Digital Commons Network^™

New Product Launch Decisions Under Competition And Uncertainty: A Real Options And Game-Theoretic Approach To New Product Development, James O. Ostler

Theses and Dissertations

New product development is central to many firms' future success. Not only as a means to continue to maintain their piece of the market, but product development can also be a strategic means for a company to diversify, and/or alter focus to adapt to changing market conditions.

Most of the research in new product development has been on how to do it cheaper and faster than the next guy. However, early commercialization does not guarantee a position of strength in the market. Failures of EMI in CT scanners and Xerox in personal computers illustrate that being first to market does …

Dynamic Stability And Handling Qualities Of Small Unmanned-Aerial-Vehicles Unmanned-Aerial-Vehicles, Tyler Michael Foster

Theses and Dissertations

General aircraft dynamic stability theory was used to predict the natural frequencies, damping ratios and time constants of the dynamic modes for three specific small UAVs with wingspans on the scale from 0.6 meters to 1.2 meters. Using USAF DatCom methods, a spreadsheet program for predicting the dynamic stability and handling qualities of small UAVs was created for use in the design stage of new small UAV concept development. This program was verified by inputting data for a Cessna-182, and by then comparing the program output with that of a similar program developed by DAR Corporation. Predictions with acceptable errors …

A Finite Element Simulation Of Temperature And Material Flow In Fricton Stir Welding, Mark J. Lasley

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this research was to use the Transvalor S.A. product, Forge3, to develop a finite element simulation of the friction stir welding process that improves the predictability of temperature evolution and material flow within the plunge portion of the process. Previous modeling created more heating within the billet than experimental results, probably due to the simplification of the simulation with adiabatic boundary conditions. More realistic tooling temperatures were included in this model as these affect heat evolution which is a determining factor in microcrystalline growth. These results were validated by experimental efforts using a billet and tooling instrumented …

Byu Micro-Sar: A Very Small, Low-Power Lfm-Cw Synthetic Aperture Radar, Michael Israel Duersch

Theses and Dissertations

Brigham Young University has developed a low-cost, light-weight, and low power consumption SAR for flight on a small unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) at low altitudes. This micro-SAR, or uSAR, consumes only 18 watts of power, ideal for application on a small UAV. To meet these constraints, a linear frequency modulation-continuous wave (LFM-CW) transmit signal is utilized. Use of an LFM-CW signal introduces some differences from the typical strip map SAR processing model that must be addressed in signal processing algorithms. This thesis presents a derivation of the LFM-CW signal model and the associated image processing algorithms used for the uSAR …

A Method For Winding Advanced Composites Of Unconventional Shapes Using Continuous And Aligned Fibers, Abraham K. Allen

Theses and Dissertations

Advanced composites are extremely strong, rigid, and light, even when compared with advanced metals. Advanced composites are replacing high-tech metals as the material of choice for aerospace engineering. However, the processes used to manufacture advanced composites generally lose some of the properties of the materials by their process limitations.

One process that keeps the theoretically awesome qualities of the composite materials in tact is filament winding. Filament wound parts are used as rocket shells, bicycle frame tubes, drive shafts, pressure vessels, etc. Filament winding is an automated process and makes reliable parts to close tolerances. If a straight tube were …

Understanding And Improving Moment Method Scattering Solutions, Clayton Paul Davis

Theses and Dissertations

The accuracy of moment method solutions to electromagnetic scattering problems has been studied by many researchers. Error bounds for the moment method have been obtained in terms of Sobolev norms of the current solution. Motivated by the historical origins of Sobolev spaces as energy spaces, it is shown that the Sobolev norm used in these bounds is equivalent to the forward scattering amplitude, for the case of 2D scattering from a PEC circular cylinder. A slightly weaker relationship is obtained for 3D scattering from a PEC sphere. These results provide a physical meaning for abstract solution error bounds in terms …

The Effect Of Gas Pressure On No Conversion Energy Efficiency In Nonthermal Nitrogen Plasma, Morris D. Argyle, Gui-Bing Zhao, S.V.B. Janardhan Garikipati, Xudong Hu, Maciej Radosz

