Digital Commons Network^™

System Identification And Parameter Estimation Of The Piper Pa32-301 Saratoga, Catherine Anne Kelly

Masters Theses

The purpose of this project was to estimate the longitudinal stability derivatives of the Piper Saratoga (tail number N22UT), one of the aircraft owned and operated by the University of Tennessee Space Institute (UTSI), using the System Identification Programs for Aircraft, SIDPCAC. After the instrumentation error was reduced by means of a data compatibility analysis, the stability derivatives were estimated using both an output error and an equation error parameter estimation technique.

Following a discussion of the test aircraft and instrumentation and a brief overview of stability derivatives and parameter estimation, the flight test is discussed in detail along with …

Microprocessor Implementation Of Autoregressive Analysis Of Process Sensor Signals, Swetha Priyanka Pakala

Masters Theses

Automated signal analysis can help for effective system surveillance and also to analyze the dynamic behavior of the system such as impulse response, step response etc. Autoregressive analysis is a parametric technique widely used for system surveillance and diagnosis. The main aim objective of this research work is to develop an embedded system for autoregressive analysis of sensor signals in an online fashion for monitoring system parameters. This thesis presents the algorithm, data representation and performance of the optimized microprocessor implementation of autoregressive analysis.

In this work an autoregressive (AR) model is generated as a solution to a linear system …

Outside The Fence,' The Threat To The U.S. Aviation Industry, David Thomas Ramsey

Masters Theses

The purpose of this thesis was to examine the threat to the Aviation Industry from within the United States. The overall investigation starts with one assumption “that there will at some time in the near future be a covert operative group that desires to attack or engage the United States in war on its home land.” The principles of war will be analyzed resulting in covert cell guidance specifically; “economy of force” will require the covert units to be as small as possible to affect as many nodes as possible. Endurance will require the covert team to restrict any tactics …

Rebound Ace Tennis Court Surface: The Effect Of Temperature On The Coefficient Of Friction, Denise Helen Bauer

Masters Theses

The study was conducted to determine if temperature affects the safety of Rebound Ace™ surface. The objective of this study is to determine how the COF changes as the Rebound Ace™ tennis court surface temperature increases. The lack of literature on this subject leads to the question of the surface’s safety at higher temperatures. A sample of Rebound Ace™ tennis court surface was tested at eight temperatures related to the climate of Melbourne in January with four different shoes to determine how the COF changes with an increase in temperature.

Temperature and shoe brand were both found to be significant …

A Reconfigurable Supercomputing Library For Accelerated Parallel Lagged-Fibonacci Pseudorandom Number Generation, Yu Bi

Masters Theses

To help promote more widespread adoption of hardware acceleration in parallel scientific computing, we present portable, flexible design components for pseudorandom number generation. Due to the success of the Scalable Parallel Random Number Generators (SPRNG) software library in stochastic computations (e.g., Monte Carlo simulations), we developed an efficient and portable hardware architecture fully compatible with SPRNG’s Parallel Additive Lagged Fibonacci Generator (PALFG). Our general design produces identical results for all the parameter sets that SPRNG supports and yields high performance parallel random number generators which can each generate 162 million 31-bit uniform random integers per second on Xilinx Virtex II …

Mathematical Modeling Of High Temperature And High Pressure Dense Membrane For Separation Of Hydrogen From Gasification, Ifeyinwa J. Iwuchukwu

Masters Theses

There is an increasing interest in the use of inorganic membranes as a means of separating gas mixtures at high temperatures and pressures. The most important membrane properties are high permeability and selectivity, and good mechanical, thermal and chemical stability. Dense Pd-based composite membranes are suitable for hydrogen separation and use in catalytic membrane reactors because of their high permeability, good surface properties and high selectivity for hydrogen transport. At UTSI, Pd/AlO23 membranes were prepared by a special method of laser based thermal deposition of the thin film Pd on a ceramic substrate by Nd-YAG laser irradiation of PdCl2 coating …

Computer Model To Select Leed Certification For Building Projects, Ruba Mirghani Mohammed

Masters Theses

According to the US Green Building Council (USGBC) residential and commercial buildings in the United State consume huge amounts of natural resources; pollute the environment, and generate large amounts of waste, all of which affect the environment, economy, public health, and productivity. As a result, USGBC committees developed the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) rating system to help professionals improve the quality of buildings and lessen their impact on the environment.

