Engineering Commons^™

Arq Protocol For Joint Source And Channel Coding And Its Applications, Bin He

Dissertations

Shannon's separation theorem states that for transmission over noisy channels, approaching channel capacity is possible with the separation of source and channel coding. Practically, the situation is different. Infinite size blocks are needed to achieve this theoretical limit. Also, time-varying channels require a different approach. This leads to many approaches for source and channel coding. This dissertation will address a joint source and channel coding that suits Automatic Repeat Request (ARQ) application and applies it to packet switching networks. Following aspects of the proposed joint source and channel coding approach will be presented:

1. The design of the proposed joint source …

Evolutionary Polymorphic Neural Networks In Chemical Engineering Modeling, Li Gao

Dissertations

Evolutionary Polymorphic Neural Network (EPNN) is a novel approach to modeling chemical, biochemical and physical processes. This approach has its basis in modern artificial intelligence, especially neural networks and evolutionary computing. EPNN can perform networked symbolic regressions for input-output data, while providing information about both the structure and complexity of a process during its own evolution.

In this work three different processes are modeled: 1. A dynamic neutralization process. 2. An aqueous two-phase system. 3. Reduction of a biodegradation model. In all three cases, EPNN shows better or at least equal performances over published data than traditional thermodynamics /transport or …

Integration Of E-Business Strategy For Multi-Lifecycle Production Systems, Yanchun Luo

Dissertations

Internet use has grown exponentially on the last few years becoming a global communication and business resource. Internet-based business, or e-Business will truly affect every sector of the economy in ways that today we can only imagine. The manufacturing sector will be at the forefront of this change. This doctoral dissertation provides a scientific framework and a set of novel decision support tools for evaluating, modeling, and optimizing the overall performance of e-Business integrated multi-lifecycle production systems. The characteristics of this framework include environmental lifecycle study, environmental performance metrics, hyper-network model of integrated e-supply chain networks, fuzzy multi-objective optimization method, …

Saturation Routing For Asynchronous Transfer Mode (Atm) Networks, Jose Luis Ucles

Dissertations

The main objective of this thesis is to show that saturation routing, often in the past considered inefficient, can in fact be a viable approach to use in many important applications and services over an Asynchronous Transfer Mode (ATM) network. For other applications and services, a hybrid approach (one that partially uses saturation routing) is presented. First, the minimum effects of saturation routing are demonstrated by showing that the ratio, defined as f, of routing overhead cells over information cells is small even for large networks. Second, modeling and simulation and M/D/l queuing analysis techniques are used to show that …

High Solid Loading Aqueous Base Metal/Ceramic Feedstock For Injection Molding, Mohammad Behi

Dissertations

Increasing volume fraction of metal powder in feedstock provided lower shrinkage. Reduction of the shrinkage results in better dimensional precision. The rheology of the feedstock material plays an important role to allowing larger volume fractions of the metal powder to be incorporated in the feedstock forinulations. The viscosity of the feedstock inainly depends on the binder viscosity, powder volume fraction and characteristics of metal powder.

Aqueous polysaccharide agar was used as a baseline binder system for this study.The effect of several gel-strengthening additives on 1.5wt% and 2wt% agar gel was evaluated. A new gel-strengthening additive was found to be the …

Modeling And Experimental Validation Of A Single-Feed Semi-Batch Precipitation Process, Ernesto Uehara-Nagamine

Dissertations

Crystallization is a widely practiced unit operation throughout the chemical and pharmaceutical process industries. Despite its widespread application, crystallization still suffers a disproportionate number of process difficulties due to the complexity of the steps involved in the process. In particular, the final characteristics of the product are strongly affected by the mixing conditions during the process. The development of a validated modeling approach would be highly valuable for the successful prediction of the crystal characteristics under differing mixing conditions.

In the present work, the single-feed semi-batch precipitation process of barium sulfate in a stirred tank was experimentally studied and numerically …

Characterization Of Alpha And Beta Phases Of Tantalum Coatings, Anto Yohannan

Theses

Sputtered tantalum forms two phases - α and β. The α and β phases have distinctly different crystalline structures and properties. The structure and the causes of formation of the β phase are still being studied by researchers. This is a study to distinguish and characterize these two phases. Samples from Bennet Labs and NJIT were characterized using techniques such as SEM, EDX, XRF, XRD, TEM and XAFS. Samples deposited at NJIT were used for an experimental study on the conditions favoring the formation of the phases, by depositing tantalum on heated steel and silicon substrates, additionally TEM analysis was …

Initial Hertzian Characteristics Of The Human Tooth As A Damage Tolerant Bio-Ceramic/Bio-Composite Bi-Layer, Ivory Camille Kilpatrick

