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Title: CHARACTERIZATION OF SPATIALLY MODULATED MULTICOMPONENT MATERIALS DEPOSITED BY ATOMIC LAYER DEPOSITION
Creator: Becker, Nicholas
Date: 2014, 2014-07
Description: Spatially modulated multicomponent materials are used in a variety of fields and industries. In this dissertation Atomic Layer Deposition (ALD...
Show moreSpatially modulated multicomponent materials are used in a variety of fields and industries. In this dissertation Atomic Layer Deposition (ALD) will be used to create two types of spatially modulated multicomponent materials: Erbium doped Yttrium Oxide (Er+3:Y2O3) for high energy lasers and standard reference materials for Synchrotron based X-ray Fluorescence (SXRF) and Scanning Transmission X-ray Microscopy (STXM). Er+3:Y2O3 was produced and the inter- and intra-layer doping of each film was controlled by the cycle ratio of ALD grown Er2O3:Y2O3 and by the steric hinderance of erbium precursor ligands, respectively. Photolumenescent Spectroscopy and X-ray di↵raction measurements showed that all films of Er+3:Y2O3 were crystalline as deposited, with no evidence of amorphous, or glassy, emission lines in the PLS spectra. Photoluminescent Lifetime (PLL) measurements were performed to prove that ALD can be used to control both inter- and intra-layer doping. PLL was shown to vary with both Er2O3:Y2O3 cycle ratio and with Erbium precursor growth rate, increasing to a maximum of 6.5ms. This is the longest PLL reported for ALD grown Er+3:Y2O3. Results from Rutherford backscattering spectroscopy, X-ray absorption fine structure spectroscopy, and ultraviolet to visible light spectroscopy are presented to verify inter- and intra-layer doping control. Standard reference materials for SXRF and STXM were produced via ALD on transmission electron microscopy windows and native oxide silicon. Materials produced were Fe2O3, TiO2 , ZnO, Al2O3, and Y2O3. Films were analyzed with SXRF, and SXTM to determine the optical density and from this the areal density was calculated using preexisting standard reference materials and absorption value charts. It was found that the RBS measurements were more precise, and were within the error associated with the SXRF and STXM measurements.
Ph.D. in Physics, July 2014
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Title: VARIOUS ATTACHMENT AND RECOVERY OF MS2 FROM THE CONTACT SURFACES OF GLASS AND POLYMERS
Creator: Yan, Runan
Date: 2018, 2018-05
Description: Human enteric viruses are recognized as a primary etiology for foodborne diseases in the United States. Enteric viruses are highly contagious...
Show moreHuman enteric viruses are recognized as a primary etiology for foodborne diseases in the United States. Enteric viruses are highly contagious and easily transmitted via the interaction (attachment or adhesion) with biotic or abiotic surfaces followed by extended survival and then transferred to food during food preparation. Containers and tools for handling foods are commonly manufactured of polymers. These abiotic surfaces could serve as vehicles for potential viral transmission to foods. The research objective is to evaluate factors that potentially affect virus adhesion to substrate surfaces thus altering viral disease transmission, including (i) variables of the food-contact materials (e.g., polymers and glass), and (ii) finish of food-contact surfaces (e.g., smooth or rough). The virus recovery comparison by infectivity, and the surface topography by atomic force microscopy (AFM) and profiler were employed in this study. The food-contact materials used in this study include lab-made high density polyethylene (HDPE), low density polyethylene (LDPE), polypropylene (PP), and commercial polyvinyl chloride (PVC) and two types of glass. Smooth polymer sheets were made by injection molding; and some were abraded with sand paper to produce rough surfaces. Coliphage MS2 suspension, as the inoculum, was completely air-dried first on substrate surfaces, and then cold-stored for 24 hrs at 4 °C to allow sufficient contact time between viruses and surface before the viruses were eluted and recovered. Two elution protocols were developed to accommodate different sizes of the substrates, with similar virus elution efficiency confirmed. Viruses in eluates were quantified by double agar layer plaque assay. Potential alterations in virus recovery from a substrate after surfactant sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) pre-treatment