Digital Commons Network^™

Educational Modeling For Fault Analysis Of Power Systems With Statcom Controllers Using Simulink, Tetiana Brockhoeft

LSU New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

The analysis of power systems under fault condition represents one of the most important and complex tasks in power engineering. The study and detection of these faults are necessary to ensure that the reliability and stability of the power system do not suffer a decrement as a result of a critical event such as fault. The purpose of this thesis is to develop and to present an educational tool for students to model FACTS devices using Simulink. Furthermore, the development of this thesis provides the means for students to model different types of faults. The development is based on presenting …

Electrochemical Disinfection Of Municipal Wastewater Using Alternating Current, Xavier A. Chavez Reyes

LSU New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

This research focused on chlorine-free disinfection of wastewater by complying with today's regulations. The equipment used was a continuous flow electrochemical reactor connected to an alternating current (AC) power supply. The electrodes used were made out of titanium coated with iridium oxide. To determine the inactivation of Escherichia Coli, a bacterial count method based on the USEPA method 1603 was used.

After several experiments it was determined that electrochemical disinfection using AC was not efficient and economic enough to be classified as a viable alternative to chlorine disinfection. It was demonstrated that chlorine can be produced by electrolysis using AC …

Site Visitation: School Leaders' Perceptions Of A Diagnostic Tool For School Improvement, Mary Shannon C. Chiasson

LSU New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

This case study explored the use of site-visitation as a diagnostic tool for school improvement. Nine charter schools in New Orleans were selected for the study. Based on qualitative research and systems theory, a within- and cross-case analysis of nine semi-structured interviews with school leaders were conducted. The school leaders’ experiences with the state-run site-visitation model and their use of the findings for school improvement was explored. The findings led to the development of a hybrid accountability model that encompasses the components school leaders believe will lead to school improvement. This study aims to assist educators, policy makers, and researchers …

Investigation Of The Quenching Characteristics Of Steel Components By Static And Dynamic Analyses, Pratik Sarker

LSU New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

Machine components made of steel are subjected to heat treatment processes for improving mechanical properties in order to enhance product life and is usually done by quenching. During quenching, heat is transferred rapidly from the hot metal component to the quenchant and that rapid temperature drop induces phase transformation in the metal component. As a result, quenching generates some residual stresses and deformations in the material. Therefore, to estimate the temperature distribution, residual stress, and deformation computationally; three-dimensional finite element models are developed for two different steel components – a spur gear and a circular tube by a static and …

Coastal Land Loss And Collaborative Resource Governance: The Case Of Plaquemines Parish, Louisiana, Nandini Seth

LSU New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

The research, presented here, is about the collaborative governance and adaptive management in coastal planning efforts of Louisiana. Fundamental conflict, between the idea of environmental conservation and developmental growth, has always existed in the coastal regions. The presence of the large number of environmental laws, at various levels of government and their different management objectives for utilization of coastal resources, requires study of intergovernmental relationship. Taking Plaquemines Parish as a case in point, this thesis will, therefore, review the critical restoration plans for intergovernmental coordination and conflicts. It will also provide recommendations, for elected representatives and policy makers, with an …

Passivation Of Amorphous Indium-Gallium-Zinc Oxide (Igzo) Thin-Film Transistors, Nathaniel Walsh

Theses

Thin-film transistors (TFTs) with channel materials made out of hydrogenated amorphous silicon (a-Si:H) and polycrystalline silicon (poly-Si) have been extensively investigated. Amorphous silicon continues to dominate the large-format display technology; however newer technologies demand a higher performance TFT which a-Si:H cannot deliver due to its low electron mobility, µn ~ 1 cm2/V*s. Metal-oxide materials such as Indium-Gallium-Zinc Oxide (IGZO) have demonstrated semiconductor properties, and are candidates to replace a Si:H for TFT backplane technologies.

This work involves the fabrication and characterization of TFTs utilizing a-IGZO deposited by RF sputtering. An overview of the process details and results from recently fabricated …

Trauma Care In Tennessee; 2014 Report To The 108th General Assembly, Tennessee. Department Of Health.

Trauma Care in Tennessee

No abstract provided.

