Engineering Commons^™

Identification Of Hydrodynamic Forces Developed By Flapping Fins In A Watercraft Propulsion Flow Field, Erdem Aktosun

University of New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

In this work, the data analysis of oscillating flapping fins is conducted for mathematical model. Data points of heave and surge force obtained by the CFD (Computational Fluid Dynamics) for different geometrical kinds of flapping fins. The fin undergoes a combination of vertical and angular oscillatory motion, while travelling at constant forward speed. The surge thrust and heave lift are generated by the combined motion of the flapping fins, especially due to the carrier vehicle’s heave and pitch motion will be investigated to acquire system identification with CFD data available while the fin pitching motion is selected as a function …

Design And Software Validation Of Coded Communication Schemes Using Multidimensional Signal Sets Without Constellation Expansion Penalty In Band-Limited Gaussian And Fading Channels, Milton I. Quinteros

University of New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

It has been well reported that the use of multidimensional constellation signals can help to reduce the bit error rate in Additive Gaussian channels by using the hyperspace geometry more efficiently. Similarly, in fading channels, dimensionality provides an inherent signal space diversity (distinct components between two constellations points), so the amplitude degradation of the signal are combated significantly better.

Moreover, the set of n-dimensional signals also provides great compatibility with various Trellis Coded modulation schemes: N-dimensional signaling joined with a convolutional encoder uses fewer redundant bits for each 2D signaling interval, and increases intra-subset minimum squared Euclidean distance (MSED) to …

Wirelessly Controlled Smart Outlet, Andrew Godsil, Ariel Dubinsky

Electrical Engineering

Popularity of home automation devices has increased greatly in recent years due to higher affordability and simplicity through smartphone and tablet connectivity. For the purpose of this experiment, we have developed the Smart Outlet: a stand-alone communication unit, used to connect home outlets to the internet. The Smart Outlet controls lighting and simple appliances throughout the home, remotely, using wireless commands from the web. A Google Calendar interface directly controls the outlets’ function by scheduling them with dedicated calendar events. The calendar’s interface can even be accessed from multiple different platforms (i.e. phones, computers, tablets) for the convenience of all …

Monostatic Airborne Synthetic Aperture Radar Using Commercial Wimax Transceivers In The License-Exempt Spectrum, Kai Liu

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

The past half-century witnessed an evolution of synthetic aperture radar (SAR). Boosted by digital signal processing (DSP), a variety of SAR imaging algorithms have been developed, in which the wavenumber domain algorithm is mature for airborne SAR and independent of signal waveforms. Apart from the algorithm development, there is a growing interest in how to acquire the raw data of targets’ echoes before the DSP for SAR imaging in a cost-effective way. For the data acquisition, various studies over the past 15 years have shed light on utilizing the signal generated from the ubiquitous broadband wireless technology – orthogonal frequency …

Signal Processing In Wireless Communications: Device Fingerprinting And Wide-Band Interference Rejection, Adam C. Polak

Doctoral Dissertations

The rapid progress of wireless communication technologies that has taken place in recent years has significantly improved the quality of everyday life. However with this expansion of wireless communication systems come significant security threats and significant technological challenges, both of which are due to the fact that the communication medium is shared. The ubiquity of open wireless Internet access networks creates a new avenue for cyber-criminals to impersonate and act in an unauthorized way. The increasing number of deployed wide-band wireless communication systems entails technological challenges for effective utilization of the shared medium, which implies the need for advanced interference …

Propagation Prediction Over Random Rough Surface By Zeroth Order Induced Current Density, Narayana Srinivasan Balu

Masters Theses

Electromagnetic wave propagation over random sea surfaces is a classical problem of interest for the Navy, and significant research has been done over the years. Here we make use of numerical and analytical methods to predict the propagation of microwaves over random rough surface. The numerical approach involves utilization of the direct solution (using Volterra integral equation of the second kind) to currents induced on a rough surface due to forward propagating waves to compute the scattered field. The mean scattered field is computed using the Monte-Carlo method. Since the exact solution (consisting of an infinite series) to induced current …

On The Improvement Of The Capacity Of The Heterogeneous Networks With Link-Level And System-Level Approaches, Mehmet Bahadır Çelebi

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Evolution of wireless services enabled the development of the advanced applications and shifted the paradigms of research in this field from voice to data centric. Such services are spreading like wildfire between users and hence, increasing the demand for large bandwidth. However, the frequency spectrum that is suitable for wireless mobile communications is already assigned to particular services from 400 MHz to several GHz. Also, allocating a large chunk of band continuously from the same part of the spectrum may not be possible due to spectral crowd. Therefore, meeting the demand for high data rate requiring wireless services within the …