The (LEED) Green Building Rating System is a point-based system for certifying the level of a building's sustainability. There are four LEED certification categories: (1) Certified, (2) …

Simulation Based Evaluation Of Parking Facilities, Niru Tiwari

Masters Theses

Transportation facility has emerged as one of the main indicators of a national's prosperity at the advent of 21^st century and is the backbone of American commerce and industry. There are over 600 million motor vehicles that are driven in the world today and the number of cars in use is expected to be doubled in next 30 years. As the number increases, more parking spaces should also be provided; however, it is difficult to supply sufficient parking space due to space limitations. To meet the need, new types of parking and new parking technologies have been introduced. However, …

Investigation Of Knock In Gaseous Fuels In The Presence Of Diluents, Roshan Ashok Rodrigues

Masters Theses

Recent energy security and environmental concerns have prompted growing interest into utilization of alternative fuels such as, natural gas and landfill gas. These gaseous fuels contain significant amount of diluents in the fuel composition, such as carbon dioxide, nitrogen, water vapor and other trace gases, which vary by geographical location. Successful engine operation is limited by a phenomenon called "knock", which occurs due to auto-ignition of the end gas ahead of the flame front, and therefore, needs to be investigated with the utilization of these gaseous fuels.

The present contribution discusses the experimental set-up, procedure and results of the investigation …

Fpga Logic Design For Analog-To-Digital-Converter Hardware Utilizing High Speed Serial Data Links, Joshua Brandon Jones

Masters Theses

The Computer Assisted Dynamic Data Monitoring and Analysis System (CADDMAS) used by the aeropropulsion test cells at Arnold Engineering Development Center (AEDC) processes a large amount of high bandwidth accelerometer and strain gage data. Data from each sensor must be digitized before being processed by software running on networked computers. This thesis describes some of the original analog-to- digital converter (ADC) hardware used by the CADDMAS as well as some of its limitations. More up-to-date ADC hardware was designed to be used in the CADDMAS to enhance capabilities required by the aeropropulsion test cells. These new capabilities included an increase …

The Functional Application Of The Propeller Load Curve For Fixed Pitch Propellers, Rebecca Barnett Speas

Masters Theses

This thesis attempts to help the flight test community by using the propeller load curve (also known as prop load) to find brake horsepower (BHP) easily with only a propeller tachometer. This thesis also covers the equation for the propeller load curve.

The flight test was done using a Piper Cherokee 180 equipped with a Lycoming 0-360-A3A engine. The flight test data were collected at University of Tennessee Space Institute (UTSI). This data were then compared to the prop load from the engine manufacturer.

Based on the result of this flight test, using the prop load equation from the Lycoming …

Using Physical Compilation To Implement A System On Chip Platform, Pradeep M. Chimakurthy

Masters Theses

The goal of this thesis was to setup a complete design flow involving physical synthesis. The design chosen for this purpose was a system-on-chip (SoC) platform developed at the University of Tennessee. It involves a Leon Processor with a minimal cache configuration, an AMBA on-chip bus and an Advanced Encryption Standard module which performs decryption.

