Digital Commons Network^™

Microbial Phenol Degradation Utilizing A Complete-Mix Biological Reactor : The Effects Of Dissolved Oxygen Content, Keith Kollar

Theses

Experiments were conducted using phenol as a sole carbon source in a series of completely mixed biological reactors with solids recycle (CMBR). The reactor working volume was 4 liters, and solids were recycled from 3 liter clarifiers. Dissolved oxygen concentration (DO) was varied in order to determine the impact of this important variable on system operability.

Phenol was removed at better than 99 percent efficiency during most of the runs. Filamentous growth was not observed during any run. However, bulking did occur at higher DO levels, which was the result of microbial slime production.

A Dynamic Model Of A Fill-And-Draw Reactor And Its Implications For Hazardous Waste Treatment, Shing-Hwa Chang

Theses

A dynamic model of a fill-and-draw reactor has been developed, which includes a number of operational parameters such as the draw-down volume, the fraction of total cycle time devoted to fill, reaction, and draw, and the concentration of the toxic substance in the feed to the reactor. The model has been solved numerically for two cases, one assuming Monod kinetics, and one considering substrate inhibition (Andrews kinetics).

The conversions achieved with this type of reactor have been compared to that of a conventional activated sludge (CSTR) design. These results indicate that for most practical settings of the operating parameters, the …

Synergistic Fillers In Polymer Concrete : New Composites, Syed Hassan Javed

Theses

The objective of this study was to examine the effects of synergistic fillers on underwater construction, burning and mechanical properties of polymer portland cement concrete(PPCC).

Fine grains of hydrous calcium sulfate, Trihydrated alumina, Calcium carbonate and fibrous unhydrous calcium sulfate were examined in PPCC. It has been observed that these synergistic filler improves the mechanical property (stress) and reduce the average time of burning of PPCC. With fixed quantity of polymer, the deterioration of PPCC in water increases by replacing the sand with above stated fillers.

Effects Of Peripheral And Microwave-Core Heating On Survival In Hemorrhagic Shock In Rats, Ashraf Sabry El-Assuooty

Theses

In a model of rats resuscitated from hemorrhagic shock,where 11 of 12 animals were alive up to 4 hours after shock, there was an average drop of 10°C in core body temperature. Survival and morbidity was much impaired when the shocked animals were externally heated with an infrared lamp to maintain a core body temperature of 35°C. Since the increased intrashock mortality is possibly due to the circulatory changes induced by peripheral heating, an attempt was made to determine the effects of heating the animal at its core. Twelve rats were shocked in the same fashion, however the body core …

A Computer-Based Microwave Interferometer Instrumentation System As A Non-Invasive Cardiopulmonary Monitor, Chin-Yee Eric Ho

Theses

The system comprises a microwave interferometer as a computer-based non-invasive cardiopulmonary monitor. The microwave interferometer records the mechanical vibration of the chest wall. The objective is to determine whether the signals may have diagnostic value and to evaluate the instrument as a non-invasive and non-contacting cardiopulmonary monitor.

With the help of a computer it is possible to analyze the mechanical vibration of the chest wall produced by the heart and thereby detect, and possibly categorize, cardiac abnormalities. This system is able to process two channels, the first signal from microwave interferometer records chest wall vibrations and the second signal is …

The Quantitative Determination Of Formaldehyde In Ambient Air (Analytical Method), Chitsan Lin

Theses

A procedure for coating in situ silica gel in prepacked cartridges with 2,4-dinitrophenylhvdrazine (DNPH) acidified with hydrochloric acid is described. The method was evaluated under practical field conditions in The Northern New Jersey-Staten Island Urban Air Toxics Project. The formaldehyde hydrazone formed is desorbed by acetonitrile and determined by high-performance liquid chromatography with UV det.ection. In this study, we have examined trap coaz)ng, trap efficiency, parallel ambient air and inaoor air sampLing, to find the best analysis method. Sampling traps aci:iifled .:ith hydrochloric acid perform better than those using percnicric acid or phosphoric acid. Trap sampling efficiency was significantly affected …

Investigation Of The Characteristics Of The Kerf And The Surface Generated In The Course Of Cutting Titanium With Abrasive Waterjets, Ajay Vora

Theses

The effect of cutting parameters on the quality of cut in the course of cutting Titanium (Gr.2) with Abrasive Waterjet is investigated. The cutting parameters include nozzle traverse rate, size and feed rate of abrasives and nozzle(s) diameter. The width of kerf (top and bottom ), taper and roughness is studied. The measurements are tabulated and plots are made to study the trend and relationship for each set of parameters.