Faculty Publications

This work explores the effect of gas pressure on the rate of electron collision reactions and energy consumption for NO conversion in N2 in a pulsed corona discharge reactor. A previous study showed that the rate constant of electron collision reactions, multiplied by the electron concentration, can be expressed as k[e] = βα−0.5P−0.5W0.75exp(−αP/W). The model parameter α remains constant with increasing gas pressure, which verifies the previous assumption that the electron temperature is inversely proportional to gas pressure. However, the model parameter β decreases with increasing gas pressure, which indicates that the rate constant of electron collision reactions decreases with …

Design Of Cmos Four-Quadrant Gilbert Cell Multiplier Circuits In Weak And Moderate Inversion, Craig Timothy Remund

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis presents four-quadrant CMOS current-mode multiplier architectures based on the bipolar Gilbert cell multiplier architecture. Multipliers are designed using the CMOS subthreshold region to take advantage of the subthreshold exponential I-V relationship that closely matches bipolar modeling. It is discovered that biasing to remove drift current components and to address higher order effects such as ideality factor mismatch, threshold mismatch, body effect, and short channel effects, is important to provide a linear multiplier. It is also shown that distortion caused by device size mismatch and offset input currents can be used to cancel the distortion introduced by drift currents …

Development Of Pole Impact Testing At Multiple Vehicle Side Locations As Applied To The Ford Taurus Structural Platform, Mark Halford Warner

Theses and Dissertations

A test method was developed whereby repeated pole impacts could be performed at multiple locations per test vehicle, allowing a comparison of energy and crush relationships. Testing was performed on vehicles moving laterally into a 12.75 inch diameter rigid pole barrier. Crush energy absorption characteristics at the different locations were analyzed, and the results compared to test data from broad moving barrier crashes and available crash tests with similar pole impacts. The research documents the crush stiffness characteristics for narrow impacts at various points on the side of the Taurus vehicle platform. Factors encountered during the research include the importance …

Kalman Consensus Strategies And Their Application To Cooperative Control, Randal Beard, Derek Kingston, Wei Ren

Faculty Publications

Sponsorship: AFOSR, NSF. In this paper, we propose discrete-time and continuous-time consensus update schemes motivated by the discrete-time and continuous-time Kalman filters. With certainty information encoded into each agent, the proposed consensus schemes explicitly account for relative confidence in the information that is communicated from each agent in the team. We show mild sufficient conditions under which consensus can be achieved using the proposed schemes in the presence of switching interaction topologies. The Kalman consensus scheme is shown to be input-to-state stable. We show how to exploit this fact in multi-agent cooperative control scenarios.

Polarimetric Temperature Sensor Using Core-Replaced Fiber, Benjamin L. Ipson

Theses and Dissertations

Optical fibers are increasingly being used to create sensing devices. The D-fiber has an elliptical core and exhibits birefringence. This birefringence can be used to create a polarimetric sensor. The elliptical core supports two orthogonal modes that have separate effective indices of refraction. The indices of refraction change with a change in temperature. Since the effective indices of refraction change differently for the two modes, the birefringence also changes. This change in birefringence can be seen as a change in detected power through the fiber through the use of polarizers. The fiber then becomes a temperature sensor. The sensitivity of …

The Effectiveness Of Computer-Based Tutorials In Learning Computer-Aided Design Methods For Tool Design Procedures, Andrew Moroni Hall

Theses and Dissertations

Throughout the past twenty-five years the process of designing and manufacturing a product has been revolutionized by the integration of Computer Aided Design (CAD). Although three-dimensional solid modeling, or 3-D CAD offers a better representation of the product in a virtual environment, it can be complicated and difficult to learn. Tutorials have been developed to assist manufacturing tool design student in the learning of 3-D CAD principles as they apply to tool design. This study seeks to test the effectiveness of those tutorials. A BYU tool design class was divided into two groups according to their assigned laboratory time. The …

Compliant Mechanisms To Perform Bearing And Spring Function In High Precision Applications, Jesse R. Cannon

Theses and Dissertations

An increasing number of mechanical systems are being designed on the micro and meso scales. Assembly and maintenance become increasingly difficult as the size of mechanisms decrease, and the minimum size of traditional elements such as bearings and springs is limited. The backlash of bearings also limits their usefulness in applications where high precision and repeatability are needed. At small scales and for high precision applications, alternative, non-traditional elements are needed.

