Browsing by Author "Huang, Yu"
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Item Open Access A comparative evaluation of reverse osmosis membrane performance when combined with anaerobic or aerobic membrane bioreactors for indirect potable reuse applications(Elsevier, 2022-11-18) Huang, Yu; Jeffrey, Paul; Pidou, MarcThe filtration performance and fouling behaviour of reverse osmosis (RO) membranes was investigated for the post-treatment of aerobic (Ae) and anaerobic (An) MBR effluents treating municipal wastewater for potable reuse. Both MBR effluents followed by RO can produce a water quality sufficient for indirect potable water reuse, while fluorescence excitation-emission scan suggests RO can effectively remove disinfection by-products precursors, ensuring the safety for chlorine based reuse water distribution by rejecting the dissolved organic matters in MBR effluents. AnMBR effluent leads to more fouling when compared to the AeMBR effluent with an average membrane fouling resistance of 12.35 × 1013 m−1 and 8.97 × 1013 m−1. Elemental analysis and membrane surface imaging results demonstrate that the foulant deposition sequence is organic and colloidal at first, followed by inorganic substances, while TOC and Ca are the most deposited foulants from both effluents. The unremoved ammonia in the AnMBR effluent may partially go through in the RO permeate and exceed the threshold in Singapore's PUB NEWater standard, while experiencing a significantly higher deposition rate of 13.8 % than the nitrate (0.02 %) from the AeMBR effluent. The findings suggest that the combination of AnMBR with RO offers a more sustainable approach than with the AeMBR but nutrients removal, with the potential of recovery, is recommended before the RO membranes to limit the fouling propensity and achieve a permeate of sufficient quality.Item Open Access Frequency domain analysis and equalization for molecular communication(IEEE, 2021-03-17) Huang, Yu; Ji, Fei; Wei, Zhuangkun; Wen, Miaowen; Chen, Xuan; Tang, Yuankun; Guo, WeisiMolecular Communication (MC) is a promising micro-scale technology that enables wireless connectivity in electromagnetically challenged conditions. The signal processing approaches in MC are different from conventional wireless communications as molecular signals suffer from severe inter-symbol interference (ISI) and signal-dependent counting noise due to the stochastic diffusion process of the information molecules. One of the main challenges in MC is the high computational complexity of the existing time-domain ISI mitigation schemes that display a third-order polynomial or even exponential growth with the ISI length, which is further exasperated under the high symbol rate case. For the first time, we develop a frequency-domain equalization (FDE) with lower complexity, capable of achieving independence from the ISI effects. This innovation is grounded in our characterization of the channel frequency response of diffusion signals, facilitating the design of receiver sampling strategies. However, the perfect counting noise power is unavailable in the optimal minimum mean square error (MMSE) equalizer. We address this issue by exploiting the statistical information of the transmit signal and decision feedback for noise power estimation, designing novel MMSE equalizers with low complexity. The FDE for MC is successfully developed with its immunity to ISI effects, and its signal processing cost has only a logarithmic growth with symbol length in each block.Item Open Access A frequency domain view on diffusion-based molecular communication channels(IEEE, 2021-08-06) Huang, Yu; Ji, Fei; Wen, Miaowen; Tang, Yuankun; Chen, Xuan; Guo, WeisiMolecular communication (MC) is an emerging communication paradigm, where the information is carried via the patterns of molecules that are mainly governed by the diffusion process. Current MC literature concentrates on the time-domain analysis, while the signal analysis in other domains may facilitate the MC research. To this end, this paper performs the frequency-domain analysis by deriving the frequency response of the diffusion-based MC channels, manifesting an explicitly low-compass characteristic. The energy of the channel impulse response in the diffusion-based MC is also derived, and the corresponding bandwidth definition is proposed, which determines the sampling frequency for the one-shot diffusive channel impulse response in MC. The results in this work lay the foundation for the frequency-domain signal processing in diffusion-based MC channels.Item Open Access Kolmogorov turbulence and information dissipation in molecular communication(IEEE, 2021-02-19) Abbaszadeh, Mahmoud; Huang, Yu; Thomas, Peter J.; Wen, Miaowen; Ji, Fei; Guo, WeisiWaterborne chemical plumes are studied as a paradigm for representing a means for molecular communication in a macro-scale system. Results from the theory of fluid turbulence are applied and interpreted in the context of molecular communication to characterize an information cascade, the information dissipation rate and the critical length scale below which information modulated onto the plume can no longer be decoded. The results show that the information dissipation decreases with increasing Reynolds number and that there exists a theoretical potential for encoding smaller information structures at higher Reynolds numbers.Item Open Access Managing multi-goal design problems using adaptive leveling-weighting-clustering algorithm(Springer, 2022-09-25) Guo, Lin; Milisavljevic-Syed, Jelena; Wang, Ru; Huang, Yu; Allen, Janet K.; Mistree, FarrokhIn this paper, we address the issue of solving problems with multiple components, multiple objectives, and target values for each objective. There are limitations in managing these multi-component, multi-goal problems such as the need for domain expertise to combine or