Fault Location In Series Compensated Transmission Lines, Tirath Pal Singh Bains

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Due to the integration of modern technology such as electric vehicles, the emphasis is expected to shift from mechanical to electric power. Therefore, the need of increasing the power transmission capacity of the electric grid gets highlighted. Since, the construction of transmission lines is a tedious task owing to legalities, environmental impacts and high costs, the series compensated transmission lines are gaining popularity due to lesser costs and faster construction time. The series capacitor compensated transmission lines are very crucial lines due to the greater power being transmitted through them. Therefore, an accurate fault location becomes a prerequisite for limiting …

A Phase-Angle Tracking Method For Synchronization Of Single- And Three-Phase Grid-Connected Converters, Farzam Baradarani

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

This thesis proposes a phase-angle tracking method, i.e., based on discrete Fourier transform for synchronization of three-phase and single-phase power-electronic converters under distorted and variable-frequency conditions. The proposed methods are designed based on fixed sampling rate and, thus, they can simply be employed for control applications. For three-phase applications, first, analytical analysis are presented to determine the errors associated with the phasor estimation using standard full-cycle discrete Fourier transform in a variable-frequency environment. Then, a robust phase-angle estimation technique is proposed, which is based on a combination of estimated positive and negative sequences, tracked frequency, and two proposed compensation coefficients. …

Comparison Of Nonlinear Filtering Methods For Battery State Of Charge Estimation, Klaus Zhang

University of New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

In battery management systems, the main figure of merit is the battery's SOC, typically obtained from voltage and current measurements. Present estimation methods use simplified battery models that do not fully capture the electrical characteristics of the battery, which are useful for system design. This thesis studied SOC estimation for a lithium-ion battery using a nonlinear, electrical-circuit battery model that better describes the electrical characteristics of the battery. The extended Kalman filter, unscented Kalman filter, third-order and fifth-order cubature Kalman filter, and the statistically linearized filter were tested on their ability to estimate the SOC through numerical simulation. Their performances …

Automated Image Interpretation For Science Autonomy In Robotic Planetary Exploration, Raymond Francis

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Advances in the capabilities of robotic planetary exploration missions have increased the wealth of scientific data they produce, presenting challenges for mission science and operations imposed by the limits of interplanetary radio communications. These data budget pressures can be relieved by increased robotic autonomy, both for onboard operations tasks and for decision- making in response to science data.

This thesis presents new techniques in automated image interpretation for natural scenes of relevance to planetary science and exploration, and elaborates autonomy scenarios under which they could be used to extend the reach and performance of exploration missions on planetary surfaces.

Two …

Estimation Of Hidden Markov Models And Their Applications In Finance, Anton Tenyakov

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Movements of financial variables exhibit extreme fluctuations during periods of economic crisis and times of market uncertainty. They are also affected by institutional policies and intervention of regulatory authorities. These structural changes driving prices and other economic indicators can be captured reasonably by models featuring regime-switching capabilities. Hidden Markov models (HMM) modulating the model parameters to incorporate such regime-switching dynamics have been put forward in recent years, but many of them could still be further improved. In this research, we aim to address some of the inadequacies of previous regime-switching models in terms of their capacity to provide better forecasts …

Statistical Analysis Of Disturbances In Power Transmission Systems, Liu Liu

Masters Theses

Disturbance analysis is essential to the study of the power transmission systems. Traditionally, disturbances are described as megawatt (MW) events, but the access to data is inefficient due to the slow installation and authorization process of the monitoring device. In this paper, we propose a novel approach to disturbance analysis conducted at the distribution level by exploiting the frequency recordings from Frequency Disturbance Recorders (FDRs) of the Frequency Monitoring Network (FNET/GridEye), based on the relationship between frequency change and the power loss of disturbances - linearly associated by the Frequency Response. We first analyze the real disturbance records of North …

Design, Characterization And Application Of A Multiple Input Stethoscope Apparatus, Spencer Geng Wong

Master's Theses

For this project, the design, implementation, characterization, calibration and possible applications of a multiple transducer stethoscope apparatus were investigated. The multi-transducer sensor array design consists of five standard stethoscope diaphragms mounted to a rigid frame for a-priori knowledge of their relative spatial locations in the x-y plane, with compliant z-direction positioning to ensure good contact and pressure against the subject’s skin for reliable acoustic coupling. When this apparatus is properly placed on the body, it can digitally capture the same important body sounds investigated with standard acoustic stethoscopes; especially heart sounds. Acoustic signal inputs from each diaphragm are converted to …

Human Metaphase Chromosome Analysis Using Image Processing, Akila M.S Subasinghe Arachchige

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Development of an effective human metaphase chromosome analysis algorithm can optimize expert time usage by increasing the efficiency of many clinical diagnosis processes. Although many methods exist in the literature, they are only applicable for limited morphological variations and are specific to the staining method used during cell preparation. They are also highly influenced by irregular chromosome boundaries as well as the presence of artifacts such as premature sister chromatid separation.

