Physical Sciences and Mathematics Commons^™

Tree-Based Partition Querying: A Methodology For Computing Medoids In Large Spatial Datasets, Kyriakos Mouratidis, Dimitris Papadias, Spiros Papadimitriou

Kyriakos MOURATIDIS

Besides traditional domains (e.g., resource allocation, data mining applications), algorithms for medoid computation and related problems will play an important role in numerous emerging fields, such as location based services and sensor networks. Since the k-medoid problem is NP hard, all existing work deals with approximate solutions on relatively small datasets. This paper aims at efficient methods for very large spatial databases, motivated by: (i) the high and ever increasing availability of spatial data, and (ii) the need for novel query types and improved services. The proposed solutions exploit the intrinsic grouping properties of a data partition index in order …

Anonymous Query Processing In Road Networks, Kyriakos Mouratidis, Man Lung Yiu

Kyriakos MOURATIDIS

The increasing availability of location-aware mobile devices has given rise to a flurry of location-based services (LBSs). Due to the nature of spatial queries, an LBS needs the user position in order to process her requests. On the other hand, revealing exact user locations to a (potentially untrusted) LBS may pinpoint their identities and breach their privacy. To address this issue, spatial anonymity techniques obfuscate user locations, forwarding to the LBS a sufficiently large region instead. Existing methods explicitly target processing in the euclidean space and do not apply when proximity to the users is defined according to network distance …

Continuous Monitoring Of Spatial Queries In Wireless Broadcast Environments, Kyriakos Mouratidis, Spiridon Bakiras, Dimitris Papadias

Kyriakos MOURATIDIS

Wireless data broadcast is a promising technique for information dissemination that leverages the computational capabilities of the mobile devices in order to enhance the scalability of the system. Under this environment, the data are continuously broadcast by the server, interleaved with some indexing information for query processing. Clients may then tune in the broadcast channel and process their queries locally without contacting the server. Previous work on spatial query processing for wireless broadcast systems has only considered snapshot queries over static data. In this paper, we propose an air indexing framework that 1) outperforms the existing (i.e., snapshot) techniques in …

Model-Based Analysis Of Electric Drive Options For Medium-Duty Parcel Delivery Vehicles, Robb A. Barnitt, Aaron D. Brooker, Laurie Ramroth

Publications (T)

Medium-duty vehicles are used in a broad array of fleet applications, including parcel delivery. These vehicles are excellent candidates for electric drive applications due to their transient-intensive duty cycles, operation in densely populated areas, and relatively high fuel consumption and emissions. The National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) conducted a robust assessment of parcel delivery routes and completed a model-based techno-economic analysis of hybrid electric vehicle (HEV) and plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV) configurations. First, NREL characterized parcel delivery vehicle usage patterns, most notably daily distance driven and drive-cycle intensity. Second, drive-cycle analysis results framed the selection of drive cycles used …

College Of Engineering Senior Design Competition Fall 2010, University Of Nevada, Las Vegas

Fred and Harriet Cox Senior Design Competition Projects

Part of every UNLV engineering student’s academic experience, the senior design project stimulates engineering innovation and entrepreneurship. Each student in their senior year chooses, plans, designs, and prototypes a product in this required element of the curriculum. A capstone to the student’s educational career, the senior design project encourages the student to use everything learned in the engineering program to create a practical, real world solution to an engineering challenge.

The senior design competition helps to focus the senior students in increasing the quality and potential for commercial application for their design projects. Judges from local industry evaluate the projects …

Self-Stabilizing Group Membership Protocol, Mahesh Subedi

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

In this thesis, we consider the problem of partitioning a network into groups of bounded diameter.

Given a network of processes X and a constant D, the group partition problem is the problem of finding a D-partition of X, that is, a partition of X into disjoint connected subgraphs, which we call groups, each of diameter no greater than D. The minimal group partition problem is to find a D-partition {G1, ... Gm} of X such that no two groups can be combined; that is, for any Gi and Gj, where i ≠ j, either Gi U Gj is disconnected …

Architecture, Modeling, And Analysis Of A Plasma Impedance Probe, Magathi Jayaram

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Variations in ionospheric plasma density can cause large amplitude and phase changes in the radio waves passing through this region. Ionospheric weather can have detrimental effects on several communication systems, including radars, navigation systems such as the Global Positioning Sytem (GPS), and high-frequency communications. As a result, creating models of the ionospheric density is of paramount interest to scientists working in the field of satellite communication.

