Engineering Commons^™

Enhanced Microbial Utilization Of Recalcitrant Cellulose By An Ex Vivo Cellulosome-Microbe Complex, Chun You, Xiao-Zhou Zhang, Noppadon Sathitsuksanoh, Lee R. Lynd

Dartmouth Scholarship

A cellulosome-microbe complex was assembled ex vivo on the surface of Bacillus subtilis displaying a miniscaffoldin that can bind with three dockerin-containing cellulase components: the endoglucanase Cel5, the processive endoglucanase Cel9, and the cellobiohydrolase Cel48. The hydrolysis performances of the synthetic cellulosome bound to living cells, the synthetic cellulosome, a noncomplexed cellulase mixture with the same catalytic components, and a commercial fungal enzyme mixture were investigated on low-accessibility recalcitrant Avicel and high accessibility regenerated amorphous cellulose (RAC). The cellbound cellulosome exhibited 4.5- and 2.3-fold-higher hydrolysis ability than cell-free cellulosome on Avicel and RAC, respectively. The cellulosome-microbe synergy was not completely …

Energy Savings And Peak Demand Reduction Of A Seer 21 Heat Pump Vs. A Seer 13 Heat Pump With Attic And Indoor Duct Systems - December 2011, Florida Solar Energy Center, James Cummings

FSEC Energy Research Center®

Experiments were run in an unoccupied 1600 ft2 house, the Manufactured Housing (MH Lab) at the Florida Solar Energy Center (FSEC), to evaluate the delivered performance as well as the relative performance of a SEER 21 variable capacity heat pump versus a SEER 13 heat pump. The performance was evaluated with two different duct systems: a standard attic duct system and an indoor duct system located in a dropped-ceiling space.

Geometrical Frustration In Nanowire Growth, K. W. Schwarz, J. Tersoff, S. Kodambaka, Y.C. Chou, F. M. Ross

Birck and NCN Publications

Idealized nanowire geometries assume stable sidewalls at right angles to the growth front. Here we report growth simulations that include a mix of nonorthogonal facet orientations, as for Au-catalyzed Si. We compare these with in situ microscopy observations, finding striking correspondences. In both experiments and simulations, there are distinct growth modes that accommodate the lack of right angles in different ways-one through sawtooth-textured sidewalls, the other through a growth front at an angle to the growth axis. Small changes in conditions can reversibly switch the growth between modes. The fundamental differences between these modes have important implications for control of …

Use Of The Richtmyer-Meshkov Instability To Infer Yield Stress At High-Energy Densities, Guy Dimonte, G. Terrones, F. J. Cherne, T. C. Germann, Virginie Dupont, K. Kadau, W. T. Buttler, D. M. Oro, C. Morris, D. L. Preston

Aerospace Engineering - Daytona Beach

We use the Richtmyer-Meshkov instability (RMI) at a metal-gas interface to infer the metal’s yield stress (Y) under shock loading and release. We first model how Y stabilizes the RMI using hydrodynamics simulations with a perfectly plastic constitutive relation for copper (Cu). The model is then tested with molecular dynamics (MD) of crystalline Cu by comparing the inferred Y from RMI simulations with direct stress-strain calculations, both with MD at the same conditions. Finally, new RMI experiments with solid Cu validate our simulation-based model and infer Y~0.47 GPa for a 36 GPa shock.

Construction Of Mse Wall Using Tire Shred-Sand Mixture As Backfill (Spr-3470), Monica Prezzi, Varenya Kumar Duvvuru Mohan

JTRP Other Publications and Reports

A large number of waste tires are generated each year throughout the world. Instead of disposing these tires in landfills, they can be used beneficially in road construction, MSE walls or structural fills that require large quantities of material. Such use of tires not only saves the costs of landfilling, but also provides certain desirable mechanical properties. The focus of this research was on determining important geotechnical properties of tire shred-sand mixtures required for their use as a lightweight backfill for MSE walls. Accordingly, the shear strength and pullout characteristics of tire shred-sand mixtures at various mixing ratios were determined …

Formation Of Organized Nanostructures From Unstable Bilayers Of Thin Metallic Liquids, Mikhail Khenner, Sagar Yadavali, Ramki Kalyanaraman