Torino Is My Town, Elisabetta D’Amanda

Theses

Elena is 20 years old. Born in Italy to an Italian mother and an American father she grew up in Rochester, New York and she is currently living in New York City. Like any American kid she is a mix of different cultures, but her Italian roots are very well grounded in her soul. In the summer of 2013, she traveled with her mother to Torino, the town were her mother grew up and the place about which she has always heard many stories. This thesis film will demonstrate that Elena and her mother's trip is not just a geographical …

Resistive Heating And Electrochromic Devices Using Pet, Nylon, And Spandex Fabrics Treated With Pedot:Pss, Whitney M. Kline

Doctoral Dissertations

Conductive fabrics have the potential to transform the textile industry with technological innovations that include self-warming clothing, adaptive camouflage, and biomimetics. Further understanding of the construction and properties of conductive fabric may one day realize the full potential of these applications. Herein, a poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET) synthetic leather substrate was treated with dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) doped poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene):poly(styrenesulfonate) (PEDOT:PSS) and was found to exhibit low sheet resistance and high thermal stability. A study that measured the resistance versus the concentration of conductive material found that saturation was achieved after the addition of only 1 wt. % doped PEDOT:PSS. The treated PET …

Electro-Disinfection Of Municipal Waste Water Using Direct Current, Julio A. Acosta Vega

LSU New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

Wastewater treatment has always been a problem to human settlers. Events such as the great stink of London during the summer of 1858 have pushed engineers into developing new technologies to deal with such wastes in effective and safe ways. Research projects like this aim to find ways of improving performance, economics, or environmental friendliness of treatment and disinfection methods.

This thesis deals with the effectiveness, mechanisms of action, by-products and side effects of using DC current to disinfect secondary effluent. It is proposed as an alternative to conventional methods, such as chlorination, which are not always environmentally friendly or …

Identification Of Hydrodynamic Forces Developed By Flapping Fins In A Watercraft Propulsion Flow Field, Erdem Aktosun

LSU New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

In this work, the data analysis of oscillating flapping fins is conducted for mathematical model. Data points of heave and surge force obtained by the CFD (Computational Fluid Dynamics) for different geometrical kinds of flapping fins. The fin undergoes a combination of vertical and angular oscillatory motion, while travelling at constant forward speed. The surge thrust and heave lift are generated by the combined motion of the flapping fins, especially due to the carrier vehicle’s heave and pitch motion will be investigated to acquire system identification with CFD data available while the fin pitching motion is selected as a function …

Fifty Years Of Weathering The Storm: Are The Louisiana Gulf Coastal Parishes Prepared For Another Major Hurricane?, Danielle L. Boudreau

LSU New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

This study examines ten major storms that have affected Louisiana in the last fifty years, beginning with Hurricane Betsy in 1965. The goal is to determine if the nine coastal parishes are prepared adequately for another major hurricane impact. It examines storms that have affected the state physically, in terms of property and ecological damages. It also considers storms that provided non-physical influences, by way of mitigation policy changes and social, economical, ecological, and political policy alterations. The main focus is on the transformations, if any, of social vulnerability in light of emergency preparedness in the areas impacted, particularly along …

Cruise Ship Preliminary Design: The Influence Of Design Features On Profitability, Justin Epstein

LSU New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

This thesis provides a means to estimate the physical and performance characteristics of a preliminary cruise ship design. The techniques utilized to estimate these characteristics are showcased in the user-friendly interface known as the Cruise Ship Analysis Tool (CSAT). Using the CSAT, the implications that design feature decisions in the preliminary design stage have on a cruise ship’s profitability is analyzed. Then, the most profitable design feature assemblage among a finite number of varying design feature combinations is estimated and compared among cruise ship designs with different passenger carrying capacities. Profitability is analyzed using the measure of merit (MOM) known …

Large-Amplitude Vibration Of Imperfect Rectangular, Circular And Laminated Plate With Viscous Damping, He Huang

LSU New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

Large-amplitude vibration of thin plates and shells has been critical design issues for many engineering structures. The increasingly more stringent safety requirements and the discovery of new materials with amazingly superior properties have further focused the attention of research on this area. This thesis deals with the vibration problem of rectangular, circular and angle-ply composite plates. This vibration can be triggered by an initial vibration amplitude, or an initial velocity, or both. Four types of boundary conditions including simply supported and clamped combined with in-plane movable/immovable are considered.

