Electrical and Computer Engineering Commons^™

Studies Of Electrical Breakdown Of High-Pressure Ultra-Zero Air, Seth Miller

Electrical and Computer Engineering ETDs

High-pressure ultra-zero air is being evaluated to enhance switch performance and serve as a potential replacement for SF$_6$ in high-voltage switches, aiming to reduce reliance on costly insulating gases with supply chain and environmental concerns. There are still uncertainties about the dominant breakdown mechanisms of ultra-zero air in the high-pressure regime. The classical equations for breakdown describing Paschen curves appear to not be valid above 500 psia. In order to better understand gas breakdown in the high-pressure regime, this dissertation is evaluating the basic gas physics breakdown using both uniform and nonuniform-field electrode designs. The data has been collected to …

Network Intelligence For Next-Generation Wireless Networks: Advancing Distribution And Coordination, Yonatan Melese Worku

Electrical and Computer Engineering ETDs

Next-generation wireless networks, encompassing 6G and beyond, face rigorous demands for ultra-low latency, ubiquitous connectivity, exceptionally high data rates, and robust security, necessitating innovative approaches to resource optimization and network protection. This dissertation proposes a pioneering framework that synergizes advanced methodologies—deep reinforcement learning, deep learning, blockchain, and multi-agent systems—to address these challenges. Distributed architectures, underpinned by AI-driven multi-agent systems, form the backbone of this framework, enabling seamless integration and intelligent orchestration across diverse domains. The research advances IoT-based systems leveraging machine learning for resource efficiency in healthcare applications, develops reinforcement learning-driven frameworks to optimize energy and coverage for Unmanned Aerial …

Optimization And Acceleration Of Puf Design Through Reduced Order Standard Cell Modeling, Ian Z. Wilcox

Electrical and Computer Engineering ETDs

Application Specific Integrated Circuit (ASIC) designs continue to scale with ever increasing complexity and device counts in the billions. Demand for scalable high-fidelity simulations of these systems drives the need for the development of novel modeling capabilities. This research formulates a non-intrusive model order reduc-tion (MOR) framework, called PUF-ROMS, to accelerate and optimize the design and analysis of physical unclonable functions (PUFs) on ASICs. The primary goals of PUF-ROMS are to estimate entropy and temperature-voltage noise (TV-noise) of circuit structures used in the design in an accelerated evaluation environment to enable designers to explore architecture options with the goal of …

Flysurf: A Flying Robotic Surface With Shape Morphing And Motion Control, Kevin Aubert De Luchi Lomellini

Electrical and Computer Engineering ETDs

This thesis introduces FlySurf, a novel flying robotic surface capable of simultaneous shape morphing and motion control. FlySurf is modeled as a mesh-based dynamic structure actuated by multiple unmanned aerial vehicles, enabling complex deformations during flight. The proposed control architecture comprises three main components. First, a state estimator to infer the robotic surface state from limited observations. Second, a shape trajectory planner that incorporates an affine deformation term to preserve surface integrity during shape transitions. Third, a surface controller to minimize the error between the desired and actual surface configurations.

The methodology is validated through realistic simulations and hardware experiments, …

Investigating Vacuum Insulator Flashover Resistance Of Rexolite And Acrylic Before And After Applying Novel Insulator Cleaning Techniques, Ritin Joseph

Electrical and Computer Engineering ETDs

Pulsed power involves accumulating large amounts of electrical energy and releasing it instantaneously. Large pulsed power accelerators use a vacuum insulator stack to facilitate power transfer from the liquid to vacuum section. Limiting the probability of surface flashover in this setting to acceptable levels improves machine longevity and prevents energy loss. Post-shot debris deposition requires a refurbishment process to prevent deterioration of dielectric performance, though the current technique of hand-sanding is long, labor-intensive, and pose serious health hazards. I have collected flashover data on frustrum-shaped Acrylic and C-Lec Rexolite® (cross-linked polystyrene) samples using a 500-kV, 20-ns risetime pulsed power test …

Data-Driven Constrained Control, Ali Kashani

Mechanical Engineering ETDs

Ensuring safety is a fundamental challenge. Traditional methods often rely on precise mathematical models, which are difficult, impractical, or costly to obtain for real-world systems with complex, nonlinear dynamics. This dissertation develops direct data-driven control approaches that enable safe and efficient operation of nonlinear systems without requiring explicit models or performing system identification. This effort leverages machine learning, optimization, and control theory to bridge theoretical rigor and practical applicability. Deterministic guarantees are provided based on the Lipschitz continuity of the system, and probabilistic guarantees through scenario optimization. The computation of safe sets is performed using one-shot approaches with broad neural …

