Engineering Commons^™

Temperature Control Of The Online Rheological Sensor, Larry Scott Spencer

Masters Theses

Rheometers are devices that can be used to measure the rheological properties of polymers. Online rheometers test for rheological properties during a polymer process. Real-time rheological data would eliminate any time delays that accompany off-line rheometers and would provide the feedback information needed for tighter polymer process control. A real-time control system would eliminate the need for an offline rheometer to analyze polymer product properties, thus saving both time and money.

The Online Rheological Sensor was used to estimate the shear and elongational viscosities of a polymer from measured variables during processing. The Online Rheological Sensor was mounted on a …

A Dynamic Ampacity Model For The Testing Of Advanced Conductors, Matthew Benjamin Sooter

Masters Theses

Advanced Conductors are an intriguing new technology that promises to help the utility industry increase the transmission capacity available in the United States. Manufacturers of advanced conductors promise double the current carrying capacity of normal Aluminum Clad Steel Reinforced conductor through a combination of increased thermal limits and decreased thermal elongation.

This thesis will outline a control developed for the Power Line Conductor Accelerated Test Facility at Oak Ridge National Laboratory. This custom facility is designed for the testing and rapid aging of advanced overhead conductors as part of a U.S. Department of Energy initiative to assist the development and …

An Experimental Evaluation Of The Constant Β Relating The Contact Stiffness To The Contact Area In Nanoindentation, Jeremy Harper Strader

Masters Theses

Measurements of mechanical properties by nanoindentation with triangular pyramidal indenters like the Berkovich rely heavily upon the relationship between the contact stiffness, S, the contact area, A, and the reduced elastic modulus, E_r . This relationship is often written in the form: S = 2βEr(A/π)1/2, where βis a constant that depends on the geometry of the indenter. Although the most common values for βused in experimental measurements are 1.000 and 1.034, various theoretical analyses have yielded values as small as 1.00 or as large as 1.2, depending on the assumptions made to model the deformation. Here the most appropriate …

Physical Layer Simulation Study For The Co-Existence Of Wlan Standards, Chad Joseph Kiger

Masters Theses

Interference is a prime factor that limits the performance of devices within the 2.4 GHz ISM Band. Due to the ISM Band being unlicensed and free to all users, there is an abundance of devices within this frequency range. The three most prominent of such devices used for data communication consist of Bluetooth, Wifi, and Zigbee. In order to understand whether these three protocols can co-exist with each other, a physical layer system model will be developed for each protocol. These systems models will be combined and their interaction with each other examined to determine the effects of the interference …

Characterization Of Binary Offset Carrier (Boc) Systems Coexisting With Other Wideband Signals, John M. Hedenberg

Theses and Dissertations

Results for modeling, simulation, and analysis of interference effects that modern interfering signals have on the system performance of the Binary Offset Carrier (BOC) signals, such as the Global Positioning System (GPS) Military System (M-Code signal) are addressed in this work. Three signals are addressed as potential interferers. These include the current GPS clear/acquisition code (C/A-Code) signal, the current GPS precision code (P-Code) signal, and an Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexed (OFDM) signal. All of these potential interferers are modeled as coexisting within the same bandwidth as the M-Code signal. Interference effects are characterized by comparing the bit error performance of …

A Novel Method For Determination Of Dielectric Properties Of Materials Using A Combined Embedded Modulated Scattering And Near-Field Microwave Techniques-Part Ii: Dielectric Property Recalculation, R. Zoughi, Dana Hughes

Electrical and Computer Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

The use of combined embedded modulated scattering technique and near-field microwave nondestructive testing techniques is investigated as a novel method for evaluating the dielectric properties of a material. The forward formulation for determining the reflection coefficient at the aperture of a waveguide radiating into a dielectric half-space in which a PIN diode-loaded dipole (i.e., modulated scattering technique probe) is embedded was presented in Part I of this paper. Here, in Part II, the recalculation of the dielectric properties, using the results of the forward model, is presented along with some associated experimental results.

