Engineering Commons^™

Nanoporous Sio2/Vycor Membranes For Air Separation, Mihir Tungare

Theses

Porous Vycor tubes with 40Å initial pore diameter were modified using low pressure chemical vapor deposition (LPCVD) of silicon dioxide N0₂). Diethylsilane (DES) in conjunction with nitrous oxide (N₂O) was used as a precursor to synthesize these SiO₂ films. The aim of this study was to obtain a considerable selectivity between species of comparable size and hence N₂O was used. The use of N₂O was believed to make the process self-limiting. DES was allowed to flow through the tube and N₂O on the outside in the chamber at 550°C …

Reduction Of Peak To Average Power Ratio In Ofdm And Ofdm-Cdma System, Jie Cheng

Theses

High Peak to Average Power Ratio is a main problem in Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing(OFDM) system and Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing -Code Division Multiple Access (OFDM-CDMA) system. Considering a compensated High Power Amplifier(HPA), in order to keep linearity for amplification, Input Back-Off(IBO) of the HP-A, has to be increased for handling a high PAPR. Higher 1130 will make HPA less efficient. Additionally, a signal with high PAPR will suffer clipping when PAPR is larger than 1130 of the HPA. Clipping can cause the distortion of the signal and deteriorate the performance of the system. Reduction of PAPR is a main …

Autonomic Activity In Gulf War Veterans Using Heart Rate And Systolic Blood Pressure Variability, Maryann S. Fam

Theses

Heart rate variability (HRV) describes variations of heart rate and is attributed to cyclic fluctuations in autonomic tone. The different methods of heart rate variability analysis allow for a non-invasive assessment of autonomic activity. This study analyzes the heart rate variability through both frequency domain methods and joint time-frequency domain methods which were executed through the LabVJEW graphical programming language. These algorithms were utilized to assess autonomic nervous system activity in Gulf War veterans with no health complaints versus Gulf War veterans with chronic fatigue syndrome. The heart rate variability analysis was obtained from acquired measurements of heart rate and …

Preparation And Properties Of Tantalum Silicide Films On Silicon Substrates, Lei Jin

Theses

Tantalum silicide (TaSi₂) thin films were sputter deposited on p- type and n- type silicon substrates using VARIAN 3125 magnetron DC sputtering system with TaSi₂ target. The thicknesses of TaSi₂ thin films considered in this study are 200Å, 600Å and 1000Å, respectively. The TaSi₂/Si wafers were annealed at temperatures in the range of 400 to 900°T. The sheet resistances of TaSi₂ thin films with various thicknesses were measured by four-point probe before and after annealing. The sheet resistance decreases with increase in annealing temperature and decreases with the increase in thickness of TaSi …

Drowsy Driver Data Acquisition System, Rafael Norat

Theses

This thesis focuses on detecting the drowsiness of a driver based on differentiation of the EEG signal activity between the eyes open and eyes closed states. Here, it is observed that there is a significant increase 'in a 10 Hz component of the alpha rhythm activity when the subject under test closes his / her eyes. This phenomenon was observed when electrodes were attached to the occipital region. A more desirable approach is to develop a non-intrusive measurement based on a multiturn differential coil combination utilizing a low noise high gain amplifier. The system developed here used an 80,000 turn …

Phase Tunability In A Conductor Backed Coplanar Waveguide Patch Antenna, Idan Mandelbaum

Theses

Traditionally beam steering in phase array antenna systems is achieved using tunable phase shifters or switched feed networks. Here, a tunable patch antenna element is suggested as a novel alternative to a combination of a radiating element and a phase shifter. A conductor backed coplanar waveguide patch antenna is chosen due to its suitability to mounted external tuning elements, using varactor diodes. Limited types of lumped tuning circuits, using varactor diodes, have been tested, though a lumped as well as distributed tuning is feasible in the chosen antenna configuration. Approximate analytical models for coplanar waveguide patch antennas with finite ground …

Nanofiltration-Based Diafiltration Process For Solvent Exchange In Pharmaceutical Manufacturing, Jignesh P. Sheth

Theses

Commercially available solvent stable polymeric nanofiltration membranes were used to study the nanofiltration and diafiltration operations in the context of the pharmaceutical industry. Experimental results are presented for a two-step operation involving the preconcentration of a feed solution via nanofiltration followed by the replacement of the first stage solvent with a second solvent via diafiltration in two stages. Membranes MPF-50 and MPF-60, having molecular weight cut-offs of 700 and 400 respectively, were used in the present study. A solution of erythromycin (MW 734) in ethyl acetate was preconcentrated via nanofiltration followed by replacement of ethyl acetate with methanol via batch …

Programmable Latching Probe Microstructures For Wafer Testing Applications, Salima Taifa Sadeq

