Digital Commons Network^™

Thermal Rheological Analysis Of Cure Process Of Epoxy Prepreg, Liangfeng Sun

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

The cure process of epoxy prepreg used as composite pipe joints was studied by means of differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), Bohlin Rheometer and other techniques. Isothermal DSC measurements were conducted between 110 and 220 oC, at 10 oC intervals. The results show that the complete cure reaction could be achieved at oC. The isothermal cure process was simulated with the four-parameter autocatalytic model. Except in the late stage of cure reaction, the model agrees well with the experimental data, especially at high temperatures. To account for the effect of diffusion on the cure rate, a diffusion factor was introduced into …

Cementitious Stabilization Of Soils In The Presence Of Sulfate, Lan Wang

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Winn Rock (anhydrite, CaSO4) comes from a quarry in Winn Parish in north Louisiana. Gravel from the quarry has been used extensively as a surface course on local parish and logging roads. Stabilization of these roads with Type I Portland cement followed by an overlay by asphaltic concrete sometimes resulted in heaving. The causes for heaving and possible solutions were investigated. In the laboratory 2" x 4" molds of Winn Rock containing soil were prepared and cured in water bath at 40°C, sealed plastic bag at room temperature, and air. Molds were prepared with 5% to 20% cementitious material. The …

Adoption Of Best Management Practices In The Louisiana Dairy Industry, Noro C. Rahelizatovo

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

The traditional view of the agricultural community as a good steward of the environment has been challenged by increasing concerns about the complex relationship between agricultural production activities and environmental quality. Agriculture provides a large range of products to satisfy human needs. It has also been singled out as major source of water pollution. Largely improved surface water quality has been assessed in the U.S. since the enactment of the Clean Water Act. However, efforts to reduce water pollution continue, targeting discharges from identifiable sources of water pollution and diffused discharges from nonpoint sources. Agricultural producers are encouraged to voluntarily …

Fast Scalable Visualization Techniques For Interactive Billion-Particle Walkthrough, Xinlian Liu

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

This research develops a comprehensive framework for interactive walkthrough involving one billion particles in an immersive virtual environment to enable interrogative visualization of large atomistic simulation data. As a mixture of scientific and engineering approaches, the framework is based on four key techniques: adaptive data compression based on space-filling curves, octree-based visibility and occlusion culling, predictive caching based on machine learning, and scalable data reduction based on parallel and distributed processing. In terms of parallel rendering, this system combines functional parallelism, data parallelism, and temporal parallelism to improve interactivity. The visualization framework will be applicable not only to material simulation, …

The Effects Of Local Hydrodynamics On Mass Transfer In Disordered Porous Media, Gang Guo

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Interfacial mass transfer in disordered media was studied experimentally and numerically. The dissolution of solid benzoic acid spheres in packed columns showed the existence of spatial variations in mass transfer coefficients in monodisperse and polydisperse packings at the same overall Peclet number. The concept of a local Peclet number (single-particle average) was introduced to quantify the effect of local hydrodynamics on local mass transfer. Correlations between Sherwood number and Peclet number having the form Sh_i=A·(x_iPe)^m were used to quantify data from various sites in each packing. These experiments also showed that the exponent m varies …

Outcrop To Subsurface Stratigraphy Of The Pennsylvanian Hermosa Group Southern Paradox Basin U.S.A., Alan Lee Brown

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Pennsylvanian (Desmoinesian) sedimentary rocks within the Paradox Basin Four Corners area of the western United States afford a unique opportunity to study the development of sedimentary successions in a complex marine to nonmarine depositional setting. The close association of thick intervals of nonmarine fan-delta facies adjacent to and in time equivalent position to marine carbonate-evaporite facies suggests complex relationships between the factors affecting deposition. Development of an effective scheme to differentiate the depositional signatures from within these sedimentary successions is the primary goal of this study. To achieve this goal, two objectives were pursued. The first was to calibrate the …