Modeling Of Capacitor Impedance In Switching Converters, Jonathan W. Kimball, Philip T. Krein, Kevin R. Cahill

Electrical and Computer Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Switched capacitor (SC) converters are gaining acceptance as alternatives to traditional, inductor-based switching power converters. Proper design of SC converters requires an understanding of all loss sources and their impacts on circuit operation. In the present work, an equivalent resistance method is developed for analysis, and equivalent resistance formulae are presented for various modes of operation. Quasiresonant converters are explored and compared to standard SC converters. Comparisons to inductor-based switching power converters are made. A number of capacitor technologies are evaluated and compared for applications to both SC converters and inductor-based converters. The resulting model can be used to accurately …

Reliability Measurement Of Mass Storage System For Onboard Instrumentation, Minsu Choi, Nohpill Park, Vincenzo Piuri, Fabrizio Lombardi

Electrical and Computer Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Advances in spaceborne vehicular technology have made possible the long-life duration of the mission in harsh cosmic environments. Reliability and data integrity are the commonly emphasized requirements of spaceborne solid-state mass storage systems, because faults due to the harsh cosmic environments, such as extreme radiation, can be experienced throughout the mission. Acceptable dependability for these instruments has been achieved by using redundancy and repair. Reconfiguration (repair) of memory arrays using spare memory lines is the most common technique for reliability enhancement of memories with faults. Faulty cells in memory arrays are known to show spatial locality. This physical phenomenon is …

A Novel Method For Determination Of Dielectric Properties Of Materials Using A Combined Embedded Modulated Scattering And Near-Field Microwave Techniques-Part I: Forward Model, Dana M. Hughes, R. Zoughi

Electrical and Computer Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

The use of combined embedded modulated scattering technique and near-field microwave nondestructive testing techniques is investigated as a novel method for evaluating the dielectric properties of a material. The forward formulation for determining the reflection coefficient at the aperture of a waveguide radiating into a dielectric half-space in which a PIN diode-loaded dipole (i.e., modulated scattering technique probe) is embedded is presented. This formulation is based upon calculating the near-field coupling between the waveguide and the dipole as a mutual impedance.

Gamma-Ray Induced Photoconductivity In Pyrex, Quartz, And Vycor, Shoaib Usman, Lubna Shoaib, James N. Anno

Nuclear Engineering and Radiation Science Faculty Research & Creative Works

Results of an experimental investigation are reported on photoconductive response of Pyrex, Quartz and Vycor. This research was conducted as a feasibility study for developing a new gamma dose measurement device based on the principle of photoconductivity. However, data collected in this study are equally valuable for various other applications where these materials are to be used in high radiation field. Our experiments and analyzes indicated that the selected dosimeter materials exhibit photoconductivity and respond to changes in gamma dose rate within a useful range. Pyrex glass suffered radiation damage at a relatively high dose rate of 0.25 Gys/sup -1/. …

Dynamic Growth Rates Of Microbial Populations In Activated Sludge Systems, Peter George Stroot, Pascal E. Saikaly, Daniel B. Oerther

Civil, Architectural and Environmental Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Results of mathematical modeling and whole cell 16S ribosomal RNA-targeted fluorescence in situ hybridizations challenge the widely held perception that microbial populations in "steady-state" activated sludge systems share a common net growth rate that is proportional to the inverse of the mean cell residence time. Our results are significant because they encourage bioprocess engineers to appreciate the differences in growth physiology among individual microbial populations in complex mixed microbial communities such as suspended growth activated sludge bioreactor systems.

Universal Geometric Camera Calibration With Statistical Model Selection, Chistopher Paul Broaddus

Masters Theses

We propose a new universal camera calibration approach that uses statistical information criteria for automatic camera model selection. It requires the camera to observe a planar pattern from different positions, and then closed-form estimates for the intrinsic and extrinsic parameters are computed followed by nonlinear optimization. In lieu of modeling radial distortion, the lens projection of the camera is modeled, and in addition we include decentering distortion. This approach is particularly advantageous for wide angle (fisheye) camera calibration because it often reduces the complexity of the model compared to modeling radial distortion. We then apply statistical information criteria to automatically …

Optimization Of Dsss Receivers Using Hardware-In-The-Loop Simulations, Balbir Kaur Dhillon

Masters Theses

Over the years, there has been significant interest in defining a hardware abstraction layer to facilitate code reuse in software defined radio (SDR) applications. Designers are looking for a way to enable application software to specify a waveform, configure the platform, and control digital signal processing (DSP) functions in a hardware platform in a way that insulates it from the details of realization.