Theses

The objective of this thesis is to design a programmable wafer testing array on a single chip based on micro electromechanical systems (MEMS) and VLSI. The wafer-scale integration in this thesis is a programmable array of test probes that are used for engineering test of VLSI and ULSI silicon integrated circuits at the wafer level. This consists of two subsystems (1) the VLSI address circuits used for addressing and controlling the MEMS on the chip and (2) the latching probe MEMS microstructure array that actuates into position for testing VLSI wafers. Each of the subsystems have been designed, analyzed and …

Design And Fabrication Of Optical Resonators, Pushkar Moholkar

Theses

The design and fabrication of ring optical resonators for high-speed optical communication systems is the topic of this thesis. Its novelty is in two aspects: 1) Use of silicon wafers as an optical guiding medium; 2) Use of wafer bonding technique to attach two optical elements together.

The structure consists of two optical waveguides, the bus waveguide and the drop channel waveguide. A ring on top of these waveguides couples them in such a way that only one narrow spectral line is removed from the bus waveguides which propagates in the drop-channel waveguide. The assembly is fabricated using wafer-bonding technique …

Biomechanical Evaluation Of Patient Transfers, Charles Costa

Theses

The purpose of this study is to identify the problem encountered when a patient with limited strength and mobility needs assistance in transferring from a wheelchair to another location.

This study took advantage of ergonomic techniques to isolate the source of stress, and limited these stresses according to the standards of the National Institute of Safety and Health Administration.

A device was developed whereby the stresses of a patient transfer were eliminated. By using a conventional wheelchair and a recliner as a starting point, effectively combining these components into a single multifunctional unit the goal of reducing stress was achieved. …

Numerical Studies Of Deep Bed Filtration, Chan-Gyun Shin

Theses

Deep bed filtration is a process used to separate small solid particles suspended in a fluid by using granular solids as the collecting medium. The filter efficiency depends on many parameters such as the Reynolds number, particle drag coefficient, the ratio of the diameter of injected, and filter particles, etc.

In the present work we model the porous media flow (solution of the Navier-Stokes equations) by using a computer code developed by Dr. P. Singh and we restrict our analysis to the case of two dimensional periodic porous media. The computational domain is discretized using the finite element method. In …

A Method Of Tracking Eye Motion For Human-Computer Interface, Martin Maranski

Theses

It would be of value to create another device for interfacing with a computer besides the commonly used handheld devices; one option is to determine where the user is looking on the screen. The major obstacle to overcome in this task is to be able to reliably track the motion of the iris and pupil in the eye. A method to do this is revealed here, using a variation of the Rough transform to detect circular patterns in a close shot of the eye. The algorithm was developed in Matlab and analyzed over a series of 20 sets of 6 …

Current-Voltage Characteristics Of Tasi2/Si And Mos Devices Using Labview, Prasant Tangirala

Theses

Analyses of current-voltage (LV) characteristics of Schottky Barrier Diodes (Tantalum Suicide) and Metal Oxide Semiconductor (MOS) Devices, using LabVIEW^TM, has been presented here. LabVIEW^TMTM, a graphical program development application, has been used to program a computer-driven Keithley Source Measure Unit (SMU) for device characterization. The SMU, which can be used as a Source Voltage - Measure Current as well as Source Current - Measure Voltage instrument, is used in the Source Voltage -Measure Current mode in this study. A General Purpose Interface Bus (GPIB) IEEE 488.2 has been used to interface the SMU with LabVIEW^{TM …}

Gait Development For Use In Dynamic Gait Optimization Of Qudrupedrobot Walking, Mark Will

Theses

The ability of walking robots to operate in areas that are inaccessible to wheeled robots has lead to significant research in the field of gait development and optimization for these robots. In this particular study, a catalog of gaits for use in a dynamic gait optimization system to optimize the walking speed of the quadruped Arturo robot on flat terrain is developed. This catalog of robot gaits was developed using a genetic algorithm formulation; various combinations of the selection, mutation, and crossover operators were analyzed.

The Arturo robot was modified so that physical verification of the developed gaits could be …

Development Of A Demanufacturing System Modeling And Simulation Tool, Jingjing Hu

Theses

This thesis develops a demanufacturing system modeling and simulation tool as an interface between simulation methods and demanufacturers. This tool can mimic the behavior of demanufacturing facility and obtain penetrable understanding of the system. By this modeling tool, one can intuitively analyze the behavior of a system and improve the operational efficiency. Detailed designs on the simulation tool including user interface, logic, and user view are presented in this thesis. The initial prototype version of the system modeling and simulation tool has been completed with fourteen modules in the developed template. Each object in the template refers to a specific …

A Study Of The Parameters And Stipulations Involved In The Design Of Prosthetic Limb Socket Liners, Sally F. Shady

Theses

The objective of this thesis is to illustrate the parameters that define and characterize the elements necessary for an optimal prosthetic socket interface design. Previous studies have revealed that the industry is manufacturing materials that are causing irregularities in gait patterns and causing major discomfort for transtibial amputees. As a result, chances for recovery and rehabilitation of many patients have been greatly reduced.