The objective of this thesis is to develop reliable and scalable compliant components to replace bearings and helical springs. Components replacing springs must be able to produce specified torque/motion …

Coordination Variables And Consensus Building In Multiple Vehicle Systems, Tim Mclain

Faculty Publications

Much of the research focus in the cooperative control community has been on formation control problems. This focus may be due to the fact that the group control problem can be reduced to well-established single-agent control problems by employing a leader-follower type control strategy. For example, single-agent path planning and trajectory generation techniques can be employed for the leader, and conventional trajectory tracking strategies can be employed for the followers. Indeed, formation control problems are much like linear systems theory: we search where the light is the brightest. It can be argued that formation control problems are the simplest type …

Improved Signal Integrity In Ieee 1149.1 Boundary Scan Designs, Efren De Jesus Rangel Taboada

Theses and Dissertations

This work is an analysis of solutions to problems derived from inherent timing and signal integrity issues in the use and application of the IEEE 1149.1 Standard at the board level in conjunction with its test system. Setup or hold times violations may occur in a boundary scan chain using IEEE 1149.1 compliant devices. A practical study of the TDI-TDO scan data path has been conducted to show where problems may arise in relationship to a particular board topology and test system. This work points to differences between passing and failing scan path tests for problem characterization. Serial data flow …

Thermally Developing Electro-Osmotic Convection In Circular Microchannels, Spencer L. Broderick

Theses and Dissertations

Thermally developing, electro-osmotically generated flow has been analyzed for a circular microtube under imposed constant wall temperature (CWT) and constant wall heat flux (CHF) boundary conditions. Established by a voltage potential gradient along the length of the microtube, the hydrodynamics of such a flow dictate either a slug flow velocity profile (under conditions of large tube radius-to-Debye length ratio, a/lambda_d) or a family of electro-osmotic flow (EOF) velocity profiles that depend on a/lambda_d. The imposed voltage gradient results in Joule heating in the fluid with an associated volumetric source of energy. For this scenario coupled with a slug flow velocity …

A Review Of Antennas And Propagation For Mimo Wireless Communications, Michael A. Jensen, Jon W. Wallace

Faculty Publications

Multiple-input-multiple-output (MIMO) wireless systems use multiple antenna elements at transmit and receive to offer improved capacity over single antenna topologies in multipath channels. In such systems, the antenna properties as well as the multipath channel characteristics play a key role in determining communication performance. This paper reviews recent research findings concerning antennas and propagation in MIMO systems. Issues considered include channel capacity computation, channel measurement and modeling approaches, and the impact of antenna element properties and array configuration on system performance. Throughout the discussion, outstanding research questions in these areas are highlighted.

Resolution Scaling In Noncontact Scanning Impedance Imaging, Benjamin C. Green, Tao Shang, Jacey C. Morine, Hongze Liu, Stephen M. Schultz, Travis E. Oliphant, Aaron R. Hawkins

Faculty Publications

Noncontact scanning impedance imaging has been presented as a method to provide high resolution, high contrast images for a variety of material systems. This technique combines electrical impedance measurements with very high resolution scanning. This article reports on efforts to scale this technique down to the very important single micron range and reveals measurements for both thick and thin samples with a measured minimum resolution below 30 µm. A design for a shielded impedance probe applicable to this process is outlined and probes of several different sizes were made and tested. Fabrication of these impedance probes is explained and a …

Quantifying The Effects Of Aging On The Mechanical Properties Of Medical Grade Polycarbonate And Uv Cured Adhesives, Christopher James Lewis

