Engineering Commons^™

Development Of Tools Needed For Radiation Analysis Of A Cubesat Deployer Using Oltaris, Marycarmen Gonzalez-Dorbecker

Master's Theses

Currently, the CubeSat spacecraft is predominantly used for missions at Low- Earth Orbit (LEO). There are various limitations to expanding past that range, one of the major ones being the lack of sufficient radiation shielding on the Poly-Picosatellite Orbital Deployer (P-POD). The P-POD attaches to a launch vehicle transporting a primary spacecraft and takes the CubeSats out into their orbit. As the demand for interplanetary exploration grows, there is an equal increase in interest in sending CubeSats further out past their current regime. In a collaboration with NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), students from the Cal Poly CubeSat program worked …

A Concept Validation Of A Magnetometry-Based Technology For Detecting Concealed Weapons In Vehicle Door Panels, Nar Vang

Master's Theses

Acts of insurgency have become an increasing threat resulting in extensive measures being taken by the law enforcement authorities to mitigate their devastating effects on human life and infrastructure. This thesis introduces a magnetometry-based information, and signal processing methodology for detecting concealed ferrous objects in vehicle body panels. From extensive literature research, it was observed that while magnetic sensors have been used in a variety of related applications, but they have not been extensively applied to the on-road detection of firearms and explosives concealed in vehicles. This study utilized an extensive experimental protocol for preliminary concept validation. The main idea …

Development Of An Interactive Wave Drag Capability For The Openvsp Parametric Geometry Tool, Michael Jon Waddington

Master's Theses

Minimizing wave drag is critical to successful and efficient transonic and supersonic flight. Area-ruling is the process of managing the cross-sectional area of an aircraft to lessen the wave drag experienced in flight. Effectively calculating the necessary areas for a given aircraft can be difficult, and existing tools for conducting a wave drag analysis often carry limitations in both functionality and availability.

In this work, the author utilized an existing parametric geometry tool named OpenVSP to create an interactive design tool for approximating zero-lift wave drag. Here, the wave drag calculation methodology used in industry for decades is combined with …

Sram Compiler For Automated Memory Layout Supporting Multiple Transistor Process Technologies, Brandon Hilgers

Master's Theses

This research details the design of an SRAM compiler for quickly creating SRAM blocks for Cal Poly integrated circuit (IC) designs. The compiler generates memory for two process technologies (IBM 180nm cmrf7sf and ON Semiconductor 600nm SCMOS) and requires a minimum number of specifications from the user for ease of use, while still offering the option to customize the performance for speed or area of the generated SRAM cell. By automatically creating SRAM arrays, the compiler saves the user time from having to layout and test memory and allows for quick updates and changes to a design. Memory compilers with …

Characterization Of Pressure-Driven And Electro-Kinetically Driven Flow In A Micro-Fluidic Chip Using Particle Imaging Velocimetry, Alexis Weckel

Master's Theses

The flow profiles of pressure-driven and electro-kinetic driven flows were compared for a microfluidic chip. It was found that the pressure-driven flow had a parabolic profile while the electro-kinetic flow had a plug shaped flow profile. The measured velocities were similar to those determined by the Poiseuille flow model and the Helmholtz-Smoltchowski equation. Flow uniformity is very important for control in microfluidic mixers. Parabolic flow profiles lead to inconsistent reactions while the more uniform plug shape flow allow for a more steady reaction across the channel. Previous work had been performed to measure the flow of a solution of fluorescent …

Treatment Of Petroleum Hydrocarbons In Oil-Based Drill Cutting Mud Using Biowish Bioaugmentation Products, Diego Jose Cardenas Zepeda

Master's Theses

The efficacy of BiOWiSHTM-Thai Aqua, a commercially discontinued microbial product, in remediating oil based drill-cutting mud (DCM) was researched in this study. Experimentation was performed directly on DCM and on sand contaminated with oil extracted from DCM. A gas chromatograph-mass spectrometrer and a respirometer were used for analysis of total petroleum hydrocarbons (TPH) and CO2 production respectively. Five experiments were analyzed by TPH extraction and analysis; four experiments were analyzed by respirometric analysis. The specific microcosm conditions tested in the experiments were control, nutrient-only control, and bioaugmentation product.