This thesis presents a tool-based methodolgy for developing and optimizing a Direct Sequence Spread Spectrum (DSSS) transceiver deployed in custom hardware like Field Programmble Gate Arrays (FPGAs). The system model consists of a tranmitter which employs a …

Characterizing Turbulence Structure Along Woody Vegetated Banks In Incised Channels: Implications For Stream Restoration, Frank James Dworak

Masters Theses

The impacts of urbanization have modified natural watersheds and stream hydraulic, hydrologic, and geomorphic processes that have lead to geomorphic and ecological disturbances in natural stream systems. These alterations have resulted in channel incision and the loss of channel-scale hydraulic characteristics responsible for initiating and maintaining pool-riffle bedforms, which are capable of supporting diverse biological stream ecosystems. Through the use of FLOW-3D, a 3-dimensional computational fluid dynamics model, three scenarios of an urban, incised, and channelized stream were simulated to characterize the turbulent, hydraulic structure during bankfull discharge. The simulations were conducted with trees inhibiting bankfull flow (representing the channel’s …

Enhancing System-On-Chip Verification Using Embedded Test Structures, Wei Jiang

Masters Theses

In this project, we designed and implemented a System-on-Chip platform with embedded test structures. The baseline platform consists of a Leon2 CPU, AMBA on-chip bus, and an Advanced Encryption Standard decryption module. Reconfigurable test logic blocks were embedded to form the test structure that can be used in post-silicon debug and verification.

The System-on-Chip platform was designed at the register transistor level and implemented in an 180nm CMOS process. Test logic instrumentation was done with DAFCA, Inc. (Design Automation for Flexible Chip Architecture) pre-silicon tools. The design was then synthesized using the Synopsys Design Compiler and placed and routed using …

Moving And Stationary Target Acquisition Radar Image Enhancement Through Polynomial Windows, Rajarajeswari Devarajulu

Theses and Dissertations - UTB/UTPA

The Fourier transform involved in synthetic aperture radar (SAR) imaging causes undesired sidelobes which obscure weak backscatters and affect the image clarity. These sidelobes can be suppressed without deteriorating the image resolution by smoothing functions known as windowing or apodization. Recently, the theory of orthogonal polynomials has gained considerable attention in signal processing applications. The window functions that are derived from the orthogonal polynomials have interesting sidelobe roll-off properties for better sidelobe apodization, hence it can be used for radar image enhancement. In this work, a new window is constructed from Jacobi orthogonal polynomials and its performance in SAR imaging …

An Experimental Study Of Axisymmetric Cavity Oscillations In Low Speed Incompressible Flow, Jeremy David Brice Smith

Masters Theses

This study is the latest increment of an ongoing research effort at the University of Tennessee Space Institute with the goal of accomplishing a greater understanding of cavity instabilities and or making use of the instabilities to amplify their effects on the flows. An experimental procedure was designed to examine the unsteady pressure pulses that occur when an incompressible fluid (water) flows through an axisymmetric cavity. The length to depth ratios (L/D) examined ranged from about 0.69 to about 6.2, and the average flow Reynolds numbers ranged from 0 to 1.2 million.

