Physical Sciences and Mathematics Commons^™

Ray Tracing For Optimization Of Compound Parabolic Concentrators For Solar Collectors Of Enclosed Design, Vladimir Yurchenko, Eduard Yurchenko, Mehmet Çi̇ydem, Onat Totuk

Turkish Journal of Electrical Engineering and Computer Sciences

We present our developments in computer simulations and optimization of compound parabolic concentrators (CPCs) for solar heat collectors. Issues of both the optical and thermal optimization of CPC collectors of enclosed design are discussed. Ray tracing results for a CPC with a V-shaped absorber are presented. A range of optimal values for the apex angle of a V-shaped absorber is proposed for a CPC collector of typical design.

Integration Of Wind Power For Optimal Power System Black-Start Restoration, Amany El Zonkoly

Turkish Journal of Electrical Engineering and Computer Sciences

Integration of wind farms into power systems may increase the risk of power system blackouts due to the uncertain nature of their output power. In the meantime, wind turbines have relatively short starting time when compared to non-black-start (NBS) generating units. For this reason, wind farms need to participate in power system restoration after blackouts. The decision of restoring a wind farm depends on its output power and the characteristics of the power system. The power system restoration should be accomplished as soon as possible. For complete power system restoration, three stages must be completed: generation restoration, transmission system restoration, …

Reliability Assessment Of A Standalone Wind-Conventional/Energy Storage System Using Probabilistic Production Simulation Method, Hossein Delavaripour, Behzad Mirzaeian Dehkordi

Turkish Journal of Electrical Engineering and Computer Sciences

This paper presents a reliability evaluation technique for a small standalone system including wind and conventional resources integrated with an energy storage system. A battery bank is considered as the energy storage system. The focus in this analysis is on the effect of battery modeling and its performance on system reliability. In this way, this paper presents an accurate model for the electrochemical batteries, which takes into account all the influential characteristics of the battery related to reliability studies, such as depth of charge, efficiency of charge, and rate of discharge. The proposed reliability evaluation method is based on the …

A Modeling Study In The Regulation Of Stress On Neuronal Plasticity, Pengcheng Xiao

Mathematics Dissertations

How stress can affect human cognitive functions has been a very popular topic for researchers from different fields including physiology, psychology, biology, neuroscience, and applied mathematics. Hypothalamic−pituitary−adrenal (HPA) axis plays an important role in response to stress by releasing hormones, and level of glucocorticoid has been widely considered to be one key factor to distinguish people with different stress disorder. Emerging evidence has shown that glucocorticoid act on glutamate neurotransmission system and consequently influences neuronal activities’s cognitive function. It changes in the glutamate release and induces synapse plasticity change. Spike-Timing Dependent Plasticity (STDP) is one of the important neuroscience foundations …

Temporal Evolution Of Basal Water Pressure And Ice Velocity Along A 50 Km Flow Line Transect Of Western Greenland, Patrick Wright

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

The gradient in hydraulic potential at the ice-bedrock interface beneath the Greenland Ice Sheet (GrIS) dictates the routing and energetics of subglacial water, thereby influencing drainage system characteristics and sliding dynamics. In the ablation zone of the GrIS, a high relief bed and gradients in water pressure in an active subglacial drainage system potentially play a complex role in dictating the hydraulic potential field. Here we present a suite of water pressure measurements collected within thirteen boreholes along a 46 km transect on the western GrIS in order to investigate the sensitivity of the potential gradient field to seasonal evolution …

Selective Solid Phase Extraction Of Uranium Using An Aminophosphonic Acid Functionalized Composite Material, Ranalda Tsosie

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Uranium is an element of interest because it is an abundant source of concentrated energy. In 1948 the US offered money for uranium ore mined in the US, which created a mining boom in the southwest that included the Navajo Reservation. During the late 1960s the demand for uranium decreased and many mining operations shutdown and left behind a legacy of contamination. As a result many Navajo communities have numerous water sources that exceed established maximum contamination levels for uranium and other toxic metals. These contaminations are a direct result of abandoned Cold War uranium mines and mill waste sites …

Evaluating Preferred Direction Tropical Cyclone Track Variability In An Operational Global Ensemble Prediction System, Travis Elless

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

Ensemble forecasts of Tropical Storm Debby and Hurricane Sandy (2012) highlight instances where variability in tropical cyclone (TC) position forecasts are stretched along a preferred direction. The goal of this thesis is to analyze this stretching of variability in a global ensemble prediction system, particularly the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF), to determine how often and under what conditions does variability stretching occur, and ultimately what feature(s) are responsible for generating this variability.

