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In Search Of Something More: My Path Towards International Service-Learning In Engineering Education, Margaret Pinnell

Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Faculty Publications

My personal and professional travels led me toward global education, in particular the University of Dayton (UD) program Engineers in Technical Humanitarian Opportunities for Service-Learning (ETHOS). I do not believe I ever intended to become part of an international engineering education program. In fact, I think the international piece was just a bonus. What really drew me to the ETHOS program was what initially draws our students to the program - a desire to "help" people. In order for the reader to understand how I ended up being involved in global education through the ETHOS program, I must first explain …

A Macrobending Singlemode Fiber Refractive Index Sensor For Low Refractive Index Liquids, Pengfei Wang, Yuliya Semenova, Yong Li, Qiang Wu, Gerald Farrell

Articles

An all-fiber refractive index sensor with a simple configuration is proposed and investigated. The proposed fiber refractometer consists of a full-loop structure of bare high-bend loss singlemode fiber-1060XP, employing the well-known whispering gallery mode (WGM) effect induced by the evanescent wave excitation to measure the refractive index of an external medium. A competitive sensitivity is achieved (average 725.76nm/RIU at a bend diameter of 19.3mm) compared with other fiber-optic sensors, plus benefits resulting from simplicity, low cost and ease of fabrication.

Me-Em 2010 Annual Report, Department Of Mechanical Engineering-Engineering Mechanics, Michigan Technological University

Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Annual Reports

Table of Contents

• First Year to First Career
• Faculty & Staff
• Alumni
• Resources
• Graduates
• Publications

Using Simulation Systems For Decision Support, Andreas Tolk

Computational Modeling & Simulation Engineering Faculty Publications

This chapter describes the use of simulation systems for decision support in support of real operations, which is the most challenging application domain in the discipline of modeling and simulation. To this end, the systems must be integrated as services into the operational infrastructure. To support discovery, selection, and composition of services, they need to be annotated regarding technical, syntactic, semantic, pragmatic, dynamic, and conceptual categories. The systems themselves must be complete and validated. The data must be obtainable, preferably via common protocols shared with the operational infrastructure. Agents and automated forces must produce situation adequate behavior. If these requirements …

Social Enterprise: An Overlooked Approach To Promoting Sustainable Economic Regeneration, Gerard Doyle

Reports

Across Europe, social enterprises are making a significant impact on communities, particularly those blighted by high levels of unemployment, poverty and disadvantage. According to the European Commission, they represent 2 million enterprises (i.e. 10 per cent of all European businesses) and employ over 11 million paid employees (the equivalent of 6 per cent of the working population of the EU). Social enterprises are present in almost every sector of the economy, such as banking, insurance, agriculture, craft, various commercial services, and health and social services. The benefits of social enterprises are many, but in economic terms, they can support the …

Algae And Biodiesel: Patenting Energized As Green Goes Commercial, Matthew R. Priess, Stanley P. Kowalski

Law Faculty Scholarship

In the twenty-first century, predominant dependence on fossil fuels as energy resources will not be sustainable. Developing and commercializing green energy innovations will be an essential component of the transition to a more diversified energy economy. Algal biodiesel is one of the most promising green fuels because of its potential as a renewable and sustainable fuel source without displacing food crops. Algal biodiesel research and development are necessary early steps towards a transition to a green energy economy. The strategic use of strong patent portfolios will drive this by attracting investment, incentivizing innovation and accelerating commercialization. Whereas algal biodiesel research …

Estimating Information Amount Under Uncertainty: Algorithmic Solvability And Computational Complexity, Vladik Kreinovich, Gang Xiang

Departmental Technical Reports (CS)

Measurement results (and, more generally, estimates) are never absolutely accurate: there is always an uncertainty, the actual value x is, in general, different from the estimate X. Sometimes, we know the probability of different values of the estimation error dx=X-x, sometimes, we only know the interval of possible values of dx, sometimes, we have interval bounds on the cdf of dx. To compare different measuring instruments, it is desirable to know which of them brings more information - i.e., it is desirable to gauge the amount of information. For probabilistic uncertainty, this amount of information is described by Shannon's entropy; …

Department Of Biological Systems Engineering Newsletter, Volume 6, Number 1, January 2010

BSE Department Magazine

No abstract provided.

