Digital Commons Network^™

Radiant Energy Transfer And Radiant Barrier Systems In Buildings, Florida Solar Energy Center, Philip Fairey

FSEC Energy Research Center®

In Florida and other southern climates we depend on a number of strategies to keep heat out of buildings. Mostly, these affect heat gains by conduction or convection. In the average house, insulating walls and ceilings primarily restricts conduction. Double-glazed windows restrict both conductive and convective heat gain. We have largely ignored radiation - the third means of heat transfer - except in using window treatments and coatings that reflect, absorb or shade from solar energy. But research points to exciting potential for reducing heat gain in buildings by controlling radiation transfer in walls and ceilings through the use of …

Techniques For Shading Residential Walls And Windows, Florida Solar Energy Center, Philip Fairey

FSEC Energy Research Center®

Solar radiation is a major heat source in buildings - welcome in cold weather but a summertime problem. Florida's long cooling season and short heating season increase the importance of protecting windows, walls and sliding glass doors during hot weather, while still permitting solar heat to enter a building during cold weather. cooling and heating energy savings of 10% - 20% are possible through good shading strategies. Properly designed roof overhangs can provide adequate sun protection, especially for south-facing surfaces. Vertical shading devices such as trees, trellises, trellised vines, shutters, shading screens awnings and exterior roll blinds are also effective. …

Solar Ovens And Cookers, Florida Solar Energy Center

FSEC Energy Research Center®

Solar ovens work much like solar collectors used in domestic water heating systems. Both collect solar radiation, convert it to heat and transfer it to another substance. Solar ovens, however, focus the sun's rays with reflective surfaces on one point. The object of the sun's energy in the solar oven is the food.

Solar Water Heater Troubleshooting Checklist, Florida Solar Energy Center

FSEC Energy Research Center®

Lists the Symptom, Component, Possible Cause, and Remedy/Check of possible solar hot water heater problems.

Recipes For Solar Cooking, Florida Solar Energy Center, Jo Townsend

FSEC Energy Research Center®

As energy extension agent for the University of Florida Extension Service, Jo Townsend serves as the energy educator to small businesses in central Florida. She conducts employee programs on energy conservation in the workplace. She received her B.S. in home economics from Florida State University and her M.E. from the University of Central Florida. Formerly a home economist for the Florida cooperative Extension Service, Townsend researched and tested recipes for use in microwaves when they first gained popularity. She has been a consultant to Southern Living magazine and to Florida's seafood industry. For the last year, she has tested recipes …

Cooling With Ventilation, Florida Solar Energy Center, Subrato Chandra

FSEC Energy Research Center®

In keeping with the national energy policy foal of fostering an adequate supply of energy at a reasonable cost, the United States Department of Energy (DOE) supports a variety of programs to promote a balanced and mixed energy resource system. The mission of the DOE Solar Building Research and Development Program is to support this goal by providing for the development of solar technology alternatives for the buildings sector. It is the goal of the Program to establish a proven technology base to allow industry to develop solar products and designs for buildings that are economically competitive and can contribute …

Latent And Sensible Load Distributions In Conventional And Energy Efficient Residences. Final Report, January 1983 - January 1986. 05-86., Florida Solar Energy Center, Alp Kerestecioglu

FSEC Energy Research Center®

To develop a method to characterize the cooling load distributions in conventional and energy efficient residences, specifically as related to building dehumidification loads, as they pertain to the potential for the use of gas-fired dehumidification and cooling equipment.

Interactive Micro-Computer Software For The Production Of Engineering Drawings, Brian R. Garvey

Retrospective Theses and Dissertations

This project has developed a microcomputer-based interactive Graphics Software System for the production of engineering drawings. The drawings, stored in a digital format, can be recalled and updated much faster than by using conventional drawing methods. This allows for increased production and a standardized drawing format.

The system was designed to be easy to use so that with little training, a user can create, edit, plot, and save drawings for later retrieval. In addition, an open architecture was used in the design of the drawing database and program command structure so that the system can be easily expanded upon as …

Editor Design In The Context Of Control System Simulation, Leon Fadden

Retrospective Theses and Dissertations

Advances in microcomputer display devices and support software during the past decade have made the microcomputer an increasingly popular vehicle for technical education. This is especially apparent in the area of simulation. The pedagog can provide the student of control theory not merely with the block diagrams and differential algebra but with high resolution color graphic animations supported by mathematical models whose parameters are easily changed by some editor facility. This mode of control system design and behavior study is both faster and more enjoyable for the student, providing greater continuity, concentration, and learning efficiency.

