Other Electrical and Computer Engineering Commons^™

Rfid Home And Office Automation System: Based On Localized Room Entry, Nolan Clark

Electrical Engineering

Design and build a proof of concept model demonstrating an application of Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) technology for use in a home or office lighting automation system. The system provides new means for reducing energy consumption through active light switching based on simplified location tracking. Often lighting systems use motion sensors and timers to determine when a person enters or leaves a room, but these platforms are based purely on motion meaning “no motion, no light.” The RFID based system utilizes medium range RFID readers and tags located at doorways or narrow passageways in the environment to provide a general …

Formula Hybrid Primary Electrical Systems Senior Project Report, Gregg Schultz, Matthew (Matt) Tolman

Electrical Engineering

This senior project involves the "Primary electrical systems" (excluding data-acquisition) for Cal Poly’s Hybrid Racecar Team: SAE Formula Hybrid. Effectively, this project involves the high-voltage and low-voltage electrical systems one would typically find in an electric car, with the addition of some circuitry for an on-board battery charger. The primary electrical systems need to follow strict rules and guidelines as given by the Formula Hybrid Competition, as well as provide reliable and high-performance operation to ensure a competition-worthy vehicle. In addition to designing, building, testing, and competing with the Primary electrical systems, we will also generate a detailed step-by-step "guide" …

Audio-Triggered El Wire Sequencer, Benjamin (Ben) Paik

Electrical Engineering

“Development of an Audio-Triggered EL Wire Sequencer” California Polytechnic State University 2011, Ben Paik and John Oliver, Ph.D. (advisor)

The purpose of this project is to investigate and develop a method for switching electroluminescent wire (EL wire) such that it can be activated by some audio source.  EL wire is essentially a coaxial capacitor that luminesces when an alternating electric field excites the insulating phosphor layer in the wire (a 100Vp, 1kHz AC source is sufficient for this).   The system involves the EL wire, a six channel sequencer to switch the EL wire, an method for processing the audio signal, …

Terrain Classification For Autonomous Rmax Helicopter Search And Rescue, Erin West

Electrical Engineering

No abstract provided.

Development Of Wind Tunnel For Laboratory Wind Turbine Testing, Danny Alexander Zepeda

Electrical Engineering

A wind tunnel with a 0.5 HP motor was purchased by Cal Poly Electrical Engineering Department from Hampden for $16,000. It can only simulate winds of up to 10 MPH. The tunnel has a manual dial that controls the wind speed. It also measures the voltage and current output with an analog measure display. This wind tunnel was expensive and unfortunately cannot achieve very high wind speeds. For this reason, a similar wind tunnel with more potential and with a smaller budget was proposed to be built for use in the Sustainable Energy Lab. The new wind tunnel that was …

Bridgeless Active Power Factor Correction Using A Current Fed Push Pull Converter, Jeramie Seth Bianchi

Master's Theses

ABSTRACT

Bridgeless Active Power Factor Correction

Using a Current Fed Push Pull Converter

Jeramie Seth Bianchi

Switched Mode Power Supplies have become increasingly popular for efficient methods of delivering power to an assortment of electronic devices. This thesis proposes a method of using a current fed push pull converter to provide active power factor correction and rectification in a single stage. While most AC-DC converters utilize a bridge rectifier to convert AC-DC and then perform DC-DC conversion, the proposed circuit will utilize its output diodes to perform rectification, thus eliminating the need for a bridge rectifier. This circuit will also …

Low-Power Self-Sustaining Schedule Display, Samuel (Sam) August

Electrical Engineering

The completed project is an Amazon Kindle, powered by a USB solar charger, running a student designed program to display a weekly schedule for a faculty member.  The purpose of the project was to design a sustainable electronic schedule display for use outside a faculty office.  It was designed in the hopes that faculty members could more easily update their schedules, and possibly allow for students to schedule appointments.  The program was designed using Java and the solar-charger was designed using a solar cell, Schottky diode, and a USB to micro-B USB cable.

