Other Engineering Commons^™

Energy-Related Carbon Emissions In Ireland: Scenarios To 2020, Tadhg O'Mahony

Doctoral

The consumption of energy and related carbon emissions are a development challenge requiring analysis and policy insights. Current analysis of future change in Ireland relies on quantitative point forecasts within which accuracy is difficult to achieve. A scenario analysis approach has often been applied with the longer term but is also useful on shorter time-scales. This research applied a combination of decomposition analysis and scenario analysis to identify and analyse the driving forces of change in Ireland historically from 1990-2007 and in the future to 2020. The historical decomposition used the LMDI I technique and was further quantified to 2020 …

Validated Real-Time Energy Models For Small-Scale Grid-Connected Pv-Systems, Lacour Ayompe, Aidan Duffy, Sarah Mccormack, Michael Conlon

Articles

This paper presents validated real-time energy models for small-scale grid-connected PV-systems suitable for domestic application. The models were used to predict real-time AC power output from a PV system in Dublin, Ireland using 30-min intervals of measured performance data between April 2009 and March 2010. Statistical analysis of the predicted results and measured data highlight possible sources of errors and the limitations and/or adequacy of existing models, to describe the temperature and efficiency of PV-cells and consequently, the accuracy of power prediction models. PV-system AC output power predictions using empirical models for PV-cell temperature and efficiency prediction showed lower percentage …

Lean Inventory Management System For Boeing Missile Defense, Danielle Partridge

Industrial and Manufacturing Engineering

Lean inventory management is influential for business. One of the wastes businesses aim to reduce, using lean principles, is inventory. Inventory management provides the essential tools for eliminating extra inventory and cost that is tied up in capital.

Boeing’s Ground Based Missile Defense inventory area was failing at meeting their proprietary lean manufacturing goals. There was a need for an inventory system that included: lean principles, inventory management and user-friendly capability. The goal of this project’s inventory management database process was to minimize inventory investment while still meeting functional requirements. The deliverables for this project met the needs of Boeing’s …

An Alternative To Stretch Wrap Using Triple Bottom Line, Christian Guirola

Industrial and Manufacturing Engineering

Packaging products has always been a major sector of industries. Mass producing manufacturing companies use wooden pallets to store and transport items; these products are stacked and then secured by wrapping stretch wrap around them. The main issue with this packaging method is that millions of pounds of waste is produced. Some of the other effects include green house gas emissions during its production, limited recycling, and high packaging costs. In order to reduce the amounts of stretch wrap used by industries and distribution centers, there was a need to research and evaluate alternate methods to secure products on pallets. …

Project Selection And Process Plan Design For Alternative Ime 143/144 Final Project, Joseph S. Anderson, Sarah R. Shackelford

Industrial and Manufacturing Engineering

Hundreds of students each year enroll in IME 143 or IME 144, freshman-level machining classes, and complete an air motor to demonstrate the skills they have acquired on a variety of manufacturing processes. The air motor, however is useful only as a teaching tool in the classroom; once the students bring them home, the air motor becomes little more than a trophy at best.

With the capabilities of the machining lab, a final project can be developed that can have a benefit to people in need while maintaining educational value. This project details a process plan for a manual water …

Increasing Production Capacity At A Start Up Biomedical Company, Traci J. Otsuji

Industrial and Manufacturing Engineering

The following senior project was first introduced during a summer internship at a biomedical company called Asthmatx Inc. Asthmatx is responsible for the development and manufacturing of a catheter‐based device for moderate to severe cases of asthma. Upon the approval of FDA, Asthmatx had planned to ramp up their production capacity significantly in order to accommodate the potential growth.

The first step in the process improvement was a facility reconfiguration that involved the adjustment of process sequencing and the implementation of ergonomic catheter channels. Next, time studies were conducted to gain more accurate time standards of the production process. After …

Process Improvement For The Department Of Surgery Sierra Vista Medical Center, Jessica Paz

Industrial and Manufacturing Engineering

This report proposes and analyzes process improvement methods for the Surgical Services Department at Sierra Vista Regional Medical Center. The department currently operates with an average of 25% of elective cases starting on time. This can be attributed to a number of inefficiencies that occur throughout the hospital.

The following Industrial Engineering methods were utilized to improve patient flow:  creation of a data collection system to quantify delays  use of simulation and facility redesign techniques to determine feasibility and benefits of moving towards a surgical center model  development of a user interfaced database to record and analyze …

Police Operations Simulation, Robert Mcgee

Industrial and Manufacturing Engineering

In this report, the author explains the process of creating the Police Operations Simulation, shows step-by-step how it works, and statistically analyzes the results from SLOPD’s own proposed and current schedules. The data-gathering from the department and the simulation itself will receive the bulk of the coverage in this report, followed by sample results from SLOPD and a business plan for future sale to other departments.

Using the given numbers, it appears that the proposed schedule will result in significantly improved coverage for the city of San Luis Obispo. While any increase in the number officers on patrol tends to …

Lavers Ranch Vineyard Design, A.J. Borba

BioResource and Agricultural Engineering

This senior project discusses the design of a vineyard irrigation system for Lavers Ranch in Glennville, Ca. The vineyard is 33 acres in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada Mountains and water will be provided for the system by three springs located on the ranch. This senior project discusses vineyard layout: vine direction, vine spacing, and emitters per vine. Using Microsoft Excel, a program will be developed that will give irrigation requirements for the conditions given by Lavers Ranch. Along with the Excel program final maps will be included with detailed information of the field requirements.