Ai-Driven Emi Mitigation For Smart Healthcare: Generative Adversarial Networks And Edge Computing For Reliable Medical Systems, Mona Esmaeili

Electrical and Computer Engineering ETDs

Electromagnetic interference (EMI) from radio frequency (RF) sources poses a major challenge to digital systems, especially in high-electromagnetic environments. Tradi- tional electromagnetic compatibility (EMC) analysis often focuses on continuous wave (CW) interference and overlooks the effects of waveform modulation on EMI coupling. This thesis explores how modulated waveforms influence EMI coupling and introduces a Generative Adversarial Network (GAN)-based classification framework to distinguish between harmful and non-harmful EMI signals. The study extends conventional EMC analysis using machine learning (ML), showing that modulated EMI waveforms can in- crease coupling by up to 27% compared to CW signals. This highlights the need for …

Development Of A Near Terahertz Backward Wave Oscillator Using Standard Waveguide, Alexander Glick

Electrical and Computer Engineering ETDs

There is a demand for terahertz (THz) frequency radiation sources. Applications include, but are not limited to, imaging for medical and security purposes, biochemical and organic spectroscopy, and velocimetry. Historically, there was a limited supply of THz devices due to technological limitations. In recent years much progress has been made to reduce this “gap” in supply and demand for THz sources. This work proposes a vacuum electronic device that produces high power, extremely high frequency radiation in the G-band, by utilizing a backward wave oscillator (BWO) based on WR3 standard waveguide. This device is compact, fundamentally simple, and has great …

Devices Related To Electrical Fast-Transient Protection And Detection, Cameron D. Harjes

Electrical and Computer Engineering ETDs

Electrical energy from natural occurring phenomena, such as an indirect lightning strike, can electromagnetically couple with nearby electronics thereby generating unwanted electrical fast-transients (EFT) signals in the circuit. Highly energetic EFT can interfere with a circuit’s normal operation or even destroy some circuit components entirely. Mitigating EFT has been a subject of research for decades and led to the development of devices such as lightning surge arresters (LSAs). These devices are critical for the protection of the electrical power grid from lightning induced EFT, however electromagnetic pulses (EMP) and other high-power radio frequency (RF) sources can generate much higher frequency …

Design Of A Subthreshold Cmos Inverter-Based Amplifier For Low-Noise And Low-Power Applications, Landon Alexander Schmucker

Electrical and Computer Engineering ETDs

Amplification is a fundamental function in most analog circuits. There is a fast-growing demand for low-power, low-noise, and high-gain amplifiers. Modern semiconductor processes are increasingly optimized for digital applications, which has introduced new challenges in analog design. To address these challenges, analog designers have investigated replacing conventional analog circuits with digital implementations. One promising application is the typical CMOS inverter as an amplifier.

This research presents a CMOS inverter-based amplifier with feedback designed to achieve low power consumption, low input noise, and high gain. Unlike typical CMOS inverter-based amplifiers, this topology has two distinctive features: (1) it uses a MOSFET …

Aerial Robotic Studies Of Volcanic Co2 Emissions, John Ericksen

Computer Science ETDs

Volcanic systems are inherently complex, involving dynamic interactions among magma flow, gas emissions, and atmospheric dispersion. This dissertation focuses on developing and analyzing autonomous UAS algorithms for efficiently surveying volcanic CO2 plumes, introducing several novel methods: the LoCUS algorithm, a swarm coordination and self-healing algorithm that supports gradient-based plume tracking, a transect-based technique that employs a 2D Gaussian fit to calculate CO2 plume flux, and the Sketch algorithm for rapid plume boundary tracing. By treating multiple UAS as a single scientific instrument, these methods leverage swarm algorithms to use in-situ data in ways impossible with individual drones. Validated through simulations …

Intelligent Crowdsourcing Based On Online Social Networks, Adedamola Adesokan

Electrical and Computer Engineering ETDs

The prevalence of Online Social Networks has completely changed how individuals communicate and cooperate. This dissertation explores the integration of intelligent crowdsourcing mechanisms into OSNs, focusing on game theory, reinforcement learn- ing, and social network dynamics to enhance the allocation of tasks, participation by users, and distribution of rewards. It proposes several models that utilize trust- based models, hedonic coalition games, and influencer dynamics for optimization of crowdsourcing. The major challenges to be addressed include task selection, reward distribution, and incentivizing participation, taking into consideration aspects re- lated to social influence, trust, and user engagement. The models so proposed have …

