Engineering Commons^™

Cryogenic Line Quench Experiment In Microgravity, Kanishkan Sathasivam

Masters Theses

This experiment was designed to provide a visual understanding of the nature of saturated liquid nitrogen flow boiling in a microgravity environment. This was undertaken by obtaining visual records of the flow patterns on film, and qualitatively analyzing them to form a definitive picture of the flow. An experimental apparatus was designed and built to obtain these visual records in microgravity. Liquid nitrogen was supplied from a dewar to an accumulator, from which it was then delivered to a test section. The accumulator was home-built and made of stainless steel. It contained a metal bellows vessel within it. Gaseous helium …

Structural, Depositional, And Diagenetic Controls On Reservoir Development: St. Peter Sandstone, Newaygo County, Michigan, Mark S. Caldwell

Masters Theses

Enhanced reservoir quality in the Middle Ordovician St. Peter Sandstone is observed in gas bearing zones in wells located on domal structures. Geometry and degree of this enhanced porosity development is the result of the interplay of structural, depositional, and diagenetic controls. An integrated subsurface study of the Woodville/Goodwell field area was performed in order to document controls on hydrocarbon accumulation.

Recurrent structural growth of domal features throughout the Paleozoic is well documented by isopach mapping. Burial and thermal history studies indicate that hydrocarbons were generated in Ordovician aged source rocks during late Devonian to early Mississippian time, and accumulated …

An Experimental Investigation Of Bevelled Blade Coating For Paper, Mustafa Naci Altug

Masters Theses

In this study the total dynamic force (TDF) acting on the blade was determined at three different web speeds. The objective was to compare quantitatively the experimental results with the predictions of existing models to show whether or not any of these models predict coat weight development. The existing models include the lubrication theory, impact model, lateral force, and combinations of these models.

Under the conditions investigated, the estimated TDF was in good agreement only with the impact force (sum of impulse and hydrodynamic forces) model of blade coating. The impulse force accounted for 94% of the TDF and, therefore, …

Studies Of Mathematical Modelling And Experimental On-Line Measurement For The Tubular Film Blowing Process, Cheng-Chien Liu

Masters Theses

An experimental and analytical study of the process of blown film extrusion was carried out. On-line measuring techniques were used to follow the dynamics and temperature profiles occurring in the process. The applicability of a mathematical model which includes a non-isothermal crystallization rate equation was tested. Subsequently, a new simplified model derived from a modified force balance was proposed and examined.

Linear low density polyethylene, LLDPE, (melt flow index 1.0) provided by Dow Chemical Company was used in the experimental part of the study. On-line measurements for radius, thickness, velocity and temperature as a function of distance from the extrusion …

Inhibited Spontaneous Emission By Photonic Band Gaps In A Square Lattice Of Periodic Dielectric Medium, Abdullah Al-Ghamdi

Masters Theses

The concepts of band theory for electrons can be employed to describe the behavior of electromagnetic waves propagating in two-dimensional, periodic dielectric structures. These two-dimensional, periodic structures can produce photonic band gaps in which the spontaneous emission by atoms embedded in the structure is prohibited and as a result the performance of many semiconductor devices can be enhanced. The calculations are based on finding the eigenvalues of the algebraic equation for the frequencies of electromagnetic waves moving in a square lattice composed of square dielectric rods with different dielectric constants.

Computer Aided Process Planning System For Generating Alternative Process Plans, Rao T. Gali

Masters Theses

Computer Aided Process Planning (CAPP) has a key role in Computer Integrated Manufacturing (CIM) as an interface between design and manufacturing. Current CAPP systems treat process planning as a static function, and always generate the same machine and process combinations. Thus, these CAPP systems are inadequate for advanced manufacturing facilities such as Flexible Manufacturing Systems (FMS). This thesis presents research conducted for the design and development of a CAPP system called Alternative Computer Aided Process Planning (A-CAPP) which generates alternative process plans by interacting with production planning and machine loading functions to satisfy system capacity constraints.

A-CAPP is a variant …

Reactivities Of Some Aromatic Compounds At Supercritical Water Conditions, Chun-Cheng Tsao

Masters Theses

The goals of this study are the removal of nitrogen from the extraction products of coal by Supercritical Water and the development of an understanding of the reactions leading to this removal. Six model compounds with structures similar to the intermediates of the coal liquefaction processes were studied. Benzylamine generated toluene through hydrogen abstraction after the C-N bond rupture. To a lesser extent, the oxidation of the benzylic carbon took place leading to benzene formation. Both reaction pathways occurred with equal probability for benzylidenebenzylamine, producing comparable yields of benzene and toluene. Benzaldehyde generated benzene through the oxidation/decarboxylation sequence. Benzyl alcohol …