were also tested. Via AFM measurement, smooth substrate surfaces exhibited overall uniform nanoscale profiles, with average RMS approximately ranging from 0.4 to 4.4 nm. Rough surfaces were characterized by a profiler due to greater roughness than the upper measurement limitation of AFM (2 μm). Pinholes with an approximate average 21 nm in diameter were found in cover glass, which probably contributed to significantly lower virus recoveries (32 ± 6%, averaged from 5 trials, n = 18) than that from bottom glass (48 ± 9%, averaged from 9 trials, n = 26) where no holes were observed. For smooth polymer surfaces, the greatest virus recovery was from PP with an average of 76 ± 12% (n = 14), followed by HDPE (54 ± 6%, n = 20) and LDPE (53 ± 6%, n = 7). Interestingly, virus recoveries were always significantly lower from the corresponding rough surfaces (p < 0.001), indicating rough substrate topography could potentially serve as reservoirs for viruses. By pre-treating a thin layer of SDS at various concentrations to mask the substrate surface hydrophobicity, the virus recovery from PVC surface increased by up to 21%. These data potentially assist in selecting appropriate food-contact materials and how to construct the contact surfaces in order to eliminate similar size-foodborne viruses being trapped or retained on food-contact surfaces during cleaning or intentional removal, and thus prevent foodborne viral disease transmission.
M.S. in Food Safety and Technology, May 2018
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Title: SWITCHING OSCILLATION OF HIGH-FREQUENCY WIDE BANDGAP POWER SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES
Creator: Liu, Tianjiao
Date: 2018, 2018-05
Description: Wide bandgap (WBG) power semiconductor devices can operate at high voltage, high switching frequency and high temperature. However, the...
Show moreWide bandgap (WBG) power semiconductor devices can operate at high voltage, high switching frequency and high temperature. However, the extremely fast switching characteristics, when combining parasitic components from the device package and power electronics circuit, are unfortunately accompanied by undesirable switching oscillations. In this thesis, switching oscillations observed in the WBG devices are studied. Firstly, a survey on oscillations in the general high-frequency power electronics circuit is carried out including the impacts of oscillation, causes of oscillation and mitigation of oscillation. Moreover, theoretical studies of the WBG switching performance and switching oscillations are performed based on spectrum analysis. The mathematical derivation reveals that the oscillation tends to enhance certain regions in the electromagnetic interference (EMI) spectrum by inducing a noise peak. In addition, modeling and analysis of silicon carbide (SiC) MOSFET switching oscillations are presented by developing equivalent circuit models for the turn-on and turn-off switching, respectively. Damping techniques design guidelines are provided based on the modeling analysis. Last but not least, a new technique to accurately characterize the parasitic inductances of power devices in discrete and module packages based on two-port scattering (S) parameters measurement is proposed. The approach is first verified with high frequency circuit simulation and then experimentally validated through case studies of a number of discrete devices and power modules.
Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering, May 2018
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Title: Medical Tourism Tower
Creator: Liu, Sha, Zhao, Jie
Date: 2011, 2011-05
Description: This is the design of a medical tourism tower located in Seoul, Korea. It is a mixed-use high rise which includes three plastic surgery...
Show moreThis is the design of a medical tourism tower located in Seoul, Korea. It is a mixed-use high rise which includes three plastic surgery hospitals along with a luxury hotel.
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Title: Medical Tourism Tower: board1
Creator: Liu, Sha, Zhao, Jie
Date: 2011, 2011-05
Description: This is the design of a medical tourism tower located in Seoul, Korea. It is a mixed-use high rise which includes three plastic surgery...
Show moreThis is the design of a medical tourism tower located in Seoul, Korea. It is a mixed-use high rise which includes three plastic surgery hospitals along with a luxury hotel.