The qualitative conclusions are made successfully but no quantitative relationship was derived. Suggestions are made for the evaluation of technology for feasibility and economic justification, and to achieve desired cutting …

Reliability Problems In Semiconductor Lasers, Ajay R. Patel

Theses

The stability and reliability of semiconductor laser is dependent on its design, fabrication, and output power. The best way to assure high reliability of these devices is by accelerated aging test and by selection of strict and meaningful criteria for the acceptance or rejection of a particular device. In this thesis emphasis is given on different failure mechanisms that are known. As new development takes place, other mechanisms may be found. Catastrophic degradation, gradual degradation, darkline defects, and contamination during the fabrication process are the main source of device failure.

The noise generation and the packaging issue of semiconductor laser …

Sorption Characteristics And Their Effects On Geotechnical Properties Of Clay Soils, Arambawattage Mahendra Rodrigo

Theses

An experimental investigation on the sorption characteristics of clay soils with liquid organics (phenol, chlorophenol, nitrophenol and chlorobenzene) and their effects upon geotechnical properties was undertaken. The investigation consisted of two different phases, namely, (1) the sorption/ desorption study, including kinetic rate, equilibrium time, isotherm modeling, and (2) geotechnical properties due to clay/ liquid organic interactions. The results of kinetic rate study indicate that the equilibration time for the contaminants way dependent upon the hydrophobic or the hydrophelic nature of the chemical. For equilibrium adsorption models, the linear isotherm was found to be the best fit in predicting sorption capacities …

The Changing Role Of The Electric Utility Rates Manager, Richard J. Tutela

Theses

The Changing Role of the Electric Utility Rates Manager will examine the rapidly changing functions of the electric utility rates and regulatory affairs executives. It will explore the changing attitudes, responsibilities, concerns, and required resources of the incumbents. Moreover, it will project and examine the issues which will be of major concern before the turn of the century.

Expectations are that the future functions associated with managing electric rates will soon be significantly different than those in recent past. Further, expectations are to find that if some specific issues which are projected to be of major concern are not properly …

Temperature Dependent Reliability Of Plastic Packaged Microcircuits, Wasim Ahmed

Theses

Increasing power and power densities in new high complexity semiconductor devices are creating heat removal problems. Increased powers produce higher junction temperature which lead to potentially faster degradation of device reliability. Thermal management at device level packaging involves efficient and cost-effective removal of dissipated thermal energy from the device to assure its reliable performance over the long term. In the context of very high levels of integeration of future ICs, thermal management will mean making such devices possible close to the limits of acceptable high temperature.

The major factors affecting heat flow in a plastic Dual-in-line-packages (DIP'S) are investigated using …

Development Of 8052ah-Basic Based Single Board Computer Ii, Suping Lou

Theses

8052AH-BAISC Based Single Board Computer II ( SBC II ) is designed and developed for the application in biomedical instruments as an embedded central processing unit. SBC II offers powerful function in digital signal acquisition, storage and processing, smart on-board EPROM programming, various preipheries supporting and custom supervisor program. The techniques of design and development of SBC II includes computer aided circuits analysis and schematic, optimal design algorithms and computerized setting up SBC II prototype.

This thesis combines the analysis of SBC II circuitry, set up and operation of the complete computer aided electrical circuit design software OrCAD/SDT specifics in …

Implementation Of The Voice Processing System, Yang-Young Dan

Theses

The Voice Processing System is implemented by using XILINX Advanced Computer Aided Design Technology. It is also used as an interface to the 8052 AH-BASIC single hoard computer system.

The Voice Processing System ( VPS ) comprises three major parts:

1. Voice Detection Circuit

2. System Clock Generation & Synchronization

3. Signal Processing and Storing Circuit

The analog voice sip!gnals are the inputs to the first part of VPS. The digitalized voice is the output of this system.

In order to get precise output, the first part plays the roles of noise cancellation, zero crossing processing, and recognition.

For the …

Image Enhancement And Edge Detection Using Fuzzy Algorithm, Samir Patel

Theses

A method of image enhancement and edge detection by computer using the fuzzy set is illustrated. The algorithm involves extraction of fuzzy properties corresponding to pixels and then succesive application of fuzzy operator 'contrast intensification' along with smoothing in the fuzzy property plane before detecting its edges. The property plane is extracted from the spatial domain using S, π, and (1- π) functions and the fuzzifiers. Edge detection is achieved using KIRSH operator. A computer routine is developed and the effectiveness of the algorithm with different value of the system parameter is demonstrated on different images. The digital computer HP …

Analysis And Simulation Of Chirp Radar System, Tina Tsung Tsai

Theses

This paper consists of a technique to design a Chirp radar system and proposes a solution to optimize the design of the linear time delay network required in such systems. A Chirp radar system has a wide bandwidth for high range resolution, and long pulse duration for high velocity resolution and high transmitted energy. The technique of a pulse compression system offers a means of increasing the average power available to illuminate radar targets without any loss of the resolution at the receiver needed for the tactical requirements of the system. This is accomplished by transmitting a wide pulse in …