This study concluded that there might be potential for bioaugmentation of TPH …

Development Of Electronics, Software, And Graphical User Control Interface For A Wall-Climbing Robot, Lynda Beatriz Tesillo

Master's Theses

The objective for this project is to investigate various electrical and software means of control to support and advance the development of a novel vacuum adhesion system for a wall-climbing robot. The design and implementation of custom electronics and a wirelessly controlled real-time software system used to define and support the functionalities of these electronics is discussed. The testing and evaluation of the overall system performance and the performance of the several different subsystems developed, while working both individually and cooperatively within the system, is also demonstrated.

Nutrient Transformations In Algae Raceway Ponds Fed Municipal Wastewater, Carter Michael Reiff

Master's Theses

While treating domestic wastewater, algae can be grown and harvested for biofuel production. Water is a vital resource and it is imperative to conserve and reuse as much as possible. Several pilot and lab scale experiments were conducted to further research into a full scale wastewater treatment and biofuel production facility. This thesis will include these topics: nitrogen and phosphorus concentrations of clarified wastewater pond feed, nitrogen and phosphorus transformations by algae, and the potential of algae cell disruption technologies to increase nutrient solubilization.

The pilot scale experiments were conducted using nine 33 m², 0.3 m deep multi-culture …

The Creation, Analysis, And Verification Of A Comprehensive Model Of A Micro Ion Thruster, Maxwell J. Bodnar

Master's Theses

A computational model of the micro-ion thruster MiXI has been developed, analyzed, and partially verified. This model includes submodels that govern the physical, magnetic, electrostatic, plasma physics, and power deposition of the thruster. Over the past few years, theses have been conducted with the goal of running tests and analyzing the results; this model is used to understand how the thruster components interact so as to make predictions about, and allow for optimization of, the thruster operation. Testing is then performed on the thruster and the results are compared to the output of the code. The magnetic structure of the …

Inlet Shape Considerations For Split-Wing Electric Distributed Propulsion, Kurt Vonderhaar Papathakis

Master's Theses

This thesis aims to uncover preliminary design relationships for an inlet of a split-wing electric distributed propulsion regional airliner. Several aspects of the inlet design were investigated, including: the overall thickness of the airfoil section with respect to the chord, inlet throat area, and lip radius. These parameters were investigated using several angles of attack and mass flow rates through the fan. Computational fluid dynamics, with a 2^nd Order turbulence model was used and validated against World War II era data from NACA, as those studies were the most pertinent wind tunnel data available. Additionally, other works by Boeing, …

Using Archived Transit Data To Analyze The Effect Of Rainfall On Transit Performance Measures At The Route Level, Nicholas F. Bleich

Master's Theses

This study investigates the effect of rainfall on transit performance measures at the route level in the Puget Sound region of Washington State. Transit agencies are required to report certain performance metrics to the Federal Transit Administration (FTA), but performance measures can also be used to evaluate service and provide customers with information regarding the transit system. Using a three-year sample of archived automatic vehicle location (AVL) and hydrologic data the relationships between ridership, travel time, delay, and rainfall were investigated. The analysis of daily ridership and rainfall resulted in no statistically significant results, however, the results are supported by …

Sweep Stability Characterization Of A Vernier-Tuned Distributed Bragg Reflector (Vt-Dbr) All-Semiconductor Tunable Swept Laser System At 1550 Nm For Sensing Applications, Roric Christian Martens Biersach

Master's Theses

The short-term jitter and longer-term wander of the frequency sweep profile of a Vernier-Tuned Distributed Bragg Reflector (VT-DBR) laser at 1550 nm used in optical coherence tomography (OCT) and other sensing applications is characterized in this work. The VT-DBR has demonstrated success in source-swept OCT (SSOCT), performing both intensity and phase-sensitive OCT.