Characterization Of Alligator, Ostrich And Emu Skins And Comparisons To Traditional Leathers, Terri M. Von Hoven

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Exotic skins and leathers have enjoyed a recent resurgence, as current fashion magazines illustrate. Louisiana would like to increase its niche in the exotic skins market by increasing alligator, ostrich and emu skin usage, mainly by inspiring designers to incorporate them into their repertoire. The possibilities are endless from apparel and trim to upholstery and other home furnishings to accessories; Louisiana exotic skins have significant market potential. In order to assist in these traditional textile applications, characterization of the various skin properties needs to be completed. The research was carried out in three stages. For the preliminary research, one emu …

Log-Derived Cation Exchange Capacity Of Shaly Sands : Application To Hydrocarbon Detection And Drilling Optimization, Gamze Ipek

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Researchers at Louisiana State University, LSU, have introduced several petrophysical models expressing the electric properties of shaly sands. These models, to be used for hydrocarbon detection, are based on the Waxman and Smits concept of supplementing the water conductivity with a clay counterions conductivity. The LSU models also utilize the Dual Water theory, which relates each conductivity term to a particular type of water, free and bound, each occupying a specific volume of the total pore space. The main difference between these models and the other shaly sand models is that the counterion conductivity is represented by a hypothetical sodium …

Development Of A Handbook For Implementing Distance Learning Programs At Mcintosh College, James K. Dowding

Abraham S. Fischler College of Education ETD Archive

As the world of higher education is abuzz with the concept of distance education and online courses, many colleges see the Internet as the goose that lays the golden egg. McIntosh College and the Career Education Corporation would also like to develop on-line and distance education programs. The key to developing a successful program requires a comprehensive process model to follow. The problem is that McIntosh College does not have a procedure to develop online courses or online supplements.

The need for distance education comes from several factors. First is the changing profile of students. As McIntosh College has grown, …

Retention And Movement Of Reactive Chemicals In Soils, Hongxia Zhu

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Adsorption-desorption and transport behavior of pesticides are important processes that influence the amount retained by the soil and that which is susceptible to runoff or movement within the soil profile. Kinetic batch experiments were used to study the adsorption-desorption behavior of metolachlor (a non-ionic herbicide) and deltamethrin (a pyrethroid insectcide) in soils, and atrazine (a triazine) in sugarcane mulch residue. Miscible displacement experiments under steady flow conditions were carried out to examine the mobility of these pesticides in soils. Metolachlor adsorption and desorption by Sharkey clay soil(Very-fine, smectitic, thermic Chromic Epiaquerts) and Commerce silty loam soil (Fine-silty, mixed, superactive, nonacid, …

Perceptions Of Active Graduate Faculty At A Research Extensive University Regarding Electronic Submission Of Theses And Dissertations (Etds), Ursula Irene Anna Goldsmith

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

This study investigates and explores faculty perceptions toward Electronic Theses and Dissertations (ETDs) during the implementation of ETDs at a university located in the southern portion the United States. Louisiana State University and Agriculture and Mechanical College (LSU) is the flagship university for the state of Louisiana and one of only 25 universities nationwide holding both land-grant and sea-grant status. The Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching classified LSU as Doctoral/Research Universities-Extensive. Chapter 1 provides the rationale for this study, the importance of higher education, the importance and role of the faculty advisor in graduate education as influencing the …

Complexity And Heuristics In Ruled-Based Algorithmic Music Composition, Nigel Gwee

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Successful algorithmic music composition requires the efficient creation of works that reflect human preferences. In examining this key issue, we make two main contributions in this dissertation: analysis of the computational complexity of algorithmic music composition, and methods to produce music that approximates a commendable human effort. We use species counterpoint as our compositional model, wherein a set of stylistic and grammatical rules governs the search for suitable countermelodies to match a given melody. Our analysis of the complexity of rule-based music composition considers four different types of computational problems: decision, enumeration, number, and optimization. For restricted versions of the …