Predictive Modeling Of Electro-Optic Modulators Under Electromagnetic Interference, Hasan Ahmed

Optical Science and Engineering ETDs

In this age of electronic warfare, directed energy research is of utmost importance to ensure national security, robust military defense systems and gain a competitive edge in research worldwide. This thesis explores the intentional directed energy impacts on electro-optic devices by developing analytical predictive models through experimental data validation. An electro-optic modulator known as Mach-Zehnder modulator (MZM) is used to understand the implications of intentional EMI. A low frequency RF signal is injected in the MZM to create an EMI environment. The MZM behavior changes due to EMI during a pseudo-random bit sequence signal modulation were studied through analyzing receiver …

Navajo Speech Recognition Using Low-Resource Language Models, Emery M. Sutherland

Electrical and Computer Engineering ETDs

This thesis describes the development of a speech recognition system to classify Navajo (Dine) words using Low Resource Language (LRL) datasets. Presently there are no recognized high-quality open-sourced datasets for the Dine language needed to train models for speech recognition. A small balanced dataset was designed to train several models. To overcome the scarcity of the LRL dataset, the audio recordings were augmented to account for time-stretching, amplitude variations, time shifts, small amounts of white Gaussian noise, and SpecAugmentation. The models included a Recurrent Neural Network (RNN), a Convolutional Neural Network (CNN), and a Long Short-Term Memory (LSTM) model with …

Rf Emission From Partial Breakdown Events And Their Classification, Torin Sammeth

Electrical and Computer Engineering ETDs

Electrical breakdown is a core component of Pulse Power both in its utilization and as a failure point in systems. This research is investigating the feasibility of D-dot antennas to detect and potentially identify different forms of partial electrical breakdown in a point-to-plane gap geometry. In this work, the RF emission detected by a D-dot probe during a partial breakdown event is shown to correlate with the presence of light and current using a fast-current transformer and photomultiplier tube. Additionally, the frequency components of the RF signal were measured with the use of a fast Fourier transform. Identifying these frequencies …

A Dynamically Efficient Predictive Controller For Voltage Stability In A Dc To Dc Boost Converter, Giovanni Reyna

Electrical and Computer Engineering ETDs

Reliable voltage regulation has become a critical issue with increase demand in modern power electronic applications. This study presents a Model Predictive Controller (MPC) for voltage regulation in DC-to-DC boost converters. A closed loop analytical MPC framework is created with the purpose of computing optimal duty cycles to maintain a stable output voltage under varying load conditions, input changes, and disturbances.

To evaluate the performance of the MPC we set the controller against a comparative analyzing with a traditional cascading proportional integral (PI) controller. The proposed controller design is specifically targeted to improve dynamic efficiency during the converter’s transient events. …

Antenna Analysis Using Mixed Computer Platforms (Aacp), Keith H. Bova

Electrical and Computer Engineering ETDs

This thesis reviews the design, implementation, and benchmarking of commercially available, previous generation (CAPG) computer systems, and how they can be used with computational electromagnetics. The thesis focuses on their architecture, performance, and practical applications. It begins with an overview of CAPG system components, including different node types such as login/controllers, compute nodes, block storage, and object storage. The process of assembling these systems is outlined. The conjugate gradient method and direct linear solvers were benchmarked. The performance of CAPG systems is compared with modern computing architectures. A detailed analysis provides recommendations for designing CAPG systems around the performance of …

Cyber Physical Emulation Of Power Grids: Co-Simulation Of Exata Cps And Hypersim, Mckayla Snow

Electrical and Computer Engineering ETDs

This thesis explores the use of cyber-physical emulation of power grids to analyze the impact of different types of cyberattacks. It outlines the co-simulation process of HYPERSIM and EXata CPS within the OPAL-RT real-time digital simulator, demonstrating various cyberattacks on two power system models. The first model is a simple communication-focused testbed for easy demonstration of co-simulation setup, while the second is a power system model of a secondary network used to assess the cybersecurity of network protector units in low-voltage networks through a hardware-in-the-loop (HIL) testbed. Using this testbed, the cybersecurity of the direct transfer trip (DTT) scheme is …

Design And Characterization Of Radiation-Hardened Gaas Hbt-Based Optical Transceivers, Collin Burt

Electrical and Computer Engineering ETDs

Optical transceivers are desirable for their galvanic isolation and natural immunity to electromagnetic interference compared with direct electrical connections. This is true in normal operating environments as well as radiation environments. This work realizes and characterizes GaAs HBT-based optical transceivers across temperature and a range of radiation environments including high dose rate, total ionizing dose, neutron, and heavy ion. The transceiver designs are discussed and specific environmental design considerations are highlighted. Final results for each environment are provided and compared with existing transceivers.