Wireless Communications And Cognitive Radio Transmissions Under Quality Of Service Constraints And Channel Uncertainty, Sami Akin

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

In this thesis, we study wireless communications and cognitive radio transmissions under quality of service (QoS) constraints and channel uncertainty. Initially, we focus on a time-varying Rayleigh fading channel and assume that no prior channel knowledge is available at the transmitter and the receiver.  We investigate the performance of pilot-assisted wireless transmission strategies. In particular, we analyze different channel estimation techniques, including single-pilot minimum mean-square-error (MMSE) estimation, and causal and noncausal Wiener filters, and analyze efficient resource allocation strategies. Subsequently, we study the training-based transmission and reception schemes over a priori unknown, Rayleigh fading relay channels in which the fading …

Examination Of Chaotic Signal Encryption And Recovery For Secure Communication Using Hybrid Acousto-Optic Feedback, Monish Ranjan Chatterjee, Mohammed A. Al-Saedi

Electrical and Computer Engineering Faculty Publications

Generation of chaos from acousto-optic (A-O)Bragg cell modulators with an electronic feedback has been studied for over 3 decades. Since an acousto-optic Bragg cell with zeroth- and first-order feedback exhibits chaotic behavior past the threshold for bistability, such a system was recently examined for possible chaotic encryption of simple messages (such as a low-amplitude sinusoidal signal) applied via the bias input of the sound cell driver. Subsequent recovery of the message signal was carried out via a heterodyne-type strategy employing a locally generated chaotic carrier, with threshold parameters matched to the transmitting Bragg cell.

In this paper, we present numerical …

Monitoring Civil Infrastructure Using Image Template Matching, Vikram Mukesh Patel

Boise State University Theses and Dissertations

Structural health monitoring (SHM) is an active area of research devoted to systems that can autonomously and proactively assess the structural integrity of civil structures. This thesis explores the possibility of monitoring civil structures using image template matching and low-cost embedded data acquisition. By acquiring several consecutive images of a structure, one can determine if movement in the structure has occurred. This information can be analyzed to determine long-term changes within a structure, which can then be used to proactively prioritize maintenance, reduce maintenance costs, and prevent structural failure. This will allow structures to be maintained based on objective data …

Scalar Em Beam Propagation In Inhomogeneous Media, John M. Jarem, Partha P. Banerjee

Electrical and Computer Engineering Faculty Publications

In the previous chapter, we reviewed some of the mathematical preliminaries that will be useful later on in the text. In this chapter, we discuss some of the basic concepts of scalar wave propagation, and discuss an important numerical method, called the beam propagation method (BPM), to study propagation in linear media and in media with induced nonlinearities. Furthermore, we also discuss propagation through induced gratings, both transmission and reflection type, in order to assess energy coupling between participating waves. Finally, we introduce readers to an important characterization method, called the z-scan method, which is often used to determine the …

Binary And Core-Shell Nanoparticle Dispersed Liquid Crystal Cells For Metamaterial Applications, George Nehmetallah, Rola Aylo, Partha P. Banerjee

Electrical and Computer Engineering Faculty Publications

We theoretically explored the feasibility of a tunable metamaterial using binary as well as core-shell nanoparticle dispersed liquid crystal cells in the infrared and optical regimes. Owing to the spatial variation of the permittivity of the liquid crystal host upon the application of a bias voltage, the host was decomposed into a layered medium and the effective refractive index recalculated for each layer due to the distribution of polaritonic and plasmonic nanoparticles.

The scattering, extinction, and absorption of such a nanoparticle dispersed liquid crystal cell were also found. Depending on the applied voltage bias across the liquid crystal host, the …

Increasing Efficiency In Boundary Security With Wireless Sensor Networks And Geospatial Information Systems Using Homology Theory, Luis Berumen^, Eric Chaidez^, Hamide Dogan*, Jose Gerardo Rosiles**

COURI Symposium Abstracts, Spring 2011

As part of an institutional investigation, we attempt to address the challenges the US customs and Border protection agency faces in the El Paso region. Our research focuses on defining a system for the surveillance application, and the use of mathematical models employed to achieve a greater efficiency of such architecture. With the use of the defined system, we apply homology theory through the algebraic process of topology, to accomplish an independent coordinate-free based system, which covers the surveillance area, with lesser quantity of sensor nodes. Our architecture makes the use of an operating system for wireless sensor networks; TinyOS, …

Software And Critical Technology Protection Against Side Channel Analysis Through Dynamic Hardware Obfuscation, John R. Bochert

