Engineering Commons^™

Piezoresistive Properties Of Ito Strain Sensors Prepared With Controlled Nanoporosity, Otto J. Gregory, Tao You

Chemical Engineering Faculty Publications

A ceramic strain gage based on reactively sputtered indium-tinoxide (ITO) thin films is being developed to monitor the structural integrity of components employed in aerospace propulsion systems operating at temperatures in excess of 1500°C. The hightemperature stability and piezoresistive properties depend to a large extent on the thickness of the active ITO strain elements comprising these ceramic strain gages. Scanning electron microscopy of the thick ITO sensors revealed a partially sintered microstructure consisting of a contiguous network of submicrometer ITO particles with well-defined necks and isolated nanoporosity. It appeared that densification of the ITO particles was retarded during high-temperature exposure …

Trailer Mounted Bursting Energy Absorption System, John D. Reid, John R. Rohde, Dean L. Sicking

Department of Mechanical and Materials Engineering: Faculty Publications

A portable crash attenuation System having a trailer frame and an energy absorption mechanism attached thereto. The absorption mechanism has a first Stage pivotably connected to a Second Stage and the Second Stage is pivotably connected to the frame. By pivoting the Stages about hinges the attenuation System may be folded from an extended, deployed position or mode to a shortened transit mode for easy relocation of the entire attenuation System.

Solid-Like Dynamics In Ultrathin Films Of Polymeric Liquids, Gaurav Singh, Ravi F. Saraf, Yves Martin

Papers in Nanotechnology

In this letter, we demonstrate that, at mesoscales, nonferroelectric liquid films of polydimethyl siloxane. exhibit significant electrostriction not present in the corresponding bulk state. Remarkably, the observed electrostrictive effect has a response time ,20 ms in contrast to .5 ms recorded in conventional bulk ~ferroelectric polymers. The emergence of this fast electrostrictive strain in thin films is explained in terms of the amalgamation of two contrasting dynamic features—the influence of a highly mobile, viscous layer ~at the air/film interface. on the less-mobile, but fast responding, solid-like layer at the film/substrate interface. The effect is observed for thickness below 200 nm.

Enhanced Practical Photosynthetic Co₂ Mitigation, David J. Bayless, Morgan Lefay Vis-Chiasson, Gregory G. Kremer

Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

This process is unique in photosynthetic carbon sequestration. An on-site biological sequestration system directly decreases the concentration of carbon-containing compounds in the emissions of fossil generation units. In this process, photosynthetic microbes are attached to a growth surface arranged in a containment chamber that is lit by solar photons. A harvesting system ensures maximum organism growth and rate of CO₂ uptake. Soluble carbon and nitrogen concentrations delivered to the cyanobacteria are enhanced, further increasing growth rate and carbon utilization.

Preliminary Report On December 22, 2003 San Simeon Earthquake, Rakesh K. Goel

Civil and Environmental Engineering

A strong earthquake of magnitude 6.5 ( M_w) struck the Central Coast of California at 11:15:56 AM PST (19:15:56 UTC) on Monday, December 22, 2003. The epicenter (Figure 1) was 11 km (7 mile) NE of San Simeon, at a depth of about 8 km (5 mile). Two people were killed and about 40 buildings collapsed or severely damaged at Paso Robles which is located about 39 km (24 mile) from the epicenter. At least 40 people were reported to be injured in the Paso Robles-Templeton area. This preliminary report presents basic information on the epicenter location, intensity …

On The Generalized Borel Transform And Its Application To The Statistical Mechanics Of Macromolecules, Marcelo Marucho, Gustavo A. Carri

College of Polymer Science and Polymer Engineering

We present a new integral transform called the generalized Borel transform (GBT) and show how to use it to compute distribution functions used to describe the statistical mechanics of macromolecules. For this purpose, we choose the random flight model (RFM) of macromolecules and show that the application of the GBT to this model leads to the exact expression of the polymer propagator (two-point correlation function) from which all the statistical properties of the model can be obtained. We also discuss the mathematical simplicity of the GBT and its applicability to macromolecules with other topologies. (C) 2003 American Institute of Physics.

