Engineering Commons^™

Thermal Investigations Of Double Pass Solar Air Heater With Two Types Of Porous Media Of Different Thermal Conductivity, Jalal M. Jalil, Shrooq J. Ali

Engineering and Technology Journal

This study describes an experimental investigation of the thermal efficiency of stainless steel mesh and steel wool as a porous medium in the lower channel of a double pass solar air heater. An experimental setup was planned and developed. Various types of porous media with high thermal conductivity and with different porosities have been tested. The effects of the porosity of wire mesh, the thermal conductivity of porous media, mass flow rate, and the intensity of radiation have been studied. Experimental results show that thermal efficiency with using porous media is greater than without using porous media. When used steel …

Evaluation Of The Hydrodynamic Pressure Effect Of Cylindrical Liquid Storage Tank On The Granular Soil Behavior Under Seismic Excitation, Ahmed A. Hussein, Mohammed A. Al-Neami, Falah H. Rahil

Engineering and Technology Journal

Many liquid storage tanks around the world have been affected by earthquakes, and the seismic analysis of such tanks is much more complicated due to the Fluid-Structure Interaction. Besides, when the soil properties are taken into the consideration, the analysis with the Fluid-Soil-Structure Interaction becomes very complicated. In this paper, a series of shaking table tests are conducted on a model of the cylindrical water tank rested on dry granular soil and the equivalent load is considered to study the effect of hydrodynamic pressure generated in the storage water tank on the soil behavior. An experimental investigation of (1:100) scale …

Chemical Extraction Process For Producing High Purity Nanosilica From Iraqi Rice Husk, Sami A. Ajeel, Khalid A. Sukkar, Naser K. Zedin

Engineering and Technology Journal

Rice husk is considered a main agricultural waste in Iraq. High purity SiO2 NPs were produced from rice husk by enhanced precipitation and developed leaching processes for the preparation of silica from RH. In this study, pre-treatment for rice husk was with 3N HCl, and calcination at 700°C was achieved, then followed with a leaching process with (1.5, 2, 2.5, 3) N NaOH concentrations. The characterizations of the prepared SiO2 NPs were studied by X-ray fluorescence (XRF), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and atomic force microscopy (AFM). The results show that the prepared SiO2 NPs have an amorphous structure with a high …

Experimental Investigation Of Thermosyphon Thermal Performance Using Different Filling Ratio, Talib Z. Farge, Samar J. Ismael, Rawad M.Thyab

Engineering and Technology Journal

The present work investigated the thermal performance of thermosyphon by using distilled water as a working fluid at different filling ratios (50%, 60%, and 70 %). The thermosyphon was manufactured from a copper tube with outer and inner diameters (26 and 24) mm, respectively. The thermosyphon was tested experimentally at different input power (100, 200 and 300) Watt. The operating temperature of the oil was chosen below 85°C. Experimental results revealed that the filling ratio of 60% exhibited the best heat dissipation at the highest operating temperature. While the low operating temperature and 50 % filling ratio show better heat …

Effects Of Evaporator And Condenser Temperatures On The Performance Of A Chiller System With A Variable Speed Compressor, Ahmed H. Al-Hassani, Alaa R. Al-Badri

Engineering and Technology Journal

The operation and performance of heat-pump systems are affected by indoor and outdoor operating conditions. Power consumption and system efficiency are related to evaporator and condenser working pressures. Intelligent controllers such as a proportional integral (PI) controller improve the performance of variable speed refrigeration systems (VSRs) with electronic expansion valve (EEV). Evaporator and condenser pressures affect the system power consumption and efficiency. In this study, the influence of evaporator and condenser temperatures on the performance of a variable speed refrigeration system with an EEV was experimentally investigated at constant cooling load. The experimental system comprises of a rotary compressor, shell-and-coil …

Direct Shear Strength Of Rpc Member, Shahad Q. Madhlom, Hussein A. Aziz, Ammar A. Ali