As transistor size has entered the deep submicron level, iterations involved in the design cycle have increased due to the domination of interconnect delays over cell delays. Traditionally, interconnect delay has been estimated through the use of wire-load models. However, since there is no physical …

Retrofit Reconfigurable Flight Control System And The F/A-18c, Matthew E. Doyle

Masters Theses

The United States Navy has completed the initial flight test of a Reconfigurable Control Law System (RCLAWS) on the F/A-18C. The purpose of reconfigurable control is to allow for the safe operation of an aircraft that has experienced a sudden change in aircraft dynamics resulting from aircraft damage or flight control effector damage. The RCLAWS utilized during this flight test are novel in that they are designed to augment the production flight control system instead of replacing it. In order to reduce verification and certification requirements, this retrofit reconfigurable methodology supplements pilot commands to compensate for undesirable aircraft dynamics instead …

Latent Variable Models With Applications To Spectral Data Analysis, Yi Fang

Masters Theses

Recent technological advances in automatic data acquisition have created an ever increasing need to extract meaningful information from huge amount of data. Multivariate predictive models have become important statistical tools in solving modern engineering problems. The purpose of this thesis is to develop novel predictive methods based on latent variable models and validate these methods by applying them into spectral data analysis.

In this thesis, hybrid models of principal components regression (PCR) and partial least squares regression (PLS) is proposed. The basic idea of hybrid models is to develop more accurate prediction techniques by combining the merits of PCR and …

Laboratory Evaluation Of Unbound Rap As A Pavement Base Material, Wenbin He

Masters Theses

More than 50 million tons of asphalt pavements are milled every year in the United States (Taha 1999). The economical benefit attracts the recycling practice of utilizing RAP as paving materials.

In unbound RAP material, aged asphalt wraps aggregates. It is believed that unbound RAP performs differently from usual unbound material due to the existence of asphalt wrap. In the present study, triaxial tests were conducted for the unbound RAP under different temperatures. In addition, limestone and gravel were tested in order to compare with RAP. The resilient modulus, triaxial static creep behavior and hysteresis loops were obtained to compare …

Design Of An Active Stereo Vision 3d Scene Reconstruction System Based On The Linear Position Sensor Module, Julie Anne Morris

Masters Theses

Active vision systems and passive vision systems currently exist for three-dimensional (3D) scene reconstruction. Active systems use a laser that interacts with the scene. Passive systems implement stereo vision, using two cameras and geometry to reconstruct the scene. Each type of system has advantages and disadvantages in resolution, speed, and scene depth. It may be possible to combine the advantages of both systems as well as new hardware technologies such as position sensitive devices (PSDs) and field programmable gate arrays (FPGAs) to create a real-time, mid-range 3D scene reconstruction system.

Active systems usually reconstruct long-range scenes so that a measurable …

Support Vector Regression For Non-Stationary Time Series, Bukola Titilayo Ojemakinde

Masters Theses

The difficulty associated with building forecasting models for non-stationary and volatile data has necessitated the development and application of new sophisticated techniques that can handle such data. Interestingly, there are a lot of real-world phenomena where data that are “difficult to analyze” are generated. One of these is the stock market where data series generated are often hard to forecast because of their peculiar characteristics. In particular, the stock market has been referred to as a complex environment and financial time series forecasting is often tagged as the most challenging application of time series forecasting.

In this study, a novel …

Thermoelectrics For Cooling Power Electronics, Michael Ralf Starke

Masters Theses

To increase the efficiency and reduce emissions, the hybrid electric vehicle (HEV), fuel cell vehicle (FCV), and electric vehicle (EV) types were developed. All these vehicle types rely on power electronics (PEs) to function. Yet, the reliability and performance of PEs are directly related to the operating temperature. Therefore, cooling is considered an option to reduce the operating temperature.

An examination of multiple cooling methods including conventional cooling, direct and indirect cooling, and spray cooling shows that the use of thermoelectric (TE) modules has multiple justifications including reliability, thermal control, operation in harsh conditions, and the non-application of refrigerants. Nevertheless, …

Effect Of Ionizing Radiation On The Crystalline Morphology Of Ultra High Molecular Weight Polyethylene (Uhmwpe), Christopher Phillip Stephens

