Matching Items (77)
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Description
Increasing demand for reducing the stress on fossil fuels has motivated automotive industries to shift towards sustainable modes of transport through electric and hybrid electric vehicles. Most fuel efficient cars of year 2016 are hybrid vehicles as reported by environmental protection agency. Hybrid vehicles operate with internal combustion engine and

Increasing demand for reducing the stress on fossil fuels has motivated automotive industries to shift towards sustainable modes of transport through electric and hybrid electric vehicles. Most fuel efficient cars of year 2016 are hybrid vehicles as reported by environmental protection agency. Hybrid vehicles operate with internal combustion engine and electric motors powered by batteries, and can significantly improve fuel economy due to downsizing of the engine. Whereas, Plug-in hybrids (PHEVs) have an additional feature compared to hybrid vehicles i.e. recharging batteries through external power outlets. Among hybrid powertrains, lithium-ion batteries have emerged as a major electrochemical storage source for propulsion of vehicles.

In PHEVs, batteries operate under charge sustaining and charge depleting mode based on torque requirement and state of charge. In the current article, 26650 lithium-ion cells were cycled extensively at 25 and 50 oC under charge sustaining mode to monitor capacity and cell impedance values followed by analyzing the Lithium iron phosphate (LiFePO4) cathode material by X-ray diffraction analysis (XRD). High frequency resistance measured by electrochemical impedance spectroscopy was found to increase significantly under high temperature cycling, leading to power fading. No phase change in LiFePO4 cathode material is observed after 330 cycles at elevated temperature under charge sustaining mode from the XRD analysis. However, there was significant change in crystallite size of the cathode active material after charge/discharge cycling with charge sustaining mode. Additionally, 18650 lithium-ion cells were tested under charge depleting mode to monitor capacity values.
ContributorsBadami, Pavan Pramod (Author) / Kannan, Arunachala Mada (Thesis advisor) / Huang, Huei Ping (Thesis advisor) / Ren, Yi (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2016
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Description
The majority of the natural issues the world is confronting today is because of our dependence on fossil fuels and the increase in CO2 emissions. The alternative solution for this problem is the use of renewable energy for the energy production, but these are uncertain energy sources. So, the combination

The majority of the natural issues the world is confronting today is because of our dependence on fossil fuels and the increase in CO2 emissions. The alternative solution for this problem is the use of renewable energy for the energy production, but these are uncertain energy sources. So, the combination of reducing carbon dioxide with the use of renewable energy sources is the finest way to mitigate this problem. Electrochemical reduction of carbon dioxide (ERC) is a reasonable approach as it eliminates as well as utilizes the carbon dioxide as a source for generating valuable products.

In this study, development of electrochemical reactor, characterization of membrane electrode assembly (MEA) and analysis of electrochemical reduction of carbon dioxide (ERC) is discussed. Electrodes using various catalyst materials in solid polymer based electrolyte (SPE) along with gas diffusion layer (GDL) are developed. The prepared membrane electrodes are characterized under ex-situ conditions using scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The membranes are later placed in the electrochemical reactor for the in-situ characterization to assess the performance of the membrane electrode assembly.

The electrodes are processed by airbrushing the metal particles on the nafion membrane and then are electrochemically characterized by linear sweep voltammetry. The anode was kept constant with platinum whereas the cathode was examined with compositions of different metal catalysts. The products formed subsequently are analyzed using gas chromatography (GC) and Residual gas analysis (RGA). Hydrogen (H2) and carbon monoxide (CO) are detected using GC while the hydrocarbons are detected by performing quantitative analysis using RGA. The preliminary experiments gave very encouraging results. However, more work needs to be done to achieve new heights.
ContributorsVenka, Rishika (Author) / Kannan, Arunachala Mada (Thesis advisor) / Huang, Huei-Ping (Thesis advisor) / Phelan, Patrick (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2016
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Description
The role of environmental factors that influence atmospheric propagation of sound originating from freeway noise sources is studied with a combination of field experiments and numerical simulations. Acoustic propagation models are developed and adapted for refractive index depending upon meteorological conditions. A high-resolution multi-nested environmental forecasting model forced by coarse

