Automotive Engineering Commons^™

Crowd Monitoring And Firearm Detection Uas, Arjun Nambiar, Sang-A Lee, Diego Espino, Will Obot Jr, Ethan Encarnacion, Jarrett Usui, Jacob D. Kline

Discovery Day - Daytona Beach

The increasing complexity of public safety operations in urban and high-density environments necessitates intelligent, mobile surveillance systems capable of real-time threat identification and situational awareness. Traditional monitoring approaches, such as fixed CCTV systems and manual observation, are often limited by coverage, scalability, and response latency in complex environments or large-scale events. This project addresses these challenges through the development of a computer vision-enabled Uncrewed Aerial System (UAS) designed for crowd monitoring and firearm detection. The primary objective is to design and validate a modular, Artificial Intelligence (AI)-Machine Learning (ML)-driven model capable of identifying firearms within dynamic environments while supporting real-time …

Machine Learning For Predictive Energy And Emissions Modeling Of Vehicles And Power Grids In The United States, S M Tanvir Faysal Alam Chowdhoury

Dissertations

The environmental benefits of electric vehicle (EV) adoption depend on more than replacing internal combustion engine vehicles with electric powertrains. EV adoption reshapes electricity demand, interacts with regional generation mixes, and influences travel behavior and congestion, creating a coupled transportation-energy system in which vehicle and power-plant emissions must be evaluated together. This dissertation develops machine-learning frameworks for predicting energy consumption and emissions from vehicles and power grids under rising EV adoption. The first component forecasts grid emissions from EV charging. Using simulation data from NREL's Cambium database, a Prophet-based time-series framework predicts carbon dioxide, nitrous oxide, and methane emission rates …

Adaptive – Compositional Method For Coordinating Subsystems At Different Levels In Hierarchical Control Systems, Husan Zakirovich Igamberdiyev, Uktam Farxodovich Mamirov Mr, Inomjon Ilxom Ugli Abdukaxxarov Mr

Technical science and innovation

This paper examines the problem of synthesizing algorithms for the composition of subsystems at various levels within complex hierarchical control systems under conditions of uncertainty and resource constraints. It is demonstrated that classical composition algorithms, which rely on the intersection of admissible sets and the use of local optimality criteria, suffer from several significant drawbacks. These include a combinatorial increase in complexity, dependence on the expert selection of parameters, and limited applicability in dynamic environments. To overcome these shortcomings, an adaptive-compositional method is proposed. This method is based on the dynamic recalculation of coordination parameters, the integration of model predictive …

Calculation Of The Basic Parameters Of The Hybrid Power Plant (Hpu) On The Spark Car, Rustam Raximovich Tillahodjaev, Jamoliddin Pardaboy Ugli Turdiev

Technical science and innovation

This article presents one of the effective ways to improve fuel efficiency and reduce emissions of toxic substances, the use of internal combustion engines with the use of an electric drive in their designs. In recent years, two directions in the development of cars with electromechanical drives have been clearly identified, the first is the creation of a pure electric car, the second is the development of an electromechanical drive with a combined (hybrid) power plant. Due to the lack of efficient energy storage available for mass production, pure electric vehicles have relatively low mileage on a single charge. This …

Comprehensive Analysis Of Spray Development And Low Temperature Combustion Characteristics In A Cvcc With Nvh Of Renewable Aerospace Fuels: Hefa & Ft Synthetic Kerosene (S8) Compared To Jet-A & Ulsd, Coleman Norton

Honors College Theses

A comprehensive analysis was conducted to research the viability of Hydroprocessed Esters and Fatty Acids (HEFA) and S8 Synthetic Kerosene fuels as a drop-in replacement for conventional petroleum-based fuels, Jet-A and ULSD (Ultra Low Sulfur Diesel). Global transportation remains heavily dependent on liquid fossil fuels, while renewable aerospace fuels offer a promising pathway to reducing life cycle greenhouse gas emissions and pollution. However, the combustion performance and long-term feasibility of these fuels remain insufficiently characterized. This study performed a thorough assessment of each fuel's thermophysical and combustion properties. Thermophysical characterization encompassed viscosity, freezing point, energy density, spray atomization, and volatility. …

Design Optimization Of Active-Stabilizing Canards For High-Powered Rockets, Simon Babcock

