Engineering Commons^™

An Alternative Sensor Fusion Method For Object Orientation Using Low-Cost Mems Inertial Sensors, Joshua Lee Bouffard

Graduate College Dissertations and Theses

This thesis develops an alternative sensor fusion approach for object orientation using low-cost MEMS inertial sensors. The alternative approach focuses on the unique challenges of small UAVs. Such challenges include the vibrational induced noise onto the accelerometer and bias offset errors of the rate gyroscope. To overcome these challenges, a sensor fusion algorithm combines the measured data from the accelerometer and rate gyroscope to achieve a single output free from vibrational noise and bias offset errors.

One of the most prevalent sensor fusion algorithms used for orientation estimation is the Extended Kalman filter (EKF). The EKF filter performs the fusion …

Zero-Group-Velocity Propagation Of Electromagnetic Wave Through Nanomaterial, Taian Fan

Graduate College Dissertations and Theses

This research will investigate the problem on the propagation of electromagnetic wave through a specific nanomaterial. The nanomaterial analyzed is a material consisting of a field of Pt nanorods. This field of Pt nanorods are deposited on a substrate which consists of a RuO2 nano structure. When the nanorod is exposed to an electron beam emitted by a TEM (Transmission electron microscopy). A wave disturbance has been observed. A video taken within the chamber shows a wave with a speed in the scale of um/s (Á?10Á?^(-6) m/s), which is 14 orders of magnitude lower than speed of light in free …

A Wide Band Adaptive All Digital Phase Locked Loop With Self Jitter Measurement And Calibration, Bo Jiang

Graduate College Dissertations and Theses

The expanding growth of mobile products and services has led to various wireless communication standards that employ different spectrum bands and protocols to provide data, voice or video communication services. Software deffned radio and cognitive radio are emerging techniques that can dynamically integrate various standards to provide seamless global coverage, including global roaming across geographical regions, and interfacing with different wireless networks. In software deffned radio and cognitive radio, one of the most critical RF blocks that need to exhibit frequency agility is the phase lock loop (PLL) frequency synthesizer. In order to access various standards, the frequency synthesizer needs …

Cascading Failure Risk Estimation And Mitigation In Power Systems, Pooya Rezaei

Graduate College Dissertations and Theses

Electricity is a critical component in our daily life. Because it is almost always available, we take it for granted. However, given the proper conditions, blackouts do happen every once in a while and can cause discomfort at a minimum, and a catastrophe in rare circumstances. The largest blackouts typically include cascading failures, which are sequences of interdependent outages. Although timely and effective operator intervention can often prevent a cascade from spreading, such interventions require ample situational awareness.

The goals of this dissertation are twofold: to provide power system operators with insight into the risk of blackouts given the space …

Development Of A Physical And Electronic Model For Ruo2 Nanorod Rectenna Devices, Justin Dao

Graduate College Dissertations and Theses

Ruthenium oxide (RuO2) nanorods are an emergent technology in nanostructure devices. As the physical size of electronics approaches a critical lower limit, alternative solutions to further device miniaturization are currently under investigation. Thin-film nanorod growth is an interesting technology, being investigated for use in wireless communications, sensor systems, and alternative energy applications.

In this investigation, self-assembled RuO2 nanorods are grown on a variety of substrates via a high density plasma, reactive sputtering process. Nanorods have been found to grow on substrates that form native oxide layers when exposed to air, namely silicon, aluminum, and titanium. Samples were analyzed with Scanning …

Real-Time Strategies For The Deployment Of Wireless Repeaters In Uncharacterized Environments, Andrew Giroux

Graduate College Dissertations and Theses

Modern society relies heavily on communication networks that in turn rely on both wired and wireless infrastructure. This work pertains to scenarios where a group of people or robots need to communicate in an environment where there is no preexisting communications infrastructure. These include sites of emergencies and disasters (e.g., inside burning buildings, search and rescue operations) and unexplored areas on Earth and other planets. Wireless ad hoc or mesh networks offer the ability to keep such entities connected, but they falter when any single entity wishes to leave the developed coverage area. Utilizing mobile repeater nodes can help, but …

Using Real Time Statistical Data To Improve Long Term Voltage Stability In Stochastic Power Systems, Samuel Chevalier

Graduate College Dissertations and Theses

In order to optimize limited infrastructure, many power systems are frequently operated close to critical, or bifurcation, points. While operating close to such critical points can be economically advantageous, doing so increases the probability of a blackout. With the continued deployment of Phasor Measurement Units (PMUs), high sample rate data are dramatically increasing the real time observability of the power grids. Prior research has shown that the statistics of these data can provide useful information regarding network stability and associated bifurcation proximity. Currently, it is not common practice for transmission and distribution control centers to leverage the higher order statistical …

A Drift Eliminated Attitude & Position Estimation Algorithm In 3d, Ruoyu Zhi

Graduate College Dissertations and Theses

Inertial wearable sensors constitute a booming industry. They are self contained, low powered and highly miniaturized. They allow for remote or self monitoring of health-related parameters. When used to obtain 3-D position, velocity and orientation information, research has shown that it is possible to draw conclusion about issues such as fall risk, Parkinson disease and gait assessment.

A key issues in extracting information from accelerometers and gyroscopes is the fusion of their noisy data to allow accurate assessment of the disease. This, so far, is an unsolved problem. Typically, a Kalman filter or its nonlinear, non-Gaussian version are implemented for …

Reviewing Power Outage Trends, Electric Reliability Indices And Smart Grid Funding, Shawn Adderly

Graduate College Dissertations and Theses

As our electric power distribution infrastructure has aged, considerable investment

has been applied to modernizing the electrical power grid through weatherization

and in deployment of real-time monitoring systems. A key question is whether or not

these investments are reducing the number and duration of power outages, leading to

improved reliability.

Statistical methods are applied to analyze electrical disturbance data (from the

Department of Energy, DOE) and reliability index data (from state utility public service

commission regulators) to detect signs of improvement. The number of installed

smart meters provided by several utilities is used to determine whether the number

of smart …