To solve the differential equation generated from the vibration problem, Lindstedt's perturbation …

Parcel-Level Green Stormwater Management Policy: What New Orleans Can Learn From Philadelphia’S Parcel-Based Utility Fee, Spence Riggs

LSU New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

The Greater New Orleans Urban Water Plan promotes the ideology of integrating green infrastructure into the City’s water management strategy to cultivate resiliency. In order to develop enough green infrastructure to have a significant impact on the hydrological functioning of the area, New Orleans officials are investigating different options for encouraging property owners to manage their stormwater on-site. Philadelphia Water Department’s parcel-based stormwater utility fee has been offered as a model for working within the constraints of the municipal government’s regulatory authority to increase the water retention capacity of individual properties. This thesis provides an analysis of Philadelphia Water Department’s …

Modal Characterization And Structural Dynamic Response Of A Crane Fly Forewing, Jose E. Rubio

LSU New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

This study describes a method for conducting the structural dynamic analysis of a crane fly (family Tipulidae) forewing under different airflow conditions. Wing geometry is captured via micro-computed tomography scanning. A finite element model of the forewing is developed from the reconstructed model of the scan. The finite element model is validated by comparing the natural frequencies of an elliptical membrane with similar dimensions of the crane fly forewing to its analytical solution. Furthermore, a simulation of the fluid-structure interaction of the forewing under different airflows is performed by coupling the finite element model of the wing with a …

Template-Assisted Fabrication Of Ferromagnetic Nanomaterials, Jagnyaseni Tripathy

LSU New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

Abstract

Template assisted deposition was used to produce various nanomaterials including simple nanowires, nanorods, multi-segmented metal nanowires, core-shell nanowires, alloy and polymer wires and tubes. Anodized aluminum oxide (AAO) membranes were used as templates for the growth of the various structures using an electrochemical deposition method and also by wetting the porous templates. In the electrochemical deposition method, the pore size of the templates affects the rate of synthesis and the structures of the nanomaterials while in the wetting method, the viscosity and reaction time in the polymer solution influence the structures of the nanomaterials.

A conventional two-step anodization procedure …

Stratified Turbulence In The Nearshore Coastal Ocean: Dynamics And Evolution In The Presence Of Internal Bores, Ryan K. Walter, Michael E. Squibb, C. Brock Woodson, Jeffrey R. Koseff, Stephen G. Monismith

Physics

High-frequency measurements of stratified turbulence throughout the water column were collected over a 2 week period in the nearshore environment of southern Monterey Bay, CA, using a cabled observatory system and an underwater turbulence flux tower. The tower contained a vertical array of acoustic Doppler velocimeters and fast-response conductivity-temperature sensors, providing a nearly continuous data set of turbulent velocity and density fluctuations and a unique look into the stratified turbulence field. The evolution of various turbulence quantities and direct measurements of the vertical turbulent diffusivity is examined in the presence of nearshore internal bores, both in the near-bed region and …

Impact Of Hub Location On The Performance Of Wireless Body Area Networks For Fitness Applications, Vit Sipal, Domenico Gaetano, Patrick Mcevoy, Max Ammann

Articles

This letter compares the propagation properties of Wireless Body Area Networks for three different locations (head, foot and waist) of the hub/internet gateway on the human body. The wireless channels between the hubs and four nodes (chest, back, and upper arms) are measured on a female and a male subject performing push-ups and squats. A framework using spider plots is used for cumulative performance description. The results show that the best overall performance is for hub located on the left temple and the worst overall performance is achieved for a hub on the waist. These results are expected to stimulate …

South Carolina Epscor Division Awards Faculty Competitive Research Grants, Winthrop University

Winthrop News 2014

• The grants will be implemented in spring of 2015.
• This is Evans-Anderson's third EPSCoR grant.