Senior Honors Theses

Rocket canards are a common means of stabilizing a high-powered rocket in flight by producing aerodynamic forces to correct the rocket's trajectory. The size, shape, and position of the canards relative to the rocket body determine their control effectiveness and aerodynamic efficiency – two objectives of canard design with an inverse relationship to each other. By integrating automated iterative rocket trajectory simulation with adaptive surrogate modelling, this research optimized the canard planform geometry for a high-powered rocket to maximize the canards’ control effectiveness and aerodynamic efficiency through multi-variable, multi-objective design optimization. The canard design was first parameterized into four design …

Safe Control Design For Quadruped Locomotion In Unstructured Environments Using Linear Transfer Operators, Sriram Sundar Krishnamoorthy Shankara Narayanan

All Dissertations

Deploying quadruped robots in unstructured, obstacle-rich environments requires control and planning methods that remain safe and reliable despite complex terrain geometry, limited sensing, and inevitable modeling errors. This thesis develops operator-theoretic tools for safe control design of robotic systems using linear transfer operators, with a focus on quadruped locomotion in unstructured environments. The central goal is to develop a unified operator-theoretic framework for safe control design based on the Perron–Frobenius (P–F) and Koopman operators. In particular, the thesis leverages \emph{density functions} to develop safe navigation frameworks in the dual space of densities. In the operator-theoretic perspective, the P–F operator governs …

Investigation Of The Impact Of The Shape Of The Wings On Formula E Racing Car Performance: Enhancements For Optimal Aerodynamics, Ednie Marthe Adlaikah Jozil

Honors Undergraduate Theses

The aerodynamic performance of a Formula E chassis significantly dictates its overall race efficiency, directly impacting crucial parameters such as battery range and thermal management. This thesis investigates the external aerodynamics of the baseline Gen 2 Formula E car and evaluates the performance gains of two novel aerodynamic packages: a "Fully Modified" configuration and a "Flat Rear Wing" design. Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) simulations were conducted to analyze drag coefficients (Cd), downforce generation, and vehicle wake structures at race-relevant free-stream velocities (e.g., 37 m/s and 89 m/s). To ensure numerical robustness, the computational setup was validated using a smooth sphere …

Digital Twin Technologies For Battery Systems: Advancements, Applications, And Future Directions, Seyed Saeed Madani, Yasmin Shabeer, Michael Fowler, Satyam Panchal, Carlos Ziebert, Hicham Chaoui, François Allard

Electrical & Computer Engineering Faculty Publications

The relationships among deep learning, edge computing, artificial intelligence (AI), and the most recent advancements in digital twin (DT) technology for battery energy storage systems are discussed in this paper. The study highlights the need for improved cloud-edge coordination, AI model development, and stronger cybersecurity features by demonstrating real-world applications of digital twin technology in electric vehicles (EVs), aircraft, and grid storage. It also described DT-based structures for fault detection, real-time monitoring, and optimization through standardization and battery management system (BMS) fusion. Because DT-based solutions for distributed energy resources (DERs) offer improved energy management systems, various studies have been conducted …

Tradespace Exploration For Multiple Collaborative Vehicles, Mrunal Deshmukh

All Theses

Modern military operations demand systems that adapt to uncertain, rapidly changing missions across diverse terrains. Traditional single-platform vehicle design is insufficient for such complexity. This research introduces a hierarchical tradespace exploration framework for designing and evaluating families of heterogeneous ground vehicles under a System-of-Systems (SoS) architecture. The framework treats vehicle design as a co-optimization problem, where a “parent” vehicle (e.g., a Squad Multipurpose Equipment Transport) coordinates specialized “child” vehicles for reconnaissance, amphibious tasks, terrain traversal, and stealth missions. Unlike conventional approaches that optimize vehicles individually, this study emphasizes collaborative performance, resource sharing, and adaptability at the family level. Central to …

The E-Strip® As A Tool For Predictive Maintenance To Monitor And Control Shot Peening Processes, Walter A. Beach, Scott Glasier

15th International Conference on Shot Peening

The primary objective of this paper is to demonstrate the E-Strip® is capable of providing real-time feedback to the machine controller for making necessary process adjustments due to external forces, such as machine wear. Adjustments may include regulating air pressure and shot flow within pre-defined tolerances dictated by specification. It is anticipated that this integrated approach will significantly reduce variations in intensity levels observed from part to part and lot to lot.

Advancing Life Cycle Assessment For Environmental Sustainability Of Carbon Fiber-Reinforced Polymer Composites (Cfrps)), Hao Chen

All Dissertations

Carbon fiber-reinforced polymer composites (CFRPs) have emerged as promising materials, particularly for lightweight applications, with the potential to reduce environmental impacts across multiple sectors, including automotive, aerospace, and renewable energy. However, fully realizing their sustainability potential requires a more comprehensive and context-specific understanding of their environmental performance throughout the entire life cycle—from raw material production to end-of-life management.