Manufacturing Of Novel Continuous Nanocrystalline Ceramic Nanofibers With Superior Mechanical Properties, Yuris A. Dzenis, Ruqiang Feng, Gustavo F. Larsen, Joseph Turner, Xiao Cheng Zeng

Papers in Nanotechnology

This project is in the area of nanomanufacturing of advanced nanostructured materials. Nanostructured materials (NSMs) with unusual and extreme properties will play a key role in many emerging technologies. However, manufacturing of NSMs with the desired properties is highly complex and currently is over-reliant on empirical data. In this project, a novel manufacturing process producing a new class of ceramic materials, i.e. continuous ceramic nanofibers, is addressed. The novel sol-gel electrospinning technique (patents pending), invented recently by two of the PI’s (Dzenis and Larsen), produces ceramic fibers of submicron diameters with potentially extreme thermomechanical properties. This technique is being analyzed …

Method For Forming An Antenna And A Radio Frequency Transponder, Ravi F. Saraf

Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering: Patents

A method is disclosed for forming an antenna and a radio frequency transponder. The method comprises the steps of (1) forming a paste comprising metal powder, polymeric material, and solvent; and (2) screening the paste through a screen onto a substrate. Additional steps couple electrical components to the paste and dry the paste.

Dec 2003, Tractor Museum

Lester F. Larsen Tractor Museum: Planning and Development Documents

Introductions Curator's Report Treasurer's Report

Apparatus And Method For Dispersing Nano-Elements To Assemble Device, Craig A. Grimes, Elizabeth Dickey

Chemical and Materials Engineering Faculty Patents

An apparatus for dispersing a first plurality of conductive elongated nano-elements distributed within a carrier-fluid to assemble a conductive device made of a first charge-receptive area of a support surface to which at least one nano-element has attached, including: a nozzle through which the elongated nano-elements are directed such that the nano-elements pass through an electromagnetic field for imparting a preselected charge thereto, and toward at least the first charge-receptive area. The charge-receptive area is given a charge such that it attracts a first end-portion of one of the nano-elements. Also, a method of assembling a conductive device. Steps include: …

Processes For Nanomachining Using Carbon Nanotubes, Robert Ryan Vallance, Apparao M. Rao, M. Pinar Mengüç

Mechanical Engineering Faculty Patents

Novel methods and devices for nanomachining a desired pattern on a surface of a conductive workpiece are disclosed. In one aspect, the method comprises using an electron beam emitted from one or more nanotubes to evaporate nanoscale quantities of material from the workpiece surface. The surface of the workpiece to be machined may be excited to a threshold energy to reduce the amount of power required to be emitted by the nanotube. In another aspect, a device is described for nanomachining a desired pattern on a surface of a conductive workpiece, comprising a vessel capable of sustaining a vacuum, a …

Spatiotemporal Databases: Models For Attracting Students To Research, Ágnes Bércesné Novák, Peter Revesz, Zsolt Tuza

CSE Conference and Workshop Papers

In higher education professors often make much effort to introduce their students to research. Unfortunately, the present standard database systems curriculum is composed of well-settled subjects that do not lead to research. The challenge is to bring the research frontier closer to students at beginner level. In this paper we describe how it can be done in the area of spatiotemporal databases. We propose a new database systems curriculum and illustrate its benefits by mentioning several highly succsesful student projects in some recent experimental introductory database systems courses that followed the new curriculum.

C-Ring Strength Of Advanced Monolithic Ceramics, A. A. Wereszczak, R. J. Caspe, J. J. Swab, S. F. Duffy, E. H. Baker

Civil and Environmental Engineering Faculty Publications

Alumina, silicon carbide, silicon nitride, and zirconia are common candidate ceramics for load-bearing tubular components. To help facilitate design and reliability modeling with each ceramic, Weibull strength distributions were determined with each material using a diametrally compressed c-ring specimen in accordance with ASTM C1323. The investigated silicon nitride and zirconia were found to exhibit higher uncensored characteristic strengths than the alumina and silicon carbide. The occurrence of chamfer-located fracture initiation was problematic, and hindered the ability to generate valid design data in some of these ceramics. Fractography and stress modeling results suggest that some aspects of ASTM C1323 should be …

Efficient Customizable Middleware, Ravi Pratap Maddimsetty

All Computer Science and Engineering Research

The rather large feature set of current Distributed Object Computing (DOC) middleware can be a liability for certain applications which have a need for only a certain subset of these features but have to suffer performance degradation and code bloat due to all the present features. To address this concern, a unique approach to building fully customizable middleware was undertaken in FACET, a CORBA event channel written using AspectJ. FACET consists of a small, essential core that represents the basic structure and functionality of an event channel into which additional features are woven using aspects so that the resulting event …

An Iterative Beam Search Algorithm For Degenerate Primer Selection, Richard Souvenir