Numerous empirical and theoretical models have been developed to study the upper atmosphere climatology and weather. Multiple measurements of plasma density over a region are of marked importance while creating these models. The lack …

Decentralized State Feedback And Near Optimal Adaptive Neural Network Control Of Interconnected Nonlinear Discrete-Time Systems, Shahab Mehraeen, Jagannathan Sarangapani, Mariesa Crow

Electrical and Computer Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

In this paper, first a novel decentralized state feedback stabilization controller is introduced for a class of nonlinear interconnected discrete-time systems in affine form with unknown subsystem dynamics, control gain matrix, and interconnection dynamics by employing neural networks (NNs). Subsequently, the optimal control problem of decentralized nonlinear discrete-time system is considered with unknown internal subsystem and interconnection dynamics while assuming that the control gain matrix is known. For the near optimal controller development, the direct neural dynamic programming technique is utilized to solve the Hamilton-Jacobi-Bellman (HJB) equation forward-in-time. The decentralized optimal controller design for each subsystem utilizes the critic-actor structure …

Analytical Computation Of Proper Orthogonal Decomposition Modes And N-Width Approximations For The Heat Equation With Boundary Control, Tasha N. Fernandez

Masters Theses

Model reduction is a powerful and ubiquitous tool used to reduce the complexity of a dynamical system while preserving the input-output behavior. It has been applied throughout many different disciplines, including controls, fluid and structural dynamics. Model reduction via proper orthogonal decomposition (POD) is utilized for of control of partial differential equations. In this thesis, the analytical expressions of POD modes are derived for the heat equation. The autocorrelation function of the latter is viewed as the kernel of a self adjoint compact operator, and the POD modes and corresponding eigenvalues are computed by solving homogeneous integral equations of the …

Research On Nafion/Sio_2 Composite Membrane In All Vanadium Redox Flow Battery, Dong-Dong Liu, Mao-Cai Lin, Tao Guan, Qing-Chun Yu

Journal of Electrochemistry

The Nafion117/SiO2 composite membrane was prepared by sol-gel method.The results showed that,during composite membrane preparation process,the ratio of MeOH and TEOS did not affect the penetration rate of VO2+ basically,however,the lowest permeability of 427×10-9cm2/s in the membrane was achieved while hydrolysis time was 10 min and natural drying for 24 h after hydrolysis,which reduced by 52 times than that in Nafion117 membrane.The SEM tests proved that SiO2 grains grew bigger in the composite membrane during the natural drying,and most of the holes in Nafion117 were filled.Single cell test showed the battery power efficiency was improved by 2.7 %.

Electrodeposition Of Lead Dioxide From Dluoroborate Solutions, Chun-Mei Kong, Yong-Ming Tang, Wen-Zhong Yang, Xiao-Yuan Yang

Journal of Electrochemistry

The PbO2 anodes were prepared on platinum from fluoroborate media and its doped solutions by electrodeposition technique.Elecchemical and pysicochemical properties of these PbO2 films were studied by cyclic voltammetry methods,XRD and SEM.The results showed that the presence of BF4-increased PbO2 electrodeposition rate;the prepared lead dioxide consisted of β-PbO2;the preferential orientation of crystals and surface morphology were affected a lot by doping F-and Fe3+.The FB/F-Fe-PbO2 electrode exhibited regular-shaped layers with compact morphology.Furthermore,increasing current density also change the preferential orientation of PbO2 crystals.

Effects Of Solvents And Electrolyte Salts On The Electrochemical Reduction Of Oxygen In Non-Aqueous Electrolytes, Yan-Yan Tian, Wei Wu, Jun Gao, Yong Yang

Journal of Electrochemistry

The electrochemical reduction processes of oxygen in different non-aqueous solvents such as acetonitrile(MeCN),propylene carbonate(PC) and their mixtures were investigated by cyclic voltammetry method.The results indicated a one electron reduction of oxygen to O2-occured in these systems as a first step reduction,no matter whether in tetrabutylammonium hexafluorophosphate(TBAPF6)/MeCN or TBAPF6/PC electrolyte.However,the CV curves in 0.1 mol·L-1 TBAPF6/MeCN showed a couple of reversible redox peaks,indicating that the reduction process of oxygen was irreversible in the 0.1 mol·L-1 TBAPF6/PC electrolyte.In the PC-based electrolyte,the reduction current peak reduced largely and the oxidation peak of O2-almost disappeared as compared to that of the former electrolytes.The possible …