Mathematics Faculty Publications

Dewetting of pulsed-laser irradiated, thin (< 20 nm), optically reflective metallic bilayers on an optically transparent substrate with a reflective support layer is studied within the lubrication equations model. A steady-state bilayer film thickness (h) dependent temperature profile is derived based on the mean substrate temperature estimated from the elaborate thermal model of transient heating and melting/freezing. Large thermocapillary forces are observed along the plane of the liquid-liquid and liquid-gas interfaces due to this h-dependent temperature, which, in turn, is strongly influenced by the h-dependent laser light reflection and absorption. Consequently the dewetting is a result of the competition between thermocapillary and intermolecular forces. A linear analysis of the dewetting length scales established that the non-isothermal calculations better predict the experimental results as compared to the isothermal case within the bounding Hamaker coefficients. Subsequently, a computational non-linear dynamics study of the dewetting pathway was performed for Ag/Co and Co/Ag bilayer systems to predict the morphology evolution. We found that the systems evolve towards formation of different morphologies, including core-shell, embedded, or stacked nanostructure morphologies.

Developments In Performance Monitoring Of Concrete Exposed To Extreme Environments., W. J. Mccarter, T. M. Chrisp, G. Starrs, A. Adamson, E. Owens, P. A. M. Basheer, S. V. Nanukuttan, S. Srinivasan, Niall Holmes

Articles

The performance of the surface zone of concrete is acknowledged as a major factor governing the rate of deterioration of reinforced concrete structures because it provides the only barrier to the ingress of water containing dissolved ionic species such as chlorides, which ultimately initiate corrosion of the reinforcement. In situ monitoring of cover-zone concrete is therefore critical in attempting to make realistic predictions as to the in-service performance of the structure. To this end, this paper presents developments in a remote interrogation system to allow for continuous, real-time monitoring of the cover-zone concrete from an office setting. Use is made …

Uwb System Based On Energy Detection Of Derivatives Of The Gaussian Pulse, Song Cui, Fuqin Xiong

Electrical and Computer Engineering Faculty Publications

A new method for energy detection ultra-wideband systems is proposed. The transmitter of this method uses two pulses that are different-order derivatives of the Gaussian pulse to transmit bit 0 or 1. These pulses are appropriately chosen to separate their spectra in the frequency domain. The receiver is composed of two energydetection branches. Each branch has a filter which captures the signal energy of either bit 0 or 1. The outputs of the two branches are subtracted from each other to generate the decision statistic. The value of this decision statistic is compared to the threshold to determine the transmitted …

Aerosol-Assisted Synthesis Of Monodisperse Single-Crystalline Α-Cristobalite Nanospheres, Xingmao Jiang, Lihong Bao, Yung-Sung Cheng, Darren R. Dunphy, Xiaodong Li, C. Jeffrey Brinker

Faculty Publications

Monodisperse single-crystalline α-cristobalite nanospheres have been synthesized by hydrocarbon-pyrolysis-induced carbon deposition on amorphous silica aerosol nanoparticles, devitrification of the coated silica at high temperature, and subsequent carbon removal by oxidation. The nanosphere size can be well controlled by tuning the size of the colloidal silica precursor. Uniform, high-purity nanocrystalline α-cristobalite is important for catalysis, nanocomposites, advanced polishing, and understanding silica nanotoxicology.

Clinical Coverage Of An Archetype Repository Over Snomed-Ct., Sheng Yu, Damon Berry, Jesus Bisbal

Articles

Clinical archetypes provide a means for health professionals to design what should be communicated as part of an Electronic Health Record (EHR). An ever-growing number of archetype definitions follow this health information modelling approach, and this international archetype resource will eventually cover a large number of clinical concepts. On the other hand, clinical terminology systems that can be referenced by archetypes also have a wide coverage over many types of health-care information.

