Digital Commons Network^™

Analysis Of Exhaust Waste Heat Recovery Techniques From Stationary Power Generation Engines Using Organic Rankine Cycles, Devin Krishna Sham

Theses and Dissertations

Strict emissions legislation and energy security debates have spurred extensive research in alternative fuels and renewable energies. Literature research has shown the need for improvements in internal combustion engines (ICE) due to their low efficiencies. Significant gains in efficiency can be accomplished with the use of waste heat recovery (WHR) techniques. Organic rankine cycles (ORC) with turbocompounding harness the waste heat from an ICE to improve efficiency and fuel economy while reducing brake-specific emissions. A mathematical model was developed to explore the potential gains in 1st and 2nd law efficiencies. The model approaches the evaluations of the ORC from a …

Stability Of Catfish Methyl Esters Under Normal Versus Accelerated Storage Conditions, Saowalee Jongrattananon

Theses and Dissertations

Oxidative storage stability was conducted to determine the optimum antioxidant for the production of catfish methyl esters (CFME) for use as biodiesel. Peroxide value, anisidine value, 2-thiobarbituric reaction substances, acid value, iodine value, UV absorbance, and induction period were measured. Antioxidant, stability parameters changed over a storage time of one year when stored at 25°C. The CFME were not stable to oxidation without the addition of TBHQ. When stored at 25°C, oxidative parameters indicated that CFME was a stable product that met oxidative stability standards when TBHQ was added. When held at 80°C for 28 days, the samples with TBHQ …

Study Of The Dielectric Degradation Of Xlpe And Epr Power Cables By Switching Impulses, Prakash Shrestha

Theses and Dissertations

The insulation of the high voltage power cable will be placed under higher electrical stress by switching surges during the power system operation. The switching surge weakens the power cable insulation and it leads to failure of cables. It has a significant effect on the aging of the insulation material that affects the lifetime of the power cables. This research studies the electrical degradation of 15 kV XLPE and EPR power cables insulation by applying 100, 500, 1000 and 5000 switching impulses of 100 kV. The status of the polymer cable insulation aging is evaluated by the measurement of partial …

The Factors That Influence The Graduation Rates Of Community College Transfer Students And Native Students At A Four-Year Public State University, John Randall Dickerson

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of the study was to investigate the rate at which community college transfer students graduate from the 4 year college and what variables can be used to explain the corresponding graduation rates. In addition, the study attempted to answer the identical question regarding the rate at which native students graduate from the 4 year college and the variables that can be used to explain the native student graduate rates. Finally, the study made comparisons between the community college transfer student variables that explained the corresponding graduation rates and the native student variables that explained their corresponding graduation rates …

Long-Term Trophic Shifts Among Fishes After Extensive Modification Of A Southeastern U.S. River System, Matthew E. Roberts

Theses and Dissertations

Regulation of the Upper Tombigbee River and its incorporation into the Tennessee-Tombigbee Waterway has resulted in main-channel flows that differ from the pre-regulation condition. Flows differ in (1) magnitude: higher base flows, damped peak flows, and (2) variability: the river rises and falls faster and the number of reversals has increased. A shift in the trophic ecology of the resident fish assemblage corresponded with the altered hydrology. Assemblage-level trophic plasticity manifested through dietary shifts in species present during both time periods are coupled with changes to the taxonomic structure observed previously. Species representing the contemporary assemblage feed on fewer taxa …

Model Development Of A Polymer Electrolyte Membrane Fuel Cell To Predict Steady And Unsteady Behavior, Bikash Mishra

Theses and Dissertations

Fuel cells are promising technology to meet the energy need of the future. This alternative energy source is clean and efficient, and with the continuous decrease in fossil fuel resources, one of the best bets towards sustaining our power needs. Fuel cells are being used in automobiles as well as to fulfill portable power needs. In this work a computational model has been developed for fuel cells which can be used to simulate traditional as well as passive proton exchange membrane fuel cell behavior. The model is unsteady, two phase, nonisothermal in nature, and also capable of handling natural convection …

Nitrogen Doping In Low Temperature Halo-Carbon Homoepitaxial Growth Of 4h-Silicon Carbide, Kritsa Chindanon

Theses and Dissertations

With the low-temperature halo-carbon epitaxial growth technique developed at MSU prior to this work, use of a halo-carbon growth precursor enabled low-temperature homoepitaxial process for 4H-SiC at temperatures below 1300 °C with good quality. Investigations of the nitrogen doping dependence are reported. It has been demonstrated that the efficiency of the nitrogen incorporation may be different for different substrate orientations, with the Cace showing the higher value of doping. The Si/C ratio is known to influence the doping during the epitaxial growth due to the site-competition mechanism. The doping on the Cace showed weak dependence on the Si/C ratio. On …

Nmr Backbone Chemical Shift Assignments Of The Hvdhfr1:Nadph Binary Complex, Karthikeshwar Vangala