Engineering and Technology Journal

In this research paper, results are obtained from Reactive Powder Concrete (RPC) push-off specimens - double L shape subjected to direct shear loading. Different parameters considered are compressive strength, percentages of steel fiber, presence of aggregate and shear reinforcement. The results show that increasing in steel fiber content starting from 0.0% and ending with 1.5% leads to increases in the shear strength by (261%) and attempt to decrease its brittleness. The presence of steel fiber content enhances and improves the tensile strength and the shear strength. Using RPC in constructing the specimens enhances the shear strength by 29.6% compared with …

Performance Evaluation Of Photovoltaic Panels By A Proposed Automated System Based On Microcontrollers, Mustafa Q. Ali, Monaf S. Tapoub, Hayder A. Dhahadc

Engineering and Technology Journal

In this paper, an automated test setup for PV panels using LabVIEW and several microcontrollers (μCs) based embedded systems has been designed, tested, and implemented. This PV testing system has been characterized as fully automated and the only human intervention required is to install the PV panel and to set the required testing conditions. Several PV panels were evaluated and tested, the obtained results showed a high degree of accuracy and conformity with several testing schemes that have been carried out numerically, manually and manufacturer specifications. The designed system is characterized by a high-performance standard with accuracy, precision, and resolution …

A Review On Microbial Fuel Cells, Baidaa A. Kitafa, Afaf J. Obaid Al-Saned

Engineering and Technology Journal

The Microbial Fuel Cell (MFC) is a bioreactor with which the chemical energy in chemical bonds of organic compounds are converted to electricity under anaerobic conditions through catalytic reactions of micro-organisms. It has been familiar for a long time that electricity can be generated directly through using bacteria to break organic matter. A microbial fuel cell can also serve in different wastewater treatment to destroy organic matter. The development of MFC technology requires a greater understanding of the microbial processes for MFCs, and their components, limitations, factors and design this system, to be simpler and large scale system developed; so …

Novel Dynamic Batch-Sensitive Adam Optimiser For Vehicular Accident Injury Severity Prediction, Daniel Asare Kyei, Alimatu Saadia-Yussiff, Maame G. Asante-Mensah, Abdul Lateef-Yussiff, Charles Roland Haruna, Derry Emmanuel

Iraqi Journal for Computer Science and Mathematics

The choice of optimiser is important in deep learning, as it strongly influences model efficiency and speed of convergence. However, many commonly used optimisers encounter difficulties when applied to imbalanced and sequential datasets, limiting their ability to capture patterns of minority classes. In this study, we propose Dynamic Batch-Sensitive Adam (DBS-Adam), an optimiser that dynamically scales the learning rate using a batch difficulty score derived from exponential moving averages of gradient norms and batch loss. DBS-Adam improves training stability and accelerates convergence by increasing updates for difficult batches and reducing them for easier ones. We evaluate DBS-Adam by integrating it …

Genpix: A Diverse Dataset For Fake Image Detection, Guessoum Dalila, Benblidia Nadjia, Boumahdi Fatima, Remmide Mohamed Abdelkarim, Nouri Tarek-Amine, Bataouche Azeddine-Lotfi

Iraqi Journal for Computer Science and Mathematics

The rapid advancement of sophisticated generative models has intensified the need for robust fake image detection systems. However, many existing benchmark datasets suffer from limited diversity in content types and generation techniques, constraining the generalization ability of detection models. To address these limitations, we introduce GenPix (Generalized Pixels), a comprehensive dataset encompassing over 80,000 images spanning diverse categories, including faces, objects, and scenes, generated by multiple state-of-the-art models such as Generative Adversarial Networks (GANs) and diffusion-based architectures. The dataset includes samples from different generation methods to ensure broad coverage of fake image characteristics.