No existing work measures the clinical content coverage of archetypes using terminology systems as a metric. Archetype authors require guidance to identify under-covered clinical areas that may need …

Reducing Data Loss And Saving Money By Acquiring Data Loss Prevention Software, Patarika Tipwong

Technical Reports

Choosing and implementing the right security software tools can protect a company’s assets. In particular, data breaches might not happen if a company is aware of its information flow and has the proper tool to protect it. This thesis paper will explain why and how acquiring data loss prevention (DLP) software will help a company to reduce data loss, mitigate the loss impact and save money. Facts and examples are provided to support and illustrate the statement above.

Ceas E-News 12.16.2011, College Of Engineering And Applied Sciences

College of Engineering and Applied Sciences News

Foundation Members Race SAE Baja Car, Innovation Day, Senior Design Presentations, Michigan Industry Road Trip

Ceas E-News 05.13.2011, College Of Engineering And Applied Sciences

College of Engineering and Applied Sciences News

SAE and Sunseeker competition, Traffic Bowl, Marathon.

Simvastatin Improves Spinal Fusion In Rats, Bora Bostan, Taner Güneş, Murat Aşçi, Cengiz Şen, Mehmet Halidun Keleştemur, Mehmet Erdem, Reşit Doǧan Köseoǧlu, Ünal Erkorkmaz

Faculty Publications - Mechanical Engineering

Objective: Statins stimulate bone formation by inducing the expression of bone morphogenetic proteins (BMP-2). The aim of our study was to investigate the effects of orally administered simvastatin on spinal fusion in rats. Methods: Twenty rats were randomized into a spinal fusion group (SF) (n=10) or a spinal fusion and oral simvastatin administered group (SFS) (n=10). A spinal fusion was performed between L4-L6 representing two levels. Simvastatin (120 mg/kg/day) was administered orally in the SFS group. The rats were killed at the end of the 12 week study period. Results: Manual palpation revealed two moderate fusions in the SF group. …

Effect Of Thin Film Confined Between Two Dissimilar Solids On Interfacial Thermal Resistance, Zhi Liang, Hai-Lung Tsai

Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

A Non-Equilibrium Molecular Dynamics Model is Developed to Investigate How a Thin Film Confined between Two Dissimilar Solids Affects the Thermal Transport Across the Material Interface. for Two Highly Dissimilar (Phonon Frequency Mismatched) Solids, It is Found that the Insertion of a Thin Film between Them Can Greatly Enhance Thermal Transport Across the Material Interface by a Factor of 2.3 If the Thin Film Has One of the Following Characteristics: (1)a Multi-Atom-Thick Thin Film of Which the Phonon Density of States (DOS) Bridges the Two Different Phonon DOSs for the Solid on Each Side of the Thin Film; (2)a Single-Atom-Thick …

Differential Regulation Of Articular Cartilage Tensile Properties By Igf-1 And Tgf-Β1 During In Vitro Growth, M. E. Stender, N. T. Balcom, B. Berg-Johansen, K. J. Dills, D. Dyk, S. J. Hazelwood, A. C. Chen, R. L. Sah, S. M. Klisch

Mechanical Engineering

No abstract provided.

Generic Strategies To Implement Material Grading In Finite Element Methods For Isotropic And Anisotropic Materials, Ke Yu

Department of Engineering Mechanics: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

We look at generic strategies to transfer material grading into finite element methods. Three strategies are proposed to transfer material grading into the finite element analysis. These strategies are node-centered, element-centered, and the definition of material grading through external functions. The process to achieve each strategy is stated, and examples are used to illustrate each strategy, and to compare them. The strategies are implemented in finite-deformation nonlinear elastic analysis.

Several examples are used to illustrate the implementation of each strategy for graded isotropic materials. For these examples, the results obtained from finite element models are compared with those obtained from …

Lithium-Based Battery System Management And Balancing, William Joel Schmidt Iii

Purdue Polytechnic Masters Theses

This thesis builds upon previous work completed for the design and evaluation of active lithium battery system management. Simulations were performed to provide a comparison for the hardware that was designed, built, and tested. An analysis of the simulation and hardware results was completed to support or disprove the initial hypothesis. A DC-DC converter was used as the source for the balancing current. Lithium polymer batteries with a 5Ah capacity were used for testing the designed hardware. The findings showed that there is a reduction in the system voltage swing during balancing as well as less time taken to decrease …