This dissertation advances life cycle assessment (LCA) practices for CFRPs by addressing key challenges across multiple phases of the CFRP life cycle. First, I conducted a critical review and meta-analysis of carbon fiber manufacturing, revealing substantial variability in reported data on energy …

A Comprehensive Review Of Natural Gas-Diesel Dual-Fuel Engines: Efficiency, Emissions, And Engine Performance, Medhat Elkelawy Prof. Dr, Eng., E. A. El Shenawy Prof. Dr., Hagar Alm-Eldin Bastawissi Prof. Dr. Eng., Mohamed Mostafa Shafey Eng

Journal of Engineering Research

Natural gas (NG) diesel dual-fuel systems have emerged as a promising advancement in internal combustion engine (ICE) technology, offering significant potential for reducing emissions, while maintaining high fuel efficiency and performance standards. This review critically examines the combustion characteristics, operational performance, emissions mitigation potential, and the engineering challenges associated with engine modifications and fuel system compatibility. Furthermore, the role of dual-fuel technology within broader global climate change mitigation strategies is explored. Extensive evidence from the literature confirms that NG-diesel dual-fuel engines can achieve substantial reductions in nitrogen oxides (NOₓ) emissions up to 53% particulate matter (PM) by over 60%, and …

Experimental Investigation On The Effect Of Using Gasoline With Commercial Additives On Spark Ignition Engines Performance And Emissions Characteristic, Medhat Elkelawy Prof. Dr, Eng., E. A. El Shenawy Prof. Dr., Hagar Alm-Eldin Bastawissi, Emad Mostafa Eng.

Journal of Engineering Research

Gasoline is the primary source of energy in combustion engines, despite some drawbacks, such as knocking inside the engine, incomplete combustion, and the production of high emissions. The main trend has been toward the use of chemical additives as improvers, including oxidizing additives and aromatic hydrocarbon compounds. Both additives have an effect on the combustion process. Oxidizing additives improve the combustion process inside the chamber by adding additional oxygen to the fuel, which helps accelerate flame propagation, such as ethanol and oleo-octane plus. On the other hand, aromatic additives are used to increase the octane number, which in turn enhances …

Development Of A Cost-Effective Daq For Measuring Brake Performance In Race Cars, Adrin Alias

2025 Spring Honors Capstone Projects - Archive

This project explores the feasibility of creating a cost-effective data acquisition (DAQ) system for high-speed, real-time brake performance testing of Formula SAE racecars. The research addresses the limitations of the current MoTeC DAQ system currently employed by the team, which is costly and time-consuming to set up for on-car testing. The team will use a brake dynamometer for steady-state comparisons of different brake pad compounds (senior design project), but evaluating real-world performance requires on-car testing. By systematically comparing various hardware platforms, sensors, communication protocols, and storage solutions, this project aims to balance cost-efficiency with reliability and performance. The research evaluates …

Vector Estimation For Continuous Tracking Of Observed Radio Signals (V.E.C.T.O.R.) Lunar Navigation System, Dimitry Melnikov, Evan Bartel, Andrew Burrier, Goran Gjorgievski

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

NASA's Artemis program requires precise navigation capabilities to establish the first sustained presence on the lunar surface. However, as launches bring necessary orbital infrastructure, the Artemis program will face a critical period during which reliable lunar navigation is not possible. To address this challenge, the V.E.C.T.O.R. system tracks assets, such as rovers and astronauts, as User Terminals relative to a pre-existing cell tower, or Base Station. To do so, the system leverages existing Base Station hardware to calculate the location of User Terminals in conjunction with existing communications infrastructure.

Improving The Accuracy Of Neighborhood Median Pixel Method (Nmpm) In Classifying Landsat-8 Oli Images By Optimizing The Scoring System’S Point Values, Abraham T. Magpantay, Proceso L. Fernandez Jr

Department of Information Systems & Computer Science Faculty Publications

The Neighborhood Median Pixel Method has previously been introduced as an image processing technique in remote sensing, developed to classify Landsat-8 OLI satellite image pixels into categories of vegetation, water, and built-up areas. This method relies on a lookup table based on the median pixel values within a pixel’s neighborhood and a scoring system that assigns point values for classification. While a 9x9 neighborhood size was originally proposed, a succeeding study suggested a 13x13 neighborhood for better classification accuracy. This study focuses on refining the scoring system used in the Neighborhood Median Pixel Method, particularly the original set of arbitrary …