Scouting Benefits And Developing Innovations In Temperate Grassland To Sustainable Agriculture Production, Walter Ayala, Ethel Barrios, Ignacio Macedo, Jorge Sawchik, José A. Terra

IGC Proceedings (1993-2023)

Agricultural intensification raises concern about land use and future effects to natural resources. The world demand for grain, meat and forest products is increasing constantly. Changes are occurring at large scale, being a compromise for policy makers to contribute to identify opportunities to readdress the productive scenario. There is available technology to reduce impacts, without restricting necessarily productivity. Grasslands provide a large series of economical and ecological benefits to the agricultural systems, being the literature exhaustive in examples. Ley-farming and cover crops technologies are good examples of environmentally sound soil management practices. The society is also worried about an improper …

Sediment Routing Through Channel Confluences: Particle Tracing In A Gravel-Bed River Headwaters, Kurt Imhoff

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Sediment routing in gravel-bed rivers refers to the intermittent transport and storage of bedload particles, where short-duration steps are separated by periods of inactivity. Channel morphology governs sediment routing, but morphologic effects on routing in headwater systems are not well understood compared to lowland systems. RFID tracers are a valuable tool that can be employed to characterize routing processes in headwater channels through individual particle tracking. I present research on coarse sediment transport and dispersion through confluences using sediment tracers in the East Fork Bitterroot River basin, MT. I investigate the following questions: (1) How do sediment routing patterns through …

Linking The Effects Of Risk Factors On Annual Calf Survival To Elk Population Dynamics In The Bitterroot Valley, Montana, Daniel R. Eacker

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

The recolonization of gray wolves (Canis lupus) in multiple carnivore systems has been correlated with declining recruitment of juvenile ungulates, but the importance of wolves relative to other established carnivores is uncertain. The realized effect of carnivores may depend on compensation from forage and winter weather severity, which may mediate juvenile vulnerability to predation. Also, in high predation systems, the importance of juvenile recruitment may be reduced for ungulate population dynamics. We first tested for the effects of risk factors on annual elk (Cervus elaphus) calf survival and estimated cause-specific mortality rates. Secondly, we investigated the …

Economic Efficiency Of Fuel Reduction Treatments In The Home Ignition Zone To Mitigate Wildfire Risk In Montana, Usa, Howard L. Williams

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Wildland-urban interface growth and factors increasing the probability of wildfire suggest that annual spending on wildfire risk mitigation and suppression will continue to increase. With limited information about the benefits and costs of risk mitigation, land managers and homeowners may under- or over-invest in risk mitigation, where costs are disproportionate to the expected benefits of the strategy. This study accounted for expected increases in wildfire risk (due to growth of the WUI, climate change and vegetation growth) over time in Flathead County, Montana, and estimated the expected avoided loss in structure values associated with three treatment levels that would require …

Optimization Of Grid Connected Micro-Grid Consisting Of Pv/Fc/Uc With Considered Frequency Control, Hamid Hasanzadehfard, Masoud Moghaddas-Tafreshi, Sayed Mehdi Hakimi

Turkish Journal of Electrical Engineering and Computer Sciences

In this paper, ultracapacitors are used as short-term storages for the frequency control of grid-connected microgrid that consists of photovoltaic panels, fuel cells, and the battery packs as long-term storages. Fuel cells and battery packs have delays in load tracking; therefore, ultracapacitors are used to compensate for the sudden power fluctuations in the microgrid that occur due to the output power uncertainty of the PV arrays and the loads required in the microgrid, as well as the sudden interruption of the main grid. The microgrid consists of interruptible and uninterruptible loads. When the total produced power in the microgrid, in …

Hybrid Adaptive Neuro-Fuzzy B-Spline--Based Sssc Damping Control Paradigm Using Online System Identification, Laiq Khan, Rabiah Badar

Turkish Journal of Electrical Engineering and Computer Sciences

B-spline membership functions have produced promising results in the field of signal processing and control due to their local control property. This work explores the potential of B-spline--based adaptive neuro-fuzzy wavelet control to damp low frequency power system oscillations using a static synchronous series compensator (SSSC). A comparison of direct and indirect adaptive control based on hybrid adaptive B-spline wavelet control (ABSWC) is presented by introducing the online identification block. ABSWC with identification (ABSWCI) provides the sensitivity information of the plant needed to control the system. The parameters of the control and identification block are updated online using a gradient …