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Title: Medical Tourism Tower: board2
Creator: Liu, Sha, Zhao, Jie
Date: 2011, 2011-05
Description: This is the design of a medical tourism tower located in Seoul, Korea. It is a mixed-use high rise which includes three plastic surgery...
Show moreThis is the design of a medical tourism tower located in Seoul, Korea. It is a mixed-use high rise which includes three plastic surgery hospitals along with a luxury hotel.
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Title: Medical Tourism Tower: board3
Creator: Liu, Sha, Zhao, Jie
Date: 2011, 2011-05
Description: This is the design of a medical tourism tower located in Seoul, Korea. It is a mixed-use high rise which includes three plastic surgery...
Show moreThis is the design of a medical tourism tower located in Seoul, Korea. It is a mixed-use high rise which includes three plastic surgery hospitals along with a luxury hotel.
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Title: AUTONOMOUS INDOOR PATHFINDING USING NEURAL NETWORKS IN COMPLEX SCENES
Creator: Vasudevan, Vignesh
Date: 2018, 2018-05
Description: Navigation to a specific destination indoors can be a challenge due to different reasons such as visual impairment, unknown environments, etc....
Show moreNavigation to a specific destination indoors can be a challenge due to different reasons such as visual impairment, unknown environments, etc. There has been much work done to solve this issue such as indoor positioning systems, navigation using sensors and even using a robotic guide. In this thesis, a novel and straightforward method of path planning (including object avoidance) is presented as a way of navigating to a desired location within a complex environment. The system proposed uses the combination of depth information from an RGB-D camera and the object information from a Neural Network based object identification technique, to efficiently calculate and plan a path in real-time, to a pre-specified destination. Persons to be helped are identified using object detection, and the most practical path to the desired destination is calculated. The path information would be sent to the handheld device of the person being helped in the suitable form of interface, such as visual, audio, etc. The surveillance type nature of the system enables it to help multiple persons in the same area. The model was tested in a controlled environment with one individual person being guided to nearby specified locations. The testing showed promising results, validating the performance of the system.
M.S. in Electrical Engineering, May 2018
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Title: MACHINE LEARNING METHODS FOR PREDICTING GLOBAL AND LOCAL CRIME IN AN URBAN AREA
Creator: Navarro Comes, Eric
Date: 2018, 2018-05
Description: In recent years there has been growing interest in development of computer methods that can model and predict crime events for crime...
Show moreIn recent years there has been growing interest in development of computer methods that can model and predict crime events for crime prevention in law enforcement agencies. A popular example is the creation of crime density maps which are used to provide early-warning information about potential hotspots of crime in an urban area. One important aspect of predictive policing is to identify the time and place of likely crime occurrence so as to prevent future crime events. The ability to make accurate, timely predictions can be particularly important for optimizing police resource allocation in an urban area. This thesis focuses on developing machine learning techniques in crime analysis and prevention for predicting the overall crime trend in an urban area, as well as the likelihood of crime occurrence in a given local area during a time period. By using crime data extracted from the Citizen and Law Enforcement Analysis and Reporting (CLEAR) system in the city of Chicago, we demonstrate that state-of-the-art learning algorithms can achieve improved prediction accuracy over traditional methods based on time series models. We then study prediction techniques for determining the likelihood of crime occurrence at a specific local area during a given time window. We demonstrate these techniques in the operational framework of the Strategic Decision Support Centers (SDSCs) in the Chicago Police Department, where only a small number (up to six) surveillance cameras can be monitored simultaneously at any given time in a single district. We apply prediction techniques to select those cameras that most likely have crime events happening within their viewsheds during a determined time window, thereby maximizing the crime monitoring efficiency. Using these models, we can achieve higher accuracy than the methods based on local crime density alone.