Theses

The objective of this thesis was to investigate the Hertzian Contact response of human teeth and how the response behavior is related to that of model ceramic bi-layers (high modulus brittle ceramics on compliant substrates). Hertzian Contact is a blunt indentation method, which uses a hard spherical indenter to apply a normal compressive load. Clinical variables of masticatory (occlusal) force and cuspal curvature identify closely with the independent Hertzian variables of contact load and sphere radius [1]. This method offers insight into the role of microstructure and microstructure- sensitive mechanical properties. It was hypothesized that tooth damage modes and patterns …

Mechanical Design Of The Heater Used In Near Infrared Filter, Jun Ma

Theses

This thesis presents a design and analytical process in the application of the heater used in a near infrared filter working in Big Bear Solar Observatory, CA. The objective of the project is to achieve the physics parameters for the filter, which will be used in the observation of the solar activity.

The most important part of this design is to keep a relatively fixed temperature inside the oven-like heater. The reason is that optical properties of calcite (kind of filter in telescope) are pretty sensitive to a tiny disturbance on inside temperature. This was the biggest issue in this …

Dynamic Friction Of Uhmwpe Angular Compliant Bearing For Joint Implants And Machinery, Max Roman

Theses

The feasibility of a unique design of orthopedic- joint implant is investigated. The work focuses on the dynamic friction characteristics of a new joint. This unique design can be also useful in machinery involving oscillating motion similar to that of the hip joint during walking. An elastomeric layer bonded behind the rigid acetubular cup can be beneficial in improving the durability of prosthetic implants. Angular compliance offered by the elastomeric layer reduces relative sliding between the surfaces, lowers contact stresses by distributing pressure more evenly, and reduces the possibility of incongruent loading conditions caused by misalignment. The application of a …

Encoding And Storage Components Of Verbal Working Memory As Revealed By A Factorial Design, An Fmri Study, Jason Steffener

Theses

In this fMRI study, the contributions of frontal and posterior brain regions to verbal working memory were investigated. A two-factor design with low and high memory load (2 and 5 letters) and short and long delay (4 and 12 secs.) as factors were used. Based on reports in the literature, we expect activity in the following frontal and parietal brain regions of interest (ROIs): Brodmann areas (BA) 6, 9, 46, 44, 45, 7 and 40. The analysis of collected flvM data involved image processing and statistical analysis methods including realignment, spatial normalization, spatial smoothing, temporal filtering, intensity normalization, statistical tests, …

Effect Of Bonding Variables In Thermal Bonding Of Polypropylene Nonwovens, Praveen Kumar Jangala

Doctoral Dissertations

The aim of this research was to investigate the effect of some of the process variables on the structure and properties of the webs in a thermal point bonding process. The main objectives were to understand the changes taking place in the fiber structure due to applied heat and pressure, the effect of bond area and bond size on fiber morphology, and the physical properties of the web. Thermally bonded carded webs were produced and characterized in order to determine the role of bond area and bond size on strength and stiffness of the point bonded fabrics and fiber morphology. …

Surface Texture And Micromechanics Of Ultra High Molecular Weight Polyethylene (Uhmwpe) Orthopaedic Implant Bearings, Monica A. Schmidt

Doctoral Dissertations

Tibial bearings of ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene (UHMWPE) were characterized to identify differences in morphology, surface texture (roughness and skewness), and micro-scale mechanical behavior. These orthopaedic implant components were fabricated by direct molding or by machining after isostatic compression molding. Sterilization was by gamma irradiation (3.3 Mrad) in air, followed by shelf aging for 2 years. Comparisons were made between unsterile and sterile bearings to identify differences in structure and properties related to wear debris.

Characterization methods included confocal optical microscopy, nanoindentation , small angle X-ray scattering (SAXS), wide-angle X-ray diffraction (WAXD), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), differential scanning calorimetry …

Influence Of Viscoelasticity On The Nano-Micromechanical Behavior Of Latex Films And Pigmented Coatings, Manish Giri

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Nan0 to microscale deformation behavior of different carboxylated styrene-butadiene co- polymer Latexes were investigated using a commercial nanoindentation device. The latexes dif- fered primarily in their glass transition temperature (T_g). The bulk dynamic rheological properties, as determined from a rheometer, dictate the axismmetric deformation behavior of the latexes. Results from dynamic tests performed on latexes were analyzed using the theories in contact and fracture mechanics. Two theories of linear viscoelastic fracture mechanics (LVEFM) were employed to model the adhesion hysteresis (loading-unloading cycle) curves to obtain meaningful cohesive zone (fracture process zone) parameters and a stress intensity functional ( …

