Digital Commons Network^™

Acquisition Of Direct Sequence Spread Spectrum Signals Using Digital Signal Processing Techniques, Ronald E. Schmitz

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis investigates the use of digital signal processing (DSP) techniques to achieve initial synchronization with Global Positioning System (GPS) Pseudo-Noise (PN) signals. Synchronization with the transmitted PN signal is essential to the despreading of the transmitted Direct Sequence Spread Spectrum (DS/SS) signals and decoding of the transmitted satellite data. The use of DSP methods to decrease the time required to achieve initial synchronization is investigated. This thesis proposes an initial acquisition section of the GPS receiver and derives the equations to show the method is mathematically feasible. Computer simulations of the proposed receiver using received signals corrupted by Doppler …

An Object-Oriented Computer Aided Design Program For Modern Control Systems Analysis, Frederick L. Trevino

Theses and Dissertations

This investigation is a continuation of the ICECAP-PC research project conducted under Prof. Gary B. Lamont at the Air Force Institute of Technology. It is an ongoing development of a public domain Computer Aided Design (CAD) package for Control Engineering students and faculty, with a special emphasis on education. This investigation focuses on three areas. First, an object-oriented environment is specified, designed and implemented. The functional structure of ICECAP-PC is then converted into an object-oriented structure because object-orientation provides an advanced logic and implementation structure and effectively addresses common software engineering issues. Additionally, a new interface featuring pull-down menus, mouse …

Cathodoluminescence Spectroscopy Of Zinc Germanium Phosphide Zngep2, Michael R. Gregg

Theses and Dissertations

Zinc Germanium Phosphide (ZnGeP₂) is a nonlinear semiconductor suitable for use as a laser tuning element over the two to six micron wavelength range. Although this crystal has been studied in the past, its luminescent properties are not yet well understood. In this present study, ZnGeP₂ has been examined using cathodoluminescence spectroscopy (CL). Specifically, the spectral dependence of the CL was obtained as a function of electron beam energy, beam current and temperature. The resulting CL was found to be polarized with a peak structure that was dependent on the polarization. This peak structure observed by CL …

The Effect Of Oxide Layers And Boron Doping On The Breakdown Of High Purity Silicon, Brian A. Hibbeln

Theses and Dissertations

For many applications such as lasers and radar drive circuits, there exists a need for solid state high voltage, high current switches. Current gaseous discharge switches fail to satisfy the ruggedness, reliability, and lifetime requirements of today's systems. A promising alternative is the Photoconductive Semiconductor Switch (PCSS). The limiting factor in the operation of these switches is the occurrence of breakdown through channels formed slightly below the surface. A theory on the formation of these channels is presented based upon band bending at the metal-semiconductor interface, a nonhomogeneous space charge due to irregular trap distributions, and thermal runaway in localized …

A Two-Stage Intercontinental Ballistic Missile (Icbm) Design Optimization Study And Life Cycle Cost Analysis, David P. Blanks, Douglas M. Bruce, Anthony M. Logue, Ralph A. Sandfry, Stephen J. Skotte, Michael L. Zywien

Theses and Dissertations

Realities of recent changes in the fiscal environment and the international domestic security structure have caused the strategic community to make some difficult decisions to preserve the capability of the current ICBM force. One of these decisions is to view Minuteman Ill as the centerpiece of the strategic force well into the next century. Extending the life of the 24-year- old Minuteman III system requires system solutions that provide required performance at an affordable life cycle cost. The intent of this study is to demonstrate the feasibility of designing a 2-stage ICBM to perform the Minuteman III mission. The main …

Analysis Of Titan Iv Launch Responsiveness, Michael T. Dunn

Theses and Dissertations

This research investigates the feasibility of developing responsive space systems through responsive launch operations with the Titan IV, the only expendable heavy-lift launch vehicle in the United States inventory. A definition for responsive launch has not been firmly established by Air Force Space Command for this launch vehicle. For benchmark purposes, this study uses the responsive launch definition contained in the proposal request for the Medium Launch Vehicle Ill: launch vehicle ignition within 60 days of mission need notification. Titan IV launch processing at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station (CCAFS), Florida currently requires in excess of six months, rendering Titan …

Comparison Of Artificial Neural Networks With A Conventional Heuristic Technique For Optimization Problems, Jeffrey S. Gruner

Theses and Dissertations

This research investigates the utility of the Hopfield and Kohonen artificial neural networks to the traveling salesman optimization problem. A third, non-neural-network technique (the Christofides Algorithm - a competitive, bounded-solution operations research technique) is also investigated for comparison to the artificial neural network solutions. An eight and forty-two city distribution are chosen for comparison of the solutions.