The role of environmental factors that influence atmospheric propagation of sound originating from freeway noise sources is studied with a combination of field experiments and numerical simulations. Acoustic propagation models are developed and adapted for refractive index depending upon meteorological conditions. A high-resolution multi-nested environmental forecasting model forced by coarse global analysis is applied to predict real meteorological profiles at fine scales. These profiles are then used as input for the acoustic models. Numerical methods for producing higher resolution acoustic refractive index fields are proposed. These include spatial and temporal nested meteorological simulations with vertical grid refinement. It is shown that vertical nesting can improve the prediction of finer structures in near-ground temperature and velocity profiles, such as morning temperature inversions and low level jet-like features. Accurate representation of these features is shown to be important for modeling sound refraction phenomena and for enabling accurate noise assessment. Comparisons are made using the acoustic model for predictions with profiles derived from meteorological simulations and from field experiment observations in Phoenix, Arizona. The challenges faced in simulating accurate meteorological profiles at high resolution for sound propagation applications are highlighted and areas for possible improvement are discussed.



A detailed evaluation of the environmental forecast is conducted by investigating the Surface Energy Balance (SEB) obtained from observations made with an eddy-covariance flux tower compared with SEB from simulations using several physical parameterizations of urban effects and planetary boundary layer schemes. Diurnal variation in SEB constituent fluxes are examined in relation to surface layer stability and modeled diagnostic variables. Improvement is found when adapting parameterizations for Phoenix with reduced errors in the SEB components. Finer model resolution (to 333 m) is seen to have insignificant ($<1\sigma$) influence on mean absolute percent difference of 30-minute diurnal mean SEB terms. A new method of representing inhomogeneous urban development density derived from observations of impervious surfaces with sub-grid scale resolution is then proposed for mesoscale applications. This method was implemented and evaluated within the environmental modeling framework. Finally, a new semi-implicit scheme based on Leapfrog and a fourth-order implicit time-filter is developed.
ContributorsShaffer, Stephen R. (Author) / Moustaoui, Mohamed (Thesis advisor) / Mahalov, Alex (Committee member) / Fernando, Harindra J.S. (Committee member) / Ovenden, Nicholas C. (Committee member) / Huang, Huei-Ping (Committee member) / Calhoun, Ronald (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2014
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Description
The tools developed for the use of investigating dynamical systems have provided critical understanding to a wide range of physical phenomena. Here these tools are used to gain further insight into scalar transport, and how it is affected by mixing. The aim of this research is to investigate the efficiency

The tools developed for the use of investigating dynamical systems have provided critical understanding to a wide range of physical phenomena. Here these tools are used to gain further insight into scalar transport, and how it is affected by mixing. The aim of this research is to investigate the efficiency of several different partitioning methods which demarcate flow fields into dynamically distinct regions, and the correlation of finite-time statistics from the advection-diffusion equation to these regions.

For autonomous systems, invariant manifold theory can be used to separate the system into dynamically distinct regions. Despite there being no equivalent method for nonautonomous systems, a similar analysis can be done. Systems with general time dependencies must resort to using finite-time transport barriers for partitioning; these barriers are the edges of Lagrangian coherent structures (LCS), the analog to the stable and unstable manifolds of invariant manifold theory. Using the coherent structures of a flow to analyze the statistics of trapping, flight, and residence times, the signature of anomalous diffusion are obtained.

