Theses - Chair of Computer Science III

The following lists include open research topics available for bachelor and master theses as well as practical projects. Please note that these lists do not exhaustively list all topics. Members of the chair often offer additional topics within their area of interest, so feel free to contact them directly at their personal web page.

Regarding general questions please contact Stefan Geißler.

You can easily view a summary and a detailed description of the topics listed here by clicking the Abstract link below the respective entry. The contact details of the respective supervisor are also made available there.

Open Bachelor Theses

Supervisor: Pruckner, M.: Modeling and simulation of sustainable local energy systems, (2022).
- [ Abstract ]
Due to the raising costs for energy and CO2-emission, more and more small companies are interested in new decentralized technologies for CO2-neutral local energy production and storage. For instance, companies with high electricity and/or process-heat demand are interested in photovoltaic and/or solar thermal systems as well as combined heat and power systems (e.g., heat pump - KWK). We want to go one step further: We want to design a new type of system, that will harvest the power of the sun (photovoltaic and/or solar thermal) and provide electricity, warmth and cold (combined heat, power and cooling - KWKK) to use in manufacturing processes. The supply of the energy forms shall be local for self-sufficiency as well as CO2-neutral. The system should be flexible, so that the user can determine which of the three energy forms he/she needs most. Storing electricity will be realized in accumulators while cold and warmth will be stored in insulated water tanks. In this bachelor thesis, a data-driven simulation model should be developed, based on a use case. Based on real and open data different energy system components should be implemented. The model should be used to evaluate different scenarios for sustainable energy supply by varying different parameters such as the size of the photovoltaic system or the capacity of the battery energy storage. Finally, an evaluation of cost savings and CO2 reduction potentials should be revealed.
Supervisor: Dietz, K.: Comparing apples and oranges? Assessment and selection of features for transfer learning for network security, (2022).
- [ Abstract ]
- [ Download ]
The acquisition of adequate data is a crucial concern for machine learning and especially network security. One approach to circumvent this problem is transfer learning, where data from another - but similar - domain is reused to solve the new problem. Though, even if the data is similar, it may not be exactly the same, i.e., a perfect fit. Thus, the goal of this thesis is to evaluate compatible data sets on a statistical basis and subsequently, test transfer learning approaches via machine learning. For more information, read the linked presentation slide and/or message katharina.dietz@uni-wuerzburg.de.

Open Master Theses

Supervisor: Pruckner, M.: Passenger transport with minibuses, (2023).
- [ Abstract ]
- [ Download ]
Minibuses are already being used to transport passengers on public transport lines with low demand. Minibus lines are often operated like normal bus lines (based on schedules) or like shared cabs (transport requests must be announced in advance). The question arises whether (and under which conditions) there are better and more efficient strategies for operating a minibus line. In this context, there are various questions that can be addressed in the context of a final thesis. An interesting task would be the creation of a concrete test instance based on already operating or planned minibus lines, the development of a simulation that allows to test and compare different strategies, and the development and (experimental and/or theoretical) analysis of strategies.
Supervisor: Pruckner, M.: Charging planning for electric buses, (2023).
- [ Abstract ]
- [ Download ]
If a transit agency replaces part of its conventional bus fleet with electric buses, the allocation of buses to trips must be rethought to allow for sufficient charging time between trips for the electric buses. Factors such as fluctuating electricity prices, temperature-dependent energy consumption should also be considered. In preliminary work, this optimization problem was modeled as a mixed-integer linear program, which in principle can be used for potential studies ('How much energy could have been maximally saved for a specific time period by using electric buses?'), but in its current form can only be used for very short time periods due to its long runtime. The task of this thesis is to find an approach, based on the present model, to solve the problem for longer time periods (such as one year). For this, different (exact or heuristic) approaches are possible, for example a (partial) re-formulation of the model or a 'rolling horizon' approach (where the model is solved step by step for shorter, overlapping time periods. It would further be interesting to adapt the model for use in operational planning, where future energy prices and temperature conditions are subject to uncertainty.
Supervisor: Strobel, L.: Electrification of public transport in European towns - A case study of Bayreuth, (2022).
- [ Abstract ]
The electrification of public transport is a major milestone towards carbon neutrality. This process is well on its way in large urban centers, but in smaller towns, the vehicle inventory still primarily consists of fossil-fuel-powered buses. Significant uncertainty about the economic and practical feasibility of full-electric fleets is prevalent among stakeholders. At the same time, public transport is uniquely qualified for smart-charging use cases due to the centralized control of the transport authority and the highly predictable nature of driving patterns. This thesis aims to evaluate the feasibility of switching to an all-electric bus fleet in Bayreuth and the resulting smart-charging revenue potential. This work is part of ESM-Regio, a project in partnership with Stadtwerke Bayreuth, and real-world data is available. The thesis includes: - Literature research - Analysis of the available data - Development of electric bus model - Development of a charging optimization model - Scenario analysis Requirements: - Knowledge of any programming language Helpful: - Experience with data analysis - Experience with mathematical optimization (We can do a crash course)

Available Student Projects

Supervisor: Geissler, S.: Design and Implementation of a WebApp for the Performance Evaluation of VNF Chains, (2021).
- [ Abstract ]
Goal of this work is the design and implementation of a web-based application that allows the graphical configuration of service function chains (SFC). An underlying backend (written in R) should then perform detailed performance evaluation (discrete-time modeling, simulation) of the designed SFC and generate several key performance indicators of the system.
Supervisor: Loh, F.: Studying mobility in a LoRaWAN Network, (2021).