Masters Theses

The two main applications of ionizing radiation and Ultra High Molecular Weight Polyethylene (UHMWPE) are in space radiation shielding and articulating orthopedic implants (hips and knees). Samples are exposed to both proton and gamma irradiation. Proton irradiation doses are varied from 0-8.7 kGy. Proton Irradiation showed significant increases in crosslinking on the surface, which interferes with recrystallization of the polymer. Gamma Irradiation is conducted at a high (2.9 kGy/hr) and low (0.25 kGy/hr) dose rate at integral doses of 75 and 150 kGy. Gamma irradiation shows significant crosslinking and recrystallization in the center of the sample where oxygen diffusion is …

Design Of A Reagentless Enzymatic Amperometric Alcohol Biosensor: Yeast Alcohol Dehydrogenase And Nicotinamide Adenine Dinucleotide On Vertically Aligned Carbon Nanofibers, Martha Lee Weeks

Masters Theses

A reagentless amperometric enzymatic biosensor was constructed on a carbon substrate for the detection of ethanol, methanol, and isopropanol. Yeast alcohol dehydrogenase (YADH), an oxidoreductase enzyme, and its cofactor nicotinamide adenine dinuleotide (NAD⁺) were immobilized by adsorption and covalent attachment to the carbon substrate. Carbon nanofibers grown by plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD) were chosen as the electrode material due to their excellent structural and electrical properties.

Electrochemical techniques were employed to test the function and performance of the constructed biosensor. Characterization of the electrode was performed using NADH. This allowed the function of the electrode to …

Automatic Image Based Time Varying 3d Feature Extraction And Tracking, Lu Zhang

Masters Theses

3D time-varying data sets are complex. The intrinsics of those data cannot be readily comprehended by users solely based on visual investigation. Computational tools such as feature extraction and tracking are often necessary. Until now, most existing algorithms in this domain work effectively in the object space, relying on prior knowledge of the data. How to find a more flexible and efficient method which can perform automatically to implement extraction and tracking remains an attractive topic.

This thesis presents a new image-based method that extracts and tracks the 3D time- varying volume data sets. The innovation of the proposed approach …

Fatigue Characteristics Of Field Hma Surface Mixtures Containing Recycled Asphalt Pavement (Rap), Dragon Vukosavljevic

Masters Theses

The use of the Reclaimed Asphalt Pavement (RAP) in asphalt mixes has existed for sometime. Experience has shown that recycling of asphalt pavements is highly beneficial from a technical, economical, and environmental perspective. Some of the main advantages of utilizing the RAP include conservation of asphalt and aggregate resources, conservation of energy, and reduction of construction costs. This report is mainly focused on field study of fatigue and rheological properties of asphalt mixtures with inclusion of different (0,10,20,30) percent of RAP. The objective of this study is to determine what maximum percent of RAP can be introduced into the Tennessee …

Analysis Of An Experimental Pulsed Plasma Accelerator, Daniel Michael Rooney

Masters Theses

The purpose of this study was to gather and analyze data taken from a laboratory Pulsed Plasma Accelerator to understand its operation, and also for future comparison of the experimental data with predictions made with computer simulations based on the codes named MACH2 and GEMS. This comparison will allow for further validation of these two computer simulations in order to more accurately model the laboratory thruster. Data was collected from three different instruments: B-Dot probes; a laser interferometer; and Rogowski coils. These devices measure the time dependent current sheets, the electron number density, and the capacitor discharge current respectively.

The …

A Low Noise Cmos Charge-Sensitive Preamplifier With Pole/Zero Compensation For A Neutron Detection System, Steven Curtis Bunch

Masters Theses

This thesis presents the design and implementation of a low noise CMOS charge sensitive preamplifier with pole/zero compensation for a neutron detector to be installed on the Spallation Neutron Source in Oak Ridge, TN. The first prototype chip has been fabricated using Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC) 0.35 µm process. The system contains a preamplifier, an active resistive feedback network, a pole/zero compensation network, and the first real pole input to the shaper system. Experimental results of the system show that proper functionality was achieved. The preamplifier is noise dominant with only 540 rms electron noise at 5 pF detector …

Optimization Of The Mod-Viii One Atmosphere Uniform Glow Discharge Plasma Reactor® For Surface Energy Treatment, Truman Andrew Bonds