GenPix provides a realistic evaluation environment that …

Eyolov8-Msaff: An Enhanced Object Detection Algorithm With Multi-Scale Attention And Feature Fusion For Small And Dense Object Detection In Uav Applications, Mohammed Hasan Mutar, Morteza Valizadeh, Alaa Hussein Abdulaal, Mehdi Chehel Amirani

Iraqi Journal for Computer Science and Mathematics

The proliferation of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) has necessitated the development of sophisticated object detection algorithms capable of handling the unique challenges posed by aerial imagery. Traditional detection methods often struggle with small object sizes, dense distributions, and complex backgrounds characteristic of UAV-captured scenes. This research presents EYOLOv8-MSAFF (Enhanced YOLOv8 with Multi-Scale Attention and Feature Fusion), a novel deep learning architecture specifically engineered for superior performance in UAV-based object detection tasks. The proposed methodology integrates four innovative components: a Hybrid Spatial-Channel Attention Mechanism (HSCAM) that processes attention information in parallel rather than sequentially, an Adaptive Multi-Scale Feature Fusion Module (AMSFFM) …

A Novel Hierarchical Multi-Scale Attention Mechanism For Enhanced Yolov8 Performance In Unmanned Aerial Vehicle-Based Small Object Detection, Mohammed Hasan Mutar, Morteza Valizadeh, Alaa Hussein Abdulaal, Mehdi Chehel Amirani

Iraqi Journal for Computer Science and Mathematics

Object detection in Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) images presents significant challenges due to the prevalence of small and densely packed objects, as well as variations in scale, orientation, and lighting conditions. This paper introduces a novel object detection algorithm, Hierarchical Multi-Scale Attention YOLO (HMSA-YOLO), which is an improved version of YOLOv8 designed to address these challenges. The proposed method incorporates a novel Hierarchical Multi-Scale Attention (HMSA) module, a Bidirectional Feature Pyramid Network (BiFPN) for enhanced feature fusion, a modified loss function, and an adaptive anchor optimization technique. The HMSA module effectively captures both channel and spatial dependencies at multiple scales, …

Analysis Of Flood Modeling For The Replication Of An Extreme Rainfall Event In South Florida, Lusnel Fritznel Ferdinand

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Flooding is the most common natural disaster in the United States, and trends show an increase in flood risk for the foreseeable future. Florida averages 45 flood disasters per year, at an annual cost of $86 million. Communities in Florida are susceptible to a variety of flood-inducing sources, including tropical cyclones, extreme rainfall, and rising sea levels, which can impact the tourism industry and the economic well-being of residents. The first objective of the thesis was to use flood modeling to replicate the extreme rainfall event that caused heavy flooding in Broward County, Florida, from April 12-13, 2023. A commercial …

Comparative Performance Evaluation Of A Gpu-Accelerated Watershed Model For Flood Inundation Mapping, Maliha Ali

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study evaluates PyWMP (Python-based Watershed Modeling and Planning), which is a flood modeling framework developed by the Center for Water Resiliency and Risk Reduction (CWR3) at Florida Atlantic University (FAU). The framework includes a 2D Rain-on-Mesh (ROM) solver, which is an explicit finite-volume shallow-water equation model. PyWMP is compared against HEC-RAS 2D and Flood Modeller for their rain-on-grid capabilities for watershed-scale flood inundation mapping under three design storm scenarios. The performance of PyWMP was evaluated using both quantitative and spatial metrics. Mean absolute error values showed that the average depth difference between each model is under 1 foot. Percent …

Improving The Fpga Radio Design Cycle: Implementing Dvb-S2 Modulation Using Verilator And Gnu Radio, Seth Pellegrino

Dissertations and Theses

In embedded digital radio systems, a central challenge is meeting the real-time throughput required to process the samples--especially for space-bound ultra-wideband SDRs which must handle more than 100 Gbps entirely onboard. An FPGA's programmable logic offers sufficient potential, but realizing a particular radio flow is a project usually fraught with defects and long turnaround times. We simulated Verilog modules in a custom harness that adapted a Verilated model to GNU Radio, which allowed for breaking down a complicated radio flow (here, DVB-S2 modulation) into a series of well-bounded problems each with clear criteria for success. The framework, built on open …

Integrated Construction Uncertainty Quantification Framework Icuqf, Felix Delmonte