The Influence Of Fiber Swelling On Paper Wetting, Sedef Akinli-Kocak

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The water uptake behavior of fibers, especially those at the surface of paper, influences printing and coating operations. The dynamic water uptake behavior of the surface fibers may determine the initial consolidation of the coating at the surface and the penetration of coating into the paper, but clear studies on this topic have not been reported in the literature. Four different fiber types and seven different paper sheets were investigated in the present study. The three different fiber types were prepared by carboxymethylation of softwood kraft pulp thereby producing pulps with different water uptake values. The fiber length and water …

Development Of An Integrated Sensor For The Measurement Of The Acoustic Local Volume Displacement Of Vibrating Beams, Randall Rozema

Masters Theses

Currently, the methods used for sensing the volume displacement of a vibrating structure entail the use of a polyvinylidene fluoride sensor that spans the entire length of the structure. However, this work shows that the surface behavior related to volume displacement can be measured through the use of a polyvinylidene fluoride sensor that spans only the area of interest. In this application it was shown that two-point sensors are required in addition to the distributed, polyvinylidene fluoride sensor to achieve an accurate measurement. As a result, a set of four beams with different end conditions were constructed so that the …

Determination Of Threshold Velocity And Entrainment Rates From A Copper Tailings Pond, Fook-Chi Soo

Masters Theses

Wind erosion is a phenomenon that has plagued many people for centuries. There are many sources for wind erosion, such as agricultural farmlands, deserts, coal piles and mining areas.

Significant research has been conducted on wind erosion, especially on paved and unpaved roads, construction sites and quarry areas. Open storage coal piles have also been a target for wind erosion studies, as a lot of power plants bum coal to produce power. However, this study does not include any of the sources mentioned above. This study involves wind erosion from a copper tailings pond of a closed down copper mining …

Arsenic Removal For Small Drinking Water Treatment Systems: A Multimedia Cd-Rom For Drinking Water Professionals, Greg A. Harrison

Masters Theses

This thesis, in conjunction with the accompanying CD-ROM, are intended to be used by small public water system operators, owners, regulators, and engineers as an educational tool for future compliance with a lowered Arsenic Maximum Contaminant Level (MCL). The CD-ROM is the third in a series of water treatment technology CDs that were created by a collaboration of Dr. R. Bruce Robinson, the University of Tennessee, and Dr. M. Robin Collins, the Water Treatment Technology Center, the University of New Hampshire. The CD-ROM includes multimedia tools such as video and photos, which will aid in the understanding of the included …

Implementation Of Wavelet Transform And Area, Power And Delay Design Space Exploration, Sowmyan Rajagopalan

Masters Theses

The need for designing chips that are smaller, faster and less power consuming has been increasing, as these chips are increasingly being used in communication and portable electronic devices. These design space vectors also play a big role in the profitability and productivity of the vendor and hence prove to be one of the most important steps in the Application Specific Integrated Circuit (ASIC) flow (design process). The research reported here consists of implementing the Wavelet Transform using a hardware description language (VHDL) and testing the Register Transfer Level (RTL) for its functionality. The RTL was synthesized and optimized using …

Predicting The Effects Of Dimensional And Material Property Variations In Micro Compliant Mechanisms, Jonathan W. Wittwer

Theses and Dissertations

Surface micromachining of micro-electro-mechanical systems (MEMS), like all other fabrication processes, has inherent variation that leads to uncertain material and dimensional parameters. To obtain accurate and reliable predictions of mechanism behavior, the effects of these variations need to be analyzed. This thesis expands already existing tolerance and uncertainty analysis methods to apply to micro compliant mechanisms. For simple compliant members, explicit equations can be used in uncertainty analysis. However, for a nonlinear implicit system of equations, the direct linearization method may be used to obtain sensitivities of output parameters to small changes in known variables. This is done by including …

The Effect Of Target Position And Tactual Recognition Field Size On Touch Bias And Accuracy, Elizabeth L. Brix

Master's Theses - Daytona Beach

Past studies have shown that touchscreen display angles other than those that perpendicularly bisect the operator's line of sight cause the operator to touch slightly below the target. The amount of touch bias created from this misjudgment fluctuates according to the target's position on the screen. Additionally, the percentage of touches that activate a specific target varies according to the size of the tactual recognition field. Out of three square tactual recognition field sizes, this study sought to match these fields with the amount of touch bias occurring in each location (i.e., small amount of touch bias requires only a …

Transitory Forecasting Methodology: Passenger/Revenue Share And Capacity Share (The S-Curve), Marlene Marie Dugan

Master's Theses - Daytona Beach

The purpose of this descriptive study was to explore the relationship between a carrier's service/capacity share and passenger share to determine the presence of the s-curve. The author is unaware of a current, accepted analysis for understanding the s-curve with any degree of reliability. Regression analysis was used to correlate service/capacity share against passenger share for domestic, United States air carriers. Carrier ranking was then added as a predicting variable to gain further insight into the correlation between service share and passenger share. It is anticipated that this study will be beneficial to airline network planners in their analysis of …