M.S. in Electrical Engineering, May 2018
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Title: THE ROLE OF THE BAXΔ2 C-TERMINAL STRUCTURE IN CASPASE-8- MEDIATED CELL DEATH OF HUMAN COLORECTAL CARCINOMA CELLS
Creator: Nelson, Adam
Date: 2018, 2018-05
Description: BaxΔ2 is an isoform of the proapoptotic Bcl-2 family member Bax that promotes cell death via caspase-8 activation. The C-terminus of BaxΔ2 has...
Show moreBaxΔ2 is an isoform of the proapoptotic Bcl-2 family member Bax that promotes cell death via caspase-8 activation. The C-terminus of BaxΔ2 has been shown to be crucial for caspase-8 dependent cell death in colon cancer cells. However, it is unknown whether the C-terminal primary sequence or secondary structure is necessary for interaction with caspase-8. In this project, several BaxΔ2 C-terminal mutants were generated based on secondary structure predictions. Models showed that mutating Leu164 and Thr165 to Ala (LT-AA) would increase the probability of alpha helix formation, while mutating Leu164 to Pro (L-P) would decrease the probability of alpha helix formation. Expression of these mutant proteins in colon cancer HCT116 cells, showed that L164P, and not L164A/T165A, significantly impaired BaxΔ2 function. The mutant L164P proteins formed atypical aggregates, and their ability to induce cell death was also significantly decreased when compared to the wild type. These results indicate that the BaxΔ2 C-terminal tridimensional structure, and not the specific primary sequence, is critical for triggering aggregation-mediated cell death.
M.S. in Biology, May 2018
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Title: GENETIC MODIFICATION OF PAENIBACILLUS UTILIZING VITREOSCILLA HEMOGLOBIN TO IMPROVE BIODESULFURIZATION
Creator: Bai, Yu
Date: 2015, 2015-05
Description: Biodesulfurization (BDS) is a type of microbial biodegradation involving the removal of organic sulfur compounds from fossil fuels that is...
Show moreBiodesulfurization (BDS) is a type of microbial biodegradation involving the removal of organic sulfur compounds from fossil fuels that is accomplished by utilizing the metabolism of certain microorganisms (McFarland et al., 1999). In past decades, many related genetic modifications or transformations have been made to improve biodesulfurization. In this study, Vitreoscilla hemoglobin (VHb) was used to enhance the ability of sulfur metabolism and growth in Paenibacillus naphthalenovorans. Paenibacillus naphthalenovorans wild type (32O-Y) is a thermophilic bacterium isolated in our lab that has also been transformed with recombinant plasmid pnW33N-vgb (producing strain 32O-Y[pNW33N-vgb]). This plasmid encodes both VHb and chloramphenicol (Chl) resistance. The Chl resistance gene provides a method to distinguish from wild type and select for transformed 32O-Y[pNW33N-vgb]. Presence of the plasmid in the transformed strain was verified utilizing PCR. Both 32O-Y and 32O-Y[pNW33N vgb] grew in minimal medium (CDM) that contained dibenzothiophene (DBT) as the sole sulfur source (while Chl was added to 32O-Y[pNW33N-vgb] cultures). DBT is a common organic sulfur-containing molecule in petroleum. It is metabolized by the dsz pathway, present in a number of soil bacteria, which produces 2-hydroxybiphenol (2-HBP) as the final product. Growth (OD600mm) of 32O-Y and 32O-Y[pNW33N-vgb] at 37°C, 45°C, 50°C were compared. The desulfurization activities of wild type and transformed Paenibacillus naphthalenovorans strains were monitored by the Gibbs assay, which measures the concentration of 2-HBP through absorbance at 610 nm. The results demonstrate that the expression of VHb in strain 32O-Y[pNW33N-vgb] correlated with increased growth, especially at 37°C. The desulfurization activities of 32O-Y[pNW33N-vgb] at various temperatures were also improved, compared to untransformed 32O-Y, as VHb was expressed. Efficiency of the VHb-related improvements at the three temperatures was calculated as the ratio between maximum 2-HBP produced and OD600nm at this point. The efficiency values indicated that when compared to 32O-Y, 32O-Y[pNW33N-vgb] had maximum increased productivity at 37°C and 50°C, and minimum at 45°C.
