillance and diagnostic techniques for BE pathogenesis are continually studied. microRNA biomarkers in BE pathogenesis may provide alternative means of diagnosis …

Power/Thermal Interaction Within An Adaptive Turbine Engine, Andrew K. Desomma

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Usually power take off (PTO) with a two-spool turbofan engine has been accomplished via the high pressure (HP) shaft and bleed air from the high-pressure compressor (HPC). The PTO is used to run various aircraft components such as generators and hydraulic pumps, which also produce waste heat. To better understand the coupled transient nature of balancing engine thrust, power take off and thermal management, a transient variable cycle three stream turbofan engine model has been developed to investigate the integrated behavior. The model incorporates many dynamic features including a third-stream heat exchanger as a heat sink for thermal management and …

Towards Data And Model Confidentiality In Outsourced Machine Learning, Sagar Sharma

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With massive data collections and needs for building powerful predictive models, data owners may choose to outsource storage and expensive machine learning computations to public cloud providers (Cloud). Data owners may choose cloud outsourcing due to the lack of in-house storage and computation resources or the expertise of building models. Similarly, users, who subscribe to specialized services such as movie streaming and social networking, voluntarily upload their data to the service providers' site for storage, analytics, and better services. The service provider, in turn, may also choose to benefit from ubiquitous cloud computing. However, outsourcing to a public cloud provider …

Hierarchical Carbon Structures With Vertically- Aligned Nanotube Carpets For Oil-Water Separation Under Different Conditions, Kimia Kiaei

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The primary purpose of this study is to investigate the role of surface nano-structuring in fluid separation. It is hypothesized that hierarchical carbon structures consisting of aligned carbon nanotube arrays strongly adhered to the surface of porous carbon solids such as fabric and foam, can be used for separation of polar and non-polar fluids by selective wettability of one fluid and rejection of another. The vertically-aligned carbon nanotube arrays, as synthesized, possess super hydrophobicity demonstrated by high water contact angle on their surfaces. On the other hand, they are incredibly oleophilic, showing a high affinity to adsorb oil. These properties …

Abusive And Hate Speech Tweets Detection With Text Generation, Abhishek Nalamothu

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According to a Pew Research study, 41% of Americans have personally experienced online harassment and two-thirds of Americans have witnessed harassment in 2017. Hence, online harassment detection is vital for securing and sustaining the popularity and viability of online social networks. Machine learning techniques play a crucial role in automatic harassment detection. One of the challenges of using supervised approaches is training data imbalance. Existing text generation techniques can help augment the training data, but they are still inadequate and ineffective. This research explores the role of domain-specific knowledge to complement the limited training data available for training a text …

Stability Analysis Of Leg Configurations For Bipedal Running, Nitin Jaiswal

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A legged robot with three-segmented limbs is used to study the effects of leg compliance originating from the joint level on the stability of hopping in place and running. The three-segments allow each leg to be kinematically configured an infinite number ways that satisfy the desired landing condition parameters, total leg length and angle. These two parameters along with the amount of energy thrust during stance determine the motion of the system during a single stride. The goal of this work is to explore the potential values for the leg parameters of three-segment leg, that provide additional stability when compared …

Configurable Frequency And Voltage Three Phase Power Supply, Donald Danko

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The student's employer is in need of a three phase power supply which can supply a 400Hz signal at +/- 28V at 2A. The input to the power supply is +24VDC at an unspecified current. The student's solution is a configurable frequency and voltage power supply. The student chose to utilize a full bridge DC to DC converter topology. A microcontroller was used for supplying pulse width modulated waveforms, performing analog to digital conversions, and controlling a digital to analog converter. The circuit was modeled using Matlab and tested after being manufactured to confirm proper functionality. The configurable three phase …

Llvm-Ir Based Decompilation, Ilsoo Jeon

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Decompilation is a process of transforming an executable program into a source-like high-level language code, which plays an important role in malware analysis, and vulnerability detection. In this thesis, we design and implement the middle end of a decompiler framework, focusing on Low Level Language properties reduction using the optimization techniques, propagation and elimination. An open-source software tool, dagger, is used to translate binary code to LLVM (Low Level Virtual Machine) Intermediate Representation code. We perform data flow analysis and control flow analysis on the LLVM format code to generate high-level code using a Functional Programming Langauge (FPL), Haskell. The …

