Engineering Commons^™

The Role Of Error In The Conceptual Design Of A Transport Aircraft, Robert A. Mcdonald

Aerospace Engineering

A fidelity trade environment was demonstrated by using it to simulate a decision making process for a transport aircraft. This scenario was not possible without the fidelity trade environment. The role of system feedback and coupling in error stability was also investigated.
A sensitivity approach which relies on the system sensitivity matrix was used to rapidly approximate the propagation of error through the complex system. In verification tests, the sensitivity approach provided approximate results substantially similar to a Monte Carlo approach that was many orders of magnitude more expensive. The rapid sensitivity approach to modeling error propagation enabled the responsive …

Biomechanics Of The Rabbit Knee And Ankle: Muscle, Ligament, And Joint Contact Force Predictions, Dustin M. Grover, Andrew A. Chen, Scott J. Hazelwood

Biomedical Engineering

Mathematical models of small animals that predict in vivo forces acting on the lower extremities are critical for studies of musculoskeletal biomechanics and diseases. Rabbits are advantageous in this regard because they remodel their cortical bone similar to humans. Here, we enhance a recent mathematical model of the rabbit knee joint to include the loading behavior of individual muscles, ligaments, and joint contact at the knee and ankle during the stance phase of hopping. Geometric data from the hindlimbs of three adult New Zealand white rabbits, combined with previously reported intersegmental forces and moments, were used as inputs to the …

Volume Effects On Fatigue Life Of Equine Cortical Bone, R. F. Bigley, J. C. Gibeling, S. M. Stover, S. J. Hazelwood, D. P. Fyhrie, R. B. Martin

Biomedical Engineering

Materials, including bone, often fail due to loading in the presence of critical flaws. The relative amount, location, and interaction of these flaws within a stressed volume of material play a role in determining the failure properties of the structure. As materials are generally imperfect, larger volumes of material have higher probabilities of containing a flaw of critical size than do smaller volumes. Thus, larger volumes tend to fail at fewer cycles compared with smaller volumes when fatigue loaded to similar stress levels. A material is said to exhibit a volume effect if its failure properties are dependent on the …

Improving Factory Layout Under A Mixed Floor And Overhead Material Handling Condition, Manocher Djassemi

Industrial Technology and Packaging

Purpose –In spite of having a number of general-purpose algorithms for solving plant layout problems, facility planners may still face a challenging task to adjust these algorithms to handle special, but not uncommon, layout problems. The purpose of this study is to propose a new method for addressing the impact of overhead space utilization on a plant layout solution.

Design/methodology/approach –A new method for adjusting material flow under a mixed floor and overhead material handling condition is incorporated in an existing plant layout procedure. A case study involving the layout improvement in a lawn mower engine assembly facility …

Integrating Project-Based Learning Throughout The Undergraduate Engineering Curriculum, Richard N. Savage, Katherine C. Chen, Linda Vanasupa

Materials Engineering

Equipping engineering students with the skills and knowledge required to be successful global engineers in the 21st century is one of the primary objectives of undergraduate educators. Enabling students to practice self-directed learning, to find solutions to design problems that are sustainable and to recognize that they are part of a global community are just of few of our educational goals. Self-directed learning can define an individual’s ability to practice life-long learning. It places the responsibility on the individual to initiate and direct the learning process and can enable an individual to adapt to change. Project-based learning provides the contextual …

Digitally Controlled Synchronous Buck Converter, Taufik, M. Starman, M. Anwari

Electrical Engineering

The demand for high performance, more flexible and reconfigurable dc-dc converters has pushed dc-dc converter designers to seek for alternative ways to control the pulse-width modulated switch inside the dc-dc converter. During the past few years, efforts have been put forward both by academics and power semiconductor industries to phase out the most commonly used analog PWM controllers with digital controller with its associated software. This paper presents an experimental result of designing and building a 5W synchronous buck converter that employs a microcontroller to process the output voltage signal and translate it into PWM signal to control the switches …