Theses and Dissertations

Extremophiles are the organisms that survive in environments which are inhospitable to other creatures. This thesis made an attempt to understand the enviromental effects, in particular saline, on enzyme structure by using three dimensional NMR. The enzyme DHFR1 from halophile Haloferaxi volcanii is complexed with its coactor NADPH, and the saline effects on the complex are studied by comparison with its apoenzyme, hvDHFR1. Backbone chemical shift assignments of the hvDHFR1:NADPH complex were attained which can be functional (along with future work) in understanding the effect of salts on enzyme structure, function, and flexibility. A total of 27 amino acids were …

Reconfiguration Of Distribution System Using Survivability Index, Bidur Raj Gautam

Theses and Dissertations

Electrical power systems are vulnerable to contingencies due to the possibility of fault or damage. When a serious fault (which cannot be removed immediately) occurs in the power system, the fault needs to be isolated, and the remaining system should be reconfigured to make efficient use of available energy. Reconfiguring the system by making an island can be one of the strategies to continue the energy supply using the remaining generation capacity. By analyzing the effect of contingencies on power systems in terms of voltage support, reliability and stability, survivability of the system can be predicted. A survivability index of …

Evaluation Of Propane Fueled Chp Systems For Small Commercial Applications, Justin Byron Ramsay

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis evaluates the effects of Combined Heating and Power (CHP) systems with a Propane fueled spark ignited engine as prime mover used in a small commercial building. The system was evaluated in five different U.S. cities. The most common operating modes, thermal load following (FTL) and electric load following (FEL) were evaluated, and an optimized operating mode was developed and investigated. The optimized operating mode is a hybrid (FHL) of FEL and FTL operation. Methodology for the derivation and application of these models is presented. Also, the economic effects of Diesel and Natural Gas were investigated. The results for …

Experiments And Modeling Of Fatigue And Fracture Of Aluminum Alloys, J Brian Jordon

Theses and Dissertations

In this work, understanding the microstructural effects of monotonic and cyclic failure of wrought 7075-T651 and cast A356 aluminum alloys were examined. In particular, the structure-property relations were quantified for the plasticity/damage model and two fatigue crack models. Several types of experiments were employed to adapt an internal state variable plasticity and damage model to the wrought alloy. The damage model was originally developed for cast alloys and thus, the model was modified to account for void nucleation, growth, and coalescence for a wrought alloy. In addition, fatigue experiments were employed to determine structure-property relations for the cast alloy. Based …

Hierarchical Geographical Identifiers As An Indexing Technique For Geographic Information Retrieval, John Christopher Lakey

Theses and Dissertations

Location plays an ever increasing role in modern web-based applications. Many of these applications leverage off-the-shelf search engine technology to provide interactive access to large collections of data. Unfortunately, these commodity search engines do not provide special support for location-based indexing and retrieval. Many applications overcome this constraint by applying geographic bounding boxes in conjunction with range queries. We propose an alternative technique based on geographic identifiers and suggest it will yield faster query evaluation and provide higher search precision. Our experiment compared the two approaches by executing thousands of unique queries on a dataset with 1.8 million records. Based …

Elucidating The Role Of The Α7 Nicotinic Receptor In The Etiology Of Schizophrenia., Michelle Johnson Chandley

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The α7 subunit of the nicotinic receptor, a ligand gated ion channel with an affinity for nicotine, has long been implicated in the pathophysiology of schizophrenia due to the extremely high rate of smoking within the patient population. However, the exact role of the receptor has never fully been determined. In the following studies, various functions the receptor may assume in disease state are evaluated. There is a strong relationship between the immune system and schizophrenia, with the α7 subunit possibly serving as the link between the two. One of the following studies looks at the possibility of the receptor …

The State Of Information And Communication Technology (Ict) In Nigerian University Libraries: The Experience Of Ibrahim Babangida Library, Federal University Of Technology, Yola, Benki S.H. Womboh, Tukur Abba

Library Philosophy and Practice (e-journal)

This paper gives an overview of the state of the ICT in Nigerian university libraries and traces the development and management of ICT facilities in the Federal University of Technology of Technology Yola library. Some problems militating against proper functioning of such facilities are highlighted and suggestion for possible solutions proffered.

December 2008 - Staff Meeting Minutes

ALEC Committee Minutes

No abstract provided.

On The Green Vol. 37 No. 46 December 12, 2008, Gallaudet University

2001-2010

On the Green is an internal publication of Gallaudet College, which later became Gallaudet University. It notified employees of updates around the campus and in the broader community, including new construction and the establishment of new academic programs. Running until 2010, it was supplanted by various forms of online mass communications across multiple audiences.

Volume 44 - Issue 10 - Friday, December 12, 2008, Rose Thorn Staff

The Rose Thorn Archive

The Rose Thorn, Rose-Hulman's independent student newspaper.

Reporter - December 12th 2008, Rit Reporter Staff

University Publications

No abstract provided.

2008 Fall Commencement Program: Winona State University, Winona State University

WSU Commencement Programs

This is the Winona State University Fall 2008 commencement program. Commencement was on Friday December 12, 2008.

The Bison, December 12, 2008

The Bison Newspapers

No abstract provided.

Fall 2008 Commencement Program, University Of Alabama In Huntsville

Commencement Programs

No abstract provided.