This research also investigates the use of linear models for approximating the elements of the covariance matrix of nonlinear flows, and then applying the covariance matrix approximation over coherent regions. The first and second-order moments can be used to fully describe an ensemble evolution in linear systems, however there is no direct method for nonlinear systems. The problem is only compounded by the fact that the moments for nonlinear flows typically don't have analytic representations, therefore direct numerical simulations would be needed to obtain the moments throughout the domain. To circumvent these many computations, the nonlinear system is approximated as many linear systems for which analytic expressions for the moments exist. The parameters introduced in the linear models are obtained locally from the nonlinear deformation tensor.
ContributorsWalker, Phillip (Author) / Tang, Wenbo (Thesis advisor) / Kostelich, Eric (Committee member) / Mahalov, Alex (Committee member) / Moustaoui, Mohamed (Committee member) / Platte, Rodrigo (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2018
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Description
Commercial Li-ion cells (18650: Li4Ti5O12 anodes and LiCoO2 cathodes) were subjected to simulated Electric Vehicle (EV) conditions using various driving patterns such as aggressive driving, highway driving, air conditioning load, and normal city driving. The particular drive schedules originated from the Environment Protection Agency (EPA), including the SC-03, UDDS, HWFET,

Commercial Li-ion cells (18650: Li4Ti5O12 anodes and LiCoO2 cathodes) were subjected to simulated Electric Vehicle (EV) conditions using various driving patterns such as aggressive driving, highway driving, air conditioning load, and normal city driving. The particular drive schedules originated from the Environment Protection Agency (EPA), including the SC-03, UDDS, HWFET, US-06 drive schedules, respectively. These drive schedules have been combined into a custom drive cycle, named the AZ-01 drive schedule, designed to simulate a typical commute in the state of Arizona. The battery cell cycling is conducted at various temperature settings (0, 25, 40, and 50 °C). At 50 °C, under the AZ-01 drive schedule, a severe inflammation was observed in the cells that led to cell failure. Capacity fading under AZ-01 drive schedule at 0 °C per 100 cycles is found to be 2%. At 40 °C, 3% capacity fading is observed per 100 cycles under the AZ-01 drive schedule. Modeling and prediction of discharge rate capability of batteries is done using Electrochemical Impedance Spectroscopy (EIS). High-frequency resistance values (HFR) increased with cycling under the AZ-01 drive schedule at 40 °C and 0 °C. The research goal for this thesis is to provide performance analysis and life cycle data for Li4Ti5O12 (Lithium Titanite) battery cells in simulated Arizona conditions. Future work involves an evaluation of second-life opportunities for cells that have met end-of-life criteria in EV applications.
ContributorsAbdelhay, Reem (Author) / Kannan, Arunachala Mada (Thesis advisor) / Wishart, Jeffrey (Committee member) / Nam, Changho (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2018
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Description
The automotive industry is committed to moving towards sustainable modes of transportation through electrified vehicles to improve the fuel economy with a reduced carbon footprint. In this context, battery-operated hybrid, plug-in hybrid and all-electric vehicles (EVs) are becoming commercially viable throughout the world. Lithium-ion (Li-ion) batteries with various active materials,

The automotive industry is committed to moving towards sustainable modes of transportation through electrified vehicles to improve the fuel economy with a reduced carbon footprint. In this context, battery-operated hybrid, plug-in hybrid and all-electric vehicles (EVs) are becoming commercially viable throughout the world. Lithium-ion (Li-ion) batteries with various active materials, electrolytes, and separators are currently being used for electric vehicle applications. Specifically, lithium-ion batteries with Lithium Iron Phosphate (LiFePO4 - LFP) and Lithium Nickel Manganese Cobalt Oxide (Li(NiMnCo)O2 - NMC) cathodes are being studied mainly due to higher cycle life and higher energy density values, respectively. In the present work, 26650 Li-ion batteries with LFP and NMC cathodes were evaluated for Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicle (PHEV) applications, using the Federal Urban Driving Schedule (FUDS) to discharge the batteries with 20 A current in simulated Arizona, USA weather conditions (50 ⁰C & <10% RH). In addition, 18650 lithium-ion batteries (LFP cathode material) were evaluated under PHEV mode with 30 A current to accelerate the ageing process, and to monitor the capacity values and material degradation. To offset the high initial cost of the batteries used in electric vehicles, second-use of these retired batteries is gaining importance, and the possibility of second-life use of these tested batteries was also examined under constant current charge/discharge cycling at 50 ⁰C.