A Model Of Global Positioning System (Gps) Master Control Station (Mcs) Operations, David N. Koster

Theses and Dissertations

The United States Air Force's Navstar Global Positioning System (GPS) provides high-accuracy space-based navigation and time distribution to suitably- equipped military and civilian users. The system consists of earth-orbiting satellites and a world-wide network of ground stations. A single operational control center, the GPS Master Control Station (MCS) monitors, maintains, and commands the GPS satellite constellation. The on-going deployment of the complete satellite constellation and recent changes in the operational crew structure may invalidate previously used planning and management paradigms. There is currently no analytical method for predicting the impact of these and other environmental changes on system parameters and …

A Toposcopic Investigation Of Brain Electrical Activity Induced By Motion Sickness, Dwight A. Roblyer

Theses and Dissertations

A toposcope was constructed as a new tool to study signal frequency and phase relationships in electroencephalogram (EEG) records collected while subjects were experiencing motion sickness. This new tool, named TOPOS, is a software-based, multi-featured version of Grey Walter and Harold Shipton's device which they first produced in the late 1940s. The TOPOS graphical display permits the study of instantaneous frequency relationships between the input channels and a reference signal of fixed or varying frequency. TOPOS adds a correlation grid to aid observers in detecting channel-to-reference correlation levels. Users can also vary several display parameters via menus to optimize the …

Locating An Imaging Radar In Canada For Identifying Spaceborne Objects, William G. Schick

Theses and Dissertations

This research presents a study of the maximal coverage p-median facility location problem as applied to the location of an imaging radar in Canada for imaging spaceborne objects. The classical mathematical formulation of the maximal coverage p-median problem is converted into network-flow with side constraint formulations that are developed using a scaled down version of the imaging radar location problem. Two types of network-flow with side constraint formulations are developed: a network using side constraints that simulates the gains in a generalized network; and a network resembling a multi-commodity flow problem that uses side constraints to force flow along identical …

Software Support Measurement And Estimating For Oracle Database Applications Using Mark Ii Function Points, Steven D. Radnov

Theses and Dissertations

This study investigated the results of measuring software support of Oracle database applications and estimating the effort and schedule required to provide support. Software measurement was accomplished with a variant of the function points metric, called Mark II function points, which is comprised of three weighted parameters, inputs, entities, and outputs. A technique for mapping Mark II function points to Oracle DBMS components was developed, and the size of the software support for each project, per team, was measured by tabulating and weighting the number of inputs, entities, and outputs that are added, changed, and/or deleted. Software support effort was …

Development Of A Prototype Air Force Institute Of Technology (Afit) Research Management System (Arms), David N. Schaaf, Carl W. Scott

Theses and Dissertations

The goal of this study was to design, develop, test, and evaluate an initial prototype information system to enhance the conduct and management of research in the School of Systems and Logistics at the Air Force Institute of Technology (AFIT). To accomplish this goal, the researchers developed and completed a methodology that was generally patterned after the milestones in a typical system development life cycle. The proof-of-concept nature of this research caused the researchers to also map the study's seven major objectives into a second system development model called the Spiral Model (Boehm, 1988:61). This hybrid approach provided better defined …

Reliability, Maintainability, And Supportability (Rms) Education In Engineering Schools, Gregory T. Hurst, Barry N. Kinter

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this research is to show how engineering schools, as a whole, perceive the role of reliability, maintainability, and supportability in the engineering field. This includes the degree to which these concepts are included in their curricula, whether industry recruiters look for reliability, maintainability, and supportability training when they visit college campuses and to what degree college faculties are teaching reliability, maintainability, and supportability. This is done through research of existing literature and the analysis of data from a survey completed by engineering schools. General analyses are presented of the overall responses and detailed analysis of contrasts and …

The Efficacy Of Group Decision Support Systems: A Field Experiment To Evaluate Impacts On Air Force Decision Makers, Benjamin C. Huff

Theses and Dissertations

The research contributed to the study of Group Decision Support Systems (GDSS) in field experiments involving real managers making real decisions. This research was conducted by the Air Force Institute of Technology with the Air Force Armstrong Laboratory to evaluate the efficacy of using GDSS technology in an Air Force decision making environment. This study compared facilitated GDSS, facilitated manual, and unfacilitated manual decision making processes. This study focused on performance and secondary outcomes resulting from GDSS effects versus process structure effects. The research evaluated two performance outcomes: GDSS efficiency in terms of decision speed and effectiveness in terms of …

Bs News

Building Services Engineering

No abstract provided.