Masters Theses

A plasma reactor system has been developed to provide roll-to-roll surface treatment of fabrics and films using an air plasma. Effects of air plasma surface treatment at one atmosphere can include etching, cleaning, sterilization, disinfection, and increasing surface energy, all without the use of chemical inputs and with minimal toxic by-products. Webs can be continuously and uniformly treated by proper control of gas flow, electrode configuration, plasma parameters, fabric speed, and fabric tension. Tests conducted in this work focused on raising the surface energy of PET and HDPE using various electrode configurations. For industrial applications, the exposure time required to …

Vector Control And Experimental Evaluation Of Permanent Magnet Synchronous Motors For Hevs, Timothy Adam Burress

Masters Theses

The 2004 Toyota Prius exceeded sales expectations and led the automotive industry to realize that there is a healthy market for hybrid electric vehicles (HEVs). The Prius uses two interior permanent magnet motors to manipulate power flow throughout the drive system. Permanent magnet synchronous motors (PMSMs) are most suitable for HEVs and full electric vehicles due to their high efficiency, high power density, and fast dynamic response. This thesis will present vector control theory for PMSMs, with focus on interior permanent magnet motors.

The primary 50kW drive motor and inverter of the 2004 Toyota Prius Synergy drive system was removed …

Determination And Analysis Of The Spectral Emissivity Of A Blackbody Simulator Source, Dustin Holt Crider

Masters Theses

Blackbody simulator sources used for calibration of electro-optical sensors must be well characterized, especially in regards to source emissivity. Many applications require only the total emissivity to be known, but the motivation behind this present research required the spectral emissivity to be determined. Thus, theoretical and experimental methods for ascertaining the spectral emissivity of a blackbody simulator were investigated. Based on the blackbody simulator cavity geometry and material, the methods of Gouffé, Kelly, and Bartell [1] were used to calculate the theoretical spectral emissivity. The experimental phase of this study involved using two Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) instruments to measure …

Effects Of Water Chemistry And Watershed Characteristics On Populations Of Trout In The Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Karen Annette Jackson

Masters Theses

The purpose of this study was to combine fish, water quality, and watershed data- bases in order to determine what relationships exist between trout biomass and base flow water quality in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park (GRSM). Quarterly base flow water quality data collected from 1993 to 2003 at 31 stream sites in the GRSM were used in step-wise multiple linear regression models to analyze brook and rainbow trout biomass (kg/ha). Stream samples were analyzed for pH, acid neutralizing capacity (ANC), conductivity, major cations, and major anions. The potential predictor variables included seasonality, basin characteristics, USGS stream flow data …

Flight Test Investigation Of Propeller Effects On The Static Longitudinal Stability Of The E-2c Airplane, Glenn Richard Jamison

Masters Theses

A flight test investigation of the E-2C airplane fitted with two different propeller designs – the Hamilton-Sundstrand model 54460-1 and model NP2000 – was conducted to study propeller effects on airplane static longitudinal stability. Test measurements were recorded at predetermined, mission-representative flight conditions for each propeller model while maintaining the remaining component contributions to longitudinal stability constant. Results were compared at similar test conditions to isolate changes in static stability resulting from a change in propeller contribution. Static elevator position neutral points were determined for those test conditions that indicated a definitive change in airplane static stability as a result …

Modal Analysis Of A Helicopter Wing-Pylon Structure Using Flexible Multibody Dynamics, Naresh Nilkanth Khude

Masters Theses

With the new software tools being developed for simulation of flexible multibody systems it is possible to develop the models with various missiles and launchers and study their dynamic behavior in the design stages. In most of the flexible multibody models, the flexibility modal data is obtained from the corresponding detailed finite element model.

This thesis presents the flexible multibody model development of the simplified wing- pylon structure using the Craig-Bampton approach. Since the Craig-Bampton method of Component Mode Synthesis is used, the component finite element models are developed separately without inclusion of the local joint details. This approach is …