Bead Design For Biodegradation Of 2-Chlorophenol Using Microorganisms Entrapped In Alginate Gel, Fayaz Lakhwala

Theses

The performance of immobilized cell reactors varies with a number of parameters, one of which is proper bead design. A mixed microbial population from a waste water treatment plant was immobilized in calcium alginate gel. The viability of these organisms was studied in a microassay reactor by varying parameters such as concentration of calcium chloride, concentration of sodium alginate, temperature of operation, biomass concentration within the beads and concentration of a model compound (2-chlorophenol). The effect of storage on viability over a period of three months was also investigated. It was found possible to have access to active biomass by …

Pentachlorophenol And Oxygen Consumption Of Immobilized Mixed Bacterial Culture, Tesfamariam Stephanos Tsadwa

Theses

This study was undertaken to investigate the effects of Pentachlorophenol (PCP) concentration on oxygen consumption of immobilized microbial cells. The microbial population, from a municipal wastewater treatment plant, was immobilized in calcium alginate gel. The following studies have also been conducted in this project:

1. Comparison of the effect of PCP concentration on oxygen uptake between immobilized and free cells.
2. Comparison of the effects of PCP concentration on oxygen uptake between acclimated and an unacclimated bacterial beads.

Dissolved oxygen concentration was monitored using a flow Clark-type oxygen probe, in a micro-assay bioreactor. It was found that PCP concentrations higher than 2000ppm …

Ibm/Xt-Based Automatic Monitoring Instrumentation System For Eating Behavior Studies In Rats, Binghong Gui

Theses

An auto-feeding system based on the IBM-XT microcomputer has been designed for use in the anti-obesity research program in the Pharmacology Department at Hoffmann-La Roche Inc. By using this system, experimental rats can be automatically fed, some which have been given anti-obesity drugs and some which have not. The system can also collect data, such as eating times and food intake, which are used for studying the rat's eating behavior.

The system is designed to control thirty six cages with one experimental rat in each cage and it performs three functions:

1 ) To automatically dispense a preset quantity of …

High Frequency Gaussian Beams Solution Of A Plane Wave Coupling Into Cylindrical Cavity, Christine Issa Mourad

Theses

Propagation of high frequency fields as a superposition of Gaussian beams instead of geometrical ray fields has potential advantages in complicated environments because the beams do not fail in ray optic transition regions. While the Gaussian beam method can be made rigorous through self consistent stacking of displaced and tilted beams on a Gabor phase space lattice, with retention of full beam spectra, computation is facilitated when the propagation domain is covered with paraxially approximated nontilted beams. The spectral deficiencies introduced by this simplified propagation model depend on the propagation environment. They are examined here for a plane wave coupling …

An Improved Method Of Gas Chromatographic Determination Of Trace Organic Vapors In Ambient Air Collected In Canisters, Yong-Jin Shen

Theses

An improved method for analysis and quantitation of volatile organic compounds in ambient air has been developed. Samples are collected in evacuated SUMMA polished stainless steel canisters using a sampling flow apparatus with a critical orifice as flowrate controller. Analysis of VOCs in the collected air is carried out by cryogenically concentrating the sample, then thermally transfering it onto the head of a capillary column in a gas chromatograph. The column effluent is measured by a parallel flame ionization detector (FID), and electron capture detector (ECD). The problems associating with quantitative transfer of the sample to the initial cryofocusing loop …

A Feasible Direction Procedure For General Multiple Objective Optimization, Wen-Tsia Liu

Dissertations

The Feasible Direction Finding Problem (DFP) of Zoutendijk is adapted to create a general Mathematical Programming (MP) algorithm for treating optimization problems with multiple objective functions. Classically such problems are reduced to standard MP form by converting them to single objective function problems by the use of weighting functions. Unfortunately not all practical problems can be so reduced. Consider the problem of maximizing the strength of a structure. Typically there are several, or even many, failure modes. All active failure modes must be included in the optimal search in such a way that resistance to one active mode can not …

Teaching In A Virtual Classroom : Volume 2 Of A Virtual Classroom On Eies : Final Evaluation Report, Computerized Conferencing & Communications Center, Starr Roxanne Hiltz

Computerized Conferencing and Communications Center Reports

A Virtual Classroom is a teaching and learning environment located within a computer-mediated communication system. As a teaching environment, it provides a set of tools, strengths, and limitations which are available to an instructor for delivering course materials and structuring learning experiences. Its characteristics are merely potentials, just as the empty classroom with its chalkboards and desks awaits the efforts and creativity of the instructor and the students to make it "come alive."