The capacity degradation rate under the PHEV test protocol for batteries with NMC-based cathode (16% over 800 cycles) was twice the degradation compared to batteries with LFP-based cathode (8% over 800 cycles), reiterating the fact that batteries with LFP cathodes have a higher cycle life compared to other lithium battery chemistries. Also, the high frequency resistance measured by electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) was found to increase significantly with cycling, leading to power fading for both the NMC- as well as LFP-based batteries. The active materials analyzed using X-ray diffraction (XRD) showed no significant phase change in the materials after 800 PHEV cycles. For second-life tests, these batteries were subjected to a constant charge-discharge cycling procedure to analyze the capacity degradation and materials characteristics.
ContributorsVaidya, Rutvik Milind (Author) / Kannan, Arunachala Mada (Thesis advisor) / Alford, Terry (Committee member) / Wishart, Jeffrey (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2017
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Description
Photocatalytic activity of titanium dioxide (titania or TiO2) offers enormous potential in solving energy and environmental problems. Immobilization of titania nanoparticles on inert substrates is an effective way of utilizing its photocatalytic activity since nanoparticles enable high mass-transport, and immobilization avoids post-treatment separation. For competitive photocatalytic performance, the morphology of

Photocatalytic activity of titanium dioxide (titania or TiO2) offers enormous potential in solving energy and environmental problems. Immobilization of titania nanoparticles on inert substrates is an effective way of utilizing its photocatalytic activity since nanoparticles enable high mass-transport, and immobilization avoids post-treatment separation. For competitive photocatalytic performance, the morphology of the substrate can be engineered to enhance mass-transport and light accessibility. In this work, two types of fiber architectures (i.e., dispersed polymer/titania phase or D-phase, and multi-phase polymer-core/composite-shell fibers or M-phase) were explored as effective substrate solutions for anchoring titania. These fibers were fabricated using a low-cost and scalable fiber spinning technique. Polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) was selected as the substrate material due to its ultraviolet (UV) transparency and stability against oxidative radicals. The work systematically investigates the influence of the fiber porosity on mass-transport and UV light scattering. The properties of the fabricated fiber systems were characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Brunauer–Emmett–Teller (BET), UV-vis spectrophotometry (UV-vis), and mechanical analysis. The photocatalytic performance was characterized by monitoring the decomposition of methylene blue (MB) under UV (i.e., 365 nm) light. Fabrication of photocatalytic support structures was observed to be an optimization problem where porosity improved mass transport but reduced UV accessibility. The D-phase fibers demonstrated the highest MB degradation rate (i.e., 0.116 min-1) due to high porosity (i.e., 33.2 m2/g). The M-phase fibers reported a better degradation rate compared to a D-phase fibers due to higher UV accessibility efficiency.
ContributorsKanth, Namrata (Author) / Song, Kenan (Thesis advisor) / Tongay, Sefaattin (Thesis advisor) / Kannan, Arunachala Mada (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2020
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Description
This thesis introduces new techniques for clustering distributional data according to their geometric similarities. This work builds upon the optimal transportation (OT) problem that seeks global minimum cost for matching distributional data and leverages the connection between OT and power diagrams to solve different clustering problems. The OT formulation is

This thesis introduces new techniques for clustering distributional data according to their geometric similarities. This work builds upon the optimal transportation (OT) problem that seeks global minimum cost for matching distributional data and leverages the connection between OT and power diagrams to solve different clustering problems. The OT formulation is based on the variational principle to differentiate hard cluster assignments, which was missing in the literature. This thesis shows multiple techniques to regularize and generalize OT to cope with various tasks including clustering, aligning, and interpolating distributional data. It also discusses the connections of the new formulation to other OT and clustering formulations to better understand their gaps and the means to close them. Finally, this thesis demonstrates the advantages of the proposed OT techniques in solving machine learning problems and their downstream applications in computer graphics, computer vision, and image processing.
ContributorsMi, Liang (Author) / Wang, Yalin (Thesis advisor) / Chen, Kewei (Committee member) / Karam, Lina (Committee member) / Li, Baoxin (Committee member) / Turaga, Pavan (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2020
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Description
Efforts to treat prostate cancer have seen an uptick, as the world’s most commoncancer in men continues to have increasing global incidence. Clinically, metastatic
prostate cancer is most commonly treated with hormonal therapy. The idea behind
hormonal therapy is to reduce androgen production, which prostate cancer cells
require for growth. Recently, the exploration