Numerical Study Of Water Coning Control With Downhole Water Sink (Dws) Completions In Vertical And Horizontal Wells, Solomon Ovueferaye Inikori

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Approximately 2.5 billion dollars is spent annually to solve the problem of produced water in oil and gas wells. Downhole Water Sink (DWS) technology is one industry solution to control water coning in oil wells. DWS technology involves the segregated production of oil and water through separate completions with zonal isolation packer. However, several problems have been experienced in the application of the technology in watered-out oil wells. This study identified two factors that could aid in a better modeling of the technology in old vertical wells – inclusion of capillary transition pressures and relative permeability hysteresis. It also identified …

Bollworm (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) Ecology On Genetically Engineered Bollgard And Bollgard Ii Cottons, Jeffrey Gore

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

The ecology of bollworms, Helicoverpa zea (Boddie), on Bollgard and Bollgard II cottons, Gossypium hirsutum L., was studied in field and laboratory experiments. Neonate bollworm larvae were placed on selected components of cotton squares and flowers from non-Bollgard, Bollgard, and Bollgard II cotton varieties. Larval survival was higher on flower anthers and square anthers than on other floral parts for each cultivar. Bollworm survival was lowest on all Bollgard II floral structures. To evaluate larval behavior on Bollgard cotton, first instar bollworms were placed on terminals of non-flowering and flowering cotton plants. Larvae were recovered lower on Bollgard cotton than …

Experimental Evaluation Of Control Fluid Fallback During Off-Bottom Well Control In Vertical And Deviated Wells, Fernando Sebastian Flores-Avila

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

This study measured the liquid fallback during simulated blowout conditions. The purpose of the study was to establish a basis for developing a procedure for controlling blowouts that relies on the accumulation of liquid kill fluid injected while the well continues to flow. The results from experiments performed with air, water, 10.5 ppg and 12.0 ppg mud in an experimental 48 ft flow loop at 0°, 20°, 40°, 60° and 75° deviation angles from the vertical, as well as results from full-scale experiments performed with natural gas and water based drilling fluid in a vertical 2787-foot deep research well, are …

Performing Hyphenates: A Study In Contemporary Irish-American Identity And Cultural Performance, Patrick Michael Bynane

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

This study examines the issues and contradictions of identity formation found in contemporary Irish-American cultural performances. Using a theoretical language grounded in post-structuralism and cultural studies, this examination hopes to demonstrate the primacy of performance and theatre in the formation of culture, Irish-American specifically, or otherwise. The performances featured in the study are: Riverdance, St. Patrick's Day parades, pub performances, and improv theatre.

Numerical Studies Of Reactive Polymer Flows In Porous Materials, Honggao Liu

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

This dissertation presents a new numerical model of reactive polymer flow in heterogeneous porous media. A moment representation of the log-normal polymer molecular weight distribution is used to model polymer as a multi-component species. Three leading moments are used to simulate the polymer transport and reaction processes in a two-dimensional porous medium. A new operator splitting technique that allows the moment equations for polymerization to be incorporated into a finite-difference transport model is developed. The novelty of this approach is the use of two different dependent variables (for the transport versus reaction parts of the problem). It is significant from …

Mechanism Of The Nicofe Ternary Alloy Deposition, Yun Zhuang

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Electrodeposited NiCoFe ternary alloys are of interest for their magnetic and thermophysical properties. The reaction rates and resulting composition and current efficiency are often determined empirically, due to a lack of understanding of the electrodeposition mechanism and coupled mass transport. Therefore, the effects of electrolyte concentration, bulk pH and solution agitation are studied over a wide range of applied current densities to investigate the interrelated behavior of the partial reaction rates. The Fe rate during alloy deposition is independent of Co2+ and Fe2+ bulk concentrations, but is enhanced compared with its single metal rate. Both catalytic and inhibiting effects are …