Parallel Simulation Of Structural Vhdl Circuits On Intel Hypercubes, Thomas A. Breeden

Theses and Dissertations

Many VLSI circuit designs are too large to be simulated with VHDL in a reasonable amount of time. One approach to reducing the simulation time is to distribute the simulation over several processors. This research creates an environment for designing and simulating structural VHDL circuits on the Intel iPSC/2 and iPSC/860 Hypercubes. Logic gates and system behaviors are partitioned among the processors, and signed changes are shared via event messages. Circuit simulations are run over the SPECTRUM parallel simulation testbed, and the null- message paradigm is used to avoid deadlock. Structural circuits ranging from forty to over one thousand logic …

Passive Damping Of A Solar Array, Mark A. Scharpen

Theses and Dissertations

This study was an attempt to conceptualize, design, build, and test a constrained layer damping device that uses mechanical advantage for the purpose of increasing the damping of transient vibration of a five-bay planar truss. The aluminum truss was clamped to a fixed support and simulated a solar array. A conventional constrained layer treatment was designed, built, and tested to serve as a benchmark for comparison. For the conventional treatment, Plunkett and Lee's segmented constraining layer technique was used. The improved device, two three-layer sandwich beams spanning the two bays nearest the built-in end, were supported several inches away from …

Creating And Manipulating Formalized Software Architectures To Support A Domain-Oriented Application Composition System, Cynthia G. Anderson

Theses and Dissertations

This research investigated technology which enables sophisticated users to specify, generate, and maintain application software in domain-oriented terms. To realize this new technology, a development environment, called Architect, was designed and implemented. Using canonical formal specifications of domain objects, Architect rapidly composes these specifications into a software application and executes a prototype of that application as a means to demonstrate its correctness before any programming language specific code is generated. Architect depends upon the existence of a formal object base (or domain model) which was investigated by another student in related research. The research described in this thesis relied on …

Automated Control Of Aircraft In Formation Flight, Louis E. Buzogany

Theses and Dissertations

In this study, an automated formation control system for an aircraft formation comprised of one lead and multiple wing aircraft is analyzed. Second- order models of the C-130 aircraft are developed in order to accurately model the flying qualities of large aircraft. This automated formation control system is capable of controlling the C-130 aircraft in maneuvering formation flight, thus reducing the wing's pilot workload. During formation flight, the wing aircraft continuously measures the lead aircraft's relative position with an ideal on-board position sensor. This information, in addition to Proportional Plus Integral feedback control, is used to maintain the aircraft in …

Oxidative Mechanisms In Arterial Distension Injury: Observations Relevant To Restenosis After Angioplasty, Charles F. Babbs, Yuan Zhong

Weldon School of Biomedical Engineering Faculty Working Papers

Background: To explore the hypothesis that tissue iron and reactive oxygen species, including superoxide (O2), mediate acute inflammatory and late hyperplastic responses to vascular injury, we studied experimental overdistension of normal carotid and femoral arteries in dogs. Experimental design: Arterial segments isolated in situ were distended with Ringer solution at 2 atmospheres pressure. In initial experiments the arteries were excised immediately after distension and immersed in diaminobenzidine solutions containing Mn++ ions to initiate histochemical reactions for O2. In other experiments distended arterial segments were reperfused with arterial blood in the presence or absence of the iron chelator, deferoxamine, or the …

Nsf Sponsored Innovation In Engineering And Cornputer Science, Jacob Abel, Patricia Daniels, James G. Harris, Harry Hedges

Electrical Engineering

No abstract provided.