Photoelectrochemical Properties Of N,S,And Cl Modified Nano Tio_2 Thin Films, Hong Yun, Chang-Jian Lin, Jing Li, Rong-Gui Du

Journal of Electrochemistry

The nitrogen(N),sulfur(S) and chlorine(Cl) modified nano TiO2 thin films were prepared by adding Ti(O-n-Bu)4 as the precursor into concentrated HNO3,H2SO4 and HCl Solutions,respectively,on different substrates in a sol-gel process.The photoelectrochemical performances of N,S and Cl modified nano TiO2 thin films have been studied by UV-vis(DRS),photocurrent curves,EIS and OCP-time curves.N-modified TiO2 nano films show better surface structure,which helps to improve the quantum efficiency of nano TiO2 thin films.

Hydrothermal Reduction Synthesis Of Lifepo_4 And Its Electrochemical Performance, Hong-Li Zou, Guang-Hui Zhang, Pei-Kang Shen

Journal of Electrochemistry

The cathode materials of LiFePO4 were prepared via a hydrothermal reduction method using FeCl3 as Fe source and iron as a reducing agent.The results showed that ferric salt could be reduced to ferrous salt completely under the hydrothermal condition and pure-phase LiFePO4 was obtained based on the test results of XRD and FTIR.Carbon-coated LiFePO4 was synthesized by pyrolysisng glucose at high temperature.The morphologies of pure LiFePO4 displayed cluster-like while the LiFePO4/C displayed sphere-like particles.The electrochemical test showed that the LiFePO4/C had good rate performance,while LiFePO4 delivered much lower discharge capacity.

The Sol-Gel Synthesis And Electrochemical Performance Of Li_3v_2(Po_4)_3/C Cathode Material For Lithium Ion Battery, Li-Ying Liu, Lian Chen, Hai-Yan Zhang, Yu-Chun Zhai

Journal of Electrochemistry

Li3V2(PO4)3/C was synthesized by sol-gel method with citric acid as chelate and C sources.Physical and electrochemical performances of as-prepared materials were characterized through XRD,SEM and galvanostatic charge-discharge tests,etc.The results showed that products produced by calcining at 800 ℃ for 12 h had a single phase crystal structure and relatively small particle sizes with uniform distribution.At 0.1 C,0.5 C and 1 C,the initial specific discharge capacities were 153.0,143.1 and 130.6 mAh·g-1,respectively,and capacity efficiencies were 93.1%,85.4% and 77.3% after 50 cycles,respectively.Charge efficiencies were all above 80% and discharge voltages were higher.

Closing The Gap Between The Industry And Higher Education Institutions- Case Examples From East African Region, Deogratias Harorimana Mr

Dr Deogratias Harorimana

Much complained about is the quality of graduates Universities put on the labour market. Less talked about however is why knowledge institutions seems to be bad knowledge managers. In this presentation I argue that DIRECT collaborative relationship between Industry,Governments and Higher Education Institutions is a per-requisite.Good relationship is key to building such a successful knowledge transfer strategies between Industries and Educational and Research Institutions. This paper explores what makes a good Knowledge Transfer Partnership Strategy and highlights some key lessons for businesses, Universities and Government bodies. This paper was a Key note presentation to the Annual International Conference on Building …

A Novel Real-Time Approach To Unified Power Flow Controller Validation, Keyou Wang, Mariesa Crow, Bruce M. Mcmillin, Stan Atcitty

Electrical and Computer Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

This paper presents the development of a real-time hardware/software laboratory to interface a soft real-time power system simulator with multiple unified power flow controllers (UPFC) via hardware-in-the-loop (HIL) to study their dynamic responses and validate control and placement approaches. This paper describes a unique laboratory facility that enables large-scale, soft real-time power system simulation coupled with the true physical behavior of a UPFC as opposed to the controller response captured by many other real-time simulators. The HIL line includes a synchronous machine, a UPFC, and a programmable load to reproduce the physical dynamics of the UPFC sub-network.