This paper describes the simulation …

Separation Plane Priority In Computer Image Generation, Keith A. Stump

Retrospective Theses and Dissertations

Flight simulators are devices in which air crews can be trained without the use of actual aircraft. Potentially dangerous maneuvers, such as air-to-air refueling, and destructive exercises, such as evasive action from weaponry or aerial dogfights, can be practiced repeatedly with no risk to pilot or crew. Flight simulators are cost effective since the fuel costs associated with training pilots in actual aircraft can be excessive. Flight simulators offer an alternate training method with reduced cost. The task of a visual flight simulator is to present the trainee with scenes representative of those that would be seen if the actual …

Setting Time Standards In A Service Environment: A Case Study, Nael H. Hasweh

Retrospective Theses and Dissertations

One of the most important and costliest resources a hospital has are its personnel and their productivity. Almost invariably, they offer the greatest opportunities for cost containment.

This report is the result of a study conducted in the maintenance department at a local hospital. The objective of the study was to design and implement a work measurement system that is capable of producing accurate time standards. Comparison of actual times reported by employees with these standards would then be used to produce accurate productivity measures.

The proposed system is explained in detail, and the results obtained by implementing such a …

Non-Linear Plane Stress Analysis Using The Finite Element Method, Habib Amirzadeh

Retrospective Theses and Dissertations

Purpose of the Study

The objective of this report is to check the Neuber and Linear rules, and to find the percent differences in comparison with the plane stress and plane strain solution using the non-linear finite element method. All the data are based on the maximum stress concentration where the crack forms and the material behaves non-linearly. This particular problem has been solved using ANSYS, which is a general purpose finite element program.

Life Prediction

Another purpose, which is not the main subject of this report, is to use the result from Neuber and Linear rules to predict the …

Direct Sequence Spread Spectrum Acquisition Design, John C. Fakatselis

Retrospective Theses and Dissertations

Spread spectrum communication techniques are utilized to provide transmission of signals which have anti-jamming properties, a low probability of being intercepted, and can support a multiple-access system by servicing simultaneously a number of channels. This thesis concentrates on the receiver acquisition problem of a transmitted signal which is the output of a spread spectrum communication system. The acquisition requirements of a spread spectrum system and also the general approaches to the problem of “active and passive correlation” are discussed. A unique general purpose all-digital acquisition hardware design is developed and described to the schematic level of detail, where specific parts …

A Microsequenced Prolog Inference Engine, Jeffrey J. Ferguson

Retrospective Theses and Dissertations

Prolog is a symbolic logic language presently emerging among numerous expert system designs. The architecture for a microsequenced Prolog machine (UPM) capable of providing the basic language features to a host computer is proposed. The Prolog machine functions are portioned into three processor components – Input/Output, Memory, and Central (CPU), where the design of the Central Processor is emphasized. Detailed discussion outlines the CPU facilities used to implement the forward-chaining and backtracking functions for the UPM. The UPM features are compared to the PLM-1, a microsequenced Prolog inference engine under development at University of California, Berkley. An emulation of the …

An Experimental Study Of A Single-Phase Natural Convection In A Cylindrical, Vertical Channel, S. Ali A. Hashemi

Retrospective Theses and Dissertations

Presented in this paper is the first known experimental assessment of a single-phase natural convection in a cylindrical, vertical channel subjected to non-uniform or uniform heat flux. This work was conducted at the University of Central Florida in the College of Engineering.

The results of this experimental study were compared with theory. The experimental values of Nusselt numbers (Nu = hD/K) in the entrance and fully-developed regions were somewhat lower and higher, respectively, when compared with theory.

The Secant-Corrector Spectral Iterative Method For Analyzing Scattering From Planar Periodic Surfaces, Robert Middelveen

Retrospective Theses and Dissertations

The secant method is applied to an iterative algorithm of electromagnetic scattering from planar surfaces with periodic structure. The theory of convergent solutions for iterative techniques is discussed and examined. The Secant method is applied to the spectral iteration approach to accelerate and assure convergence of the basic iterative scheme. The derivation of the method as applied to surfaces containing parallel thin wire gratings is presented, and the conditions for achieving convergence are explored. This new method is also applied to gratings made of coated wires. The reflection characteristics of the grating as a function of wire spacing, wire conductivity, …

A Pool Boiling Map: Water On A Horizontal Surface At Atmospheric Pressure, O. Burr. Osborn

Retrospective Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to develop a boiling map for liquid water at an atmospheric pressure. The map indicates the type of pool boiling phenomenon will initially occur in terms of the bulk temperature of the liquid and the interfacial contact temperature. The geometry studied was that of a flat horizontal plate with boiling incipient from the upward facing surface.