Numerical Modelling And Co-Optimization Of Gasoline Fuels For Gasoline Compression Ignition Using Multi Component Approach, Ashwin Karthik Purushothaman

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports

Future mobility is expected to rely on a broad spectrum of powertrain technologies, including battery electric vehicles (BEVs), hybrid electric vehicles (HEVs), fuel cell electric vehicles (FCEVs) and traditional internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles. Despite the shift toward electrification, internal combustion engines are projected to remain a key component of future powertrains, either as the primary power source or as range extenders to generate electricity in hybrid systems. As such, significant research efforts continue to focus on enhancing the efficiency and reducing the emissions of ICEs to meet increasingly stringent regulatory and environmental targets. Gasoline compression ignition (GCI) has been …

Potential Of Lidar And Hyperspectral Sensing For Overcoming Challenges In Current Maritime Ballast Tank Corrosion Inspection, Sergio Pallas Enguita, Jiajun Jiang, Chung-Hao Chen, Samuel Kovacic, Richard Lebel

Electrical & Computer Engineering Faculty Publications

Corrosion in maritime ballast tanks is a major driver of maintenance costs and operational risks for maritime assets. Inspections are hampered by complex geometries, hazardous conditions, and the limitations of conventional methods, particularly visual assessment, which struggles with subjectivity, accessibility, and early detection, especially under coatings. This paper critically examines these challenges and explores the potential of Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR) and Hyperspectral Imaging (HSI) to form the basis of improved inspection approaches. We discuss LiDAR’s utility for accurate 3D mapping and providing a spatial framework and HSI’s potential for objective material identification and surface characterization based on spectral …

Organisational Resilience : A Study Of The Resilience Of Maritime Stakeholders In Ghana, Priscilla Ami Dogbeda Dzokoto

World Maritime University Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Aerodynamic Design And Analysis Of A Modified 2006 Mazda Miata, William N. Recher

Honors College Theses

Aerodynamic forces developed by automobiles have destabilizing effects at high speed. These forces tend to skew toward a vehicle’s rear which can present safety concerns, especially for rear-wheel-drive automobiles like the Mazda Miata. To address oversteer and high-speed instability, a vehicle’s design can be tailored to bring about aerodynamic balance and improve traction. LiDAR was used to bring the physical automobile into the digital space. Then, a splitter and diffuser were added to reduce the magnitude of the destabilizing forces. Next, the size and shape of the rear-wing required to balance the vehicle was calculated using a combination of parameters …

Dynamics Of Separated Flows In Diffusers With Vortex Generators, Sandeep Eldho James

Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Dissertations - Archive

Flow through curved diffusers is complicated due to the possibility of flow separation and secondary flows. Vortex generators (VGs) are a class of passive flow separation control devices used to improve the flow quality in curved diffusers by suppressing flow separation. However, the literature review demands an in-depth investigation on the physical mechanisms related to flow separation control. Thus, this study aims to improve the understanding of the underlying flow physics associated with VG-induced flow separation control in confined flows. The chosen geometry for this study is a well-documented asymmetric diffuser which exhibits a mild flow separation.

The theoretical formulation …

Enhancement Of The Performance And Emission Attributes For The Diesel Engine Using Diesel-Waste Cooking Oil Biodiesel And Graphene Oxide Nanofluid Blends Through Response Surface Methodology, Medhat Elkelawy Prof. Dr. Eng., E A El Shenawy, Hagar Alm-Eldin Bastawissi, Mahmoud M. Shams

Mansoura Engineering Journal

This study examined how diesel fuel and waste-cooked oil (WCO) biodiesel blends added by various concentrations of graphene oxide (GO) nanoparticles can effect on the performance and emission characteristics of constant-speed, four-stroke, single-cylinder, water-cooled diesel engines. The GO nanoparticles concentrations are 50,100 and 150 ppm dispersed in different diesel-WCO biodiesel blends are pure diesel fuel (B0), 20% WCO biodiesel and 76% diesel fuel (B20), and 40% WCO biodiesel and 56% diesel fuel (B40). In addition 4% toluene in all blends which used as a surfactant. The diesel engine fueled with these blends and operated at various engine loads are 2, …

Cfrp Delamination Density Propagation Analysis By Magnetostriction Theory, Brandon Eugene Williams