Multi-Sensor Approach To Determine The Effect Of Geometry On Microstructure In Additive Manufacturing, Joseph R. Walker

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Laser powder bed fusion (LPBF) is an additive manufacturing technique used for making complex parts through a layer-by-layer process with fine feature resolution. However, the layer-by-layer process, with complex scanning patterns within each layer, introduces variability in thermal behavior leading to inconsistent microstructure and defects. The in- situ process monitoring approach in this work uses sensors including a high-speed visible camera, thermal camera, and spectrometer to evaluate each location in the LPBF process. Each sensor focuses on a different process phenomenon such as the melt pool or thermal behavior. An experimental study, using metallographic analysis and collection of sensor data, …

Swat Operations Unmanned Vehicle, John K. Zelina, Tyler Meadows, Ryan Cook, Mathew Fellows

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

During SWAT operations, it is common to have a barricaded suspect who may be armed and a serious threat to SWAT team personnel. In these cases, sending a robot into harm's way to assess the situation as opposed to an operator has become the standard. The purpose of this of this research was to design and develop an unmanned system for the City of Akron's SWAT Team that can be injected into these scenarios to improve outcomes and mitigate risk to SWAT operators.

Limitations Of Zt As A Figure Of Merit For Nanostructured Thermoelectric Materials, Xufeng Wang, Mark Lundstrom

Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering Faculty Publications

Thermoelectric properties of nanocomposites are numerically studied as a function of average grain size or nanoparticle density by simulating the measurements as they would be done experimentally. In accordance with previous theoretical and experimental results, we find that the Seebeck coefficient, power factor and figure of merit, zT, can be increased by nanostructuring when energy barriers exist around the grain boundaries or embedded nanoparticles. When we simulate the performance of a thermoelectric cooler with the same material, however, we find that the maximum temperature difference is much less than expected from the given zT. This occurs because the …

Recognizing Engineering Students’ Funds Of Knowledge: Creating And Validating Survey Measures, Dina Verdín, Jessica M. Smith, Juan Lucena

School of Engineering Education Graduate Student Series

This research base paper examines students who are the first in their families to attend college. Our research seeks to understand the role students’ funds of knowledge makes in first-generation college students’ undergraduate experience. Funds of knowledge are the set of formal/informal knowledge and skills that students learn through family, friends, and communities outside of academic institutions. This paper reports funds of knowledge themes relevant to first-generation college students in engineering and the process of gathering validity evidence to support the funds of knowledge themes.

Using ethnographic and interview data, six themes emerged: connecting experiences, community networks, tinkering knowledge, perspective …

Internet Of Things In Smart Agriculture: Enabling Technologies, Abdul Salam, Syed Shah

Faculty Publications

In this paper, an IoT technology research and innovation roadmap for the field of precision agriculture (PA) is presented. Many recent practical trends and the challenges have been highlighted. Some important objectives for integrated technology research and education in precision agriculture are described. Effective IoT based communications and sensing approaches to mitigate challenges in the area of precision agriculture are presented.

Board 51: An Initial Step Towards Measuring First-Generation College Students’ Personal Agency: A Scale Validation, Dina Verdín, Allison Godwin

School of Engineering Education Graduate Student Series

This research paper describes the development of a scale to measure how first-generation college students use engineering as a tool for making a difference in their community and world or personal agency. Personal agency is a capability that every individual holds; it is described by Bandura as an individual’s beliefs about their capabilities to exercise control over events that affect their lives through purposeful and reflective actions. Agentic actions allow students to explore, maneuver and impact their environment for the achievement of a goal or set of goals. This study identifies how cognitive processes of forethought, intention, reactivity, and reflection …

Eager: Broadening Participation Of First-Generation College Student, Jessica M. Smith, Dina Verdín, Juan C. Lucena

School of Engineering Education Graduate Student Series

No abstract provided.