Aspects Of Cognition In Human Mate Selection, Michael J. Stasio

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Evolutionary perspectives on human mating have provided testable hypotheses regarding what qualities people desire in their mates and why they want them. One study was conducted to replicate previous findings in mate preference using a more sophisticated paired comparison methodology to develop scales. Paired comparison scaling generally replicated gender differences in mate preferences consistent with evolutionary predictions. Further, decision-making reaction time (ms) suggested the presence of an underlying psychological continuum of selection criteria. A series of studies were then conducted applying the information processing approach (IPA) to investigate attention and knowledge organization in mate preference. The dot-probe paradigm was used …

Analytical Model To Control Off - Bottom Blowouts Utilizing The Concept Of Simultaneous Dynamic Seal And Bullheading, Victor Gerardo Vallejo-Arrieta

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

The current methods for off - bottom control of blowouts involve pumping kill fluid into the well through an injection string. These are the dynamic kill and the momentum kill. The dynamic kill, which is based on the steady state system analysis approach, and the momentum kill, that is loosely based on the Newton's Second Law of Motion, have been used extensively in off-bottom control of actual blowouts. A comprehensive study of these two concepts was performed. The review included an analytical analysis of the published design techniques for both of these methods. The application of these techniques to several …

The Development Of A Methodology For Creating An Earthen Building Inventory, Margaret Lyn Ford

School of Art, Design and Architecture Theses

This thesis addresses the issue of cataloguing traditional earthen architecture. It proposes a methodology that will permit the systematic collection and analysis of objective and quantifiable data relating to historic earthen, or cob, buildings in a parish in mid Devon. The brief given for this project requhes a multi-disciplinary approach to be taken, one that considers the topographical surroundings and the historic context of the buildings as well as the architectural characteristics. A triangular concept is expounded, with the three elements providing a sound basis for the development of an holistic methodology for creating an earthen building inventory. To comply …

Solute Transport In Layered And Heterogeneous Soils, Liuzong Zhou

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Better understanding of transport of dissolved chemicals in soils and aquifers is important to evaluate and remediate contaminated soils and aquifers. Because of the nature of heterogeneity of field porous media, studies on transport processes in non-homogeneous media are necessary. In this study, transport of solutes in layered and heterogeneous media was investigated using numerical approximations. For layered soils, transport properties were assumed homogeneous within individual layers but different between layers. For heterogeneous systems, either a time-dependent or distance-dependent dispersivity was considered to represent the effects of heterogeneity. In a series of simulations of transport in two-layered soils, we found …

Extraction Of Physically-Realistic Pore Network Properties From Three-Dimensional Synchrotron Microtomography Images Of Unconsolidated Porous Media, Riyadh Ibrahim Al-Raoush

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Algorithms were implemented to obtain high resolution three-dimensional images using synchrotron microtomography. Morphological algorithms were developed to extract physically-realistic pore-network structure from unconsolidated porous media systems imaged using synchrotron microtomography. The structure can be used to correlate pore-scale phenomena with the pore structure and can also be incorporated into a pore-network model to verify existing models, understand, or predict transport and flow processes and phenomena in complex porous media systems. The algorithms are based on the three-dimensional skeletonization of the pore space in the form of nodes connected to paths. Dilation algorithms were developed to generate inscribed spheres on the …

Analysis Of Diagnostic Testing Of Sustained Casing Pressure In Wells, Rong Xu

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Over 8,000 wells in the Gulf of Mexico exhibit sustained casing pressure (SCP). SCP is defined as “any measurable casing pressure that rebuilds after being bled down, attributable to cause(s) other than artificially applied pressures or temperature fluctuations in the well”. The Minerals Management Service (MMS) regulations consider SCP hazardous and, in principle, require its elimination. In some cases the agency may allow continuing production at a well with SCP by granting a temporary “departure” permit. The departure permits are based on diagnostic tests involving pressure bleed-down through a 0.5-inch needle valve followed by closing the valve and recording pressure …