This study has indicated that the success of a socket liner depends on quantitative and qualitative factors that assess the overall efficacy of an artificial limb. Quantitative analysis is observed through calculations and deviations in gait cycles, …

An Algorithm For Fast Route Lookup And Update, Pinar Altin Yilmaz

Theses

Increase in routing table sizes, number of updates, traffic, speed of links and migration to IPv6 have made IP address lookup, based on longest prefix matching, a major bottleneck for high performance routers. Several schemes are evaluated and compared based on complexity analysis and simulation results. A trie based scheme, called Linked List Cascade Addressable Trie (LLCAT) is presented. The strength of LLCAT comes from the fact that it is easy to be implemented in hardware, and also routing table update operations are performed incrementally requiring very few memory operations guaranteed for worst case to satisfy requirements of dynamic routing …

Development And Integration Of A Decision Support System For Electronic Outsourcing Into Telemanufacturing Service Provider, Vikram Batra

Theses

The use of computers and Information Technology enables manufacturers, especially small and medium size enterprises (SMEs) to improve productivity and increase manufactuning flexibility. Telemanufactuning or manufacturing in virtual environment is one of the infrastructures that facilitate the use of information superhighways and computer technology to attain these goals. Broadly defined, Telemanufactuning is the utilization of services accessed via communication networks and across information superhighways to perform in real time, operations and processes essential to the design and production of items. It can be a key enabler for decentralized manufacturing using global resources and expert design teams. In addition to updating …

Feasibility Study Of Rotating Fluidized Bed As A Dry Coater And Granulater, Manish Sawhney

Theses

This study is directed at enhancing our understanding of the mechanism of dry coating and granulation in a rotating fluidized bed (RFB). The main objective was to study the feasibility of the coating and granulation processes using an REB, both quantitatively and qualitatively.

A force balance and kinetic model is applied to explain the coating phenomenon and also to investigate why coating takes place in certain particle material systems and not in others. An equation for the resultant velocity with which one particle collides with another has been suggested for the rotating fluidized bed coater. A condition, which predicts whether …

Bounded Beam Wave Pulse Propagation And Scattering In Random Media Based On The Radiative Transfer Theory Using 2-D Gauss Quadrature Formula, Sheng-Kai Hu

Theses

The scalar time-dependent equation of radiative transfer is used to develop a theory of bounded beam wave narrow band pulse propagation and scattering in a medium characterized by many random discrete scatters, which scatters energy strongly in the forward scattering direction. Applications include the scattering of highly collimated millimeter waves in vegetation and optical beams in the atmosphere. The specific problem analyzed is that of a periodic sequence of Gaussian shaped pulses normally incident from free space onto the planar boundary surface of a random medium half-space, such as a forest, that possesses a scatter (phase) function consisting of a …

Post-Cracking Tensile Properties Of Advanced Cementitious Materials And Ductility Of High Performance Concrete Beams, Wonsiri Punurai

Theses

In present direct tension tests, the complete stress-deformation curves, the resulting energy dissipated by damage, and the fracture energy of different types of cementitious composites, namely plain concrete, high strength concrete, normal fibrous concrete, high strength fibrous concrete, are studied and a ductility factor is calculated. It has been found that with the increasing strength of concrete due to the addition of the pozzoians such as silica fume and fly ash and when changing from normal strength to high strength, concrete ductility decreases. However, when fibers are combined with these matrices, concrete ductility increases. It is because of ductile steel …

Late Deflation Study : Hemodynamic Effects Of Iab Timing In Humans, Manal Morcos

Theses

Conventional IABP timing deflates 100% of the balloon volume before the onset of left ventricular ejection and has been well established in the literature as a safe and effective method. Yet, recent studies suggest that deflation of the IAB at or near the onset of systole improve myocardial efficiency (Kern, 1999, 1129). To test whether deflation of the JAB at a later deflation time reduces left ventricular workload and enhances coronary perfusion, four timing methods were evaluated in 20 patients: T₁ (100% JAB volume deflated before onset of ejection), T₂ (60% IAB volume deflated before and 40% volume …

Experimental Ion Implantation System For Decaborane Ions, Vijay Babaram

Theses

Future generations of Si technology will require ultra shallow junctions (tens of nm) in the drain and source regions of MOS transistors. Fabrication of such shallow p-type junctions requires implantation of boron at ultra low energies (< 1 keV), below the limits of standard ion implantation technology. A proposed solution involves implantation of B₁₀H_x⁺ ions in which boron atoms carry less than 10% of the beam energy.