Mechanical and Civil Engineering Faculty Publications

This study develops ICUQF, an integrated uncertainty framework for digitally instrumented construction megaprojects that unite probabilistic simulation, fuzzy reasoning, Bayesian networks, AI-driven anomaly detection, BIM-linked digital twins, and organizational learning into a single operational architecture. The framework classifies uncertainty into aleatory variability, epistemic gaps, data-centric and model-centric risks, and cognitive or cultural sources, mapping each class to computational treatments such as Monte Carlo engines for stochastic variability, fuzzy intervals and p-boxes for imprecise expert judgments, and hierarchical Bayesian models for coherent evidence aggregation and online updating. ICUQF specifies data pipelines that connect IoT sensing, edge processing, cloud storage, and Common …

Load Balancing Algorithms For Cloud Computing Systems, Mark Rakesh Christian

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Cloud computing depends on load balancing to allocate user requests among virtual machines (VMs), affecting response time, utilization, and scalability. Round Robin, Equally Spread Current Execution, and standard Throttled scheduling are widely used; however, standard Throttled selects among eligible VMs using an implementation-dependent order with no explicit preference. This thesis proposes the Weighted Throttled Load Balancing (WTLB) algorithm, which introduces an explicit, deterministic selection priority among eligible VMs, implemented by modifying the Throttled scheduler within CloudAnalyst.

Evaluated under an identical six-region, multi-data-center configuration against Round Robin, ESCE, and standard Throttled, WTLB preserves the aggregate response-time, processing-time, and cost profile of …

Effect Of Geothermal Conditions On Silica Flour Modified Wellbore Cement, Travis Benjamin Broadhurst

Civil Engineering ETDs

Considerable work has been conducted on modified wellbore cements, but a knowledge gap exists in the effects of downhole conditions on cement, especially tensile strength. In this study, a pressure vessel simulates representative downhole conditions (200⁰C, 1.5 MPa) with a reference solution for geothermal brine and naturally occurring geothermal gases. Samples are removed after 28-days for unconfined compressive strength testing, Brazilian tensile strength testing, elastic moduli measurement, and chemical analyses by X-ray diffraction and electron microprobe. Aqueous chemical analysis suggests multiple active reactions between the geothermal fluid and cement that are exacerbated by higher temperatures, but do not …

Investigating Nanoparticle Capture By Condensed Phase Coacervates And Their Mixtures, Sanjna A. Bhakta

Chemical and Biological Engineering ETDs

The thermoresponsive polymers elastin-like polypeptides (ELPs) and poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) (PNIPAM) have served as a programmable bioseparation tool for applications in nanoparticle capture due to biocompatibility and tunable properties. This work investigates how the polymer composition of ELP and PNIPAM coacervates influences their phase behavior, structural morphology, and nanoparticle recruitment. In addition, the influence of interfacial interactions in nanoparticle recruitment using Tween 80 as a mechanistic probe was also investigated. Different mixtures of ELPs E1.40, E1.80, and E3 with PNIPAM14 and PNIPAM20 were used to characterize their phase behavior and analyze structural morphology using turbidity measurements and microscopy, respectively. Nanobead recruitment using …

Developing Simulation To Improve G3p3 Efficiencies, Andrew Gaudette

Mechanical Engineering ETDs

Concentrated solar power (CSP) systems offer a promising method of renewable energy generation by using heliostats to focus sunlight onto a falling particle receiver. At the National Solar Thermal Testing Facility (NSTTF), particles absorb and store solar energy for later power generation. A major source of efficiency loss is wind-driven particle escape through the receiver aperture. This thesis develops computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulations to characterize wind flow around the G3P3 falling particle receiver and support future wind mitigation strategies. Numerical studies were conducted to establish an appropriate simulation methodology. Iteration studies showed that 2,000 iterations were sufficient for convergence, …