Therefore an algorithm is proposed in this research which can operate with any morphological variation of the chromosome across images from multiple staining methods. The proposed algorithm is capable …

Analysis Of Sensor Signals And Quantification Of Analytes Based On Estimation Theory, Karthick Sothivelr

Master's Theses (2009 -)

Compact sensor systems for on-site monitoring of groundwater for trace organic compounds are currently under development. To permit near real-time analysis of samples containing multiple analytes, the present work investigates a sensor signal processing approach based on estimation theory, specifically using Kalman Filter and Extended Kalman Filter. As a first step towards the analysis of groundwater samples containing multiple compounds, the approach presented in this work permits estimation of analyte concentration(s) in binary mixtures and single analyte samples on-line, before the sensor response reaches steady-state. Sensor signals from binary mixtures and single analyte samples of BTEX compounds (benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, …

Crotale Sample Library, Ryan Waczek

Music

This report will discuss the process of creating a digital sample based library for musical applications. Topics such as recording, microphone placement, and mixing will be addressed; as well as elements of design in Adobe Photoshop, and computer scripting in the language of the computer program Komplete 5 by Native Instruments. The instrument sampled is the crotales, an orchestral, melodic percussion instrument.

Clear Circuit Contact Lens, Paul Hecker Ii, Phillip Azar, Alexander Do, Benny Ng, Errol Leon

Electrical Engineering

The clear active contact lens project aims to address safety and hazard awareness with an unexplored field of eye wear technology. With advancements in nanotechnology and the advent of circuits on contact lens, this project is one of the first research and development into this new field, following University of Washington and Google. The team focuses on the safety and biocompatibility of the contact lens for a comfortable ease of use. The designs push the limits of thin film printed technology with its pursuit of fine designs of 250μm antennas. The project streamlines the manufacturing process for a combination substrate …

Low Voltage Cmos Sar Adc Design, Ryan Hunt

Electrical Engineering

This project centers on the design of a single ended 10-bit successive approximation register analog to digital converter (SAR ADC for short) that easily interfaces to a micro-controller, such as an Arduino. With micro-controller interfacing in mind, the universal data transfer technique of SPI proved an easy way to communicate between the ADC and the micro-controller. The ADC has a range of 1V (highest code value) to 0V (lowest code value) and operates from a single voltage rail value of 1.8V. Typical SPI clock speeds run on the order of 2MHz and with a 10-bit ADC this means a sampling …

Power System Fault Detection Using The Discrete Wavelet Transform And Artificial Neural Networks, Kevin Keegan

Electrical Engineering

This project focuses on detecting various phase to ground faults in three phase power systems. In this research, the faults are generated using a power distribution system simulator; and the three phase voltage waveforms are analyzed using the discrete wavelet transform. Multi-layer feed forward neural networks are employed for fault detection and classification. The effectiveness of this approach is demonstrated by computer simulation results.

Real Time Swim Instructor, Konrad Antoniuk

Electrical Engineering

Both competitive and recreational swimmers want an efficient swim stroke but often lack consistent feedback with technical insight. Competitive swimmers rely on coaches for instruction but have to stop swimming to listen. The Real Time Swim Instructor project provides live feedback to a swimmer so they can feel their stroke correction while they’re swimming. The developing swimmer feels the difference between correct and incorrect form instantaneously.

The project takes on the responsibility of measuring the moving body, accurately determining stroke improvement, functioning under water, and providing recognizable feedback. Additionally, the user can review their swim from data stored in memory. …

Continuous Hand-Tool Leveling Device, Shaun Villa Koide

Electrical Engineering

To produce clean and precise cuts, hand-tools (e.g. knives and saws) must maintain a consistent angle of orientation during the entire cutting process. The Continuous Hand-Tool Leveling Device mounts on the desired hand-tool and the user inputs the desired angle of the cutting plane. The device utilizes a microcontroller unit (MCU) and accelerometer to implement real-time angle measurement. When using a hand-tool, the device uses an LED that indicates that the hand-tool’s angle deviates from the user-set desired angle, which prevents any potential mistakes from occurring due to user error. The device easily mounts on many common cutting tools. Additionally, …

Data Chunking In Quasi-Synchronous Ds-Cdma, Trevor Dalke

Master's Theses

DS-CDMA is a popular multiple access technique used in many mobile networks to efficiently share channel resources between users in a cell. Synchronization between users maximizes the user capacity of these systems. However, it is difficult to perfectly synchronize users in the reverse link due to the geographic diversity of mobile users in the cell. As a result, most commercial DS-CDMA networks utilize an asynchronous reverse link resulting in a reduced user capacity. A possible compromise to increase the user capacity in the reverse link is to implement a quasi-synchronous timing scheme, a timing scheme in which users are allowed …