M.S. in Biology, May 2015
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Title: DESIGN AND FABRICATION OF AN UNMANNED GROUND VEHICLE UTILIZING VARIABLE INTERNAL INERTIAL PROPERTIES
Creator: Ruffatto Iii, Donald
Date: 2011-11-27, 2011-12
Description: Mobility of an Unmanned Ground Vehicle (UGV) is highly dependent upon the maximum lateral and longitudinal forces that can be generated at the...
Show moreMobility of an Unmanned Ground Vehicle (UGV) is highly dependent upon the maximum lateral and longitudinal forces that can be generated at the tire/ground interface. These forces are a function of a number of di erent vehicle properties such as suspension geometry, actuators and the tire/terrain interaction mechanics. Typically these properties are xed imposing general limits to the vehicle's maximum achievable lateral and longitudinal accelerations. If you were instead able to modify these parameters dynamically during vehicle operation substantial improvements in robot mobility can be realized. This thesis presents the design a fabrication of the Variable Inertial Vehicle (VIV) which is capable of realizing this. It uses a shifting mass mechanism to vary the normal load distribution among the front and rear tire based upon the desired operating conditions. The shifting mass mechanism is capable of moving a substantial amount of the vehicle along it longitudinally. This provides direction control of the tire normal forces during operation. Described in this thesis is the design of this unique element and its e ects on the rest of the vehicle design. The other main elements di erentiating the VIV from common UGV's such as the electronics, suspension, chassis, and powertrain are also detailed. Finally, a number of experiments utilizing the VIV are presented. These experiments were devised and performed my Chenghui Nie but are presented here to demonstrate the functionality and capabilities of the VIV.
M.S. in Mechanical Engineering, December 2011
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Title: DEVELOPMENT OF ACTIVE RESPONSE TECHNOLOGY FOR SAFETY APPLICATIONS IN POWER SAWS
Creator: Assaliyski, Marin I.
Date: 2014, 2014-05
Description: This thesis presents a study of kickback occurrences on table saws, as well as the development and evaluation of a system designed to mitigate...
Show moreThis thesis presents a study of kickback occurrences on table saws, as well as the development and evaluation of a system designed to mitigate health and property hazards due to kickbacks. A kickback is an unwanted situation during the cutting process of many powered circular saw tools, during which the operator of the tool loses control, potentially resulting in severe property and bodily harm. Multiple safety devises exist to prevent this type of situation from occurring; however, all of these devices are passive and often become a burden by decreasing e ciency, and are therefore often removed by the users. This thesis seeks to study the occurrence of kickbacks and to present an active electronic detection system that is able to aid in mitigation of potential damage to property or persons by developing responsive, robust, and practical methods of kickback detection. Implemented detection methods are presented and evaluated for performance. Concepts are also developed, presented, and discussed with the purpose of generating topics for future work. An experimental brake is used to evaluate the performance of the detection methods with an integrated system.
M.S. in Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, May 2014
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Title: SELF-POWERED DC SOLID STATE CRICUIT BREAKERS
Creator: Miao, Zhenyu
Date: 2015, 2015-07
Description: Dc power systems are better system solutions than ac power systems in application areas such as data centers, electric ships and dc micro...