Increasing The Performance Of The Tangential Vector Finite Element Method By Utilizing A Graphics Processing Unit As A Parallel Coprocessor, Maxwell U. Woolsey

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Combinatorial Genericity And Minimal Rigidity, Ileana Streinu, Louis Theran

Computer Science: Faculty Publications

A well studied geometric problem, with applications ranging from molecular structure determination to sensor networks, asks for the reconstruction of a set P of n unknown points from a finite set of pairwise distances (up to Euclidean isometries). We are concerned here with a related problem: which sets of distances are minimal with the property that they allow for the reconstruction of P, up to a finite set of possibilities? In the planar case, the answer is known generically via the landmark Maxwell-Laman Theorem from Rigidity Theory, and it leads to a combinatorial answer: the underlying structure of such a …

Wmu Board Of Trustees Formal Session December 12, 2008, Wmu Board Of Trustees

WMU Board of Trustees Meetings

Minutes of the WMU Board of Trustees meeting include appendices:

• Remarks by the Chair
• Remarks by the President
• Remarks by the WSA President and the GSAC Chair
• Presidential Evaluation/Compensation Recommendation

Fall 2008 Commencement Ceremonies, University Of North Florida

Commencement Printed Materials

Program for the Fall Commencement ceremonies.

Comparison Of Predicted And Observed Flood Flows In Pajarito Canyon Following The 2000 Cerro Grande Fire, Jake Meadows

Water Resources Professional Project Reports

In May 2000, the Cerro Grande fire devastated lands in and around Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) in northern New Mexico and dramatically increased stormwater runoff from the impacted areas. The purpose of this paper is to demonstrate the recovery of burned lands and the corresponding decrease in flood flows and floodplains over a 7-year period in Pajarito Canyon near Los Alamos. A secondary purpose was to evaluate the applicability of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers hydrologic modeling tool, Hydrologic Engineering Center—Hydrologic Modeling System (HEC-HMS) in Pajarito Canyon by comparing computed runoff to stream gage runoff in Pajarito Canyon. …

A Cost-Benefit Analysis Of Leak Detection And The Potential Of Real Water Savings For New Mexico Water Systems, Shawn Hardeman

Water Resources Professional Project Reports

Whereas the demand for safe drinking water increases and the availability of fresh drinking water decreases, it becomes evermore important for water systems to make effective use of the drinking water they produce. As populations grow water systems are increasingly in search of new water sources; however, as the competition for new water sources increases, water systems must look at how water is lost in their distribution systems. Water that never makes it to the consumer, or for which no revenue is received is known as water loss,' and is used to represent the water that a water system produces, …

A High-Oleic-Acid And Low-Palmitic-Acid Soybean: Agronomic Performance And Evaluation As A Feedstock For Biodiesel, George L. Graef, Bradley J. Lavallee, Patrick Tenopir, Mustafa Tat, Bruce Schweiger, Anthony J. Kinney, Jon H. Van Gerpen, Thomas E. Clemente

Department of Agronomy and Horticulture: Faculty Publications

Phenotypic characterization of soybean event 335-13, which possesses oil with an increased oleic acid content (> 85%) and reduced palmitic acid content (< 5%), was conducted across multiple environments during 2004 and 2005. Under these conditions, the stability of the novel fatty acid profile of the oil was not influenced by environment. Importantly, the novel soybean event 335-13 was not compromised in yield in both irrigated and non-irrigated production schemes. Moreover, seed characteristics, including total oil and protein, as well as amino acid profile, were not altered as a result of the large shift in the fatty acid profile. The novel oil trait was inherited in a simple Mendelian fashion. The event 335-13 was also evaluated as a feedstock for biodiesel. Extruded oil from event 335-13 produced a biodiesel with improved cold flow and enhanced oxidative stability, two critical fuel parameters that can limit the utility of this renewable transportation fuel.

Yttria Stabilized Zirconia As A Candidate For High Energy Density Capacitor, Oratai Jongprateep, Vladimir Petrovsky, Fatih Dogan

Materials Science and Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

As one of the main components in power converters, dielectric capacitors can play crucial roles in facilitating power conversion in various applications, such as hybrid-electric and fuel cell vehicles. Capacitor reliability is a key challenge for development of high-performance capacitors. In this study, yttrium stabilized zirconia (YSZ) with various yttria concentrations were fabricated and tested for dielectric properties, such as breakdown strength and dielectric loss factors. The results indicated that the breakdown strength as high as 2 MV/cm could be achieved in YSZ samples with 10 mol% yttria. In addition, the dielectric loss factors of the samples were lower than …

Chimes: December 12, 2008, Calvin College

Chimes

Proposal aims to change faculty leave by Griffin Jackson

Monsma leaves campus by Jasmine Wilson

Students win award at Model UN by Elizabeth Eckman

Chimes staff awarded by Allison Graff

Christmas comes to Calvin by Brandon Haan

Saints scorch Calvin by Chaz Amidon

Born to Run by Kelli Ponstein

Atheism isn't the only logical response to science by Brandon Haan