1-Nitronaphthalene Causes Ultrastructural Changes Primarily In Nonciliated Bronchiolar Epithelium Followed By Ciliated Epithelium In The Rat, John-Michael Sauer

Masters Theses

This study describes morphological changes in the lung at several time intervals following a single injection of 1-Nitronaphthalene (100 mg/kg intraperitoneal) in male Sprague-Dawley rats using transmission and scanning electron microscopy. Dilation of the smooth endoplasmic reticulum and mitochondrial distension in the nonciliated bronchiolar (Clara) cells was apparent as early as 1 hour after injection, while adjacent ciliated cell showed minimal changes. At 6 hours, when respiratory distress was apparent in the animals, Clara and ciliated cells exhibited chromatin clumping, loss of mitochondrial cristae and cytoplasmic vacuolization. Also at 6 hours, the interstitial area around the terminal bronchioles was infiltrated …

Sedimentology Of The Bedford-Berea Sequence (Early Mississippian), Williams Field, Michigan, David Alan Balthazor

Masters Theses

The Berea Sandstone has produced in excess of 1.6 million barrels of oil in the Williams field since discovery in 1980. Seven lithofacies are identified from conventional core in the Bedford-Berea sequence. These facies are interpreted as deltaic deposits comprising prodelta (Bedford Shale), delta front, destructive marine shale, abandoned distributary channel-fill, interdistributary bay-fill, transgressive marine sandstone, and marine shale (Sunbury Shale) facies. Passive channel-fill facies truncate reservoir sandstone bodies and compartmentalize the field NW-SE across the trend of the northwestplunging anticline.

The two reservoir facies in the Williams field are the delta front and transgressive marine sandstones. The sandstone framework …

A Modified Parallel Fault Simulator For Combinational Circuits, Shih-Ming Li

Masters Theses

The most commonly used model for fault analysis is called the "Stuck-At" model. With this model, a faulty gate input and/or output is modeled as Stuck-at-0 (s--a-0) or Stuck-at-1 (s-a-1). After a certain number of test vectors are applied to a network, the percentage fault coverage is computed. This computed value relates to the percentage of stuck-at faults detectable at the output. Various studies have been made to enhance the performance of fault simulators. In this paper, a modified parallel simulator MODPAR for combinational circuits is presented. A comparison of simulation results from MODPAR is made with that of SCIRTSS …

Channel Routing And Compaction: An Integrated Approach, Roshan A. Gidwani

Masters Theses

An attempt is made at integrating channel routing gnd compaction. A new gridless three-layer channel router based on an integrated approach to channel routing and compaction is presented. Routing is based on combined constraint graphs. Nets are selected from the input net list based on the criteria of ancestor and descendant weights in the combined constraint graphs. Compaction is done immediately after some nets are routed by using a via-segment graph. The router and compacter work hand-in-hand, i.e., the changes made by the compacter are available to the router, which enables the router to route more efficiently. Experimental results show …

Reduced Order H∞ Controller Design, Seng Chu Chow

Masters Theses

"The problem formulation and the development of the H_∞ optimal control theory are reviewed. Various H_∞ robust controller design techniques, including both state and output feedback cases, together with a brief comparison and some remarks on these methodologies arc presented. Also included are a review of the controller order reduction alternatives and various balanced truncation model reduction methods.

A new model reduction technique with reduced error bound is proposed. This proposed technique introduces a new parameter which can be used to select the spectral norm of the model reduction error at low and high frequency ranges according to …

Coordinated Strategic Planning Of Hydroelectric Energy Usage Using Stochastic Dynamic Programming With Decoupled Production Cost Simulation, Duane David Highley

Masters Theses

"The method of Stochastic Dynamic Programming is applied to the problem of Long-term hydrothermal coordination for a five-reservoir system in the Midwest. The model that has been developed will optimize the monthly reservoir elevations to produce the lowest expected energy production cost. The production cost calculations are decoupled from the Dynamic Programming loop, resulting in shorter execution times. Constraints are included for maximum and minimum reservoir elevations, maximum monthly reservoir rise and drop, and maximum and minimum monthly energy production. These constraints help to reduce the state space and shorten execution time. An additional constraint is modeled to control the …

Dose Rate Determination Of The Highly-Enriched Uranium Fuel At The University Of Missouri-Rolla Reactor In Preparation For Transportation, Alice Ann Netzer

Masters Theses

"An analytical model was developed in order to accurately estimate the dose rates in air of the highly-enriched uranium (HEU) fuel at the University of Missouri - Rolla Reactor. Based upon these results, a method is proposed to remove the fuel from the reactor.

First thermoluminescent dosimeters (TLDs) were exposed under water to each of the fuel elements in the reactor pool, except for the four control rodded elements. A model was developed to use the in-water TLD readings to calculate the dose rate of the fuel elements in air at 1 foot and 3 feet. The fuel was modeled …