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Planning of Dynamic Wireless Charging Infrastructure for Electric Vehicles
No full textA Master of Science thesis in Electrical Engineering by Ahmed Omar Elmeligy entitled, “Planning of Dynamic Wireless Charging Infrastructure for Electric Vehicles”, submitted in April 2022. Thesis advisor is Dr. Mohamed Hassan and thesis co-advisor is Dr. Ahmed Osman. Soft copy is available (Thesis, Completion Certificate, Approval Signatures, and AUS Archives Consent Form).The pursuit of lower vehicle emissions has allowed the market share of electric vehicles (EVs) to rapidly increase, which has motivated researchers to develop several charging techniques, aiming to minimize the charging downtime and reduce the range anxiety of EV drivers. Of those techniques, dynamic wireless charging (DWC) has increased in popularity due to the substantial amount of work that has been done in the field of wireless charging. However, with DWC, some unforeseen challenges have risen, including range anxiety and high deployment costs. Accordingly, research efforts are taking place to identify the optimum locations of those dynamic wireless charging lanes (DWCLs) to maximize the system efficiency while minimizing the system cost by reducing the required DWCL lengths. Additionally, the extra load that DWC incurs on a city's power grid must also be considered to avoid overloading the grid. In this work, a realistic simulation is built on Simulation of Urban MObility (SUMO) software to model traffic on a large scale. Optimization models are then developed to optimally deploy DWCLs in the simulated road network and allocate distributed generation (DG) resources to support the power grid. A simplified version of the optimization model is first verified on a small-scale case study before being fully implemented on a larger road network within the city of Sharjah, UAE. Results reveal that, for a 30% EV penetration level, a DWC system is economically feasible to deploy, to address the anticipated EV charging demand within the road network under consideration. The proposed DWC deployment plan is able to provide approximately $100,000 annual net profit, acknowledging the different capital and operational expenses of the different system components as well as those of the distributed generation resources.College of EngineeringDepartment of Electrical EngineeringMaster of Science in Electrical Engineering (MSEE
Predicting COVID-19 in the UAE Using Machine Learning
No full textA Master of Science thesis in Computer Engineering by Donthi Sankalpa entitled, “Predicting COVID-19 in the UAE Using Machine Learning”, submitted in August 2022. Thesis advisor is Dr. Salam Dhou and thesis co-advisors are Dr. Assim Saghayroon and Dr. Michel Pasquier. Soft copy is available (Thesis, Completion Certificate, Approval Signatures, and AUS Archives Consent Form).As of 17th August 2022, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) have recorded over 1 million Covid-19 cases since the start of the pandemic with over 2000 deaths and the numbers are still increasing. To combat Covid-19, UAE has taken many initiatives, which are: surveillance and contact tracing by introducing apps such as Al Hosn, containment of spread by limiting the gathering of people, online schooling and remote work, closure of public places and sanitation drives. The question then arises how well the above-mentioned initiatives worked in reducing the spread. This thesis aims to analyze the trends in Covid-19 in the UAE by predicting future number of cases based on the recorded history as well as the addition of policies and vaccinations to see the effect of such policies. This is done by using well-established Machine Learning models such as LASSO regression, Exponential Smoothing, and Deep Learning models such as LSTM, LSTM-AE and bi-directional LSTM-AE. The data used to train the various models is acquired from the UAE government, Federal Competitiveness and Statistics Centre (FCSC) and consists of numerical attributes such as number of Confirmed Cases, Recovered Cases, Deaths, Tests, and Vaccinations. This data set publicly available and is updated every day. To further analyze the trend to see if it changes after the vaccination drives and the above-mentioned initiatives are applied, an additional categorical attribute that describes whether an event has taken place, such as a national holiday or a sanitization drive was created. After doing initial analysis to understand the nature of the data, the models were trained and tested with different combinations of attributes, and it was found that the Univariate LSTM model with an input of 5-day history of Confirmed Cases performed the best with an RMSE of 275.85. This was an improvement of over 30% from the current state of the art related to the UAE. Other than the LSTMs, it was also found that the bi-directional LSTMs performed relatively well.College of EngineeringDepartment of Computer Science and EngineeringMaster of Science in Computer Engineering (MSCoE
Ultrasound Triggering of Liposomal Nanodrugs for Cancer Therapy: A Review