Modeling And Simulations Of An Input Coupler For A High-Power Traveling Wave Tube Amplifier As A Preliminary Investigation Into A Multi-Stream Traveling Wave Tube Amplifier, Ethan Wade

Electrical and Computer Engineering ETDs

The University of New Mexico (UNM) is working on developing a multi-stream Traveling Wave Tube (TWT) amplifier. One of the first steps to be taken during the design of a TWT amplifier is to design an input coupler to couple power from a lower power High Power Microwave (HPM) seed source to the slow wave structure (SWS) of the amplifier. In order to aid in the development of a TWT which operates in X-band, multiple options for input couplers have been designed for use in a greater TWT project at UNM. The primary tasks to be addressed with these input …

Mg And Fe Co-Doped Perovskites For The Electrochemical Oxidative Coupling Of Methane In Solid Oxide Electrolyzers, Luke H. Denoyer

Chemical and Biological Engineering ETDs

More efficient usage of shale gas reserves and natural gas resources will allow for higher olefin yields and lower greenhouse gas emissions. The oxidative coupling of methane (OCM) is a direct pathway for converting methane to ethylene at temperatures >700 °C. The OCM process is typically regulated via the choice of catalyst, reactor conditions, temperature range and gas mixing. The electrochemical oxidative coupling of methane (E-OCM) is a modification to the OCM reaction by controlling the oxygen content via externally applied potentials to an SOEC. Perovskite oxide catalysts are useful for E-OCM due to their flexible bond networks and desired …

Fail-Safe Logic Design Strategies Within Modern Fpga Architectures, Priya A. Bhakta

Electrical and Computer Engineering ETDs

Field Programmable Gate Arrays (FPGAs) are vulnerable to radiation-induced single event upsets (SEUs) and fault injection attacks, requiring the use of redundancy techniques such as fail-safe computing. Fail-safe computing refers to computing systems that revert to a non-operational safe state when a fault occurs. This work investigates circuit-level techniques and implements fail-safe computing processes as mitigation for SEUs and fault injection attacks on FPGAs. The analysis reveals vulnerabilities that exist in FPGAs over those in application-specific integrated circuits (ASIC); thus, requiring a more elaborate network of redundant circuits and checking logic. The reconfiguration capability of FPGAs adds complexity to fail-safe …

Modelling V-Band Atmospheric Loss With Deep Learning, Ralph Lyndon Gesner

Electrical and Computer Engineering ETDs

Modelling atmospheric loss is fundamental to implementation of future mm-wave terrestrial and earth space communication links. Atmospheric losses have traditionally been estimated by calculating the contributions of individual weather phenomena through in-situ meteorological measurements and statistically derived models for estimating localized atmospheric water content. Collecting data for all points along the propagation path and calculating the physical effects of gases, clouds, and precipitation individually is both time consuming and impractical for large-scale use cases.

In response to these present limitations, this work proposes the use of novel deep learning models for estimating atmospheric losses from tabular meteorological sensor data and …

Simulation Studies Of Mvdc Power Cable For All Electric Aircrafts, Aban Samimi Motlagh

Electrical and Computer Engineering ETDs

MVCD power cable has a vital task in future commercial electric aircraft, which is power delivery. The temperature of the cable during the cable’s operation under low pressure is higher than the atmospheric pressure, which increases the cable losses. In this paper, the temperature and electric field across the insulator of the 5 kV DC Southwire cable is simulated up to 10 hours of cable operation. Furthermore, the temperature of the cable is shown with and without the presence of the chamber box. The other issue of the MVDC power cable is the cable joints and terminations. The electric field …

Source Detection And Automatic Modulation Classification For Modern Antenna Array Processing, Jayakrishnan Vijayamohanan