Previous analytical and experimental studies have been conducted concerning pool boiling. Several of these studies are summarized in this thesis and it is seen that there are gaps and limitations in the existing state of knowledge. Therefore, further …

A One Step Collision Detection Method For Computer Graphics Programs, Gregory T. Eichner

Retrospective Theses and Dissertations

The topic of this thesis is a collection detection algorithm for use in computer programs dealing in three dimensional graphics. Collision detection is usually accomplished by breaking the movement into small steps and checking if a collision has occurred at each of these discrete steps. This method is a very time-intensive way to detect for collisions and therefore, inefficient for a system which typically moves in large increments. For this kind of system, a method could be developed which checks once for collisions without dividing the move into multiple small increments. The subject of this paper is an algorithm, developed …

Cost Effective Design Of The Activated Sludge Wastewater Treatment System, Robert P. Huguenard

Retrospective Theses and Dissertations

In current design practice the components of the complete mix activated sludge system are designed as individual units with little or no appreciation for the process interactions which occur between system components. To achieve acceptable process efficiency and to realize cost effectiveness a unified design approach is necessary. This research effort was initiated to define the characteristics of the economic optimum complete mix activated sludge configuration while considering system interactions.

A computer program was developed for the completion of the process design and the economic analysis of the aeration basins, the settling basins, and the return sludge pumping facilities for …

Multi-Computer Communication Network With Crossbar Switches, Massood. Towhidnejad

Retrospective Theses and Dissertations

This thesis describes the architecture and organization of a multi-computer communication network employing crossbar switches. The network is implemented using the Motorola EXORset development system. The network provides a flexible communication system capable of application to a wide range of data transfers. In this system each computer will perform its local tasks, in the meantime, each computer could send or receive messages to and from other computers in the network. The system logic has been partitioned into two basic board types: (a) communication interface, and (b) controller. The communication interface provides the interface of computers in the network to the …

Multi-Computer Communication With Crossbar Switches, Teh-Cheng Song

Retrospective Theses and Dissertations

This thesis describes the design and implementation of a MC6809 multi-computer communication system, which includes a hardware communication controller, with emphasis on the system's software development. A communication program written in 6809 assembly language has been developed to interface each user and the controller. The communication program acts as a postman, sending and taking messages for each user via the interrupt-driven sending and receiving software. A message is transmitted over a crossbar switched path, which is 8 bits wide, to increase the transmission rate and decrease dedicated CPU time. Every time MC6809 microcomputer in the system can send or receive …

The Gate Array Implementation Of An Area Calculation Pipeline, Edward J. Janssen

Retrospective Theses and Dissertations

A gate array is a semi-custom designed integrated circuit. The integrated circuit is designed by a customer and then turned over to a vendor to be manufactured. A single gate array is capable of replacing a full board or more of SSI and MSI components. An area calculation path of a special purpose computer that was designed into a gate array. LSI Logic Corporation was used as the vendor. The gate array was designed and then simulated with the Tegas Description Language. The simulation revealed a worst case timing problem which was corrected by adding an additional stage in the …

The Application Of Systolic Architectures In Vlsi Design, Steven V. Manno

Retrospective Theses and Dissertations

Very large scale integrated (VLSI) circuit technology has offered the opportunity to design algorithms and data structures for direct implementation in integrated circuits. In order to take full advantage of this opportunity, the designer must understand the geometric limitations of the technology. Because the interconnections between components in a VLSI circuit are costly in both chip area and performance, the designer must consider the complexity of the data paths between components when selecting algorithms and architecture.