An Ofdm Throughput Analysis For Cognitive Radio Application In Contiguous Or Noncontiguous Tv White Spaces, Cebrai̇l Çi̇fli̇kli̇, Ahmet Turgut Tuncer, Yusuf Öztürk

Turkish Journal of Electrical Engineering and Computer Sciences

Radio frequency spectrum is a finite and scarce resource. Efficient use of the radio frequency spectrum is a fundamental research issue. Since a large portion of the assigned radio frequency spectrum is used only sporadically, the bands currently allocated to TV services can be opportunistically reassigned to support broadband networking services while continuing to provide broadcast TV. The fragmented and unused TV channels named white spaces have a considerable amount of bandwidth potential and long transmission ranges. Bandwidth scalability can be supported by bonding multiple contiguous or noncontiguous consecutive channels using orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM)-based cognitive radio. In this …

Effect Of Nonuniform Varying Delay On The Rate Of Convergence In Averaging-Based Consensus, Onur Ci̇han, Mehmet Akar

Turkish Journal of Electrical Engineering and Computer Sciences

This paper discusses the effect of nonuniform varying communication delay on distributed consensus algorithms in discrete time. After introducing the delayed mathematical model, we first investigate the ergodicity of the delayed system using the properties of scrambling matrices. Subsequently, the effect of nonuniform varying delay on convergence is examined. It is shown theoretically that nonuniform delay is not detrimental to the convergence rate of the algorithm for directed acyclic graphs. The results are also illustrated with several numerical examples.

Semiconductor Laser Beam Bending, Remzi̇ Yildirim, Fati̇h Vehbi̇ Çelebi̇

Turkish Journal of Electrical Engineering and Computer Sciences

This study is about a single-component cylindrical structured lens with a gradient curve that was used for bending laser beams. It operates under atmospheric conditions and bends the laser beam independently of temperature, pressure, polarity, polarization, magnetic field, electric field, radioactivity, and gravity. A single-piece cylindrical lens that can bend laser beams was developed. Lenses are made of transparent, tinted, or colored glass and are used to undermine or absorb the energy of laser beams. This study is not a work of a plasma filamentation, nor is related to a self-accelerating wave packet. Rather, it focuses on bending the laser …

Optimal Backup Parent Pools For Resilient Multicast Trees On Peer-To-Peer Networks, Emrullah Turhan Tunali, Müge Sayit

Turkish Journal of Electrical Engineering and Computer Sciences

Due to churn as well as node and link failures in peer-to-peer (P2P) networks, providing resilient multicast is a challenging issue, particularly for overlay trees. In this work, we first study analytical properties of the backup parent pool that aims at improving the resilience of overlay multicast trees in P2P video streaming. We then present a novel greedy degree-constrained multicast tree construction algorithm that addresses the tradeoffs between maximizing resiliency, maximizing bandwidth utilization, and minimizing delay. The choice of essential design parameters is studied together with seamlessness of the streaming under a variety of fault scenarios. Simulation results indicate that …

Fast Bitwise Pattern-Matching Algorithm For Dna Sequences On Modern Hardware, Giyasetti̇n Özcan, Osman Sabri̇ Ünsal

Turkish Journal of Electrical Engineering and Computer Sciences

We introduce a fast bitwise exact pattern-matching algorithm, which speeds up short-length pattern searches on large-sized DNA databases. Our contributions are two-fold. First, we introduce a novel exact matching algorithm designed specifically for modern processor architectures. Second, we conduct a detailed comparative performance analysis of bitwise exact matching algorithms by utilizing hardware counters. Our algorithmic technique is based on condensed bitwise operators and multifunction variables, which minimize register spills and instruction counts during searches. In addition, the technique aims to efficiently utilize CPU branch predictors and to ensure smooth instruction flow through the processor pipeline. Analyzing letter occurrence probability estimations …

A New High-Performance Current-Mode Fuzzy Membership Function Circuit And Its Application, Turgay Temel

Turkish Journal of Electrical Engineering and Computer Sciences

A new current-mode fuzzy-membership function circuit is proposed. The circuit has a very compact and simple architecture based on the simultaneous use of winner- and loser-take-all topologies. The circuit has also the advantage of easily adjusting generated membership function characteristics such as center or mean and width with a straightforward application of respective input currents. It is shown that the new circuit outperforms previous counterparts in terms of speed, power consumption, layout area, and robustness to variations in design parameters and errors. As an application, a fuzzy-classifier is designed with a new membership circuit as a seven fuzzy level controller.