Edwards Automation Final Project Report, Benjamin (Ben) Johnson, Joel Masters, Matthew (Matt) Stewart

Mechanical Engineering

The body of this work has been created for Edwards Lifesciences in conjunction with senior project requirements. As such, the information produced and contained within is under a non‐disclosure agreement. As per request by sponsor, the body of the work will not be submitted to any outside parties, and the title page will serve as proof of completion.

Cisco Data Center Energy Efficiency, Brandy Sizemore, Travis Snook, William Neumeister

Mechanical Engineering

The goal of the Cisco Systems data center efficiency study is to improve the energy efficiency of Lab C in Cisco’s Building 7. The main phases involved are research, energy analysis, CFD simulations, and lab testing. The first part of the project entailed research in the data center field. This included attending two lectures provided by Cisco, visiting the annual Silicon Valley Data Center Energy Efficiency Summit hosted by Network Appliance, going on many data center tours, and taking a 3-day 6Sigma CFD training class. Next, the 1st Law of Thermodynamics was applied to the CRAH (computer room air handler) …

Laser Clean Room Re-Design: A Manufacturing Facility Re-Layout, Jennifer J. Siu

Industrial and Manufacturing Engineering

Alcon’s Laser Clean Room fosters inefficient production practices, is outdated for its current process, and lacking in clear process/product flow. A facility re-design is applied to bring order, efficiency, and optimize flow in the laser production lines.

Deliverables include a new layout that decreases product travel distances and increases productivity as well as an implementation plan and cost/savings analysis. Major design decisions include downsizing the clean room, sorting to find waste and establishing clear process/product flows. The design was implemented within three weeks and results yield 29% reduction of product travel distance, 10.4 hrs/day saved from eliminated gowning time and …

Cable Time Estimation Database, Joshua L. Okerman

Industrial and Manufacturing Engineering

The use of time standards are the basis for a high efficiency system in the manufacturing environment. This project will investigate the process followed to design and develop a database used to calculate accurate cable assembly time standards used for scheduling at General Atomics. This project will then justify the use of the Cable Time Estimation Database, through an economic analysis compared to the current methods applied.

A Sustainable Business Proposition For Selling Irrigation Pumps In Ndola, Zambia, Robert Hosbach

Biomedical Engineering

Robert Hosbach is proposing a sustainable business plan to bring a small‐scale irrigation pump to rural Ndola, Zambia. With hundreds of thousands of citizens living in poverty and semi‐annual starvation, Ndola is in need of a means to grow crops effectively in the rainy season. Their current agricultural practices rely solely on the inconsistent rainfall during this time. My pump will be constructed from locally‐available aluminum cans, epoxy, glue, and fasteners (refer to Appendix B for technical drawings of the pump). The business will employ only a small number of Zambians, but will bring a means of food and income …

Design, Construction And Evaluation Of Side Mount Truck Tool Boxes And Fuel Transfer Tank, Trey Avila

BioResource and Agricultural Engineering

This senior project discusses the design, construction, evaluation and cost analysis of side mounted truck tool boxes and a fuel transfer tank. The need for the boxes arose when specific tools and extra fuel had to be carried at all times. The objective was to build a set of tool boxes and a fuel transfer tank to fit a Ford short bed and still have a four foot wide area in between the boxes. Results show objective being met, but cost analysis shows that it’s not feasible for low scale production.

Ghost Estates Will Haunt Us For Years, Lorcan Sirr

Media

No abstract provided.

Newsletter 41 Issue 1 - Spring 2010 - Nuts And Bolts, Larsen Tractor Museum

Friends of the Larsen Tractor Museum

No abstract provided.

Wave Energy Converter Performance Modeling And Cost Of Electricity Assessment, Dmitri Jarocki

Master's Theses

California is experiencing a rapid increase in interest for the potential of converting ocean waves into clean electricity. Numerous applications have been submitted for the permitting of such renewable energy projects; however the profitability, practicability, and survivability have yet to be proven. Wave energy conversion technology has steadily matured since its naissance in the 1970’s, several wave energy power installations currently exist, and numerous plans for commercial power plant are in the works on the shores of multiple continents. This study aims to assess the economic viability of two proposed commercial wave energy power plant projects on the Central California …

Ordinal Logistic Regression Analysis Of Rfid Doorway Portal Performance As A Function Of System Design Parameters, Anton G. Slobodnik

Master's Theses

This research effort examined the read rate differences in a passive ultra high frequency (UHF) Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) doorway portal as a function of antenna placement, doorway size and composition, reader manufacturer, tag type, and tag orientation.

In this analysis of a RFID system, the response observations were modeled under an ordinal logistic regression model. The selection of a categorical analysis method was due to the flaws associated with the initial design of the experiment, which resulted in high valued observations which would have skewed the results of a quantitative model.

The ordinal regression analysis of the data indicates …

Library Scholars Grant Presentation, Brent K. Jesiek

Library Scholars Grant Program

The primary goal of this project is to document the historical development of computer engineering as a distinct academic discipline and professional specialty in the United States, from the origins of the field in the 1940s to the early 2000s. My research is more specifically focused on three main contexts: a) the computer industry, b) professional organizations and sub-groups, and c) academic departments, degree programs, and curricula.