No full textEfficient conventional chemotherapy is limited by its nonspecific nature, which causes severe systemic toxicity that can lead to patient discomfort and low therapeutic efficacy. The emergence of smart drug delivery systems (SDDSs) utilizing nanoparticles as drug nanocarriers has shown great potential in enhancing the targetability of anticancer agents and limiting their side effects. Liposomes are among the most investigated nanoplatforms due to their promising capabilities of encapsulating hydrophilic, lipophilic, and amphiphilic drugs, biocompatibility, physicochemical and biophysical properties. Liposomal nanodrug systems have demonstrated the ability to alter drugs’ biodistribution by sufficiently delivering the entrapped chemotherapeutics at the targeted diseased sites, sparing normal cells from undesired cytotoxic effects. Combining liposomal treatments with ultrasound, as an external drug release triggering modality, has been proven effective in spatially and temporally controlling and stimulating drug release. Therefore, this paper reviews recent literature pertaining to the therapeutic synergy of triggering nanodrugs from liposomes using ultrasound. It also highlights the effects of multiple physical and chemical factors on liposomes’ sonosensetivity, several ultrasound-induced drug release mechanisms, and the efficacy of ultrasound-responsive liposomal systems in cancer therapy. Overall, liposomal nanodrug systems triggered by ultrasound are promising cancer therapy platforms that can potentially alleviate the detriments of conventional cancer treatments.Dana Gas Endowed Chair for Chemical EngineeringAmerican University of SharjahSheikh Hamdan Award for Medical SciencesFriends of Cancer Patient
Decarbonizing the pulp and paper industry: A critical and systematic review of sociotechnical developments and policy options
No full textPaper has shaped society for centuries and is considered one of humanity's most important inventions. However, pulp and paper products can be damaging to social and natural systems along their lifecycle of material extraction, processing, transportation, and waste handling. The pulp and paper industry is among the top five most energy-intensive industries globally and is the fourth largest industrial energy user. This industry accounts for approximately 6% of global industrial energy use and 2% of direct industrial CO2 emissions. The pulp and paper industry is also the largest user of original or virgin wood, with deleterious impacts on both human health and local flora and fauna, including aquatic ecosystems. This critical and systematic review seeks to identify alternatives for mitigating the climate impacts of pulp and paper processes and products, thus making the pulp and paper industry more environmentally sustainable. This study reviews 466 studies to answer the following questions: what are the main determinants of energy and carbon emissions emerging from the pulp and paper industry? What are the benefits of this industry adopting low-carbon manufacturing processes, and what barriers will need to be tackled to enable such adoption? Using a sociotechnical lens, we answer these questions, identify barriers for the pulp and paper industry's decarbonization, and present promising avenues for future research.UK Industrial Decarbonization Research and Innovation Centre (IDRIC)European Union's INTERREG VA Programm
Experimental Assessment of Microbial Fuel Cells for Treatment and Nutrient Recovery from Different Wastewaters
No full textA Master of Science thesis in Civil Engineering by Hadeer Abdalla entitled, “Experimental Assessment of Microbial Fuel Cells for Treatment and Nutrient Recovery from Different Wastewaters”, submitted in May 2022. Thesis advisor is Dr. Kazi Fattah and thesis co-advisor is Dr. Mohamed Abdallah. Soft copy is available (Thesis, Completion Certificate, Approval Signatures, and AUS Archives Consent Form).Wastewater is an abundant renewable source of nutrients such as nitrogen and phosphorus. However, current recovery methods require large amounts of energy and chemicals. Consequently, these processes pose economic and environmental burdens and is therefore often not implemented. Microbial fuel cells (MFC) are one of the bio-electrochemical wastewater treatment technologies that has potential for nutrient recovery as it can reduce chemicals cost while at the same time treat the wastewater and produce electricity. However, there is limited knowledge of the optimum operation mode of MFCs and the effect of the substrate on nutrient recovery. This study investigates the efficiency of struvite formation for nutrient recovery in a MFC using various wastewater substrates, such as, urine, centrate, and greywater (phase I) and different operating modes (phase II). In phase II of the experimental run the system was operated by recirculating the treated anolyte to the cathode compartment. The performance of the 700ml-volume dual-chamber cells was assessed based on electricity output, organics removal in terms of soluble chemical oxygen demand (sCOD), and struvite recovery. The highest sCOD