The Role Of Shewanella Oneidensis Mr-1 Outer Surface Structures In Extracellular Electron Transfer, Rachida A. Bouhenni, Gary J. Vora, Justin C. Biffinger, Sheetal Shirodkar, Ken Brockman, Ricky Ray, Peter Wu, Brandy J. Johnson, Eulandria M. Biddle, Matthew J. Marshall, Lisa A. Fitzgerald, Brenda J. Little, Jim K. Fredrickson, Alexander S. Beliaev, Bradley R. Ringeisen, Daad A. Saffarini

United States Navy: Publications

The ability of the metal reducer Shewanella oneidensis MR-1 to generate electricity in microbial fuel cells (MFCs) depends on the activity of a predicted type IV prepilin peptidase; PilD. Analysis of an S. oneidensis MR-1 pilD mutant indicated that it was deficient in pili production (Msh and type IV) and type II secretion (T2S). The requirement for T2S in metal reduction has been previously identified, but the role of pili remains largely unexplored. To define the role of type IV or Msh pili in electron transfer, mutants that lack one or both pilus biogenesis systems were generated and analyzed; …

Facility Power Usage Modeling And Short Term Prediction With Artificial Neural Networks, Sunny Wan, Xiao-Hua Yu

Electrical Engineering

Residential and commercial buildings accounted for about 68% of the total U.S. electricity consumption in 2002. Improving the energy efficiency of buildings can save energy, reduce cost, and protect the global environment. In this research, artificial neural network is employed to model and predict the facility power usage of campus buildings. The prediction is based on the building power usage history and weather conditions such as temperature, humidity, wind speed, etc. Different neural network configurations are discussed; satisfactory computer simulation results are obtained and presented.

Considering Sustainability Factors In The Development Project Life-Cycle : A Framework For Increasing Successful Adoption Of Improved Stoves , Travis K. Ostrom

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports - Open

Indoor air pollution from combustion of solid fuels is the fifth leading contributor to disease burden in low-income countries. This, and potential to reduce environmental impacts, has resulted in emphasis on use of improved stoves. However, many efforts have failed to meet expectations and effective coverage remains limited. A disconnect exists between technologies, delivery methods, and long-term adoption.

The purpose of this research is to develop a framework to increase long-term success of improved stove projects. The framework integrates sustainability factors into the project life-cycle. It is represented as a matrix and checklist which encourages consideration of social, economic, and …

Post-Project Assessment And Follow-Up Support For Community Managed Rural Water Systems In Panama , Ryu Suzuki

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports - Open

The Environmental Health (EH) program of Peace Corps (PC) Panama and a non-governmental organization (NGO) Waterlines have been assisting rural communities in Panama gain access to improved water sources through the practice of community management (CM) model and participatory development. Unfortunately, there is little information available on how a water system is functioning once the construction is complete and the volunteer leaves the community. This is a concern when the recent literature suggests that most communities are not able to indefinitely maintain a rural water system (RWS) without some form of external assistance (Sara and Katz, 1997; Newman et al, …

2009/10 Research, Development, And Activities, College Of Engineering And Applied Sciences

Electrical and Computer Engineering Newsletter

• Design of iPhone Game Applications for the Eyes on the Earth Initiative
• Printed Electronics Research and Sensor Development
• Dual-Use Ground Vehicle Condition-Based Maintenance
• TS-Type Fuzzy Automaton for Software Agents
• NEW DEAN – College of Engineering & Applied Sciences
• Nonlinear Circuits and Systems Laboratory
• ECE supporting Sunseeker Solar Rayce Team
• DOE Strategic Training and Education in Power Systems (STEPS) Funding

What About The Children? Benjamin And Arendt: On Education, Work, And The Political, Jules Simon

Selected Works Temporary Series

This article is a rough draft of an article that I contributed to an edited volume of articles dealing with progressive education theory. I reflect on articles that Hannah Arendt and Walter Benjamin wrote that deal with educational reform and innovation, both political in nature.

Synthesis, Structure, And Catalytic Properties Of Size-Selected Platinum Nanoparticles, Simon Armando Covone

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The use of heterogeneous catalysis is well established in chemical synthesis, energy, and environmental engineering applications. Supported Pt nanoparticles have been widely reported to act as catalysts in a vast number of chemical reactions. In this report, the performance of Pt/ZrO2 nanocatalyst for the decomposition of methanol, ethanol, 2-propanol, and 2-butanol is investigated. The potential of each alcohol for the production of H2 and other relevant products in the presence of a catalyst is studied. All the alcohols studied show some decomposition activity below 200°C which increased with increasing temperature. In all cases, high selectivity towards H2 formation is observed. …