The purpose of this paper is to investigate one of the unique aspects of the VT-DBR laser that makes it successful in OCT: the stability of the linear optical frequency sweep. A highly stable linear optical frequency sweep implies benefits for further fiber sensing applications including fiber Bragg …

Toward The Systematization Of Active Authentication Research, Daniel Fleming Gerrity

Master's Theses

Authentication is the vital link between your real self and your digital self. As our digital selves become ever more powerful, the price of failing authentication grows. The most common authentication protocols are static data and employed only once at login. This allows for authentication to be spoofed just once to gain access to an entire user session. Behaviometric protocols continuously consume a user’s behavior as a token of authentication and can be applied throughout a session, thereby eliminating a fixed token to spoof. Research into these protocols as viable forms of authentication is relatively recent and is being conducted …

Locating Optimal Water Quality Monitoring Locations Using Demand Coverage Index Method, Jeffrey Scott Brake

Master's Theses

Water quality regulations are always expanding especially in the field of water quality monitoring; however, threats to our water distribution systems still remain. Components of water distribution systems are susceptible to intentional and accidental contamination; therefore, they represent highly vulnerable aspects of our vital infrastructure.

An analysis was performed on a city in California with a population of 30,000 to 40,000 residents. The analysis is performed to determine the optimal locations of monitoring stations throughout the water distribution system. The method presented by Liu and colleagues (Liu et al, 2012) selects the optimal monitoring locations for the virtual California city …

Micro Electrostatic Actuation Of A Silicon Diaphragm, Matthew W. Samples

Master's Theses

There are a number of applications, from hearing aids to microfluidic pumps, which utilize micro-scale actuating diaphragms. These MEMS (micro-electromechanical system) devices can be actuated by electrostatic forces, which utilize an induced electric field to pull two charged plates towards one another. Such devices were fabricated and electrostatic actuation of the diaphragms was performed to analyze its viability as a micro-speaker. The long-term performance of such products requires adequate diaphragm deflection to create audible pressure waves with relatively low maximum stresses to ensure a high cycle fatigue life. With these requirements, initial calculations and FEA (finite element analysis) were performed …

A Finite Element Analysis On The Viscoelasticity Of Postmenopausal Compact Bone Utilizing A Complex Collagen D-Spacing Model, Austin C. Cummings

Master's Theses

The nanoscale dimension known as D-spacing describes the staggering of collagen molecules, which are fundamental to the biphasic makeup of bone tissue. This dimension was long assumed to be constant, but recent studies have shown that the periodicity of collagen is variable. Given that the arrangement of collagen molecules is closely related to the degree of bone mineralization, recent studies have begun to look at D-spacing as a potential factor in the ongoing effort to battle postmenopausal osteoporosis. The theoretical models presented by previous studies have only opted to model a single collagen-hydroxyapatite period, so the creation of an intricate …

Mathematical Model Validation Of A Center Of Gravity Measuring Platform Using Experimental Tests And Fea, Michael Lashore

Master's Theses

This thesis sets out to derive an analytical model for a center of gravity (CG) measuring platform and examines its validity through experimental testing and Finite Element Modeling. The method uses a two-stage platform tilting process to first locate the planar CG coordinates and then find the third CG coordinate normal to the platform. An uncertainty model of the measuring platform was also developed, both CG and uncertainty models were implemented in the form of a MATLAB code. A load cell sizing task was also added to the code to assist the Integration Engineers at Jet Propulsion Laboratory in selecting …

Stability Analysis Of Negative Resistance-Based Source Combining Power Amplifiers, Hannah S. Homer

Master's Theses

An investigation into the stability of negative resistance-based source combining power amplifiers is conducted in this thesis. Two different negative resistance-based source combining topologies, a series and parallel version, are considered. Stability is analyzed using a simple and intuitive broadband approach that leverages linear circuit stability criterion and two different linearization methods: linearization around the operating point and in the frequency domain. Using this strategy, it is shown that conditions for self-sustained oscillation exist for both topologies. For the series combining topology, self-sustained oscillation is prevented by means of injection locking.