Theses and Dissertations

Advances in engineering polymer technology have created a generation of high strength-to-weight materials for medical applications, with virtually no adverse interactions with body fluids. Polycarbonate is a widely used engineering polymer, and is often used in connection with ultra-violet light (UV) cured adhesives. Because of the chemical complexity of polymers, little is known about their actual aging characteristics. By characterizing the effects of aging, storage environment, and sterilization on medical grade polycarbonate/adhesive system properties, more accurate failure predictions can be made. In this thesis, efforts to better understand the effects of accelerated aging on a medical grade polycarbonate and UV …

A Cad-Centric Approach To Cfd Analysis With Discrete Features, Matthew Lee King

Theses and Dissertations

During the conceptual design stage several concepts are generated, and a few are selected for detailed analyses. CAD models from conceptual design often follow the "over-the-wall" approach for downstream analyses such as FEA, CFD, heat transfer, and vibrations. A CAD-centric approach will be applied to the CAD-to-CFD process to help industry in an ongoing quest to shorten the design cycle time. The CAD-centric approach consists of using the CAD model as a source of data for downstream applications such as mesh generation, and CFD setup. The CAD model used in the CAD-centric approach contains the geometry to be analyzed and …

Integrated Optical Waveguides With Liquid Cores, Aaron R. Hawkins, John P. Barber, Dongliang Yin, D. W. Deamer, Holger Schmidt

Faculty Publications

We report the design, fabrication, and demonstration of single-mode integrated optical waveguides with liquid cores. The principle of the device is based on antiresonant reflecting optical (ARROW) waveguides with hollow cores. We describe design principles for waveguide loss optimization down to 0.1/cm. Using a fabrication process based on conventional silicon microfabrication and sacrificial core layers, waveguides of varying widths and lengths with volumes covering the pico- to nanoliter range were fabricated. We observe confined mode propagation, measure waveguide losses of 2.4/cm, and demonstrate that the waveguides possess tailorable wavelength selectivity. The potential for highly integrated, sensitive devices based on these …

Development Of A Virtually Calibrated Projection Moire Interferometry Technique Capable Of Inaccessible Surface Measurements, Mark Lee Kimber

Theses and Dissertations

Optical-based techniques have found merit in measuring displacement and strain for decades. These techniques are commonly used in numerous applications ranging from large displacements in wind tunnel experiments to displacement measurements on the submicron scale. Projection Moiré Interferometry (PMI) is an out-of-plane displacement measurement technique, and consists of capturing reference and deformed images of a grid pattern projected on the test object. By differencing the reference and deformed images of the projected grid pattern, a fringe pattern is generated from which the displacement field can be extracted. This computation requires calibration procedures that analyze a number of fringe patterns from …

Variation Simulation Of Fixtured Assembly Processes For Compliant Structures Using Piecewise-Linear Analysis, Michael L. Stewart

Theses and Dissertations

While variation analysis methods for compliant assemblies are not new, little has been done to include the effects of multi-step, fixtured assembly processes. This thesis introduces a new method to statistically analyze compliant part assembly processes using fixtures. This method, consistent with the FASTA method developed at BYU, yields both a mean and a variant solution. The method, called Piecewise-Linear Elastic Analysis, or PLEA, is developed for predicting the residual stress, deformation and springback variation in compliant assemblies. A comprehensive, step-by-step analysis map is provided. PLEA is validated on a simple, laboratory assembly and a more complex, production assembly. Significant …

Wind Speed Effect On L-Band Brightness Temperature Inferred From Eurostarrs And Wise 2001 Field Experiments, David G. Long, Jacqueline Etcheto, Emmanuel P. Dinnat, Jacqueline Boutin, Adriano Camps, Stephanie Contardo, J. Wesson, Jordi Font, J. Miller

Faculty Publications

The results from two field experiments in the Mediterranean Sea are used to study the wind speed dependence of brightness temperature at L-band. During the EuroSTARRS airborne experiment, an L-band radiometer made measurements across a large wind speed gradient, enabling us to study this dependence at high wind speed. We compare our results with a two-scale emissivity model using several representations of the sea state spectrum. While the results are encouraging, unfortunately the accuracy of the measurements does not permit us to distinguish between the so-called twice Durden and Vesecky spectrum and the Elfouhaily spectrum above 7 m X s-1. …