Control Of Reshock In A Shock Tube, Alexander Sweis

Mechanical Engineering ETDs

Reshocks can pose a threat to the structural integrity of structures and buildings. While incident shock waves pose larger threats, the study of reshocks and reshock attenuation is important to consider. This thesis investigates methods for controlling and attenuating reshock strength within a shock tube through material-based damping and modifications to baffle box geometric configurations. Experiments are performed using a custom-built shock tube in the University of New Mexico fluid mechanics laboratory. Four baffle box configurations are examined: a foam-lined configuration, a foam-lined configuration with ”egg crate-like” textured foam, an empty (no foam) configuration, and a configuration which incorporates a …

Design And Feasibility Study Of An Air-Cooled Reactor Cavity Cooling System For Fluoride-Salt-Cooled High-Temperature Reactors, Alexandra D. Martinez

Nuclear Engineering ETDs

Licensing efforts for Fluoride-Salt-Cooled High-Temperature Reactors (FHRs) are dependent on passive safety systems designed for decay heat removal, yet no prior study has evaluated an air-based Reactor Cavity Cooling System (RCCS) for this role. This thesis addresses that gap by determining whether an air-cooled RCCS can be designed to passively remove post-shutdown decay heat from the Mk 1 FHR. An RCCS configuration was developed and sized using a one-dimensional lumped-parameter design methodology, then evaluated through system-level thermal-hydraulic modeling in RELAP5-3D under a conservative, lower-bound post-shutdown transient. The analysis characterizes the radial heat-transfer pathways from the FHR core to the RCCS …

Development Of Dynamic Proof-Mass Configurations For Broadband Piezoelectric Energy Harvesting, Nico E. Galarza

Electrical and Computer Engineering ETDs

The purpose of this thesis is to investigate and develop dynamic proof-mass configurations for broadband piezoelectric energy harvesting. Conventional piezoelectric energy harvesters are typically limited by narrow operating bandwidths, restricting their performance under variable-frequency excitation. This research presents the design, fabrication, and experimental evaluation of multiple proof-mass concepts intended to increase the usable frequency range of cantilever-based piezoelectric energy harvesters. Several dynamic mass configurations were developed using additive manufacturing techniques and integrated with commercially available piezoelectric cantilevers. Experimental testing was conducted under controlled vibration conditions to characterize voltage response, resonant behavior, and bandwidth performance. The results demonstrate that dynamic proof-masses …

Synergizing Crowd Collaboration: Enhancing Crowdsourcing Matching Via Integration Of Matching Theory And Coalition Games, Rowan Aengus Kinney

Electrical and Computer Engineering ETDs

This paper tackles the challenges inherent in crowdsourcing dynamics by introducing the CROWDMATCH mechanism. Aimed at enabling crowdworkers to strategically select suitable crowdsourcers while contributing information to crowdsourcing tasks, CROWDMATCH considers incentives, information availability and cost, and the decisions of fellow crowdworkers to model the utility functions for both the crowdworkers and the crowdsourcers. Specifically, the paper presents an initial Approximate CROWDMATCH mechanism grounded in matching theory principles, eliminating externalities from crowdworkers’ decisions and enabling each entity to maximize its utility. Subsequently, the Accurate CROWDMATCH mechanism is introduced, being initiated by the outcome of the Approximate CROWDMATCH mechanism, and employing …

Investigating The Corrosion Behavior Of Stainless Steel 316 In Static Lead Lithium Eutectic Under Applied Stressed Conditions, Daniel E. Levario

Nuclear Engineering ETDs

As fusion power moves closer to feasibility, identifying structural materials compatible with breeding blanket environments remains a critical challenge. Lead-lithium eutectic (LLE) is a leading candidate breeder and coolant material due to its low melting point and combined tritium breeding and neutron multiplication capability. However, the corrosive nature of LLE toward structural steels at elevated temperatures must be characterized before these systems can be reliably deployed. This study investigates the corrosion behavior of Type 316 stainless steel in static LLE under applied stress conditions at 550°C using C-ring stress corrosion specimens. Post exposure analysis via optical microscopy, SEM, EDS, and …