prioritize the goals. In this paper, we propose a domain-independent method, Adaptive Leveling-Weighting-Clustering (ALWC), to manage the exploration of design scenarios of multi-goal, engineering-design problems. Using ALWC, designers explore combinations and priorities of the goals based on their interrelationships. Through iteration, design scenarios are obtained with higher goal achievements and an improved understanding of the relationship among subsystems. This is achieved without increasing computational complexity. This knowledge is helpful for multi-component design. The ALWC method is demonstrated using a thermal-system design problem.Item Open Access Physical-layer counterattack strategies for the internet of bio-nano things with molecular communication(IEEE, 2023-06-06) Huang, Yu; Wen, Miaowen; Lin, Lin; Li, Bin; Wei, Zhuangkun; Tang, Dong; Li, Jun; Duan, Wei; Guo, WeisiMolecular communication (MC) is an emerging new communication paradigm where information is conveyed by chemical signals. It has been recognized as one of the most promising physical layer techniques for the future Internet of Bio-Nano Things (IoBNT), which enables revolutionary applications beyond our imagination. Compared with conventional communication systems, MC typically demands a higher security level as the IoBNT is deeply associated with the biochemical process. Against this background, this article first discusses the security and privacy issues of IoBNT with MC. Then, the physical-layer countermeasures against the threat are presented from an interdisciplinary perspective concerning data science, signal processing techniques, and the biochemical properties of MC. Correspondingly, both the keyless and key-based schemes are conceived and revisited. Finally, some open research issues and future research directions for secrecy enhancement in IoBNT with MC are put forward.Item Open Access Review of physical layer security in molecular internet of nano-things(IEEE, 2023-06-14) Qiu, Song; Wei, Zhuangkun; Huang, Yu; Abbaszadeh, Mahmoud; Charmet, Jerome; Li, Bin; Guo, WeisiMolecular networking has been identified as a key enabling technology for Internet-of-Nano-Things (IoNT): microscopic devices that can monitor, process information, and take action in a wide range of medical applications. As the research matures into prototypes, the cybersecurity challenges of molecular networking are now being researched on at both the cryptographic and physical layer level. Due to the limited computation capabilities of IoNT devices, physical layer security (PLS) is of particular interest. As PLS leverages on channel physics and physical signal attributes, the fact that molecular signals differ significantly from radio frequency signals and propagation means new signal processing methods and hardware is needed. Here, we review new vectors of attack and new methods of PLS, focusing on 3 areas: (1) information theoretical secrecy bounds for molecular communications, (2) key-less steering and decentralized key-based PLS methods, and (3) new methods of achieving encoding and encryption through bio-molecular compounds. The review will also include prototype demonstrations from our own lab that will inform future research and related standardization efforts.Item Open Access Signal detection for molecular communication: model-based vs. data-driven methods(IEEE, 2021-06-03) Huang, Yu; Ji, Fei; Wei, Zhuangkun; Wen, MiaowenMulti-scale molecular communication (MC) employs the characteristics of information molecules for information exchange. The received signal in MC inevitably encounters severe inter-symbol interference and signal-dependent noise due to the stochastic diffusion mechanism. Focusing on the critical signal detection in MC, first this article reviews the commonly used mod-el-based detectors and exposes their limitations in practical implementation. Then the emerging data-driven detectors that can make up for some deficiencies of the model-based detectors are presented. Despite the black-box nature of the data-driven detectors, the explainable artificial intelligence can be further investigated for the performance improvement of transparency and trust. Finally, some open research issues and future research directions in receiver design are discussed.Item Open Access UV/TiO2 photocatalysis as post-treatment of anaerobic membrane bioreactor effluent for reuse(Elsevier, 2024-03-22) Huang, Yu; Jeffrey, Paul; Pidou, MarcAdvanced oxidation processes have been widely applied as a post-treatment solution to remove residual organic compounds in water reuse schemes. However, UV/TiO2 photocatalysis, which provides a sustainable option with no continuous chemical addition, has very rarely been studied to treat anaerobically treated effluents. In the current study, the removal of organics and nutrients from an anaerobic membrane bioreactor (AnMBR) effluent is evaluated during adsorption and photocatalysis processes under various conditions of TiO2 dose and UV intensity and compared to the effluent from an aerobic membrane bioreactor (AeMBR). The sequence for preferential adsorption on TiO2 was found to be phosphorus, inorganic carbon and then ammonia/organic carbon were found. The competing effect between the organics and nutrients, along with the low UV transmission efficiency caused by the need for high doses of TiO2, ultimately compromise the organic removal efficiency in the AnMBR permeate. TiO2 dosage was found to have a greater impact than UV intensity on improving the overall removal performance as nutrients are competing for the adsorption site but are not photodegraded. Under the same operational condition, the UV/TiO2 photocatalysis displayed a higher removal efficiency of organic matter and phosphorus in the AeMBR effluent due to a lower initial organics concentration and absence of ammonia as compared to the AnMBR effluent.