Evaluating A Satellite-Based Seasonal Evapotranspiration Product And Identifying Its Relationship With Other Satellite-Derived Products And Crop Yield: A Case Study For Ethiopia, Tsegaye Tadesse, Gabriel B. Senay, Getachew Berhan, Teshome Regassa, Shimelis Beyene

Department of Agronomy and Horticulture: Faculty Publications

Satellite-derived evapotranspiration anomalies and normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) products from Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) data are currently used for African agricultural drought monitoring and food security status assessment. In this study, a process to evaluate satellite-derived evapotranspiration (ETa) products with a geospatial statistical exploratory technique that uses NDVI, satellite-derived rainfall estimate (RFE), and crop yield data has been developed. The main goal of this study was to evaluate the ETa using the NDVI and RFE, and identify a relationship between the ETa and Ethiopia’s cereal crop (i.e., teff, sorghum, corn/maize, barley, and wheat) yields during the main rainy …

Energetics, Structure, And Rovibrational Spectroscopic Properties Of The Sulfurous Anions Sno− And Osn−, Ryan C. Fortenberry, Joseph S. Francisco

Chemistry Department: Faculty Publications

The SNO⁻ and OSN⁻ anions are shown in this work to be very stable negatively charged species in line with other recent work [T. Trabelsi et al., J. Chem. Phys. 143, 164301 (2015)]. Utilizing established quartic force field techniques, the structural and rovibrational data for these anions are produced. The SNO⁻ anion is less linear and has weaker bonds than the corresponding neutral radical giving much smaller rotational constants.OSN⁻ is largely unchanged in these regards with inclusion of the additional electron.The S–N bond is actually stronger,and the rotational constants of OSN⁻ versus OSN are …

Simulation Evidence Of Hexagonal-To-Tetragonal Znse Structure Transition: A Monolayer Material With A Wide-Range Tunable Direct Bandgap, Lei Li, Pengfei Li, Ning Lu, Jun Dai, Xiao Cheng Zeng

Chemistry Department: Faculty Publications

2D material with tunable direct bandgap in the intermediate region (i.e., ≈2–3 eV) is key to the achievement of high efficiency in visible-light optical devices. Herein, a simulation evidence of structure transition of monolayer ZnSe from the experimental pseudohexagonal structure to the tetragonal structure (t-ZnSe) under lateral pressure is shown, suggesting a possible fabrication route to achieve the t-ZnSe monolayer. The as-produced t-ZnSe monolayer exhibits highly tunable bandgap under the biaxial strains, allowing strain engineering of t-ZnSe’s bandgap over a wide range of 2–3 eV. Importantly, even under the biaxial strain up to 7%, the t-ZnSe monolayer still keeps its …

Nonmarine Time-Stratigraphy In A Rift Setting: An Example From The Mid-Permian Lower Quanzijie Low-Order Cycle Bogda Mountains, Nw China, Jonathan Obrist-Farner, Wan Yang

Geosciences and Geological and Petroleum Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Sedimentological and stratigraphic studies of seven stratigraphic sections of Permian Hongyanchi (HYC) and Quanzijie (QZJ) low-order cycles (LCs) in the Tarlong-Taodonggou half graben and Dalongkou area in Bogda Mountains, NW China, demonstrate effective approaches and methodology in cyclo- and time-stratigraphic analyses of complex fluvial-lacustrine deposits in an intracontinental rift setting. A new synchronous stratigraphic unit, the lower QZJ LC is defined. The lower and upper boundaries of this cycle include a regionally correlative disconformity, erosional unconformity, and conformity, across which significant and abrupt changes in palaeoenvironments and tectonic and climatic conditions occurred. The lower boundary is an erosional unconformity and …

Uncertainty Analysis Of An Irrigation Scheduling Model For Water Management In Crop Production, S. Mun, G. F. Sassenrath, Amy M. Schmidt, N. Lee, M. C. Wadsworth, B. Rice, Jason Q, Corbitt, J. M. Schneider, M. L. Tagert, J. Pote, R. Prabhu

Department of Biological Systems Engineering: Papers and Publications

Irrigation scheduling tools are critical to allow producers to effectively manage water resources for crop production. To be useful, these tools need to be accurate, complete, and relatively reliable. The current work presents an uncertainty analysis and its results for the Mississippi Irrigation Scheduling Tool (MIST) model, showing the margin of error (uncertainty) of the resulting irrigation advice arising solely from the propagation of measurement uncertainty through the MIST calculations. The final relative uncertainty in the water balance value from MIST was shown to be around 9% of that value, which is in the normal range of the margin of …