Tinyml-Based Embedded Vision System For Ic Detection In Microcontroller Manufacturing, Mark M. Pallones, King Harold A. Recto, Rynne Daven A. Barrios

Electronics, Computer, and Communications Engineering Faculty Publications

Mixing of microcontroller unit (MCU) integrated circuits (ICs) during the final testing stage of semiconductor manufacturing can lead to material waste, production delays, and customer dissatisfaction. This issue often occurs when standard JEDEC Matrix Trays (JMTs) are reused without confirming that all ICs have been removed after testing, a process typically performed through manual inspection and therefore susceptible to human error due to high test volumes, small IC package sizes, and visual similarity between IC packages and tray surfaces. This study develops an automated IC Detection Test System using embedded vision to determine whether JMT trays are empty prior to …

Mapping And Modeling Threat-Evoked Brain States After Early Life Adversity, Taylor W. Uselman

Biomedical Sciences ETDs

Early life adversity (ELA) increases lifelong neuropsychiatric vulnerability. Yet how ELA reorganizes brain-wide activity and circuit coordination across later experience remains unclear. This dissertation tests the hypothesis that ELA alters adult brain-wide activity and responses to threat through disrupted coordination among neural systems that regulate emotional experience, including prefrontal-limbic and monoaminergic systems. Longitudinal manganese-enhanced MRI of adult mice exposed to standard or fragmented early care, combined with computational processing and statistical modeling, quantified brain states before, during, and long after innate predator threat. These studies established that acute threat evokes large-scale, distributed brain activity that evolves over time. ELA potentiates …

Multiscale Network Modeling Of Native And Modified Photosynthetic Light-Harvesting Complexes, Zane E. Armijo

Chemical and Biological Engineering ETDs

Photosynthetic light-harvesting complexes harvest solar energy and direct electronic excitations toward reaction centers with exceptional efficiency. This dissertation models the Fenna--Matthews--Olson complex of green sulfur bacteria, coupled to the PscA1 reaction center, as a chromophoric network. Forster resonance energy transfer theory, validated against numerically exact hierarchical equations of motion, was implemented in kinetic Monte Carlo simulations to resolve fine-grained excitation-transport pathways. The predicted charge-transfer efficiency of 77\% agrees with experiment, with the FMO2 monomer and its gateway pigment governing interfacial transfer. Systematic single, multi, and symmetry-preserving site removals, interpreted through Mobius inversion, identify critical pigments and show that cooperative effects …

Impact Of Gas Interactions With Nano Porous Geological Material In The Presence Of Water Vapor, Matthew D. Powell

Chemical and Biological Engineering ETDs

Predicting gas transport in nanoporous geological material requires understanding competitive adsorption and transport under humid conditions. However, most adsorption studies rely on single-component equilibrium measurements that do not capture these effects. This dissertation develops an experimental methodology to directly quantify multicomponent gas adsorption and breakthrough behavior under controlled relative humidity. The method was first applied to the Kr/Xe–N2–H2O system, where it resolved competitive adsorption behavior in humid porous media and produced a bivariate model relating noble gas adsorption to noble gas partial pressure and water saturation. The methodology was then extended to the CO2–N2 H2O system. Results showed that water …

Mechanisms Of Advanced And Energy Efficient Wastewater Treatment Technologies, Derek Belka

Civil Engineering ETDs

This dissertation combines meta-omics, microbial ecology, and hydrodynamic analysis to explore mechanisms of enhanced biological phosphorus removal (EBPR) and aerobic granular sludge (AGS) in municipal wastewater treatment. Metagenomic and functional gene profiling of a laboratory sequencing batch reactor fed with amino acids and proteins, and with a low abundance of known polyphosphate-accumulating organisms (PAOs), revealed abundant Herpetosiphonaceae and Dermatophilaceae families possessed key PAO metabolic traits, including phosphate scavenging, anaerobic carbon pathways, and ppk2 gene variants aligned with established PAOs. These findings suggest amino acid-driven EBPR can occur via previously unrecognized taxa, challenging current engineering assumptions and highlighting the need for …