Efforts to treat prostate cancer have seen an uptick, as the world’s most commoncancer in men continues to have increasing global incidence. Clinically, metastatic
prostate cancer is most commonly treated with hormonal therapy. The idea behind
hormonal therapy is to reduce androgen production, which prostate cancer cells
require for growth. Recently, the exploration of the synergistic effects of the drugs
used in hormonal therapy has begun. The aim was to build off of these recent
advancements and further refine the synergistic drug model. The advancements I
implement come by addressing biological shortcomings and improving the model’s
internal mechanistic structure. The drug families being modeled, anti-androgens,
and gonadotropin-releasing hormone analogs, interact with androgen production in a
way that is not completely understood in the scientific community. Thus the models
representing the drugs show progress through their ability to capture their effect
on serum androgen. Prostate-specific antigen is the primary biomarker for prostate
cancer and is generally how population models on the subject are validated. Fitting
the model to clinical data and comparing it to other clinical models through the
ability to fit and forecast prostate-specific antigen and serum androgen is how this
improved model achieves validation. The improved model results further suggest that
the drugs’ dynamics should be considered in adaptive therapy for prostate cancer.
ContributorsReckell, Trevor (Author) / Kostelich, Eric (Thesis advisor) / Kuang, Yang (Committee member) / Mahalov, Alex (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2020
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Description
Gas Diffusion Layers (GDL) based on PUREBLACK® carbon and VULCAN® (XC72R) carbon along with catalyst coated membranes were used to fabricate the membrane electrode assemblies for use in proton exchange membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs). Polyethylene glycol was used as the pore-forming agent on the microporous layer to improve the lower

Gas Diffusion Layers (GDL) based on PUREBLACK® carbon and VULCAN® (XC72R) carbon along with catalyst coated membranes were used to fabricate the membrane electrode assemblies for use in proton exchange membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs). Polyethylene glycol was used as the pore-forming agent on the microporous layer to improve the lower and higher relative humidity performance of the fuel cells. Accelerated stress tests based on the dissolution effect of GDLs were conducted and the long-term performance of the GDLs was evaluated. A single-cell fuel cell was used to evaluate the effect of porosity of the micro-porous layer and the effect of different types of carbon powder on the performance of the fuel cell at different operating relative humidity conditions and compared with commercial GDLs.Both PUREBLACK® and VULCAN® (XC72R) based GDLs show crack-free surface morphology in the Scanning electron microscopy and hydrophobic characteristics in the contact angle measurements. The fuel cell performance is evaluated under relative humidity conditions of 60 and 100 % using H2/O2 and H2/Air at 70 ℃ and the durability is also evaluated for the sample with and without 30% PEG for both carbons. The pristine PUREBLACK® based GDL sample with 30% pore-forming agent (total pore volume of 1.72 cc.g-1) demonstrated the highest performance (peak power densities of 432 and 444 mW.cm-2 at 100 and 60 % RH respectively, using H2/Air). There was a significant increase in the macropores when GDLs are aged in H2O2 and the contact angle dropped to about 14 and 95° for PUREBLACK® and VULCAN® carbon, respectively. Overall PUREBLACK® based GDLs performed the best after ageing both in H2O2 and H2O (average performance degradation of 8% in H2O2 and 8.25% in H2O).
ContributorsChauhan, Nitin (Author) / Kannan, Arunachala Mada (Thesis advisor) / Phelan, Patrick (Committee member) / Nian, Qiong (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2021