Results show that large amplitude oscillations are generated …

Broadband Coherent Anti-Stokes Raman Scattering Spectroscopy Of Nitrogen Using A Picosecond Modeless Dye Laser, Sukesh Roy, Terrence R. Meyer, James R. Gord

Terrence R Meyer

Broadband picosecond coherent anti-Stokes Raman scattering (CARS) spectroscopy of nitrogen is demonstrated using 145-ps pump and probe beams and a 115-ps Stokes beam with a spectral bandwidth of 5 nm. This is, to our knowledge, the first demonstration of broadband CARS using subnanosecond lasers. The short temporal envelope of the laser pulses and the broadband spectral nature of the Stokes beam will enable nonresonant-background-free, single-shot, or time-dependent spectroscopy in high-pressure or hydrocarbon-rich environments. Successful correlation of room-temperature broadband picosecond N2 CARS with a theoretical spectrum is presented.

Inventions On Drag And Drop In Gui, Umakant Mishra

Umakant Mishra

Drag and drop operation is one of the key capabilities of any Graphical User Interface. The user can do quite complex operations simply by visually dragging and dropping objects from one location to another. It saves user from remembering and typing a lot of commands. The result of a drag and drop operation may vary depending the type of source object and type of destination object. For example dragging a file and dropping on a folder may copy or move the file to the destination folder, dropping that file to a remote ftp location may upload that file using internet, …

A Performance Evaluation Of A Homogeneous Wireless Network Using Opnet It Guru, Roy Lee Gentry Jr.

Morehead State Theses and Dissertations

A thesis presented to the faculty of the College of Science and Technology at Morehead State University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Degree of Master of Science by Roy Lee Gentry Jr. on November 30, 2005.

Reactivity Study Of Platinum Nanoparticles And Nanowires Inside The Channels Of Mesoporous Silica, Marcus R. Smith

Chemical and Biological Engineering ETDs

Pt metal nanowires and nanoparticles were prepared using mesoporous silica as the template. Mesoporous silica with straight 1-dimensional, tortuous 1-dimensional and 3-dimensional channels was used. The experimental techniques included CO oxidation, Chemisorption, XRD, and STEM. CO oxidation and chemisorption provided the data to calculate the intrinsic reactivity, known as turn over frequency (TOF). Powder XRD was used to measure line broadening. The FWHM of the XRD line broadening was used with the Scherrer formula to determine Pt metal crystallite size. STEM images permitted for the measurement of the particle diameters, and the determination of morphology.

Two commercially available reference samples …

Inertial Navigation System, Michael Calabrese Jr., David Engblom, Aaron Fleckenstein

Honors Theses

Accelerometer-based inertial navigation systems present an inexpensive alternative to gyroscope and global positioning navigation systems. An array of accelerometers comprises the basic design of the inertial navigation system. The position of the device can be continuously updated based on the previous device location and measurements of the device acceleration. There are fewer moving parts in an accelerometer-based system than in a gyroscopic device, and it is free of the earth bound constraints of a global positioning system. The prototype wirelessly interfaces with a data-collection system, which processes the data and provides a graphical display of the trajectory traveled.

Two accelerometer …

A New Method For The Rapid Calculation Of Finely-Gridded Reservoir Simulation Pressures, Benjamin Arik Hardy

Theses and Dissertations

A new method for the determination of finely-gridded reservoir simulation pressures has been developed. It is estimated to be as much as hundreds to thousands of times faster than other methods for very large reservoir simulation grids. The method extends the work of Weber et al. Weber demonstrated accuracies for the pressure solution normally requiring millions of cells using traditional finite-difference equations with only hundreds of cells. This was accomplished through the use of finite-difference equations that incorporate the physics of the flow. Although these coarse-grid solutions achieve accuracies normally requiring orders of magnitude more resolution, their coarse resolution does …

Ferroelectric Switch For Spin Injection, Mikhail Ye. Zhuravlev, Sitaram Jaswal, Evgeny Y. Tsymbal, Renat F. Sabirianov

Faculty Publications: Materials Research Science and Engineering Center

A method for the switching of the spin polarization of the electric current injected into a semiconductor is proposed, based on injecting spins from a diluted magnetic semiconductor through a ferroelectric tunnel barrier. We show that the reversal of the electric polarization of the ferroelectric results in a sizable change in the spin polarization of the injected current, thereby providing a two-state electrical control of this spintronic device. We also predict a possibility of switching of tunneling magnetoresistance in magnetic tunnel junctions with a ferroelectric barrier and coexistence of tunneling magnetoresistance and giant electroresistance effects in these multiferroic tunnel junctions.