Show moreDc power systems are better system solutions than ac power systems in application areas such as data centers, electric ships and dc micro-grids. But the lack of fast and cost effective dc circuit breakers impedes the development and application of dc power systems. This thesis introduces a new type of self-powered dc solid state circuit breakers (SSCB) which are inactive during normal operation but can be triggered and powered up by a short circuit event. The design of a unidirectional solid state circuit breaker and a bidirectional solid state breaker are proposed. The solid state circuit breakers are consisted of normally-on SiC JFETs as main power switches and gate drivers featuring fast start-up forward-flyback converters. The operation principles of the circuit breakers are analyzed in details. Prototypes are built and verified in short circuit tests. The circuit breaker prototypes can interrupt short circuit currents up to 180 amperes at a dc bus voltage of 400 volts within 1 microsecond. Chapter 1 introduces the safety considerations of dc power systems, characteristics of conventional ac circuit breakers, and the development of solid state circuit breakers. Chapter 2 introduces the concepts of the proposed self-powered SSCBs and operation principle of a fast start-up forward-flyback converter. Chapter 3 introduces the schematic design of a unidirectional self-powered SSCB, its operation principle and experimental results. Chapter 4 introduces the schematic design of a bidirectional self-powered SSCB, its operation principle and experimental results. Chapter 5 concludes the thesis and looks forward to future work.
M.S. in Electrical Engineering, July 2015
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Title: RHEOLOGY OF ENTANGLED POLYMER LIQUIDS IN EQUIBIAXIAL ELONGATIONAL FLOWS
Creator: Mick, Rebecca M.
Date: 2015, 2015-05
Description: Equibiaxial deformation is an important flow in industrial processes such as film blowing and blow molding. Unfortunately, it is very...
Show moreEquibiaxial deformation is an important flow in industrial processes such as film blowing and blow molding. Unfortunately, it is very difficult to implement experimentally which has led to empirical design of these processes. A technique called continuous lubricated squeezing flow (CLSF) has been developed to perform equibiaxial deformation on systems such as polymer melts. This technique is used in this study to measure the behavior of entangled polymer melts in equibiaxial elongation to further the understanding of these materials in industrially relevant flows. The results of CLSF experiments on three linear chain polymer systems show strain softening for strain rates resulting in Weissenberg numbers, Wi = ε˙Bτd > 1. Higher rates lead to greater softening. The deviation from the linear viscoelastic (LVE) prediction occurs at about a strain of one for all the materials. Equibiaxial and shear behavior were compared for two monodisperse linear systems. When normalized by LVE behavior, the two flows yield similar behavior such that the equibiaxial rheology could be inferred from shear rheology. Unfortunately, polydisperse linear and branched systems did not show the same behavior. The two monodispere systems were compared to the GLaMM and Discrete Slip-Link molecular theories. Neither model could successfully predict the equibiaxial behavior; both predicted excessive strain softening and a premature deviation from LVE. Recent literature has suggested that based on uniaxial measurements, dilution changes the behavior of an entangled polymer system. This is contrary to theories of polymer dynamics. A pure melt and diluted melt with the same entanglement density were compared in shear and equibiaxial flows after adjusting for changes in friction. The results were consistent with universality principles of entangled polymers; the uniaxial results require further investigation.
Ph.D. in Chemical Engineering, May 2015
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Title: INTENTION AND ACTION: THE THEORY OF PLANNED BEHAVIOR AND EFFECT OF HABIT AND MINDFULNESS ON INFLUENZA VACCINATION
Creator: Mattson, Melissa
Date: 2013, 2013-07
Description: Several models of health behavior have been utilized in attempting to understand vaccination behavior, with mixed success. Additionally, there...
Show moreSeveral models of health behavior have been utilized in attempting to understand vaccination behavior, with mixed success. Additionally, there is a dearth of research on vaccination behavior in young, healthy adults, who are among the primary transmitters of preventable illness. The present study examined the applicability of the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) and the effects of past behavior and other health habits on vaccination intentions and influenza vaccine uptake. It also examined the moderating effects of mindfulness on the intention-behavior relationship for influenza vaccination. A total of 244 participants completed measures assessing attitudes, subjective norms, perceived behavioral control (PBC), and vaccination intentions in the TPB; the Self-Report Habit Index for three health behavior habits; and the Mindful Attention Awareness Scale. Participants also completed a follow-up assessment regarding vaccine uptake at the end of the 2012/2013 influenza season. Results indicated that attitudes and subjective norms explained >57% of the variance in vaccination intentions, with subjective norms predicting the largest portion of the variance in intention to receive the vaccine, as hypothesized. Intentions mediated the relationship between attitudes and vaccination, and between subjective norms and vaccination. Intentions and past vaccination predicted vaccination during the 2012/2013 influenza season, although PBC and other health behavior habits did not. Finally, mindfulness did not moderate the intention-behavior relationship for influenza vaccination. These findings provide evidence for the utility of the TPB in explaining vaccination intentions and behavior, as well as for the role that past behavior may play in predicting future vaccination.