The Programmers' Playground: I/O Abstraction For Heterogeneous Distributed Systems, Kenneth J. Goldman, Michael D. Anderson

All Computer Science and Engineering Research

A new high-level approach to interprocess communication in heterogeneous distributed systems in introduced, This approach, called I/O Abstraction, allows one to write each functional component of a distributed system as an encapsulated program that acts upon a set of local data structures, some of which may be published for external use. The functional components are separately configured by establishing logical connections among the published data structures. In order to illustrate this approach, we describe the The Programmers' Playground, a high-level language "veneer" and protocol designed to support I/O abstraction in heterogeneous computing environment. Support for communication among programs written in …

Southern Nevada Effluent Wetlands: A Proposed Cooperative Venture Between The Bureau Of Reclamation & City Of Las Vegas, Bureau Of Reclamation

Publications (WR)

Throughout North America there is a growing interest in constructed wetlands, both as relatively inexpensive, low-maintenance systems for removing nutrients from wastewater, and as a means of using municipal wastewater to enhance wildlife habitat and create public use opportunities. Because wetlands appear to have good potential as a component in the overall management of scarce water resources, the Bureau of Reclamation (Reclamation) has undertaken several cooperative research and demonstration projects to evaluate their effectiveness in a variety of local environments. While a number of projects have demonstrated that wetlands can be beneficially employed to improve water quality, few such projects …

Bs News

Building Services Engineering

No abstract provided.

Design For Manufacturability And Assembly, Srinivas Mullapudi

Theses

This report presents a study of the various concepts of design for manufacturability and assembly with some case studies, and examples.

The goal of DFM is reduction of parts and simplifying assembly process. A simple faucet has been studied and attempts have been made at re-designing the same using the techniques of design for manufaturability as postulated by Boothroyd, Dewhurst and Henry Stoll.

Development Of The Interface Between Cad And Waterjet Nc Systems, Sivayasivan Sambandan

Theses

There has been a continuous need in the present to develop softwares that provide interface between cutting machines and computer control. There involves a number of complex stages from the birth of an algorithm, to develop such software, till the end where it successfully gets tested and implemented. Cutting Path Simulation (CPS) is a partially developed software designed to model 2-d and 3-d objects and down load them to water jet cutting machine. Additional menus were created in the software to perform specific functions. Bugs that existed in the previously done work were removed. Investigation was conducted on the feasibility …

Application Of Desktop Manufacturing System (Sla) For The Manufacturing Of A Centrifugal Pump Impeller Using Cad (I-Deas), Wasimuddin Azam Muhammad Syed

Theses

Desktop Manufacturing (DTM) systems which combine personal computer, laser and other technologies are being used to sculpt objects from computer generated models created on computer aided design (CAD) workstations. As a member of DTM systems, StereoLithography Apparatus (SLA) transforms 3-dimensional designs into a 3-D output. This can substantially reduce the time required to produce a prototype through the process of photopolymerization. The process involves the transfer of a liquid plastic monomer into a solid polymer by exposing it to ultraviolet light.

Although the process looks productive, inefficiencies can occur, if incorrect parameters are selected before its application for a particular …

Modeling, Evaluation, And Control Of A Flexible Manufacturing Cell Using Petri Nets, Glenn Arthur Thorniley

Theses

This thesis describes the usefulness of Petri nets in modeling, evaluating, and controlling a Flexible Manufacturing Cell (FMC). The basics of Petri net theory are explained and a specific FMC is examined. First, the FMC is modeled. The purpose of modeling is to facilitate the evaluation and provide a framework on which the control methodologies can be applied. The objective of the evaluation is to determine how the FMC would benefit most by replacing or adding equipment. Several ideas on control are combined to form a useful framework for the designing of the control net. With this framework the control …

Removal Of Volatile Organic Compounds (Voc's) Acetone And Ethyl Alcohol Emitted In The Manufacture Of A Multi-Base Propellant, Yih-Leu Liu

Theses

The Production Base Modernization Activity located at Picatinny Arsenal, initiated this study for the removal of the low concentrations of VOC's, acetone and ethyl alcohol emitted from the mixer operation and the forced air dry unit in the manufacture of a multi -base propellant. Air pollution requirements necessitate 85 % removal of the VOC's prior to discharge of the vent gases into the atmosphere. Because of the availability of sulfuric acid, it is proposed to use 70 percent or stronger acid as the absorbing agent in a recirculating acid absorption tower.

Vapor - Liquid Equilibrium ( VLE ) data were …

Adaptive Map Configuration And Dynamic Routing To Optimize The Performance Of A Satellite Communication Network, Santhalingam Balasekar

Theses

Availability of alternate routes are shown to enhance the performance of non-hierarchical circuit switched networks at moderate load conditions on which the networks typically operate. But alternate routes introduce instability at heavy and overloaded conditions and at these load conditions the network performance is found to deteriorate. To alleviate this problem, one of the control mechanism used is to reserve a fraction of the capacity of each link for direct routed calls. In this work, the feasibility of changing the facilities of a satellite network is taken advantage in optimizing the performance of such a network. A mesh connected, circuit …