Analysis And Design Of A Feedback Controlled Adaptive Pneumatic Cast, Susan Renee Mueller

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

A pneumatic system with PID control for an actively controlled cast is designed. The cast is intended to aid healing of diabetic foot ulcers by relieving pressure from the sole of a patient's foot and distributing it to the calf. This is accomplished by a pneumatic system which maintains set pressure in multiple air bladders. The research began by defining an electrical circuit analogous to a single supply subsystem. Tests are performed to determine the coefficients for each component. These coefficients are used in a mathematical model to better understand the response of the system to pressure input. A controller …

Design And Development Of An Integrated Waste Management System For Huai Nam Khun, Thailand, Annie Duong

Industrial and Manufacturing Engineering

Background

A rural village in Thailand has always been limited in access to waste collection services and processing facilities. As a result, their behaviors of disposing waste in ineffective manners such as dumping and burning causes a variety of environmental impacts. In addition, the people dwelling in these areas are often unaware of the health risks associated to these types of engagements because of the inadequate education system. For a long time coming these circumstances remained untouched until a non-profit organization recently shed light to the need for a solution. An investigation, to develop a design solution in order to …

Environmental Savings Tracking System For Cisco Systems, Inc., Lauren J. Herrera

Industrial and Manufacturing Engineering

This paper illustrates the research, methodology and design used to create an environmental savings tracking system, also known as the Green Dashboard, for Cisco Systems Inc.’s Green Initiatives Group to quantify and capture an annualized summary of savings from projects initiated within its Customer Value Chain Management Organization. It articulately describes the

methodology behind the selection of metrics and the design of the process required to collect and track these quantitative direct savings. As well as describes the benefits associated with implementing this system, such as shifting Cisco towards more sustainable products and increased customer satisfaction and investor relations by …

Comparison Of Indian Ppp Construction Industry And European Ppp Construction Industry: Process, Thresholds And Implementation, Louis Gunnigan, Renuka Rajput

Conference papers

Abstract Since the 1990’s, there has been a rapid rise of Public Private Partnerships (PPPs) across the world. Governments in developing as well as developed countries are increasingly using this procurement method to bridge the much needed infrastructure gap. PPPs are seen as an important tool for producing an accelerated and larger pipeline of infrastructure investments, and catching up with the infrastructure deficit. Arguably, this is why developed and especially developing countries are very keen on PPP models. This paper will compare the PPP procurement process followed in Europe compared to India and presents a thorough review of literature on …

Non-Planar Diamond Electrodes For Biomedical Neural Sensing And Stimulating, Jeffrey M. Halpern

Chemical Engineering

Abstract

Conductive diamond has exceptional chemical stability, making it an appealing candidate material for long-term medical device implants. This work describes the characterization, and fabrication of four diamond-based neural devices. A previously developed 30 µm diamond-disk in vitro needle electrode was characterized. The device could detect 1 nM concentration analytes in a flow cell using fast scan cyclic voltammetry, but the fabrication was not reproducible. A novel in vitro diamond device was developed with diamond selectively grown at the tip of a hollow quartz capillary, resulting in a 2-4 µm tip diameter. The diamond tip shape and size were geometrically …

Non-Profit Management System For Friends Of The Elephant Seal, Matthew Justus, Robert Macasi, Jeff Zinn

Industrial and Manufacturing Engineering

Friends of the Elephant Seal (FES) are a non-profit organization based in San Simeon, California. Their current method of tracking and reporting information is inefficient. A project was proposed to develop a new information management system for FES, install it at their office and provide training including a user manual. The project was divided into three parts: Database Design and Implementation; User Interface Design and Ergonomics; and User Manual & Help System.

The objective of the project was to design a user-friendly interface specifically for the FES worker that allowed for easy access to data entry functions, reporting functions and …

Alleviation Of Spindle Transfer, Blake Ochs, Whitney Bone

Industrial and Manufacturing Engineering

Haas Automation, Inc. is one of the largest CNC machine tool builders in the world. They produce an assortment of machines that come in many different sizes, however, all machines have in common the central tool that allows them to perform their surfacing and bore functions, the spindle. As with the machines themselves, the spindles can also range in size depending on the type of machine they are going into. These spindles are assembled step by step and as components are added to them, several models become so heavy that it is not feasible to have operators lift them by …

Digester Selection And Operation For Heybeli Island, Spencer Fackler, Joseph Violetti

Industrial and Manufacturing Engineering

The Heybeli Digester project originated with Sema Alptekin in her personal research and was incorporated into a Senior Project opportunity at California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo. The aim of this project was to select and design a plan for the use of a digester for the island of Heybeli, Turkey. The objective of this plan was to incorporate economic, social, and environmental justifications to evaluate if a digester would be a benefit to the community.