Mineral And Geochemical Attributes Of The Midcontinent Rift Sequence; An Application For Deep Carbon Dioxide Sequestration, Alsedik Mohamed Ali Abousif

Doctoral Dissertations

"The potential for using the Oronto Group of the Midcontinent Rift (MCR) Sequence for CO₂ sequestration has been disparaged because of low porosity-permeability characteristics, which are largely a result of extensive calcite cementation. This study investigated the potential for using the MCR as a target for CO₂ sequestration by examining reactions involving detrital host-rock minerals at high pressure-temperature conditions that could provide dissolved Ca²⁺, Mg²⁺, and Fe²⁺, and then precipitating these cations as carbonate minerals. The effect of carbonic acid on cement dissolution was also evaluated with respect to enhancing porosity and …

Enabling Near-Term Prediction Of Status For Intelligent Transportation Systems: Management Techniques For Data On Mobile Objects, Lasanthi Nilmini Heendaliya

Doctoral Dissertations

"Location Dependent Queries (LDQs) benefit from the rapid advances in communication and Global Positioning System (GPS) technologies to track moving objects' locations, and improve the quality-of-life by providing location relevant services and information to end users. The enormity of the underlying data maintained by LDQ applications - a large quantity of mobile objects and their frequent mobility - is, however, a major obstacle in providing effective and efficient services. Motivated by this obstacle, this thesis sets out in the quest to find improved methods to efficiently index, access, retrieve, and update volatile LDQ related mobile object data and information. …

Seismological Investigation Of The Okavango Rift, Botswana, Youqiang Yu

Doctoral Dissertations

The mechanisms of rifting have been intensively investigated using geological and geophysical techniques beneath mature rift zones. However, current understanding on the earliest stages of rifting is seriously limited. Here we employ recently archived data from 17 broadband seismic stations traversing northern Botswana to conduct the first shear wave splitting and mantle transition zone (MTZ) studies within the Okavango Rift Zone (ORZ). The ORZ is an incipient continental rift situated at the terminal of the southwestern branch of the East African Rift System. The resulting normal MTZ thickness and consistently rift-parallel fast polarizations imply an absence of significant thermal anomalies …

Pulsed Inductive Plasma Studies By Spectroscopy And Internal Probe Methods, Warner C. Meeks

Doctoral Dissertations

The broad effort of the Missouri Plasmoid Experiment is to elucidate the energy conversion processes in a pulsed inductive discharge due to the presence of plasma. The test article is a 440 to 490 kHz theta-pinch (or solenoidal) geometry coil with a stored energy of around 80 joules. In this work experimental hydrogen, helium, argon and xenon data at back-fill pressures of 10 to 100 mTorr (1.3 to 133.3 Pa) are obtained and interpreted. Spectral and internal probe studies were performed on MPX Mk.I and Mk.II devices, respectively. IR spectra were acquired in the Mk.I device for argon and xenon. …

Process Design, Dynamics, And Techno-Economic Analysis Of A Sustainable Coal, Wind, And Small Modular Nuclear Reactor Hybrid Energy System, Kyle Lee Buchheit

Doctoral Dissertations

"The availability of cheap electricity is one of the biggest factors for improving quality of life. With the debate on the effects of carbon dioxide emissions continuing, several countries have either implemented or are considering the reduction of emissions through various economic means. The inclusion of a monetary penalty on carbon emissions would increase the prices of electricity produced by carbon-based sources. The push for large-scale renewable sources of energy has met problems with regards to energy storage and availability. The proposed coal, wind, and nuclear hybrid energy system would combine a renewable energy source, wind, with traditional and stable …

Synthesis And Characterization Of Vanadium Oxide Nanomaterials, Tyler M. Fears

Doctoral Dissertations

"This dissertation focuses on the synthesis and characterization of vanadium oxide nanomaterials and neutron-transparent Li-ion battery electrolytes.

Vanadium oxide gels were synthesized via the epoxide-assisted gelation of VOCl₃ using epichlorohydrin in ethanol. This represents the first epoxide-assisted gelation developed for vanadium oxide gels and serves as a potential economical replacement for the fabrication of vanadium oxide gels via the hydrolysis of vanadium alkoxides. Though epoxide-assisted gelation has been demonstrated for a number of transition metal oxides, the gelation mechanism observed here for VOCl₃ appears to be unique.

While investigating the electrochemical and structural properties of lithium vanadates, it …