Multirobot Confidence And Behavior Modeling: An Evaluation Of Telerobotic Performance And Efficiency, Nathan Lucas

Wayne State University Dissertations

There is considerable interest in multirobot systems capable of performing spatially distributed, hazardous, and complex tasks as a team. There is also growing interest in manned-unmanned teams leveraging the unique abilities of humans and automated machines working alongside each other. The limitations of human perception and cognition affect the ability of operators to integrate information from multiple mobile robots, switch between their spatial frames of reference, and divide attention among many sensory inputs and command outputs. Automation is necessary to help the operator manage increasing demands as the number of robots scales up. However, more automation does not necessarily equate …

Design And Practical Implementation Of Harmonic-Transponder Sensors, Nasser Alkhaldi

Wayne State University Dissertations

Harmonic radar is a nonlinear detection technology that transmits and receives

radio-frequency (RF) signals at orthogonal frequencies, so as to suppress the undesired

clutters, echoes and electromagnetic interreferences due to multipath scattering.

Its implementation generally comprises a nonlinear tag (i.e, a harmonic transponder),

which picks the interrogation signal at specific fundamental frequency (f0) and converts

it into a high/sub-harmonic signal (nf0). Such a technology has been successfully

applied to tracking small insects and detection of electrically-small objects in

the rich-scattering environment. Similarly, a harmonic sensor is used to interrogate

electrically-small and passive sensors, of which the magnitude and peak frequency …

Learning Models For Corrupted Multi-Dimensional Data: Fundamental Limits And Algorithms, Ishan Jindal

Wayne State University Dissertations

Developing machine learning models for unstructured multi-dimensional datasets such as datasets with unreliable labels and noisy multi-dimensional signals with or without missing information have becoming a central necessity. We are not always fortunate enough to get noise-free datasets for developing classification and representation models. Though there is a number of techniques available to deal with noisy datasets, these methods do not exploit the multi-dimensional structures of the signals, which could be used to improve the overall classification and representation performance of the model.

In this thesis, we develop a Kronecker-structure (K-S) subspace model that exploits the multi-dimensional structure of the …

Utilizing Immunopet To Measure Tumor Response To Treatment In Breast Cancer, Brooke Mcknight

Wayne State University Dissertations

With a broad spectrum of therapies available for treating breast cancer, the need for personalized medicine tailoring the cure according to phenotype is evident. Such an approach may be fully realized with the development of quantitative imaging technologies for disease detection, staging and diagnosis, without increasing patient burden. Immuno-positron emission tomography (PET) combines the targeted specificity of antibodies with the sensitivity of PET for whole body imaging by targeting molecular features amplified in lesions. ImmunoPET probes targeting different antigens and their utility to measure response to treatment were explored. 89Zr-trastuzumab was employed as a surrogate readout of Src inhibition after …

An Approach To Evaluate Disability Using Machine Learning And Sensor-Equipped Instruments Demonstrated On Hand Grip Force Data, Prem Kumar Sivakumar

Wayne State University Dissertations

The goal of this research is to improve the process of rehabilitation. Even though the current tools and technologies are meeting the requirements of clinical use, there is a lot of room for improvement. Improving the tools used in therapy can help reduce costs and save time for the patient and the therapist by giving a valuable insight into the progress of the therapeutic process. Combining therapeutic tools with cognitive tools such as machine learning can assist a therapist to determine and predict functional ability and help patients keep track of their progress.

The long-term goal for instrumented outcome measures …

Analysis And Mitigation Of The Impacts Of Delays In Control Of Power Systems With Renewable Energy Sources, Chang Fu

Wayne State University Dissertations

ABSTRACT

Analysis and Mitigation of the Impacts of Delays in Control of Power Systems

with Renewable Energy Sources

by

Chang Fu

Apr. 2019

Advisor : Dr. Caisheng Wang

Major : Electrical and Computer Engineering

Degree : Doctor of Philosophy

With the integration of renewable resources, electric vehicles and other uncertain

resources into power grid, varieties of control topology and algorithms have been proposed to

increase the stability and reliability of the operation system. Load modeling is an critical part

in such analysis since it significantly impacts the accuracy of the simulation in power system,

as well as stability and reliability …

Automatic Resource Management And Performance Optimization In Clusters, Yudi Wei

Wayne State University Dissertations

Virtual machine is a primary way to increase resource utilizations in data centers by encapsulating multi-resource demands for applications and providing performance isolation. Moreover, the resource configuration can change on the fly to satisfy performance target. Container is another popular way for fine-grained multi-resource allocation. In this disser- tation work, we aim to design and implement an automatic resource management system to improve application performance, optimize system efficiency and job completion times in virtual and physical clusters respectively.