Systems Engineering analysis is a vital tool when working with complicated projects that include multiple systems interfacing with one another. Through the use …

The Optimal Warehouse Location For Cal Poly's Campus Dining, Robert Buie

Industrial and Manufacturing Engineering

The Cal Poly Corporation and Campus Dining face the challenge of meeting the growth of students and dining venues on campus with the limited space capacity of their warehouse in building 19. Given a $250,000 budget, Campus Dining has an option to keep the warehouse at the current location at building 19 or moving the warehouse to building 82 off Mt. Bishop Road. Each warehouse location has its benefits as building 19 is in the center of campus and building 82 has much more shelving space than building 19. The objective of this project was to select the better choice …

The Systemic Correlation Between Mental Models And Sustainable Design: Implications For Engineering Educators, Linda Vanasupa, Roger Burton, Jonathan Stolk, Julie B. Zimmerman, Larry J. Leifer, Paul T. Anastas

Materials Engineering

Many studies have illuminated our understanding of the kinds of competencies and behaviors exhibited by effective designers. Against the backdrop of global challenges made more urgent by unintentional negative impacts of engineered products and systems, however, we are left to deduce that our ways of educating engineering designers is fundamentally flawed. We assert that one can trace the cause of our collective, unintended negative consequences to the mental models of reality that we consciously or unconsciously carry. In this paper, we present the case for developing awareness and facility with mental models. We also suggest an alternate mental model as …

A Comparative Guide To The Western States' Public Trust Doctrines: Public Values, Private Rights, And The Evolution Toward An Ecological Public Trust, Robin Kundis Craig

All In-stream Flows Material

In the arid West, balancing private needs for fresh water to consume against the public values-recreational, aesthetic, and ecological-served by leaving fresh water in situ has tended to favor the private use side. Evidence of this result is both massive and minor, ranging from California's multi-billion-dollar water transportation system,¹ to the routine de-watering of the Colorado River so that little to no water reaches the Sea of Cortez,² to water-related Endangered Species Act lawsuits in dozens of watersheds. ³

Predictive Modeling Of Sulfide Removal In Tray Aerators, Jumoke O. Faborode

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Hydrogen sulfide is commonly found in many Florida potable groundwater supplies. Removing sulfur species, particularly hydrogen sulfide is important because if left untreated, sulfide can impact finished water quality, corrosivity, create undesirable taste and odor, and oxidize to form visible turbidity and color. This document presents the results of a study designed to investigate the removal efficiencies of a variety of tray aerators in Central Florida in order to develop a predictive mathematical model that could be used to determine tray effectiveness for sulfide removal. A literature review was performed that indicated there was limited information regarding the removal of …

A Signal Processing Method To Explore Similarity In Protein Flexibility, Simina Vasilache, Nazanin Mirshahi, Soo-Yeon Ji, James Mottonen, Donald J. Jacobs, Kayvan Najarian

Computer Science Publications

Understanding mechanisms of protein flexibility is of great importance to structural biology. The ability to detect similarities between proteins and their patterns is vital in discovering new information about unknown protein functions. A Distance Constraint Model (DCM) provides a means to generate a variety of flexibility measures based on a given protein structure. Although information about mechanical properties of flexibility is critical for understanding protein function for a given protein, the question of whether certain characteristics are shared across homologous proteins is difficult to assess. For a proper assessment, a quantified measure of similarity is necessary. This paper begins to …

On Some Recent Applications Of The Coanda Effect To Acoustics, Caroline P. Lubert

Department of Mathematics and Statistics - Faculty Scholarship

No abstract provided.

Santa Clara Magazine, Volume 51 Number 4, Spring 2010, Santa Clara University

Santa Clara Magazine

14 - BENDING LIGHT By Steven Boyd Saum. They wanted to show that green living is not a compromise. So, for the international Solar Decathlon, the SCU-led Team California built a house of light and wonder. And it was dazzling enough to win No. 3 on the planet.

22 - CONNECT THE DOTS By Scott Brown '93. From border security to disaster preparedness, Secretary of Homeland Security Janet Napolitano '79 has one immense portfolio. She's also the point person on immigration. How to put those together?

28 - THIS PLACE WE CALL HOME By Kristina Chiapella '09 '09. Generations ago, …