The Impact Of Quality Management Systems During A Pebble Bed Modular Reactor Project : A Case Study, Lwandiso Zamxaka

Lwandiso L Zamxaka

In the nuclear industry, Quality Management Systems are extremely important,especially if one wishes to improve public acceptance of radioactive solutions.There is normally minimum communication between the public and scientists,especially in nuclear science. People are not comfortable with nuclear technology,based on the past history of the Chernobyl catastrophe. Consequently, it is difficult to discuss important and sensitive issues like disposing of nuclear waste. Quality Management Systems can improve public confidence and communication. Integrated Management Systems in the project planning stage of the project can be a proactive step towards preventing unnecessary delays and costs. There is a perception that quality is …

Towards Software Health Management With Bayesian Networks, Johann Schumann, Ole J. Mengshoel, Ashok Srivastava, Adnan Darwiche

Ole J Mengshoel

More and more systems (e.g., aircraft, machinery, cars) rely heavily on software, which performs safety-critical operations. Assuring software safety though traditional V&V has become a tremendous, if not impossible task, given the growing size and complexity of the software. We propose that iSWHM (Integrated SoftWare Health Management) can increase safety and reliability of high-assurance software systems. iSWHM uses advanced techniques from the area of system health management in order to continuously monitor the behavior of the software during operation, quickly detect anomalies and perform automatic and reliable root-cause analysis, while not replacing traditional V&V. Information provided by the iSWHM system …

Doping Dependence Of Electronic And Mechanical Properties Of Gase1−XTeX And Ga1−XInXSe From First Principles, Zs. Rak, S. D. Mahanti, K. C. Mandal, N. C. Fernelius

Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Economic Analysis Of A Brackish Water Photovoltaic-Operated (Bwro-Pv) Desalination System, Ali Al-Karaghouli, Lawrence L. Kazmerski

Publications (E)

The photovoltaic (PV)-powered reverse-osmosis (RO) desalination system is considered one of the most promising technologies in producing fresh water from both brackish and sea water, especially for small systems located in remote areas. We analyze the economic viability of a small PV-operated RO system with a capacity of 5 m³/day used to desalinate brackish water of 4000 ppm total dissolve solids, which is proposed to be installed in a remote area of the Babylon governorate in the middle of Iraq; this area possesses excellent insolation throughout the year. Our analysis predicts very good economic and environmental benefits of …

Distributed Power Balancing For The Freedm System, Rav Akella, Fanjun Meng, Derek Ditch, Bruce M. Mcmillin, Mariesa Crow

Computer Science Faculty Research & Creative Works

The FREEDM microgrid is a test bed for a smart grid integrated with Distributed Grid Intelligence (DGI) to efficiently manage the distribution and storage of renewable energy. Within the FREEDM system, DGI applies distributed algorithms in a unique way to achieve economically feasible utilization and storage of alternative energy sources in a distributed fashion. The FREEDM microgrid consists of residential or industrial nodes with each node running a portion of the DGI process called Intelligent Energy Management (IEM). Such IEM nodes within FREEDM coordinate among themselves to efficiently and economically manage their power generation, utility and storage. Among a variety …

Nonlinear Control Of Facts Controllers For Damping Interarea Oscillations In Power Systems, Mahyar Zarghami, Jagannathan Sarangapani, Mariesa Crow

Electrical and Computer Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

This paper introduces a new nonlinear control of flexible ac transmission systems (FACTS) controllers for the purpose of damping interarea oscillations in power systems. FACTS controllers consist of series, shunt, or a combination of series-shunt devices which are interfaced with the bulk power system through injection buses. Controlling the angle of these buses can effectively damp low frequency interarea oscillations in the system. The proposed control method is based on finding an equivalent reduced affine nonlinear system for the network from which the dominant machines are extracted based on dynamic coherency. It is shown that if properly selected, measurements obtained …

Determining The Index Of Refraction Of An Unknown Object Using Passive Polarimetric Imagery Degraded By Atmospheric Turbulence, Milo W. Hyde Iv

Theses and Dissertations

In this research, an algorithm is developed to estimate the index of refraction of an unknown object using passive polarimetric images degraded by atmospheric turbulence. The algorithm uses a variant of the maximum-likelihood blind-deconvolution algorithm developed by LeMaster and Cain to recover the true object (i.e., the first Stokes parameter), the degree of linear polarization, and the polarimetric-image point spread functions. Nonlinear least squares is then used to find the value of the complex index of refraction which best fits the theoretical degree of linear polarization, derived using a polarimetric bidirectional reflectance distribution function, to the turbulence-corrected degree of linear …