Navigation And Position Determination With A Multicarrier Modulation Signal Of Opportunity, Richard K. Martin, Jamie S. Velotta, John F. Raquet

AFIT Patents

A multicarrier modulation position determination method that includes deploying at least one known receiver with a known location and a second receiver with an unknown location. At least two signals of opportunity with different locations are obtained by both the receiver and the second receiver. The signals having a plurality of block data, the block data having block boundaries. The block boundaries including a beginning block boundary and an end block boundary. The block data further including a cyclic prefix at the beginning block boundary. Acquiring a plurality of data samples for at least a portion of the block data …

Trustworthy Coordination For Web Services Atomic Transactions, Honglei Zhang, Hua Chai, Wenbing Zhao, P.M. Melliar-Smith, L.E. Moser

Electrical and Computer Engineering Faculty Publications

The Web Services Atomic Transactions (WS-AT) specification makes it possible for businesses to engage in standard distributed transaction processing over the Internet using Web Services technology. For such business applications, trustworthy coordination of WS-AT is crucial. In this paper, we explain how to render WS-AT coordination trustworthy by applying Byzantine Fault Tolerance (BFT) techniques. More specifically, we show how to protect the core services described in the WS-AT specification, namely, the Activation service, the Registration service, the Completion service and the Coordinator service, against Byzantine faults. The main contribution of this work is that it exploits the semantics of the …

Nanozeolites Doped Photopolymer Layers With Reduced Shrinkage, Mohesh Moothanchery, Izabela Naydenova, Svetlana Mintova, Vincent Toal

Articles

An acrylamide based photopolymer doped with pure silica MFI-type zeolite (silicalite-1) nanoparticles has been characterized for holographic recording purposes. The concentrations of the silicalite-1 nanoparticles in the photopolymer layers were 1, 2.5, 5 and 7.5 wt.%. The inclusion of silicalite-1 nanoparticle in the photopolymer has resulted in an increase of the diffraction efficiency by up to 40%, and decrease of the shrinkage from 1.32% to 0.57%. The best results were obtained in layers doped with 5 wt.% silicalite-1 nanoparticles.

Integration Of Upqc For Power Quality Improvement In Distributed Generation Network – A Review, Shafiuzzaman Khan Khadem, Malabika Basu, Michael Conlon

Conference Papers

In this paper a technical review of the integration of a Unified Power Quality Conditioner (UPQC) in a distributed generation network is presented. Although the primary task of UPQC is to minimize grid voltage and load current disturbances along with reactive and harmonic power compensation, additional functionalities such as compensation of voltage interruption and active power transfer to the load and grid have also been identified. Connection methodologies with their advantages and disadvantages are also described. Recent improvements in capacity expansion techniques and future trends for the application of UPQC in distributed modes are also identified.

Detection Of Diffuse Sea Floor Venting Using Structured Light Imaging, Gabrielle Inglis, Clara Smart, Christopher Roman, Steven Carey

Graduate School of Oceanography Faculty Publications

Efficiently identifying and localizing diffuse sea floor venting at hydrothermal and cold seep sites is often difficult. Actively venting fluids are usually identified by a temperature induced optical shimmering seen during direct visual inspections or in video data collected by vehicles working close to the sea floor. Relying on such direct methods complicates establishing spatial relations between areas within a survey covering a broad area. Our recent work with a structured light laser system has shown that venting can also be detected in the image data in an automated fashion. A structured light laser system consists of a camera and …

The Cuahsi Community Hydrologic Information System (Invited), David G. Tarboton, D. R. Maidment, I. Zaslavsky, Daniel Ames, J. L. Goodall, R. P. Hooper, Jeffery S. Horsburgh

Civil and Environmental Engineering Faculty Publications

Hydrologic information is collected by many individuals and organizations in government and academia for many purposes, including general monitoring of the condition of the water environment and specific investigations of hydrologic processes. Comprehensive understanding of hydrology requires integration of this information from multiple sources. The Consortium of Universities for the Advancement of Hydrologic Science, Inc. (CUAHSI) has developed a Hydrologic Information System (HIS) to provide better access to data by enabling the publication, cataloging, discovery and retrieval of hydrologic data using web services. This paper describes HIS capability developed to promote data sharing and interoperability in the Hydrologic Sciences with …