Interior Node Projection Techniques In Sweeping Algorithms, Michael Andrew Scott

Theses and Dissertations

The enhancement of node projection techniques in sweeping is the subject of this thesis. Sweeping is a method used to produce all-hexahedral finite element meshes on certain classes of geometry. The placement of nodes in the interior of the geometry during the sweeping process remains a difficult problem. This thesis presents advancements in this area which improve the speed of the algorithm and the resulting element quality. A comparison of existing projection methods was performed. The existing Faceted projection sweeping method was extended to be applicable to more general classes of sweepable geometry. This comparison and extension of node projection …

A Gasless Method Of Spraying Thermoplastic Resin, Dan T. Rogers

Theses and Dissertations

This spraying method for thermoplastic resins is a new manufacturing process for applying thermoplastics to a mold or surface in an efficient way that has the potential of reducing cycle time. Spraying thermoplastic resins is similar to spraying other polymers, such as paint, with the differences being higher pressure and temperature. This method uses an injection molding machine with a modified nozzle to spray the plastic material. In this study, temperature, pressure, and nozzle size were factors that influenced the success of this spraying method. The method of spraying in this study proved spraying without a gas is possible, a …

Genetic Engineering Of Plants Through Manipulation Of Lignin Biosynthesis, Vincent Lee C. Chiang, Chung-Jui Tsai, Wen-Jing Hu

Michigan Tech Patents

The invention pertains to the genetically down regulating a lignin pathway p-coumarate Co-enzyme A ligase (CCL) in trees.

Roadmap Query For Sensor Network Assisted Navigation In Dynamic Environments, Sangeeta Bhattacharya, Nuzhet Atay, Gazihan Alankus, Chenyang Lu, O. Burchan Bayazit, Gruia-Catalin Roman

All Computer Science and Engineering Research

Autonomous mobile entity navigation through dynamic and unknown environments is an essential part of many mission critical applications like search and rescue and fire fighting. The dynamism of the environment necessitates the mobile entity to constantly maintain a high degree of awareness of the changing environment. This criteria makes it difficult to achieve good navigation performance by using just on-board sensors and existing navigation methods and motivates the use of wireless sensor networks (WSNs) to aid navigation. In this paper, we present a novel approach that integrates a roadmap based navigation algorithm with a novel network query protocol called Roadmap …

Act/Sger: Atomic Layer Deposition Of Nitrides On Nano-Particles For Enhanced Energy Conversion To Combat Terrorism, William J. Desisto

University of Maine Office of Research Administration: Grant Reports

William J. DeSisto, University of Maine, will apply atomic layer deposition reactions to passivate nanoparticles. These coated nanoparticles will be used in next-generation, high energy density, compact energy storage devices. Initial experiments will focus on coating nano-sized lithium-ion battery anodes with titanium nitride. Miniaturized batteries using these anodes will be fabricated and evaluated by industrial collaborators at Yardley/Lithion Technical Products.

This award is supported jointly by the NSF Directorate for Mathematical and Physical Sciences and the Intelligence Community. The Approaches to Combat Terrorism Program supports new concepts in basic research and workforce development with the potential to contribute to national …

Object Oriented Cae Software For The Exploration And Design Of Microstructures, Stephen D. Sintay

Theses and Dissertations

Through the use of generalized spherical harmonic basis functions a spectral representation is used to model the microstructure of cubic materials. This model is then used to predict the macroscopic elastic and plastic properties of materials with cubic crystal symmetry and various sample symmetry including triclinic and axial—symmetric. Building on the work of citeN{Barnett-FractureMechanics} the influence that anisotropy has on the fatigue response of the material is also modeled. This is accomplished through using the effective elastic stiffness tensor in the computation of crack extension force G. The resulting material model and macroscopic property calculations are the foundation for …