Atrengine: An Orientation-Based Algorithm For Automatic Target Recognition, Justin Ting-Jeuan Kuo

Master's Theses

Automatic Target Recognition (ATR) is a subject involving the use of sensor data to develop an algorithm for identifying targets of significance. It is of particular interest in military applications such as unmanned aerial vehicles and missile tracking systems. This thesis develops an orientation-based classification approach from previous ATR algorithms for 2-D Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) images. Prior work in ATR includes Chessa Guilas’ Hausdorff Probabilistic Feature Analysis Approach in 2005 and Daniel Cary’s Optimal Rectangular Fit in 2007.

A system incorporating multiple modules performing different tasks is developed to streamline the data processing of previous algorithms. Using images from …

Variable Precision Tandem Analog-To-Digital Converter (Adc), Colton A. Parsons

Master's Theses

This paper describes an analog-to-digital signal converter which varies its precision as a function of input slew rate (maximum signal rate of change), in order to best follow the input in real time. It uses Flash and Successive Approximation (SAR) conversion techniques in sequence.

As part of the design, the concept of "total real-time optimization" is explored, where any delay at all is treated as an error (Error = Delay * Signal Slew Rate). This error metric is proposed for use in digital control systems. The ADC uses a 4-bit Flash converter in tandem with SAR logic that has variable …

A Comparison Of Image Processing Techniques For Bird Detection, Elsa Reyes

Master's Theses

Orchard fruits and vegetable crops are vulnerable to wild birds and animals. These wild birds and animals can cause critical damage to the produce. Traditional methods of scaring away birds such as scarecrows are not long-term solutions but short-term solutions. This is a huge problem especially near areas like San Luis Obispo where there are vineyards. Bird damage can be as high as 50% for grapes being grown in vineyards. The total estimated revenue lost annually in the 10 counties in California due to bird and rodent damage to 22 selected crops ranged from $168 million to $504 million (in …

Virtual Reality Engine Development, Varun Varahamurthy

Master's Theses

With the advent of modern graphics and computing hardware and cheaper sensor and display technologies, virtual reality is becoming increasingly popular in the fields of gaming, therapy, training and visualization. Earlier attempts at popularizing VR technology were plagued by issues of cost, portability and marketability to the general public. Modern screen technologies make it possible to produce cheap, light head-mounted displays (HMDs) like the Oculus Rift, and modern GPUs make it possible to create and deliver a seamless real-time 3D experience to the user. 3D sensing has found an application in virtual and augmented reality as well, allowing for a …

A Frequency-Domain Method For Active Acoustic Cancellation Of Known Audio Sources, Ryan D. Rocha

Master's Theses

Active noise control (ANC) is a real-time process in which a system measures an external, unwanted sound source and produces a canceling waveform. The cancellation is due to destructive interference by a perfect copy of the received signal phase-shifted by 180 degrees. Existing active noise control systems process the incoming and outgoing audio on a sample-by-sample basis, requiring a high-speed digital signal processor (DSP) and analog-to-digital converters (ADCs) with strict timing requirements on the order of tens of microseconds. These timing requirements determine the maximum sample rate and bit size as well as the maximum attenuation that the system can …

Transmission Of Stereo Audio Signals With Lasers, William Austin Curbow

Electrical Engineering Undergraduate Honors Theses

An alternative method for transmitting audio signals via the use of laser technology was presented here. The primary focus of this document is on the audio amplifier subsystem including the design, simulation, and performance results. Simulations using the PSPICE computer simulation software were utilized to investigate the theoretical designs of the audio amplifier subsystem. The audio amplifier was examined in three junctures including the noise-canceling input stage, the high voltage gain cell, and the low impedance driver. Through the design procedure using theoretical calculations, simulations using PSPICE computer software, and examination of the finished product with an oscilloscope, the audio …

On Uniformly Most Powerful Decentralized Detection, Uri Rogers

Boise State University Theses and Dissertations

The theory behind Uniformly Most Powerful (UMP) composite binary hypothesis testing is mature and well defined in centralized detection where all observations are directly accessible at one central node. However, within the area of decentralized detection, UMP tests have not been researched, even though tests of this nature have properties that are highly desirable. The purpose of this research is to extend the UMP concept into decentralized detection, which we define as UMP decentralized detection (UMP-DD). First, the standard parallel decentralized detection model with conditionally independent observations will be explored. This section will introduce theorems and corollaries that define when …