Preprints
Filtering by Subject: Engineering
Uncertainty aware sample mass determination of coarse-grained soils for particle size analyses
Published: 2024-08-23
Subjects: Applied Statistics, Civil and Environmental Engineering, Civil Engineering, Earth Sciences, Engineering, Environmental Engineering, Environmental Monitoring, Geology, Geomorphology, Geotechnical Engineering, Hydraulic Engineering, Hydrology, Other Civil and Environmental Engineering, Other Earth Sciences, Probability, Sedimentology, Soil Science, Statistical Models, Statistics and Probability, Stratigraphy
Determining particle size distributions (PSD) of soils is a basic first step in manygeotechnical analyses and guidance is given in different national standards. Forambiguous reasons, the recommended minimum sample mass (m_min) for the PSD-analyses of soils with a main component of gravel or greater is based on equationsincluding the soil's maximum grain diameter (D_max). We claim that the [...]
End-to-End Deployment of the Educational AI Hub for Personalized Learning and Engagement: A Case Study on Environmental Science Education
Published: 2024-08-22
Subjects: Education, Engineering, Engineering Education
This study introduces an end-to-end framework for deploying conversational AI-enabled educational assistants, focusing on personalized support for students across diverse subject areas, including Business, Culture, Environmental Sciences, History, Politics, and Science, as outlined in our evaluation framework. The system leverages advanced conversational AI technologies to provide targeted, [...]
Numerical Investigation of Energy Dissipation and Hydraulic Performance of Slotted Roller Buckets with a Different Teeth Configuration
Published: 2024-08-22
Subjects: Engineering
MicroCrystalNet: An Efficient Convolutional Neural Network for Microcrystal Classification using Scanning Electron Microscope Petrography
Published: 2024-08-22
Subjects: Artificial Intelligence and Robotics, Engineering, Other Engineering, Other Environmental Sciences
Morphological characterization of microcrystalline rock textures typically relies upon the visual interpretation and manual measurement of scanning electron microscopy (SEM) imagery: a practice fraught with subjectivity, inefficiency, sampling bias, and data loss. We introduce a state-of-the-art computer vision pipeline, built on deep learning architectures, for segmenting and classifying [...]
Considerations for CO2 storage in deep saline aquifers in tectonically active regions with implications for the Lower Mainland British Columbia (LMBC)
Published: 2024-08-17
Subjects: Engineering
Underground geological storage of carbon dioxide (CO2) has emerged as one of the most viable solutions for mitigating global carbon emissions during the transition to a net-zero economy. Within subsurface geological strata, saline aquifers and depleted oil and gas reservoirs are the primary targets for CO2 storage. However, in regions with limited oil and gas production operations, underground [...]
3-DOF Simulation of Hypothetical Crew Vehicle Launch into Low Mars Orbit
Published: 2024-08-14
Subjects: Aerospace Engineering, Engineering, Navigation, Guidance, Control and Dynamics
A major challenge in space exploration has been the return of a vehicle from the surface of Mars to Earth. This problem has proven to be quite difficult, with current plans to return small rock samples turning out to be too expensive and time consuming[1]. If humans are ever to explore the surface of the red planet, a practical way to launch a crew from the surface of Mars into an orbit from [...]
GROUNDWATER POTENTIAL MAPPING OF THE CENTRAL REGION USING INTEGRATED GEOLOGICAL AND GEOPHYSICAL METHODS
Published: 2024-08-13
Subjects: Engineering
Surface waters are deteriorating due mainly to poor farming practices, illegal mining activities and also climate change. In the Central region this has led to a rise in the need for groundwater as potable water supply. However, the Central region is known to be characterized by unsuccessful rate of borehole drilling, which usually results in waste of time and resources. The need to delineate [...]
Rapid Fault Leakage Modeling for CO2 Storage in Saline Aquifers
Published: 2024-08-12
Subjects: Chemical Engineering, Earth Sciences, Engineering, Geology, Petroleum Engineering, Physical Sciences and Mathematics, Risk Analysis
Simulating the fluid flow along fault zones at different scales is essential for predicting the CO2 leakage and containment during injection and storage. However, this can be challenging, especially in the early stages of a storage project when knowledge of the reservoir and caprock is limited and the cost of obtaining the relevant data is high. This study proposes a tool for fast screening of [...]
Be clever or be cold: repurposed ovens for space heating following global catastrophic infrastructure loss
Published: 2024-08-09
Subjects: Engineering, Mechanical Engineering
Global catastrophic infrastructure loss (GCIL) would disrupt energy supply networks, prohibiting heating in houses reliant on electricity or piped natural gas. Cold climates would require alternative heating methods, as space heating is critical to survival. This work assesses the viability of converting household appliances to wood-burning stoves, and the scalability of such conversions. A [...]
Comprehensive Assessment of Flood Risk and Vulnerability for Essential Facilities: Iowa Case Study
Published: 2024-08-02
Subjects: Civil and Environmental Engineering, Engineering, Environmental Studies, Geographic Information Sciences, Geography, Social and Behavioral Sciences, Spatial Science
Of all natural disasters that occur on this planet, flood events are universally one of the most common and most destructive. As climate change and human actions continue to cause the occurrence of flood events to rise, it becomes increasingly important that the effects of flooding are analyzed and understood. In this study, nine different types of critical amenities in the state of Iowa (such as [...]
A Systematic Review of Neural Network Applications for Groundwater Level Prediction
Published: 2024-07-30
Subjects: Engineering, Physical Sciences and Mathematics
Physical models have long been employed for groundwater level (GWL) prediction. Recently, artificial intelligence (AI), particularly neural networks (NNs), have gained widespread use in forecasting GWL. Forecasting of GWL is essential to enable analyze, quantify and manage groundwater. This systematic review investigates the application of NNs for GWL prediction, focusing on the architectures of [...]
The impact of abrupt sunlight reduction scenarios on renewable energy production
Published: 2024-07-26
Subjects: Climate, Engineering
To combat global warming, energy systems are transitioning to generation from renewable sources, such as wind and solar, which are sensitive to climate conditions. While their output is expected to be little affected by global warming, wind and solar electricity generation could be affected by more drastic climatic changes, such as abrupt sunlight reduction scenarios (ASRSs) caused by nuclear war [...]
Ground Motion Characteristics of Subshear and Supershear Ruptures in the Presence of Sediment Layers
Published: 2024-07-19
Subjects: Engineering, Physical Sciences and Mathematics
We investigate the impact of sediment layers on ground motion characteristics during subshear and supershear rupture growth. Our findings suggest that sediment layers may lead to local supershear propagation, affecting ground motion, especially in the fault parallel (FP) direction. In contrast to homogeneous material models, we find that in the presence of sediment layers, a larger fault normal [...]
Recent advances in the bioremediation of soils contaminated with heavy metals
Published: 2024-07-18
Subjects: Engineering, Life Sciences
Due to the increase in the human population, environmental pollution has increased drastically. Heavy metal pollution of the soil is one of these factors. Because of their industrial importance and advantages, heavy metals are often used in various chemical, paint, and battery industries. Bioremediation is a potential approach for addressing heavy metal soil contamination. This review covers [...]
Unraveling the crop yield response under ... through the deployment of a drought index
Published: 2024-07-04
Subjects: Engineering
Extensive research has explored the impact of shading on vegetation growth and crop yield under agrivoltaic (APV) systems. These studies have revealed a notable connection between shading and crop yields, with certain crop varieties showing benefits from shadings e.g., Berries and Leafy Vegetables, Forage remaining largely unaffected, and some crops e.g., Cereals, Grain Legumes, Fruits, and Root [...]