User's Guide To Mbc3: Multi-Blade Coordinate Transformation Code For 3-Bladed Wind Turbine, G. S. Bir

Publications (E)

The dynamics of wind turbine rotor blades are conventionally expressed in rotating frames attached to the individual blades. The tower-nacelle subsystem though, sees the combined effect of all rotor blades, not the individual blades. Also, the rotor responds as a whole to excitations such as aerodynamic gusts, control inputs, and tower-nacelle motion—all of which occur in a nonrotating frame. Multi-blade coordinate transformation (MBC) helps integrate the dynamics of individual blades and express them in a fixed (nonrotating) frame. MBC involves two steps: transforming the rotating degrees of freedom and transforming the equations of motion. Reference 1 details the MBC operation. …

Green Power Marketing In The United States: A Status Report (2009 Data), Lori Bird, Jenny Sumner

Publications (E)

This report documents green power marketing activities and trends in the United States. Aggregate green power sales data for all voluntary purchase markets across the United States are presented for 2009. The data presented in this report are based primarily on figures provided to NREL by utilities and independent renewable energy marketers. Because data cannot be obtained from all market participants, the estimates presented here likely represent an underestimate of the market size. Key trends identified in this year’s report include:
• In 2009, total retail sales of renewable energy in voluntary markets exceeded 30 million MWh, an increase of …

Iphone 3gs Forensics: Logical Analysis Using Apple Itunes Backup Utility, Mona Bader, Ibrahim Baggili

Electrical & Computer Engineering and Computer Science Faculty Publications

The iPhone mobile is used worldwide due to its enhanced computing capabilities, increased storage capacity as well as its attractive touch interface. These characteristics made the iPhone a popular smart phone device. The increased use of the iPhone lead it to become a potential source of digital evidence in criminal investigations. Therefore, iPhone forensics turned into an essential practice for forensic and security practitioners today. This research aimed at investigating and examining the logical backup acquisition of the iPhone 3GS mobile device using the Apple iTunes backup utility. It was found that significant data of forensic value such as e-mail …

Design Of A Conditioner For Smoothing Wind Turbine Output Power, Murali Bottu, Mariesa Crow, A. Curt Elmore

Electrical and Computer Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

As a result of wind speed intermittency, highly variable wind power output can adversely impact local loads. We propose a conditioner to smooth the variable wind power by utilizing the energy of an ultracapacitor. The conditioner is based on a single phase voltage source inverter (VSI) connected between the grid interconnection point and the ultracapacitor. The shunt VSI injects or absorbs active power from the line to smooth the wind power by utilizing the short term storage capabilities of the ultracapacitor. The ultracapacitor is connected to the DC link through a DC-DC converter, which maintains the voltage of the DC …

Lna Based On A Low Cost (~Usd1.30) Commercial Gaas Phemt Mmic Offers Wideband (0.4~1.4 Ghz) And Room-Temperature Low Noise (~0.3 Db) Performances That Satisfy The Ska Low Cost And No-Cooling Requirement, Chin-Leong Lim

Chin-Leong Lim

Introduction: New generations of radio telescopes such as the Square Kilometre Array consist of millions of receivers scattered over a continent. The array’s quantity and geographic considerations ruled out the traditional radio astronomy LNA implementation; i.e. costly InP devices cooled by high-maintenance closed-cycle helium (He) refrigerators. Several LNA designs have been proposed to address the cost and room-temperature operation constraints but none appear a clear winner. Peltier and package-scale cooling have also been proposed as a lower cost/maintenance alternative to He cooling but when multiplied by the quantity required can still carve a significant chunk of the budget. Additionally, cooling …

Probabilistic Model-Based Diagnosis: An Electrical Power System Case Study, Ole J. Mengshoel, Mark Chavira, Keith Cascio, Adnan Darwiche, Scott Poll, Serdar Uckun

Ole J Mengshoel

We present in this paper a case study of the probabilistic approach to model-based diagnosis. Here, the diagnosed system is a real-world electrical power system (EPS), i.e., the Advanced Diagnstic and Prognostic Testbed (ADAPT) located at the NASA Ames Research Center. Our probabilistic approach is formally well founded and based on Bayesian networks (BNs) and arithmetic circuits (ACs). We pay special attention to meeting two of the main challenges often associated with real-world application of model-based diagnosis technologies: model development and real-time reasoning. To address the challenge of model development, we develop a systematic approach to representing EPSs as BNs, …