removal efficiency of over 95% was achieved with the centrate-fed cell. The sCOD removal efficiency increased by 24% from the single operation (phase I) to the recirculation stage (phase II). The highest maximum power density generated from the urine, centrate, and greywater fed MFCs for phase I were found to be 1.7, 1.5, and 0.95 mW/cm², and 1.18, 0.82, and 0.73 mW/cm² for phase II, respectively. The urine-fed 700ml cell produced the highest struvite precipitate quantity (1.5g), followed by centrate (1.3g) and greywater (0.3g) in phase I, while the urine sample yielded 1.7g in phase II. The highest phosphate recovery efficiencies of over 55% (phase I) and 20% (phase II) were found for the cell treating urine, while efficiencies of other substrates were 36% (for centrate) and 48% (for greywater. Morphological and chemical analysis of the precipitate formed confirmed that the nutrients were recovered primarily as struvite. The results of this study verify the potential for implementing MFCs for nutrient recovery and anolyte recirculation.College of EngineeringDepartment of Civil EngineeringMaster of Science in Civil Engineering (MSCE
Validation of a Novel Fluorescent Lateral Flow Assay for Rapid Qualitative and Quantitative Assessment of Total Anti-SARS-CoV-2 S-RBD Binding Antibody Units (BAU) from Plasma or Fingerstick Whole-Blood of COVID-19 Vaccinees
No full textBackground: Limited commercial LFA assays are available to provide a reliable quantitative measurement of the total binding antibody units (BAU/mL) against the receptor-binding domain of the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein (S-RBD). Aim: This study aimed to evaluate the performance of the fluorescence LFA FinecareTM 2019-nCoV S-RBD test along with its reader (Model No.: FS-113) against the following reference methods: (i) the FDA-approved GenScript surrogate virus-neutralizing assay (sVNT); and (ii) three highly performing automated immunoassays: BioMérieux VIDAS®3, Ortho VITROS®, and Mindray CL-900i®. Methods: Plasma from 488 vaccinees was tested by all aforementioned assays. Fingerstick whole-blood samples from 156 vaccinees were also tested by FinecareTM. Results and conclusions: FinecareTM showed 100% specificity, as none of the pre-pandemic samples tested positive. Equivalent FinecareTM results were observed among the samples taken from fingerstick or plasma (Pearson correlation r = 0.9, p < 0.0001), suggesting that fingerstick samples are sufficient to quantitate the S-RBD BAU/mL. A moderate correlation was observed between FinecareTM and sVNT (r = 0.5, p < 0.0001), indicating that FinecareTM can be used for rapid prediction of the neutralizing antibody (nAb) post-vaccination. FinecareTM BAU results showed strong correlation with VIDAS®3 (r = 0.6, p < 0.0001) and moderate correlation with VITROS® (r = 0.5, p < 0.0001) and CL-900i® (r = 0.4, p < 0.0001), suggesting that FinecareTM can be used as a surrogate for the advanced automated assays to measure S-RBD BAU/mL.Qatar National Research Fun
Design and Optimization of Fuel Cells: A Case Study on Polymer Electrolyte Membrane Fuel Cell Power Systems for Portable Applications
No full textFuel cells are energy conversion devices that directly convert chemical energy of fuels such as hydrogen to useful work with negligible environmental impact and high efficiency. This study deals with thermodynamic analysis and modeling of polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cell (PEMFC) power systems for portable applications. In this regard, a case study of powering a computer with a PEMFC is presented. Also, an inclusive evaluation of various parameters such as voltage polarization, overall system efficiency, power output, and heat generation is reported. In addition, a parametric study is conducted to study the effect of many design and operation parameters on the overall efficiency. Results show the direct influence of current density and temperature values on optimization of the design parameters in PEMFCs.American University of Sharja
Improving the Resilience of Smart Distribution Networks against Cyber Attacks
No full textA Master of Science thesis in Electrical Engineering by Mohamed ElHusseiny Mohamed ElYamani entitled, “Improving the Resilience of Smart Distribution Networks against Cyber Attacks”, submitted in December 2022. Thesis advisor is Dr. Mostafa Shaaban. Soft copy is available (Thesis, Completion Certificate, Approval Signatures, and AUS Archives Consent Form).Accurate observability for all nodes of the grid is significantly essential, especially with the smart grids, which focus on integrating new technologies and increasing the use of information technology. Transmission and generation level assets are the most critical and expensive parts; thus, full observability is highly needed to monitor, detect and clear any fault that can impact the grid. On the other hand, usually, the distribution systems are not fully monitored as it is economically not feasible However, the application of the smart grids at the distribution level opens the opportunity of increasing the automation level and the