All Computer Science and Engineering Research

Single Nucleotide Polymorphism (SNP) Genotyping is an important molecular genetics process in the early stages of producing results that will be useful in the medical field. Due to inherent complexities in DNA manipulation and analysis, many different methods have been proposed for a standard assay. One of the proposed techniques for performing SNP Genotyping requires amplifying regions of DNA surrounding a large number of SNP loci. In order to automate a portion of this particular method, it is necessary to select a set of primers for the experiment. Selecting these primers can be formulated as the Multiple Degenerate Primer Design …

Resource Configuration And Network Design In Extensible Networks, Sumi Y. Choi

All Computer Science and Engineering Research

The goal of packet-switched networks has conventionally been delivering data to users. This concept is changing rapidly as current technologies make it possible to build network processing engines that apply intermediary services to data traffic. This trend introduces an extensive range of ways to develop and operate applications by allowing processing services customized for applications' needs at intermediate network users, as it can relieve individuals from the need to acquire, install, and maintain software in end systems to perform required functions. As such network services become more widely used, it will become increasingly important for service providers to have effective …

Magnetic Transitions In Disordered Gdal2, D. S. Williams, Paul M. Shand, Thomas M. Pekarek, Ralph Skomski, Valeri G. Petkov, Diandra Leslie-Pelecky

Materials Research Science and Engineering Center: Faculty Publications

The role of disorder in magnetic ordering transitions is investigated using mechanically milled GdAl₂. Crystalline GdAl₂ is a ferromagnet while amorphous GdAl₂ is a spin glass. Nanostructured GdAl₂ shows a paramagnetic-to-ferromagnetic transition and glassy behavior, with the temperature and magnitude of each transition dependent on the degree and type of disorder. Disorder is parametrized by a Gaussian distribution of Curie temperatures T_C with mean T_C and breadth Δ T_C. A nonzero coercivity is observed at temperatures more than 20 K above the highest T_C of any known Gd-Al phase; however, …

Self Assembled Nano-Devices Using Dna, Ravi F. Saraf

Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering: Patents

An article of manufacture including an organic structure and inorganic atoms bonded to specific locations on the organic structure.

Optical System With 1xn Interleaver And Methods Of Making And Using Same, Michael A. Scobey, Lucien P. Ghislain, Dennis J. Derickson, Loren F. Stokes

Electrical Engineering

An optical system and method are disclosed for multiplexing or de-multiplexing channels within a wavelength band. The optical signals carried on the system comprise separate channels 1 through n, each having a unique passband and a center wavelength spaced from the center wavelength of adjacent channels by d nm. The signals are semi-multiplexed, demultiplexed, or semi-demultiplexed by an interleaver comprising optically matched and directly optically coupled etalons. Periodic spectral passbands of width less than d nm, spaced from each other a distance of zd, where z is an integer greater than or equal to 3, are substantially transmitted through the …

Superplastic Forming Of Micro Components, Rajiv S. Mishra

Materials Science and Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

A method for forming a miniaturized shaped component. Bulk superplastic material is contacted with a flat rotating surface of a rotating tool to frictionally heat the bulk superplastic material with the bulk superplastic material positioned between the flat rotating surface of the tool and a micro fabricated tool die. The bulk superplastic material is forced into the microfabricated die once the bulk superplastic material is heated to a temperature between a glass transition temperature and a crystallization temperature.

California Agricultural Water Electrical Energy Requirements, Charles M. Burt, Daniel J. Howes, Gary Wilson

BioResource and Agricultural Engineering

The Irrigation Training and Research Center, working under agreement with the California Energy Commission as part of its Public Interest Energy Research Program, conducted an analysis of the energy used to supply water to California's agriculture and examined potential future trends in the agriculture water community to predict future energy requirements.

Water Level Sensor Testing, Stuart Styles, Sarah Herman, Marcus Yasutake, Chuck Keezer

BioResource and Agricultural Engineering

The findings presented here are the continuation of a series of studies begun in 1998 by the Irrigation Training and Research Center (ITRC) at California Polytechnic State University (Cal Poly), San Luis Obispo, California, on behalf of the Mid-Pacific Region of the United States Bureau of Reclamation (USBR) to test water level sensors under a variety of hydraulic conditions. This report is intended as a supplement to the original 1999 report, entitled “Water Level Sensor and Datalogger Testing and Demonstration” (ITRC Report No. R-01010), which describes the testing processes in detail and presents detailed results for the first 17 sensors …