Semi-Autonomous Human-Uav Interfaces For Fixed-Wing Mini-Uavs, Randal Beard, Michael A. Goodrich, Morgan Quigley

Faculty Publications

Sponsorship: DARPA, AFOSR. We present several human-robot interfaces that support real-time control of a small semi-autonomous UAV. These interfaces are designed for searching tasks and other missions that typically do not have a precise predetermined flight plan. We present a detailed analysis of a PDA interface and describe how our other interfaces relate to this analysis. We then offer quantative and qualitative performance comparisons of the interfaces, as well as an analysis of their possible real-world applications.

The Benefit Of Using Simulation To Improve The Implementation Of Lean Manufacturing Case Study: Quick Changeovers To Allow Level Loading Of The Assembly Line, Jack J. Mcclellan

Theses and Dissertations

In today's competitive manufacturing environment, companies are constantly looking for ways to improve. Because of this, many companies are striving to become "lean" by implementing lean manufacturing, which is a difficult process. To aid in the implementation of lean manufacturing, simulation was used to reduce the trial-and-error period of lean manufacturing and find to optimum approach to implement the lean manufacturing principle. In this research, a case study of implementing level loading of the production schedule for BullFrog International, L.C. will be examined. To make it possible to implement level loading, the thermo-former machine at the beginning of the operations …

A Review Of Setup Practices And Procedures For Creating Ieee 802.11 Wireless Community Networks, Jae M. Theobald

Theses and Dissertations

IEEE 802.11 wireless networking equipment has made it possible to bridge the last mile for new broadband internet service providers. Inexpensive wireless networking equipment and high gain antennas enable high speed internet delivery at a fraction of the cost of installing or upgrading land lines for cable or DSL services. Based on this research, a guide of general practices and procedures is proposed for designing, installing, and maintaining a reliable wireless community area network. Included tests have provided performance results for several types of wireless antennas (including wire grid parabolic dishes, Yagi and Vagi styles, and echo backfire), wireless bridges, …

High Order Convergence With A Low Order Discretization Of The 2d Mfie, Clayton P. Davis, Karl F. Warnick

Faculty Publications

Moment method solutions to the MFIE are often less accurate for a given grid than corresponding solutions to the EFIE. We propose that the cause of this observation is the identity operator in the MFIE and show how regularizing the identity increases the convergence rate of the discretized 2D MFIE by three orders.

Electromagnetic Bias At Off-Nadir Incidence Angles, David V. Arnold, Floyd W. Millet, Karl F. Warnick

Faculty Publications

Sponsorship: JPL Subcontract 961461. Nadir and off-nadir measurements of electromagnetic (EM) bias measurements are presented and compared with an off-nadir bias model. Measurements of the bias were made during the BYU Off-Nadir Experiment (Y-ONE) in the months of March and April, 2003. Using radar measurements of the surface and backscattered power, the EM bias was computed at angles from nadir to 17º degrees. Simultaneous surface measurements from a laser rangefinder provide accurate measurements of the long wave surface parameters. An off-nadir bias model incorporating the effects of hydrodynamic modulation of short waves and tilt modulation of long waves is developed …

Numerical Simulations In Electro-Osmotic Flow, Joseph S. Tenny

Theses and Dissertations

The developing flow field in a parallel plate microchannel, induced by wall motion, has been modeled numerically. This type of flow simulates the physical driving mechanism that exists in electro-osmotically generated flow with large channel diameter-to-Debye length ratios (Z). The physics of the flow field were compared between the moving wall model (MWM) and electro-osmotic flow (EOF) at Reynolds numbers of 1 and 1800, and Z > 2500. Also, Z-values between 50 and 500 were studied to investigate the accuracy of the MWM. Results show that for Z-values greater than 100 the MWM shows good agreement with EOF.

The dynamics of …