Systolic architectures offer a way to implement massively parallel special-purpose systems in VLSI circuits while minimizing costly interconnections between processing components. In a systolic …

Phase-Locked Loop Based Oscillator Phase Noise Measurement Technique, Luis M. Jimenez

Retrospective Theses and Dissertations

Oscillators play an important role in the performance of various radio frequency (RF) systems. The generation of stable carrier and clock frequencies is necessary at both the transmitter and receiver ends of a communication system. Phase noise is the parameter used to characterize an oscillator frequency stability. This thesis introduces a phase noise measurement technique using a phase-locked loop. A 100 MHz Colpitt’s oscillator, for the phase noise source, was designed and built. The output of the oscillator was mixed down to 10 MHz, before a phase-locked loop extracted the phase noise information. Measurements were taken at RF frequencies using …

The Effect Of Winglet Twist And Toe Angle On The Drag Of A High Aspect Ratio Wing, Thomas T. Moore

Retrospective Theses and Dissertations

Winglets have been shown to significantly reduce the lift induced drag. Different parametric studies have identified important winglet characteristics, but none have examined effects on drag from varying winglet twist and toe angle. The purpose of this research report is to examine the drag reducing effect of winglet twist and toe angle on a transport type high aspect ratio wing.

By using a cost-effective three dimensional vortex-lattice program which included two dimensional profile drag, the effect of winglet twist was found to have a moderate drag reduction against an untwisted winglet for the same toe angle. For the wing-winglet configuration …

Simulating The Thermal Behavior An Earth-Stationed Satellite Terminal, Anthony M. Jacobi

Retrospective Theses and Dissertations

Lumped parameter modeling using finite differencing, form the basis for a C language simulation of a thermal system. The study of the earth-stationed satellite terminal includes an introduction to the system, derivation of the governing equation, development of a simulation, and a comparison of the results to empirical data.

The analysis is undertaken with emphasis on the worst-case thermal environment, and with determination of the cooling loads and transient response as primary goals. Comparing the predicted cooling loads to empirical data, and previous analyses, indicates an accurate simulation has been constructed. The computer models are offered as an alternative method …

The Use Of Enlarged Feed Wells As Flocculator Units In Activated Sludge Secondary Clarifiers, Mahnaz Shahnami

Retrospective Theses and Dissertations

The quality of the effluent from activated sludge wastewater treatment plants is highly dependent on the performance of the final clarifier. The final clarifier performs solids/liquids separation through sedimentation. The standard design criteria (overflow rate and detention time) must be selected such that the effluent suspended solids requirements are met.

Numerous research programs have been conducted to evaluate the factors affecting the sedimentation efficiency of activated sludge mixed liquor. Flocculation has been documented as a significant factor. The flocculation process is an agglomeration of small primary particles of the surface of larger particles to achieve higher settling velocities. Increased settling …

A Performance Comparison Of Solar Radiation Predictive Models For Both Fixed And Tracking Surfaces, William F. Marion

Retrospective Theses and Dissertations

Accurate performance prediction for a system utilizing solar energy requires accurate estimates of the solar radiation received by the collector surface. This thesis compares the performance of five different diffuse solar radiation models in estimating the diffuse radiation received by a tilted surface in the warm, humid climate of Central Florida.

The following models were studied: Isotropic Model, Temps and Coulson Model, Klucher Model, Hay Model, and Perez Model. The models were evaluated for both a fixed south facing surface and for three different tracking schemes suitable for photovoltaic applications. Model estimates were then compared to the solar radiation data …

Comparison Of Apodization Geometries For Bidirectional Surface Acoustic Wave Transducers Based On Efficient Track Modelling, Armando J. Vigil

Retrospective Theses and Dissertations

Apodization, or spatial overlap weighting, is a common tap weighting technique for Surface Acoustic Wave filter transducers. The two most common apodization strategies are beam centered and slant centered overlap weighting. Two lesser known apodization geometries are beam spread overlap weighting and generalized distance weighting.

A wide variety of SAW transducer weighting techniques are described. Analysis is focussed on the four apodization geometries listed above. An efficient track based modelling system is developed in order to accurately solve for the acoustic radiation profiles, apodization loss and frequency dependent acoustic conductance. This modelling system becomes the foundation for a set of …

Design Of A Laboratory Course In Embedded Computer Systems, Alexander Nikoloff

Retrospective Theses and Dissertations

This research report discusses and presents the design of a university undergraduate level laboratory course introducing the topic of embedded computer systems. The course utilizes the Rainbow 100 computer and the Data Translation LDT2801 interface board to illustrate this concept.

Lab problems in Digital to Analog conversions, Analog to Digital conversions, Digital input/output, serial communication, motor drivers and parallel communication are presented, as are fully documented solutions. Suggested lecture material appropriate to the course is reviewed.