This is the second volume of the final research report on experiences with the prototype of a Virtual Classroom system constructed and operated on EIES, the Electronic …

Learning In A Virtual Classroom : Volume 1 Of A Virtual Classroom On Eies : Final Evaluation Report, Computerized Conferencing & Communications Center, Starr Roxanne Hiltz

Computerized Conferencing and Communications Center Reports

The Virtual Classroom [TM] is a system for learning and communicating via connected computers. Students in the Virtual Classroom share their thoughts, questions and reactions with professors and classmates using computers equipped with specially designed software. The software enables students to send and receive messages, interact with professors and classmates, read and comment on lecture material, take tests and receive feedback, and more, without having to attend scheduled classes. Learning can take place at any location in the world and at any time of the day using a computer on campus, at home or in the workplace.

The primary goal …

Adsorption Of Nickel And Lead With Activated Sludge, Chi-Yun Chen

Theses

Wastewater produced in domestic, commercial, and industrial activities often contains significant amounts of metals. This would result in the discharge of heavy metals into the sewer system. Some of the heavy metals can be adsorbed by activated sludge. This may present a problem for the treatment and ultimate disposal of sludge.

The purpose of the research was to determine how much metals can be adsorbed by sludge. Nickel and Lead were selected for this investigation because of their environmental significance. Both belong to priority pollutants considered potentially toxic. Factors affecting the adsorption, such as sludge concentration, metal concentration, mixing condition, …

Development Of A Low Cost Pc Based Robot Vision System, Raghunandan Jadhav

Theses

There has been a continued. interest in utilizing machine vision systems for robot guidance applications. Commercial vision systems can be programmed to give information about the parts in the robot work area and this information can be used by the robot computer to guide the robot. In most applications, however, the vision information cannot be easily integrated with the robot control language. This thesis considers implementation of part identification routines directly into a robot guidance language. This makes all the complicated machine vision algorithms transparent to the user and allows him to treat higher level vision functions as an extension …

8085 In-Circuit Emulator For Ibm Personal Computer, Joong Bin Lee

Theses

As microprocessor-based systems become gradually larger, the developers need good tools for debugging the hardware and software. The emulators for the IBM Personal Computer using an RS-232 serial port are available in the market. But it takes quite a long time to download the user file to the memory of the emulator or the target system. This emulator is an add-on card dedicated for IBM Personal Computers. The emulator communicates with the IBM Personal Computer through the I/O channels on the mother board instead of the serial port, so its speed is much faster than that of the serial port. …

Use Of Latex Modified Concrete For Repairs And Overlays, Chen-Hoang Lo

Theses

Latex modified concrete and polymer concrete have been widely used for bridge deck overlays and crack repairs for the past decade. In recent years, many of these repaired structures were found to be defective. The causes of these failures are not clearly confirmed. Some blame the quality of the latex products while manufacturers accuse the contractors of improper placement and/or surface preparation. While most of these failures largely appeared to be debonding and delamination of the overlays, excessive cracks, possibly shrinkage cracks, were also reported in the overlaid LMC.

To evaluate the suitability of using latex modified concrete for crack …

Calculation Of Heat Transfer At The Center Of A Round Plate, In Forced Convection Stagnation Flow, Ali Rohafza

Theses

The theoretical study presented here examines heat transfer at the center of a round plate, in forced convection stagnation flow.

Note that in the region of stagnation point, the flow is always laminar.

Important results presented include the variations of the similarity function f and its derivative f’ with the vertical coordinate; these results were found by using the power series method to solve the governing non-linear differential equation. In order to do that , certain things were assumed like, for example, as the point at which two solutions were spliced, η₀ =2.0, or assuming the solution at η …

Optimal Design Aspects Of A Unit Treating Hazardous Wastes Via Biodegradation : A Theoretical Approach, Farnaz Saghafi

Theses

The treatment of wastes via biodegradation is a widely utilized technique in most industries today. The kinetics of biodegradation, in most cases, follow either the Monod (non-inhibitory) or Andrews (also known as Haldane, inhibitory) model as indicated by published experimental data. The present study investigates aspects of the optimal design of a unit treating wastes when the biodegradation kinetics are those mentioned above. The criterion of optimality is the minimum volume achieving a desired conversion under given load conditions.

Two alternatives from the point of view of the number of vessels (one and two), and three alternatives from the operational …

Fault Location And Control Optimization Planner (Expert System Approach), Fenil Shah

Theses

FALCON is a rule based expert system designed to control a process being regulated by "intelligent" controllers which would at each time and stage execute a series of diagnostic or decision tests and only then initiate a control action identified by the process engineer. The current implementation includes fault identification, diagnostic and process settings in case of low efficiency and poor quality in the product. This research is a part of large research project in flexible manufacturing.

The system is intended to grow into a complete diagnostic master and take corrective actions with the help of the operational personnel.

FALCON …