Using Underwater Remotely Operated Vehicles As An Engineering Education Tool, Hong Zhang, John Chen, Eric Constans

Mechanical Engineering

Starting in 2004, the Department of Mechanical Engineering at Rowan University introduced a new tool into its program: Remotely Operated Vehicles (ROVs). The tool is used at different aspects ofeducation. As a coursework project, graduating ME seniors researched, designed, built, competed and reported with underwater ROVs to assess their design skills before heading out to start their careers. It tests a wide range of engineering background in one single project and gauges the soft skills such as teamwork, self-learning, communication and evaluation. As a student research project, a multidisciplinary student team developed a robotic field ROV to help biological scientists …

Final Report: Production Of Biodiesel From Algae Applied To Agricultural Wastewater Treatment, Yarrow M. Nelson, Adam Feffer, Andrew Kean, Tryg Lundquist, Walter Mark, Linda Vanasupa, Sam Vigil, Ian Woertz

Civil and Environmental Engineering

No abstract provided.

Crash Data Analysis: Collective Vs. Individual Crash Level Approach, Mohamed Abdel-Aty, Anurag Pande

Civil and Environmental Engineering

Introduction

Traffic safety literature has traditionally focused on identification of location profiles where “more crashes are likely to occur” over a period of time. The analysis involves estimation of crash frequency and/or rate (i.e., frequency normalized based on some measure of exposure) with geometric design features (e.g., number of lanes) and traffic characteristics (e.g., Average Annual Daily Traffic [AADT]) of the roadway location. In the recent past, a new category of traffic safety studies has emerged, which attempts to identify locations where a “crash is more likely to occur.” The distinction between the two groups of studies is that the …

Multiple-Model Framework For Assessment Of Real-Time Crash Risk, Anurag Pande

Civil and Environmental Engineering

This study is based on real-time models of risk assessment for rear-end and lane-change-related crashes on freeways. These models were developed in recent studies on the basis of historical crash data and corresponding traffic data collected through underground loop detectors on Interstate-4 in Orlando, Florida. In this study the potential of these models was explored for identification of crashes that were not part of the database used to develop the models. These crashes include single-vehicle crashes that might result from evasive actions taken by drivers to avoid vehicles in front (i.e., a rear-end crash) or in a neighboring lane (i.e., …

Flap Gate, Charles M. Burt

BioResource and Agricultural Engineering

ITRC began to investigate early designs of Flap Gates in 1992. The gates originated in The Netherlands in the 1940s, but no design criteria were available. ITRC developed an Excel design program that uses a combination of theory and coefficients from field results – and has continued to improve the program almost every year. District staff at Turlock ID and Chowchilla WD provided valuable feedback with early models. This report includes information on design, installation, maintenance, water conservation and efficiency, cost, use, and benefits.

ITRC Flap Gates are typically used with a concrete counterweight in situations where the gates are …

General Irrigation Consumer Bill Of Rights, Charles M. Burt

BioResource and Agricultural Engineering

Cal Poly ITRC, together with various irrigation industry leaders and the Irrigation Dealers Association of California, plus with assistance from the California Energy Commission and Pacific Gas & Electric Co., developed the Irrigation Consumer Bill of Rights (ICBR) in 1994.

Backward And Forward Compatibility, Jianbiao Pan, Jasbir Bath, Xiang Zhou, Dennis Willie

Industrial and Manufacturing Engineering

In response to the European Union (EU) Restriction of Hazardous Substances (RoHS) and other countries’ impending lead-free directives, the electronics industry is moving toward lead-free soldering. Total lead-free soldering requires not only lead-free solder paste but also lead-free printed circuit board (PCB) finish and lead-free component/packages. Transitioning tin-lead (SnPb) soldering to totally lead-free soldering is a complex issue and involves movement of the whole electronics industry supply chain. In reality, there is a transition period.