The Effects Of Sound Cue Characteristics On Overcoming Front/Back Localization Errors In A 3-D Auditory Display, Robert J. Ehmann

Master's Theses - Daytona Beach

The purpose of this study was to investigate the performance effects of adding an additional sound cue characteristic to a 3-D auditory display sound stimulus to increase localization accuracy. Previous literature has provided evidence that localization accuracy for direct front and direct back regions is significantly worse than that of locations in the periphery for virtual 3-D auditory stimuli. In the study conducted, a highpass filter addition or a lowpass filter addition was compared to a "normal" condition for both the front and back locations. Results of the study showed that the best localization performance for the front location occurred …

Effects Of Handedness On Completion Time During Performance Of Multiple Tasks Using “Proper” And “Improper” Tools, Lisnnette M. Nieves Suarez

Master's Theses - Daytona Beach

Handedness is a very critical factor involving single or multiple tasks that are designed for a specific hand. The purpose of this research was to investigate the effect of proper tool design. This research identified the dominant hand and measured task completion time between each of two tasks, 1) the use of left and right-handed scissors using the right hand, and 2) Mouse Manipulation Task using the calculator provided by the computer with a left and right-handed mouse using the right hand. Annett’s (1995) 12-item questionnaire was used to identify the preferred hand. This questionnaire consisted of having the participants …

Effect Of Tactile Feedback On Performance, Darren Paul Wilson

Master's Theses - Daytona Beach

Humans interact with their environment by obtaining information from various modalities of sensing. These various modalities of sensing combine to facilitate manipulation and interaction with objects and the environment. The way humans interact with computers mirrors this environmental interaction with the absence of feedback from the tactile channel. The majority of computer operation is completed visually because currently, the primary feedback humans receive from computers is through the eyes. This strong dependence on the visual modality can cause visual fatigue and fixation on displays, resulting in errors and a decrease in performance. Distributing tasks and information across sensory modalities could …

Role Of Nitric Oxide As A Modulator Of Platelet Dense Granule Release, Clifton Ford Frilot Ii

Doctoral Dissertations

Nitric oxide (NO) has been shown to suppress platelet activation, induce vasodilation, inhibit smooth muscle cell proliferation, and act against infection. Activated platelets generally have opposite effects from these. They secrete platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF), which stimulates smooth muscle growth, serotonin, which is a platelet agonist, and a number of agents that promote further platelet aggregation. However, activated platelets also produce NO through the enzymatic functions of the constitutive form of nitric oxide synthase (NOS). The primary functions of this capability are not yet completely understood. Due to its low molecular weight and high diffusivity, NO is quickly transported from …

Determining United States Construction Management Aspects To Be Introduced To Construction Management Education In China, Jun Liu

Master of Technology Management Plan II Graduate Projects

The following study describes the current status of China's Construction Industry, highlights its educational system, and identifies the main constraints that restrain the construction industry from assuming a more effective and efficient role in China's impressive economic development.

This study outlines the problems existing in China's construction educational system. Through analyzing United States construction management education, and comparing it with China's construction education, the advantages of the United States construction management education are determined, and recommendations are made to improve China's construction education.

Optimal Aeroelastic Vehicle Sensor Placement For Root Migration Flight Control Applications, Abdul Ghafoor Al-Shenhabi

Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering Theses & Dissertations

An important step in control design for elastic systems is the determination of the number and location of control system components, namely sensors. The number and placement of sensors can be critical to the robust functioning of active control systems, especially when the system of interest is a large high-speed aeroelastic vehicle. The position of the sensors affects not only system stability, but also the performance of the closed-loop system. In this dissertation, a new approach for sensor placement in the integrated rigid and vibrational control of flexible aircraft structures is developed. Traditional rigid-body augmentation objectives are addressed indirectly through …

Simulation Optimization Studies Of Routing And Process Flow Problems, Satish Ravichandran

Electrical & Computer Engineering Theses & Dissertations

Computer aided simulation is emerging as a powerful tool for numerical analysis and in conducting performance evaluations of complex systems that depend on a multitude of variables. The primary objective in such simulation studies is to gauge the performance of the system under a various constraints and operating conditions. The effects of changing the operating parameter space can thus be analyzed without having to implement costly changes. Simulations are also carried out for the baseline scenarios to verity and validate the basic underlying system model. In this thesis research, two practical problems were studied through numerical modeling, and optimized solutions …

Simulation Of Oil Spills At Environmentally Sensitive Areas Along Egyptian Coasts, Peter Fayez Nasr

Archived Theses and Dissertations

No abstract provided.