A Factorization Approach For Solving The Hamilton-Jacobi Equations In Nonlinear Optimal Control, Mohammad Dikko Aliyu

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

The Hamilton-Jacobi equation (HJE) arose early in the last century in the study of the calculus of variation, classical mechanics and Hamiltonian systems. Recently, there has been a renewed interest in HJEs arising in various analysis and synthesis problems in systems theory. The HJE despite providing a necessary and sufficient condition for an optimal control, is very difficult to solve for general nonlinear systems, and therefore its application remained limited to linear systems. Yet, the HJE has been studied extensively in the literature from diverse areas of science and engineering, varying from mathematical physics, to mechanics, control theory, and to …

Nutrient Profile, Functional Properties, And Microstructure Of Dried Waste Milk Products For Use As A Potential Animal Feed, Ronald I. Thompson

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

A study was conducted to determine the feasibility of concentrating the wastewater of a butter/powder factory for use as an animal feed. Two concentrated products were evaluated: recovered milk product (RMP), which is the direct factory waste stream; and formulated recovered milk product (FRMP), which is a product made by combining RMP and separator de-sludge in a 3:1 ratio. Three pilot scale dryer systems were used to concentrate the product: a spray dryer, a roller dryer, and a pulse combustion dryer. Dried samples were analyzed for fat, moisture, protein, ash, nitrates, chloride, pH, calcium, phosphorus, sodium and amino acids. Values …

Dynamic Modeling And Analysis Of Oscillatory Bioreactors, Yongchun Zhang

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Dynamic modeling of bioreactors is a challenging problem. The complexity of first principle models also make model validation and analysis very difficult and model-based controller design practically intractable. This thesis has focused on finding an effective tool for model dynamic analysis, construction of low-dimension model and simple and effective controller design. The validity of a biochemical reactor model often is evaluated by comparing transient responses to experimental data. Dynamic simulation can be rather inefficient and ineffective for analyzing bioreactor model. Bifurcation analysis is found to be a powerful tool for obtaining a more efficient and complete characterization of the model …

The Culture Of Crime: Representations Of The Criminal In Eighteen-Century England, Daniel Gonzalez

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

This dissertation explores how literary criminal narratives reflected public anxieties over the increasing commercialization of England during the early eighteenth century. It accounts for the popularity of the criminal in literature as well as public concerns about commercialization and the individuality it encouraged, revealing how these concerns were expressed in the most popular form of criminal narrative in this era, the criminal biography. Chapters on the criminal narratives of John Bunyan, Daniel Defoe and John Gay reveal how the criminal narrative functioned as a means of critiquing a developing commercial society in England. Bunyan first employs the formula of the …

Markov Models To Estimate And Describe Survival Time And Experience In Cohorts With High Euthanasia Frequency, Giselle Louise Hosgood

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Unique to survival analysis of veterinary clinical data is classification of observations from euthanized animals. The first study highlighted limitations of Kaplan-Meier product limit analysis (KM) of veterinary clinical data. Three data sets with different outcome proportions (alive, lost-to-follow-up, dead due to disease, dead due to other, euthanized due to disease, euthanized due to other) were used. Different classifications of observations from euthanized animals caused inconsistent conclusions of significant differences between strata within data sets. At times, ranking of median survival time estimates for strata was reversed. The KM was found inappropriate to evaluate observations from euthanized animals. This finding, …

Virtual Auctions, Han Chooi Louis Tan

Student Works (2000-2009)

Virtual Auctions is about developing an e-auction system for online auctioning off general merchandise to bidders in specialized auctions such as travel auction, computer auction, car auction, etc. The system will allow bidders to do online registration and bidding, which could be for auctioning off many interesting, bizarre and exciting items such as watches, antiques etc. In the development of this system, there are several stages involved, which we will see in the following chapters of this report. Firstly there will be an Introduction chapter where the objectives and scope of this project is determined. Also there is a part …