Theses and Dissertations

Side Channel Analysis (SCA) is a method by which an adversary can gather information about a processor by examining the activity being done on a microchip though the environment surrounding the chip. Side Channel Analysis attacks use SCA to attack a microcontroller when it is processing cryptographic code, and can allow an attacker to gain secret information, like a crypto-algorithm's key. The purpose of this thesis is to test proposed dynamic hardware methods to increase the hardware security of a microprocessor such that the software code being run on the microprocessor can be made more secure without having to change …

Characteristics Of A High Intensity, Pulsed, Potassium Vapor Laser In A Heat Pipe, Edward J. Hurd

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis research paper presents the results of experiments using an optically pumped, pulsed potassium vapor laser in a heat pipe. The absorption on the potassium D₂ line, output laser characteristics, and Raman scattering in potassium vapor are discussed. The spectral full width at half maximum (FWHM) of the D₂ absorption line was much greater than predicted values for pressure broadening due to the high number density of potassium atoms and the long path length. At 320°C and 0 torr of helium, the FWHM was 765 GHz. At 100 torr it was 968 GHz. At 200 torr it …

Blind Deconvolution Method Of Image Deblurring Using Convergence Of Variance, Quentin D. Macmanus

Theses and Dissertations

Images are used for both aerial and space imagery applications, including target detection and tracking. The current problem concerning objects in geosynchronous orbit is that they are dim and hard to resolve because of their distance. This work will further the combined effort of AFIT and AFRL to provide enhanced space situational awareness (SSA) and space surveillance. SSA is critical in a time when many countries possess the technology to put satellites into orbit. Enhanced imaging technology improves the Air Force's ability to see if foreign satellites or other space hardware are operating in the vicinity of our own assets …

Single-Beam Holographic Tomography Creates Images In Three Dimensions, George Nehmetallah, Partha P. Banerjee, Nickolai Kukhtarev

Electrical and Computer Engineering Faculty Publications

In digital holography (DH), the interference between light scattered from an object and a reference wave is recorded using a CCD camera. DH has various advantages over analog holography: no film processing is needed, reconstruction is performed using numerical methods, and no further experimental setup is necessary. However, one of the disadvantages of DH is that current CCDs have a resolution of approximately 1,000 lines/mm, which is less than that of photographic film.

Anisotropic Electrical Properties Of Nanostructured Metallic Thin Films, Mo Ahoujja, Piyush Shah, Andrew Saragan, Said Elhamri, Elena A. Guliants

Electrical and Computer Engineering Faculty Publications

High surface area, porous, metallic (Ti, Cr) nanorod thin ¯lms with columnar microstructure can be deposited using conventional physical vapor deposition technique of E-beam evaporation. The technique relies on the physical vapor deposition onto a static substrate oriented in a position where °ux from the source material (Ti, Cr) arrives at oblique angle. The adatoms provides geometrical shadowing which results in growth of nanorod columns in the direction of vapor source. Deposition conditions such as angle of the incoming vapor °ux, substrate temperature, surface di®usion etc. have strong in°uence on the shape and arrangement of the columnar thin ¯lms. In …

Multiple-View Planetary Photogrammetry And Its Visualization, Kyle D. Husmann

Electrical Engineering

During the summer of 2010, Dr. Taemin Kim and Kyle Husmann jointly developed a novel new algorithm to generate topographical maps of planetary surfaces using a multiple-view photogrammetry approach. To evaluate and debug the algorithm, a program called mvpgui was developed to visualize and examine the objective function. After verifying the correct operation of the algorithm and mvpgui with synthetic data, it is run with real orbital data from the Apollo 15 mission. The results confirm the validity of the multiple-view algorithm as well as demonstrate the value of objective function visualization.

Electric Guitar Amplifier With Digital Effects, Shawn Garrett

Computer Engineering

During the course of this project, the research and development of an electric guitar amplifier was undertaken. This amplifier is divided into three distinct sections. The power distribution circuitry provides the proper voltages to safely operate all necessary components. The DSP and digital effects stage provides processing and allows the user to add digital effects to the original guitar sound. The amplification stage increases the power of the input signal to drive a loudspeaker. Due to several setbacks throughout the course of this project, the overall amplifier was not completed. All three of the sections were developed to working functionality, …