All Dissertations

While Carbon Fiber Reinforced Polymers (CFRPs) have exceptional mechanical properties concerning their overall weight, their failure profile in demanding high-stress environments raises reliability concerns in structural applications. Two crucial limiting factors in CFRP reliability are low-strain material degradation and low fracture toughness. Due to CFRP’s low strain degradation characteristics, a wide variety of interlaminar damage can be sustained without any appreciable change to the physical structure itself. This damage suffered by the energy transfer from high- stress levels appears in the form of microporosity, crazes, microcracks, and delamination in the matrix material before any severe laminate damage is observed. This …

Controlled Manipulation And Transport By Microswimmers In Stokes Flows, Jake Buzhardt

All Dissertations

Remotely actuated microscale swimming robots have the potential to revolutionize many aspects of biomedicine. However, for the longterm goals of this field of research to be achievable, it is necessary to develop modelling, simulation, and control strategies which effectively and efficiently account for not only the motion of individual swimmers, but also the complex interactions of such swimmers with their environment including other nearby swimmers, boundaries, other cargo and passive particles, and the fluid medium itself. The aim of this thesis is to study these problems in simulation from the perspective of controls and dynamical systems, with a particular focus …

Husker Motorsports Active Drag Reduction System, Creighton Hughes, Evan Killian, Micah Busboom, Aj Johnson, Jude Steffen

Honors Program: Senior Projects (Public)

Formula SAE is a multifaceted competition that involves student teams designing and competing with an open-wheel style race car. There are 5 different dynamic events included in the competition. Each event requires a unique aerodynamic setup to have the best performance possible. This design project focuses on a drag reduction system (DRS) that will improve aerodynamic performance, resulting in faster lap times and increased competitiveness. Key features include a direct electronic actuation mechanism that will allow the rear wing to be adjusted during a race. The benefits of the DRS system, include increased speed, improved handling, and greater fuel efficiency …

Safe Navigation Of Quadruped Robots Using Density Functions, Andrew Zheng

All Theses

Safe navigation of mission-critical systems is of utmost importance in many modern autonomous applications. Over the past decades, the approach to the problem has consisted of using probabilistic methods, such as sample-based planners, to generate feasible, safe solutions to the navigation problem. However, these methods use iterative safety checks to guarantee the safety of the system, which can become quite complex. The navigation problem can also be solved in feedback form using potential field methods. Navigation function, a class of potential field methods, is an analytical control design to give almost everywhere convergence properties, but under certain topological constraints and …

Integrated Energy-Aware Motion Planning And Charge Scheduling Of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles, Hayleyesus Alemayehu

All Theses

The growing demand for unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) is driven by their operational convenience, cost-effectiveness, availability, and adaptability to various scenarios. In energy-constrained environments, optimizing energy consumption and ensuring a continuous power supply for UAVs is crucial for mission success. The objective of this thesis is to address this issue by integrating energy-aware motion planning and charge scheduling for UAVs by utilizing a charger hosted on an unmanned ground vehicle (UGV), whose rendezvous locations and routes are jointly computed to minimize overall energy consumption.

This thesis proposes a hierarchical trajectory and control framework comprising local and global planners for each …

Design And Manufacture Of An Aerodynamic Body That Meets Scaling Law Requirements And Survives Severe G-Load Environment For Free-Flight Testing, Anthony R. Gonzalez

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Design and Manufacture of an Aerodynamic Body that Meets Scaling Law Requirements and Survives Severe G-load Environment for Free-Flight Testing

Anthony Gonzalez

Developing scale models to test functionality and ascertain aerodynamic properties is critical before manufacturing full-size products. Through dimensional analysis and similitude, engineers create scale models to test any parameter of interest. This research aims to design a scale model of an aerodynamic body for repeated free-flight testing. The Froude number is the dominant scale model law used to determine the geometric, mass, and inertia scaling laws. A critical requirement for this research is that the model should be …

Design And Validation Of An Aerodynamic System For A Formula Sae® Vehicle Using Vehicle Dynamic Simulation And Experimentation, Evan S. Cole

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

This thesis presents the design, simulation, and experimental validation for the aerodynamic system for a Formula SAE® vehicle. The Society of Automotive Engineers ® (SAE) hosts a collegiate competition annually called Formula SAE® where students design, fabricate, and test a small “formula style” vehicle. The vehicle performs in relatively slow maneuvers, around different courses and tests to evaluate the vehicle’s overall performance. Over the years, collegiate teams have put significant research into the design and manufacturing of the aerodynamics of these vehicles. In order to justify this undertaking for future teams at West Virginia University’s Formula SAE® program, a comprehensive …