Aerodynamic Design And Structural Analysis Procedure For Small Horizontal-Axis Wind Turbine Rotor Blade, Dylan R. Perry

Master's Theses

This project accomplished two correlated goals of designing a new rotor blade to be used with the Cal Poly Wind Power Research Center, as well as defining the methodology required for the aerodynamic analysis of an optimized blade, the procedure required for generation of an accurate CAD model for the new blade geometry, and structural integrity verification procedure for the new blade via finite element analysis under several operating scenarios. The new rotor blades were designed to perform at peak efficiency at a much lower wind speed than the current CPWPRC rotor blades and incorporated a FEA verification process which …

Ecg Classification With An Adaptive Neuro-Fuzzy Inference System, Brad Thomas Funsten

Master's Theses

Heart signals allow for a comprehensive analysis of the heart. Electrocardiography (ECG or EKG) uses electrodes to measure the electrical activity of the heart. Extracting ECG signals is a non-invasive process that opens the door to new possibilities for the application of advanced signal processing and data analysis techniques in the diagnosis of heart diseases. With the help of today’s large database of ECG signals, a computationally intelligent system can learn and take the place of a cardiologist. Detection of various abnormalities in the patient’s heart to identify various heart diseases can be made through an Adaptive Neuro-Fuzzy Inference System …

Hybrid Rocket Motor Scaling Process, Joseph B. R. Vanherweg

Master's Theses

Hybrid rocket propulsion technology shows promise for the next generation of sounding rockets and small launch vehicles. This paper seeks to provide details on the process of developing hybrid propulsion systems to the academic and amateur rocket communities to assist in future research and development. Scaling hybrid rocket motors for use in sounding rockets has been a challenge due to the inadequacies in traditional boundary layer analysis. Similarity scaling is an amendment to traditional boundary layer analysis which is helpful in removing some of the past scaling challenges. Maintaining geometric similarity, oxidizer and fuel similarity and mass flow rate to …

Structural Micrometeoroid And Radiation Shielding For Interplanetary Spacecraft, Jared Allen Ruekberg

Master's Theses

This paper focused on two significant space forces that can affect the success of a spacecraft: the radiation and micrometeoroid environments. Both are looked at in the context of the region of space between Earth and Mars. The goal was create reference environments, to provide context to results of environmental modeling, and to provide recommendations to assist in early design decisions of interplanetary spacecraft. The radiation section of this report used NASA's OLTARIS program to generate data for analysis. The area of focus was on the radiation effects for crewed missions, therefore effective dose equivalent was the metric used to …

A Risk Analysis Model For The Maintenance And Rehabilitation Of Pipes In A Water Distribution System: A Statistical Approach, Hernan Cortez

Master's Theses

ABSTRACT

The network of pipes in potable water distribution systems (WDS) are comprised of thousands of pipes made of various materials including PVC, concrete, cast iron, and steel, among several others. The pipes are subjected to internal and external conditions that lead to their failure. Stress conditions include, but are not limited to internal pressures, traffic loading, and corrosion. The deterioration of a pipe decreases its mechanical strength which results in an increase of its probability of failure. Failures lead to loss of service which translates to loss of money due to the cost of repairs and buildup of traffic …

Characterization Of Two Vernier-Tuned Distributed Bragg Reflector (Vt-Dbr) Lasers Used In Swept Source Optical Coherence Tomography (Ss-Oct), Greg M. Bergdoll

Master's Theses

Insight Photonic Solutions Inc. has continued to develop their patented VT-DBR laser design; these wavelength tunable lasers promise marked image-quality and acquisition time improvements in SS-OCT applications.

To be well suited for SS-OCT, tunable lasers must be capable of producing a highly linear wavelength sweep across a tuning range well-matched to the medium being imaged; many different tunable lasers used in SS-OCT are compared to identify the optimal solution.