For large-scale applications hosted in data center, automatic resource configuration is crucial to service availability and quality. The workload dynamics, cloud dynamics …

Post-Earthquake Assessment And Numerical Modeling Of Freestanding Heritage Structures, M. Khalid Saifullah, Christine E. Wittich

Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering: Faculty Publications

Historic and heritage structures are particularly vulnerable to earthquakes, where damage or collapse can not only lead to loss of a structure but also the loss of irreplaceable heritage. Many heritage structures can be classified as freestanding (detached) structures, including unreinforced masonry walls, classical multi-drum columns, and statue-pedestal systems. However, the seismic response of freestanding structures (sliding, rocking, rock-slide, overturning) is poorly predicted by existing methods due to geometric non-linearities as well as sensitivity to interface conditions and modeling parameters. Previous studies have focused on analytical modeling of simplified systems and/or experimentation under controlled laboratory conditions. In contrast, this paper …

Post-Fire Damage Geospatial Assessment Via Point Clouds Of A Highway Bridge Structure, Yijun Liao, M Ebrahim Mohammadi, Richard L. Wood, Christine E. Wittich

Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering: Faculty Publications

This paper discusses the quantitative post-fire damage assessment of a steel girder bridge via point clouds. In this case study, the point cloud was collected using light detection and ranging (lidar) for a detailed geometric and shape analysis. The out-of-plane deformation was analyzed to locate and quantify buckling across the length of the steel girders.

Efficient Intensity Measures Of Slide-Rocking Structures For Precariously Balanced Rocks, Taylor J. Knickerbocker, Christine E. Wittich

Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering: Faculty Publications

Precariously balanced rocks (PBRs) and other fragile geologic features are important in both the engineering and seismological communities since they are indicative of the maximum ground motion at a site over the rock’s lifetime. Precariously balanced rocks are individual or stacks of freestanding rocks that tend to respond in rigid body modes when subject to seismic excitation – namely, rocking, sliding, slide-rocking, and free-flight, which can lead to overturning. The seismic response of freestanding structures, such as PBRs, is known to be extremely sensitive to small changes in geometry, position, and earthquake excitation. As such, deterministic methods are limited in …

Design And Investigation Of Genetic Algorithmic And Reinforcement Learning Approaches To Wire Crossing Reductions For Pnml Devices, Alexander Keith Gunter

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Perpendicular nanomagnet logic (pNML) is an emerging post-CMOS technology which encodes binary data in the polarization of single-domain nanomagnets and performs operations via fringing field interactions. Currently, there is no complete top-down workflow for pNML. Researchers must instead simultaneously handle place-and-route, timing, and logic minimization by hand. These tasks include multiple NP-Hard subproblems, and the lack of automated tools for solving them for pNML precludes the design of large-scale pNML circuits.

Evaluating The Use Of Suas-Derived Imagery For Monitoring Flood Protection Infrastructure, Eleanor Mei Dietz

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

In the US there are approximately 33,000 miles of levees. This includes 14,500 miles of levee systems associated with US Army Corps of Engineers programs and approximately 15,000 miles from other state and federal agencies. More than 14 million people live behind levees and associated flood prevention infrastructure. Monitoring and risk assessment are an on-going process, especially during times of flood conditions. The city of New Orleans was heavily impacted by Hurricane Katrina in 2005 by storm surges and intense rainfall. The impact of the hurricane was substantial enough to cause levee failure and I-wall toppling where many of the …

Raptor Codes For Biawgn Channel: Snr Mismatch And The Optimality Of The Inner And Outer Rates, Hussein Fadhel

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Fountain codes are a class of rateless codes with two interesting properties, first, they can generate potentially limitless numbers of encoded symbols given a finite set of source symbols, and second, the source symbols can be recovered from any subset of encoded symbols with cardinality greater than the number of source symbols. Raptor codes are the first implementation of fountain codes with linear complexity and vanishing error floors on noisy channels. Raptor codes are designed by the serial concatenation of an inner Luby trans-form (LT) code, the first practical realization of fountain codes, and an outer low-density parity-check (LDPC) code. …