Automated Casting Cleaning, Chris Anderson

Graduate Research Papers

The dilemma facing all foundries today is finding a cost effective, efficient, and safe manner in which to clean castings. At the same time produce a cleaned casting that meets consistent quality and delivery expectations. Today nearly 90% of all casting produced are cleaned by the use of manual labor via chipping an grinding. This manual method has proved to be very labor intensive, costly, lacking consistent quality, and carry high rates of injuries. The use of automation to clean castings is in its embryo stage in the foundry industry. The use of automation in the foundry industry, products currently …

Uml Extensions For Real-Time Control Systems, Qimin Gao, Lyndon Brown, Luiz Fernando Capretz

Electrical and Computer Engineering Publications

The use of object oriented techniques and methodologies for the design of real-time control systems appears to be necessary in order to deal with the increasing complexity of such systems. Recently many object-oriented methods have been used for the modeling and design of real-time control systems. We believe that an approach that integrates the advancements in both object modeling and design methods, and real-time scheduling theory is the key to successful use of object oriented technology for real-time software. Surprisingly several past approaches to integrate the two either restrict the object models, or do not allow sophisticated schedulability analysis techniques. …

Acuta Enews December 2003, Vol 32, No 12

ACUTA Newsletters

In This Issue

From the President........................ Walter L. Czerniak, Northern Illinois Univ.

Tech Talk................................. Kevin Tanzillo, Dux Public Relations

Eleanor Smith, ACUTA Business Manager, Retires

Meet ACUTAs New Business Manager, Margaret Riley

Wireless lndustry Announces Recycling lnitiative...................... CTIA

DC Update........................ Whitney Johnson, Retired, Northern Michigan univ.

ACUTA Member Sites to See

Thanks to Sponsors for '03

ACUTA: Have You Shopped the eStore Lately?

Welcome New Members

Afci Quarterly Input – Unlv October Through December, 2003, Harry Reid Center For Environmental Studies. Nuclear Science And Technology Division

Transmutation Research Program Reports (TRP)

Quarterly report highlighting research projects and objectives of the Transmutation Research Program at the Nuclear Science & Technology Division, Harry Reid Research Center.

The University of Nevada, Las Vegas supports the AFCI through research and development of technologies for economic and environmentally sound refinement of spent nuclear fuel. The UNLV program has four components: infrastructure, international collaboration, student-based research, and management and program support.

Inside Unlv, Gian Galassi, Katrina Hudak, Carol C. Harter, Eric Sandgren, Tom Hagge

Inside UNLV

No abstract provided.

Effect Of Crucible Diameter Reduction On The Convection, Macrosegregation, And Dendritic Morphology During Directional Solidification Of Pb-2.2 Wt Pct Sb Alloy, Jun Chen, Surendra N. Tewari, G. Magadi, H. C. Degroh Iii

Chemical & Biomedical Engineering Faculty Publications

The Pb-2.2 wt pct Sb alloy has been directionally solidified in 1, 2-, 3-, and 7-mm-diameter crucibles with planar and dendritic liquid-solid interface morphology. For plane front solidification, the experimentally observed macrosegregation along the solidified length follows the relationship proposed by Favier.([17,18]) Application of a 0.4 T transverse magnetic field has no effect on the extent of convection. Reducing the ampoule diameter appears to decrease the extent of convection. However, extensive convection is still present even in the 1-mm-diameter crucible. An extrapolation of the observed behavior indicates that nearly diffusive transport conditions require ampoules that are about 40 mum in …

Interactive Lego Robots Learning In A Controlled Environment, Jonathan Mcgehee

Mahurin Honors College Capstone Experience/Thesis Projects

This paper reports on learning in autonomous Lego robots programmed to play soccer. The specific focus here is upon how different behaviors can be learned by two identical robots, based on the different type of feedback they receive from the environment. After being constructed with the same design and the same software, two Lego robots are able to perform the same basic soccer actions, such as moving to the ball, determining where the goal is. and kicking the ball. A non-deterministic version of the Q-step learning algorithm is then used to allow a robot to learn a correct series of …

33rd Conference On Senior Engineering Design, College Of Engineering And Applied Sciences

Senior Engineering Design Conference

The 33rd Conference on Senior Engineering Design Projects You are invited to attend the thirty-second Conference on Senior Engineering Design Projects. The conference will be held from 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., Tuesday, December 2,2003 at the Bernhard Center on the campus of Western Michigan University. The College of Engineering and Applied Sciences sponsors the conference to showcase the work of its graduating seniors, who are required to complete a capstone project that puts into practice what they have learned. Many of the projects are sponsored by business and industry.