information technology, which brings chances of being cyber attacked. This work focuses on increasing the observability of distribution systems and enhancing the resilience against False Data Injection (FDI) cyber-attacks. The proposed research will be done in three stages a) Optimally allocate SCADA meters in the grid to minimize the cost of the system and get better observability with help of state estimation and Non-dominated Sorting Genetic algorithm (NDSGA II), b) Detect false data injection through the existing monitoring devices in the grid with help of state estimation associated with probability density function (PDF) curve of any reading in the system, c) Optimal allocation of monitoring devices considering the attack and its impact on observability. IEEE 38 bus system has been tested with different allocations and variable numbers of monitoring devices to get the best results for observability and estimation accuracy. Allocating Devices with help of the metaheuristic approach NSDGA II improved the computational performance more than using exact traditional approaches. FDI has been initiated with many scenarios to test the resilience of some allocations in the system. Integrating all these features will give us insight for tackling the FDI before sabotaging the system and save us lots of effort and money later.College of EngineeringDepartment of Electrical EngineeringMaster of Science in Electrical Engineering (MSEE
Synthesis of Estrone Liposomes Using Microfluidics
No full textA Master of Science thesis in Biomedical Engineering by Mohamed Abdalla Agam entitled, “Synthesis of Estrone Liposomes Using Microfluidics”, submitted in May 2022. Thesis advisor is Dr. Mohamed Abdelgawad and thesis co-advisor is Dr. Ghaleb Husseini. Soft copy is available (Thesis, Completion Certificate, Approval Signatures, and AUS Archives Consent Form).Liposomes consist of bilayer lipid membranes that can encapsulate drugs in the internal hydrophobic part of the hydrophilic bilayer. In targeted drug delivery, liposomes are used as nanocarriers to deliver and target certain diseases to avoid side effects. Instead of using chemotherapy, treating breast cancer can be done using targeted drug delivery by using Estrone conjugated liposomes that will reach the tumor site due to the receptors found on the membrane and nucleus of the cancer cells. Estrone liposomes can be synthesized using conventional techniques such as the thin-film hydration method. Conventional techniques have limitations in controlling the liposomes size and size distribution. Microfluidics, which is a novel technology enabling liquid manipulation on the microscale, was recently used in the synthesis of liposomes. It offers many advantages over conventional techniques, such as smaller liposome size, better uniformity, and reproducibility. In this thesis a herringbone micromixer microfluidic chip was used for the synthesis of estrone liposomes. Using this chip, a solvent stream containing the lipids was mixed with another stream of Phosphate buffer saline (PBS) inside a microchannel integrated with herringbone-shaped ridges that enhances mixing of the two streams. The small size scale involved enabled rapid solvent exchange and initiated the self-assembly of the lipids to form the required liposomes. The effect of different parameters affecting liposome size, such as ratio between the flow rate of the solvent and the buffer solutions (FRR), total flow rate, lipid concentrations and solvent type were investigated. Using this technique, liposomes as small as 132 nm in diameter were prepared on device without the need for any further processing. Calcein was encapsulated inside the prepared liposomes as a model drug and was released under the effect of applying ultrasound waves at different powers as exhibited in conventionally prepared liposomes. Size stability of the prepared liposomes was tested over a period of one month without a considerable change in liposomes size. The novalety of this work is the synthesis of Estrone-liposomes using a microfluidics device, which is the first thesis to use a microfluidics technique to synthesize targeted liposomes conjugated with estrone. Overall, using microfluidics for synthesis of Estrone-liposomes offered unique advantages over traditional techniques for targeted liposomes synthesis including a simpler setup and full ability to reproducibly control size of the produced liposomes.College of EngineeringMultidisciplinary ProgramsMaster of Science in Biomedical Engineering (MSBME
Model Reference Adaptive Control based prototype electric vehicle energy management
No full textA Master of Science thesis in Electrical Engineering by Muhammad Qasim Elahi entitled, “Model Reference Adaptive Control based prototype electric vehicle energy management”, submitted in April 2022. Thesis advisor is Dr. Habib Ur Rehman and thesis co-advisor is Dr. Shayok Mukhopadhyay. Soft copy is available (Thesis, Completion Certificate, Approval Signatures, and AUS Archives Consent Form).College of EngineeringDepartment of Electrical EngineeringMaster of Science in Electrical Engineering (MSEE