This thesis is a part of the feasibility study of this new technology. An experimental ion implantation system was designed and built at Ion Beam and Thin Film Lab, NJIT. The system was tested and the mass analyzing magnet was calibrated using argon ions. Decaborane ions, …

A Study Of Sound Attenuation Using Sonic Energy Focussed At An Artificial Soil Fracture, Minhaz Bootwala

Theses

Several laws have been passed over the past two decades to control contamination and to remediate already existing contaminated sites. There are a large number of these sites and several ex-situ and in-situ techniques have been developed to decontaminate these sites. These techniques can be quite expensive, especially the ex-situ clean-up operations, and there has always been a need for cheap, quick remediation methods.

This study investigates the attenuation of sound used in the in situ remediation technique coupling Sonic Energy with Pneumatic Fracturing and Vapor Extraction. Preliminary attenuation studies were performed in the laboratory with a microphone made at …

A Study Of Factors Affecting Cardiovascular Reactivity, Andrew Gill Ventura

Theses

This pilot study was conducted to determine what affects the cardiovascular reactivity of different people. Variables such as the order of stress-inducing and relaxing activities, performing multiple tasks on different days, personality, familial history of diseases, and general health were investigated as to their effects, if any, on cardiovascular reactivity.

Ten healthy, normal male subjects, aged 18 - 33 years, volunteered to be subjected to studies on three experimental days, the first one being for gathering information. On the second and third days, the subjects performed the following activities: mental arithmetic, numeric repetition, 10 breaths-per-minute (bpm) paced-breathing, and normal breathing, …

Segregation And Flow Characterization In Vibrated Hopper, Thottiam P. Ravichandran

Theses

Experiments and numerical simulation studies were carried. out on vertically vibrated wedge-type hoppers containing binary mixtures for the present research. The studies focussed on segregation analysis of the hopper discharge and the characterization of flow pattern of the binary mixtures in sealed hoppers, over wide ranges of frequency and amplitude of acceleration to determine the effect of these parameters.

The results of segregation study show that vibration promotes segregation of the binary mixtures. However, increase in frequency was found to make the contents of segregated discharge more uniform. Also, increase in wedge angle seemed to help in reducing segregation.

The …

Investigation Of The Relevance Of Heart Rate Variability Changes After Heart Transplantation, Sheeba Arnold

Theses

Heart transplantation has become an established treatment for end-stage heart disease. However, the shortage of donor organs is a major problem and long-term results are limited by allograft rejection. Heart rate variability (HRV) has emerged as a popular noninvasive research tool in cardiology. Analysis of HRV is regarded as a valid technique to assess the sympathovagal balance of the heart. The primary goal of this study was to investigate the relevance of heart rate variability changes after heart transplantation. It was found that spectral analysis of HRV is useful in detecting rejection episodes. Heart transplantation leaves the donor heart denervated. …

General Parallel-Leg Mechanism : Position Analysis, Hans Buus Gangwar

Theses

This thesis proposes to analytically express the positions of the legs (each leg has a length and two spin orientations) for a parallel leg mechanism in terms of a single variable. The only limitations imposed are the leg bases are all on the same reference plane and the tool orientation is normal to the mobile upper plate. This is done for a parallel leg mechanism having any number of legs. The variable chosen is the first leg's vertex position on the upper plate.

The state space is the space the configuration can occupy. By looking at a planar slice of …

Intelligent Process For Uasb Reactors, Sita Mohan

Theses

The Upflow Anaerobic Sludge Blanket (UASB) reactor is widely used for the anaerobic treatment of concentrated municipal / industrial wastewaters and sludges. Ability to handle high organic loading rates and cost effectiveness are often the most cited merits of the UASB process. Numerous mathematical models have been developed to describe the process and mechanistic phenomena in these systems. However, evidence in the literature of these models having been applied, either as control or diagnostic tools is limited. The use of intelligent process control mechanisms can greatly ease problems associated with operating these reactor systems.

The objective of this study is …

Development And Testing Of A Simulated Closed Loop Drug Delivery System For Chf Patients Under Milrinone Administration, Runa Shah

Theses

The purpose of this thesis project is the development and testing of a simulated closed loop drug delivery (CLDD) system that consists of a pharmacokinetic, physiological, and feedback-controlling model. The focus of this study is on the control of milrinone inflision to maintain cardiac output at desired setpoint range for patients suffering from congestive heart failure (CHF). The simulated CLDD system is written in VisSim dynamic simulation language for an IBM-compatible PC.

Milrinone pharmacokinetics are represented by a three compartment model. The physiological model consists of the cardiovascular system model linked to the pharmacodynamic submodel of milrinone. The feedback-controlling model …