PH.D in Psychology, July 2013
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Title: APPLICATION OF BIMOLECULAR FLUORESCENCE COMPLEMENTATION ASSAY FOR MONITORING BCL-2 AND BAX INTERACTION
Creator: Chayanam, Sudharani
Date: 2011-07, 2011-07
Description: Bimolecular Fluorescence Complementation is a modern method to monitor protein-protein interactions in live cells. The objective of this...
Show moreBimolecular Fluorescence Complementation is a modern method to monitor protein-protein interactions in live cells. The objective of this project is to employ this method for deciphering signaling complexes involved in androgen receptor mediated cell death. Bcl-2 and Bax were selected to serve as initial experimental targets since these proteins were known to interact with each other. In this method, split EGFP consisting of 1-157 amino acid N-terminal fragment was fused to Bcl-2 and 158-238 amino acid Cterminal fragment to that of Bax with a six amino acid linker (SGSGVD) to generate fusion expression cassettes. We tested two combinations of fusion expression cassette pairs NGFP/Bcl-2, Bax/CGFP and NGFP/Bcl-2, CGFP/Bax for a BiFC signal by cotransfecting them in Human Embryonic Kidney 293T cells. Our results show that fusion proteins NGFP/Bcl-2, Bax/CGFP and CGFP/Bax were well expressed as evident by the Western blots. But the efficiency of BiFC formation was better for NGFP/Bcl-2 and CGFP/Bax fusion proteins combination than NGFP/Bcl-2 and Bax/CGFP fusion proteins. Therefore indicate that the fluorescence complex formation imparting the BiFC signal is specific for Bcl-2 and Bax interaction. Though the BiFC signal obtained was brighter for image capturing but the efficiency was very low, only few fluorescing cells were detected under the fluorescence microscope. Despite this weakness, BiFC is still a promising technique for studying protein-protein interactions in living cells and at single cell level.
M.S. in Biology, July 2011
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Title: DEVELOPMENT OF MULTI-NOZZLE MICRO-EXTRUDER FOR LAYERED MANUFACTURING OF MULTI-MATERIAL ENERGY STORAGE DEVICES
Creator: Mohamed Ayub, Shaik Mohamed Imran
Date: 2014, 2014-05
Description: Additive Manufacturing is critical in the development of high energy density storage devices for its flexibility to manufacture complex parts...
Show moreAdditive Manufacturing is critical in the development of high energy density storage devices for its flexibility to manufacture complex parts with different discrete compositions like cathodes, anodes and electrolytes. Such storage devices under sub- millimeter scale with micro-structured interdigitated layout could significantly improve its power and energy density. Over the past few years, scientific communities in Rapid Prototyping technology have been mainly focusing on various methods of Modeling and representing Multi-Material Object under single CAD data structure which would enable post processing and rapid prototyping of Multi-Material Object (MMO). This thesis will address the processes involved in the development of Multi-Material Micro Extrusion (M3E) device for manufacturing high density energy storage devices through discrete composition control in Solid Freeform Fabrication (SFF). The primary goal of the research is to develop a rectilinear motion platform with a multi-extrusion system and an open loop control interface to regulate the unreliable extrusion of slurries of different discrete composition. The dissertation will also address the software methodology to discretize 3D-CAD models to represent multiple material composition followed by slicing it into 2.5D layers, which will enable to create Computer Numeric Control (CNC) path program. The scope of this research is further extended to study and optimize various mechanical process inputs with respect to extrusion output parameters.