This work electrically and spectrally characterizes two completely new all-semiconductor VT-DBR designs to compare, as well. The Neptune VT-DBR, an O-band laser, operates around the 1310 nm range and is a …

Measuring The Influence That Components Have On Pedestrian Route Choice In Activated Alleys, Samuel Hirsher Gross

Master's Theses

This paper explores how cities have integrated formal planning into improving public space. Through a review of literature on the topic, this the paper identifies the potential design has to renovate narrow streets and alleys, within the public right of way. By preforming an assessment of plans and programs, this paper identifies the common themes or components that have been used by planners, architects, and engineers to improve the urban environment for pedestrians. Based on this information, a pilot study was created to measure the influence the most common components have on pedestrian route choice. The results are then compared …

Rest Api To Access And Manage Geospatial Pipeline Integrity Data, Alexandra Michelle Francis

Master's Theses

Today’s economy and infrastructure is dependent on raw natural resources, like crude oil and natural gases, that are optimally transported through a net- work of hundreds of thousands of miles of pipelines throughout America[28]. A damaged pipe can negatively a↵ect thousands of homes and businesses so it is vital that they are monitored and quickly repaired[1]. Ideally, pipeline operators are able to detect damages before they occur, but ensuring the in- tegrity of the vast amount of pipes is unrealistic and would take an impractical amount of time and manpower[1].

Natural disasters, like earthquakes, as well as construction are just …

Validation Of A Cfd Approach For Gas Turbine Internal Cooling Passage Heat Transfer Prediction, Daniel G. Wilde

Master's Theses

This report describes the development and application of a validated Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) modelling approach for internal cooling passages in rotating turbomachinery. A CFD Modelling approach and accompanying assumptions are tuned and validated against academically available experimental results for various serpentine passages. Criteria of the CFD modelling approach selected for investigation into advanced internal cooling flows include accuracy, robustness, industry familiarity, and computational cost.

Experimental data from NASA HOST (HOt Section Technology), Texas A&M, and University of Manchester tests are compared to RANS CFD results generated using Fluent v14.5 in order to benchmark a CFD modelling approach.

Capability of …

Design And Fabrication Techniques Of Devices For Embedded Power Active Contact Lens, Errol Heradio Leon

Master's Theses

This thesis designed and fabricated various devices that were interfaced to an IC for an active contact lens that notifies the user of an event by detection of an external wireless signal. The contact lens consisted of an embedded antenna providing communication with a 2.4GHz system, as well as inductive charging at an operating frequency of 13.56 MHz. The lens utilized a CBC005 5µAh thin film battery by Cymbet and a manufactured graphene super capacitor as a power source. The custom integrated circuit (IC) was designed using the On Semiconductor CMOS C5 0.6 µm process to manage …

Telepresence: Design, Implementation And Study Of An Hmd-Controlled Avatar With A Mechatronic Approach, Darren Michael Chan

Master's Theses

Telepresence describes technologies that allow users to remotely experience the sensation of being present at an event without being physically present. An avatar exists to represent the user whilst in a remote location and is tasked to collect stimuli from its immediate surroundings to be delivered to the user for consumption. With the advent of recent developments in Virtual Reality technology, viz., head-mounted displays (HMDs), new possibilities have been enabled in the field of Telepresence. The main focus of this thesis is to develop a solution for visual Telepresence, where an HMD is used to control the direction of a …

The Development Of A High-Performance Distributed Battery Management System For Large Lithium Ion Packs, Christopher B. Grasberger

Master's Theses

A high performance battery management system (BMS) for large capacity cells was designed, built, and tested in a cycle of three revisions. The BMS was designed for use in applications where the battery pack configuration is unknown: parallel, series, or any combination. Each of the cells is equipped with its own battery management system to allow a peer-to-peer mesh network to monitor the safety of the cell. The BMS attached to each cell also is equipped with a 25A DC/DC converter to perform active balancing between cells in a string. This converter can transfer charge to (or from) a cell …