Electrical and Computer Engineering ETDs

Source detection and automatic modulation classification are two of the most important steps in any array processing task. In this research a novel deep learning model referred to as RadioNet, is proposed that is focused on solving both these problems by reformulating them as a multi-label classification problem. Traditional approaches to both these topics face challenges in scenarios with noise, interference, fewer number of snapshots, and high number of sources. The limitations of the conventional models are investigated and overcome by the proposed solution. RadioNet is also compared with other existing state-of-the-art machine learning based solutions. The introduced model is …

Theory And Algorithms To Learn, Propagate, And Exploit Uncertainty For Stochastic Optimal Control Of Dynamical Systems, Vignesh Sivaramakrishnan

Electrical and Computer Engineering ETDs

Non-Gaussian uncertainty frequently arises in learning and control problems involving stochastic dynamical systems, particularly in autonomous vehicles, UAVs, satellites, and robotics. In this dissertation, we propose a new framework that leverages characteristic functions that provides a frequency-domain representation of random variables. The dissertation is structured into three key areas. First, we address model-based stochastic optimal control for linear systems with non-Gaussian noise, demonstrating that characteristic functions can be used to enforce chance constraints and control systems toward desired distributions. Second, we explore data-driven stochastic control, utilizing empirical characteristic functions to handle systems with unknown disturbances. In addition, we derive several …

Decision Making And Performance Optimization In Distributed Cyber Physical Networks, Md Sahabul Hossain

Electrical and Computer Engineering ETDs

Cyber-Physical Systems (CPSs) integrate computation, networking, and physical processes, while Cyber-Physical Networks (CPNs) enable communication and coordination among components. With advances in IoT and smart devices, CPSs are increasingly vital for applications such as smart grids, industrial automation, and autonomous vehicles. This dissertation explores decision making and performance optimization in Distributed Cyber-Physical Networks (DCPNs), focusing on efficiency, reliability, decentralization, and security. Using network economic theories (e.g., game theory, contract theory) and machine learning (e.g., Reinforcement Learning, Federated Learning), it addresses key problems: 1) a cost-effective positioning system with Reconfigurable Intelligent Surfaces (RISs) and RL, 2) energy-efficient task offloading in Multi-access …

Ge/Sige Quantum Wells: Material For The Post-Moore Era, Troy Alexander Hutchins-Delgado

Optical Science and Engineering ETDs

This dissertation demonstrates high-quality germanium quantum wells on a 200 mm silicon wafer platform, enabling novel device possibilities. Partnering with a commercial silicon-germanium epitaxy supplier, we obtained shallow, undoped germanium quantum wells with high-crystalline quality, confirmed through x-ray diffraction, secondary ion mass spectroscopy, high-resolution scanning transmission electron microscopy, and energy dispersive x-ray spectroscopy. Hall bar devices fabricated on single quantum wells revealed that surface preparation can tune transport properties while maintaining peak mobilities around 10⁵ cm²V⁻¹s⁻¹. Manganese-germanide spintronic contacts were integrated via solid-state reaction, with contact quality assessed through Schottky diodes, transfer length …

Soc-Based Control System Performance Analysis For Trapped-Ion Quantum Computing, Tiamike Dudley

Electrical and Computer Engineering ETDs

Scatter-gather dynamic-memory-access (SG-DMA) is utilized in applications that require high bandwidth and low latency data transfers between memory and peripherals, where data blocks, described using buffer descriptors (BDs), are distributed throughout the memory system. The data transfer organization and requirements of a Trapped-Ion Quantum Computer (TIQC) possess characteristics similar to those targeted by SG-DMA. In particular, the ion qubits in a TIQC are manipulated by applying control sequences consisting primarily of modulated laser pulses. These optical pulses are defined by parameters that are (re)configured by the electrical control system. Variations in the operating environment and equipment make it necessary to …

Modeling W/V-Band Satellite Communications In The Presence Of Noise Jamming, Ryan Michael Eckman

Electrical and Computer Engineering ETDs

Understanding the performance of wideband modulated signals under noise jamming conditions is important for advancing W/V-band military satellite communications. This research developed and validated models to predict performance degradation of a communication channel in the presence of wideband noise jamming. Channel models were developed that included both modulated communication signals and jammer signals. Integrated models included environmental link factors and practical implementation factors. Integrated models were verified and validated using outdoor radio frequency environments utilizing two W/V-band transceivers, a portable W-band jammer, and software defined radios. Experimental results demonstrated excellent agreement with integrated model predictions. Channel degradation due to the …