Remote Analysis Of Grain Size Characteristic In Submarine Pyroclastic Deposits From Kolumbo Volcano, Greece, Clara Smart, D. P. Whitesell, Christopher N. Roman, Steven Carey

Graduate School of Oceanography Faculty Publications

Grain size characteristics of pyroclastic deposits provide valuable information about source eruption energetics and depositional processes. Maximum size and sorting are often used to discriminate between fallout and sediment gravity flow processes during explosive eruptions. In the submarine environment the collection of such data in thick pyroclastic sequences is extremely challenging and potentially time consuming. A method has been developed to extract grain size information from stereo images collected by a remotely operated vehicle (ROV). In the summer of 2010 the ROV Hercules collected a suite of stereo images from a thick pumice sequence in the caldera walls of Kolumbo …

Development Of Self-Stressing System For Bridge Application With Emphasis On Precast Panel Deck System, Marcelo Ferreira Da Silva

Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Steel girder bridges often utilize continuity over the pier to reduce interior forces on the spans. In continuous structures with composite concrete decks, the location of maximum negative bending moment is over the interior supports. This moment produces tensile stresses in the concrete deck and compressive stress in the bottom flanges of the girders. The tensile stress in the deck leads to cracking which allow intrusion of moisture and road salt, causing corrosion of the reinforcement and supporting girders. Continued maintenance is required to forestall the deterioration; however, replacement of the deck is eventually required.

To overcome this problem, a …

Determining A Community Retrofit Strategy For The Aging Housing Stock Using Utility And Assessor Data, Nathan A. Barry

Department of Construction Engineering and Management: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Residential buildings account for about 21.5% of the nation’s primary energy consumption and carbon emissions, and about 38% of electricity use. The housing stock in the United States consists of over 128 million residences with over 60% being constructed prior to 1979 when building codes and regulations began standardizing building practices. Seeking an opportunity to understand and reduce consumption, the scientific community developed a number of model-driven auditing software. While these computer models have been successful in predicting usage patterns in newer residential structures, they have been inaccurate in predicting and analyzing energy use in aging housing stock, predominantly homes …

Utilizing Technology To Increase The Recycled Content Of Asphalt Mix Designs, Nicholas Ricketts

Purdue Polytechnic Masters Theses

This directed project examined the idea that increasing the amount of recycled asphalt product in road construction will result in a comparable performance to the current levels of recycled asphalt product in today’s pavement. A critical review of literature is structured in four areas: describing the need (financial and environmental) for the increased use of recycled materials, describing how others have addressed the issue and technology needed for increasing the use of recycled content, describing how some contractors have created the technology needed, and finally describing the direction needed in order to encourage customers and government agencies to embrace the …

Highly Efficient Maximum Power Point Tracking Using A Quasi-Double-Boost Dc/Dc Converter For Photovoltaic Systems, Christopher J. Lohmeier

Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Solar photovoltaic (PV) panels are a great source of renewable energy generation. The biggest problem with solar systems is relatively low efficiency and high cost. This work hopes to alleviate this problem by using novel power electronic converter and control designs. An electronic DC/DC converter, called “Quasi-Double-Boost DC/DC Converter,” is designed for a Solar PV system. A Maximum Power Point Tracking (MTTP) algorithm is implemented through this converter. This algorithm allows the PV system to work at its highest efficiency. Different current sensing and sensorless technologies used with the converter for the MPPT algorithm are offered and tested. Design aspects …

Ann Based Load Identification And Forecasting System For The Built Environment, Hosen Hasna

Durham School of Architectural Engineering and Construction: Dissertations, Thesis, and Student Research

"Phantom Loads" cause energy waste in homes and the built environment as a whole. Consumers spend more than $3 billion a year on "Phantom Load" in the United States alone. The goal of this work is to conserve energy by increasing consumer awareness on their energy usage and appropriate tools which in turn will be reducing and /or eliminating phantom loads and mismanagement of the load in the built environment. A further goal is to improve upon existing power distribution systems in the built environment with limited hardware additions to increase energy conservation. This work investigates remote identification of load …