M.S. in Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, May 2014
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Title: MICROGRID OPERATION, CONTROL AND PROTECTION AT lIT
Creator: Che, Liang
Date: 2013, 2013-07
Description: Distributed Energy Resource (DER) which includes distributed generation (DG), distributed storage system, and adjustable loads is a key...
Show moreDistributed Energy Resource (DER) which includes distributed generation (DG), distributed storage system, and adjustable loads is a key component in microgrid operations. Microgrids could be clustered at distribution levels to enhance the economics and the reliability of small DGs such as microturbines and wind generation turbines as well as DGs with power electronic interfaces such as photovoltaic (PV) arrays and fuel cells. Microgrid is a small electric power system integrated with on-site DERs to serve all or some portion of the local load which is connected to the utility grid through the point of common coupling (PCC). Microgrids can operate in both grid-connected mode and island mode. The structure and components of hierarchical control for a microgrid at Illinois Institute of Technology (IIT) are discussed and analyzed. Case studies would address the reliable and economic operation of IIT microgrid. The simulation results of IIT microgrid operation demonstrate that the hierarchical control and the coordination strategy of distributed energy resources (DERs) is an effective way of optimizing the economic operation and the reliability of microgrids. The protection is one of the crucial challenges of microgrid operation. Traditional protection schemes for radial distribution networks will not work successfully in microgrids without much modification. The protection scheme of IIT microgrid is discussed. Based on the fault current contributed by synchronous generators in island mode, the IIT microgrid adopts a localized differential protection scheme with adaptive xiv relay settings which feature a multi-level backup protection strategy. The proposed protection scheme would utilize the looped structure of IIT microgrid for enhancing the reliability of microgrid operation. The simulation results of IIT microgrid protection show the effectiveness of the proposed protection scheme.
M.S. in Electrical Engineering, July 2013
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Title: OPTIMAL LOAD SCHEDULING IN COMMERCIAL AND RESIDENTIAL MICROGRIDS
Creator: Ganji Tanha, Mohammad Mahdi
Date: 2015, 2015-05
Description: Residential and commercial electricity customers use more than two third of the total energy consumed in the United States, representing a...
Show moreResidential and commercial electricity customers use more than two third of the total energy consumed in the United States, representing a significant resource of demand response. Price-based demand response, which is in response to changes in electricity prices, represents the adjustments in load through optimal load scheduling (OLS). In this study, an efficient model for OLS is developed for residential and commercial microgrids which include aggregated loads in single-units and communal loads. Single unit loads which include fixed, adjustable and shiftable loads are controllable by the unit occupants. Communal loads which include pool pumps, elevators and central heating/cooling systems are shared among the units. In order to optimally schedule residential and commercial loads, a community-based optimal load scheduling (CBOLS) is proposed in this thesis. The CBOLS schedule considers hourly market prices, occupants’ comfort level, and microgrid operation constraints. The CBOLS’ objective in residential and commercial microgrids is the constrained minimization of the total cost of supplying the aggregator load, defined as the microgrid load minus the microgrid generation. This problem is represented by a large-scale mixed-integer optimization for supplying singleunit and communal loads. The Lagrangian relaxation methodology is used to relax the linking communal load constraint and decompose the independent single-unit functions into subproblems which can be solved in parallel. The optimal solution is acceptable if the aggregator load limit and the duality gap are within the bounds. If any of the proposed criteria is not satisfied, the Lagrangian multiplier will be updated and a new optimal load schedule will be regenerated until both constraints are satisfied. The proposed method is applied to several case studies and the results are presented for the Galvin Center load on the 16th floor of the IIT Tower in Chicago.
Ph.D. in Electrical and Computer Engineering, May 2015
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