A Gis-Centric Approach For Modeling Vessel Management Behavior System Data To Determine Oyster Vessel Behavior On Public Oyster Grounds In Louisiana, David X. Gallegos

LSU New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

The satellite communications system called the Vessel Management System was used to provide geospatial data on oyster fishing over the nearly 1.7 million acres of the public water bottoms in Louisiana. An algorithm to analyze the data was developed in order to model vessel behaviors including docked, gearing, fishing and traveling. Vessel speeds were calculated via the Haversine formula at small and large intervals and compared to derive a measure of linearity. The algorithm was implemented into software using Python and inserted into a PostgreSQL database supporting geospatial information. Queries were developed to obtain reports on vessel activities and daily …

Private Diplomats, Mediation Professionals, And Peace Activists: Can Non-Governmental Actors Bring Peace To Civil Wars?, Christina Kiel

LSU New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation investigates how actors without the means of state power can affect the behavior of warring parties in order to end civil conflicts. Drawing on the intervention and mediation literature, I propose a theoretical framework that presents causal mechanisms for various forms of non-state conflict management to contribute to conflict resolution. The research distinguishes between direct mediation, capacity-building, and problem-solving approaches, and analyzes the approaches’ potential contributions to shorter wars and more sustainable peace.

On the one hand, non-state actors can be substitutes for governmental or inter-governmental mediators. They derive legitimacy from long-standing relations with the conflict parties, and …

Are We Planning For Sea Level Rise In Ireland? A Case Study Of Counties Mayo, Galway, Sligo And Donegal., Paul J. Lawlor

Articles

Sea level rise (SLR) caused by climate change poses major challenges on a global, national, regional and local level. This paper examines the phenomenon of SLR and considers its likely impacts on the coastline and adjacent marine areas in the Republic of Ireland. As significant impacts are regarded as probable, an analysis is undertaken of the legislative support and the guidance available for dealing with the effects of SLR. Using the case studies of counties Galway, Mayo, Sligo and Donegal in the west and north west of Ireland, all of which have been identified as being vulnerable to the effects …

Inside The Trampoline, Eli J. Gay

LSU New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Statistical Partition Problem For Exponential Populations And Statistical Surveillance Of Cancers In Louisiana, Jin Gu

LSU New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

In this dissertation, we consider the problem of partitioning a set of

k population with respect

to a control population. For this problem some multistage methodologies are proposed and their

properties are derived. Using the Monte Carlo simulation techniques, the small and moderate

sample size performance of the proposed procedure are studied.

We have also considered at statistical surveillance of various cancers in Louisiana.

An Empirical Study Of Semantic Similarity In Wordnet And Word2vec, Abram Handler

LSU New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

This thesis performs an empirical analysis of Word2Vec by comparing its output to WordNet, a well-known, human-curated lexical database. It finds that Word2Vec tends to uncover more of certain types of semantic relations than others -- with Word2Vec returning more hypernyms, synonomyns and hyponyms than hyponyms or holonyms. It also shows the probability that neighbors separated by a given cosine distance in Word2Vec are semantically related in WordNet. This result both adds to our understanding of the still-unknown Word2Vec and helps to benchmark new semantic tools built from word vectors.

Design And Software Validation Of Coded Communication Schemes Using Multidimensional Signal Sets Without Constellation Expansion Penalty In Band-Limited Gaussian And Fading Channels, Milton I. Quinteros

LSU New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

It has been well reported that the use of multidimensional constellation signals can help to reduce the bit error rate in Additive Gaussian channels by using the hyperspace geometry more efficiently. Similarly, in fading channels, dimensionality provides an inherent signal space diversity (distinct components between two constellations points), so the amplitude degradation of the signal are combated significantly better.

Moreover, the set of n-dimensional signals also provides great compatibility with various Trellis Coded modulation schemes: N-dimensional signaling joined with a convolutional encoder uses fewer redundant bits for each 2D signaling interval, and increases intra-subset minimum squared Euclidean distance (MSED) to …

Gas Detection Applications Of Vertically Aligned Metal Oxide Nanowire Arrays, Haiqiao Su

LSU New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

To build novel electronic noses for mimicking biological olfactory systems that consist of olfactory receptor arrays with large surface area and massively-diversified chemical reactivity, three dimensional (3D) vertical aligned ZnO nanowire arrays were employed as active materials for gas detection. ZnO nanowire arrays share 3D structures similar to mammalian olfactory receptor arrays, with thousands of vertical nanowires providing a high reception area which can significantly enhance the sensors’ sensitivity. Meanwhile, with different material decorations (such as SnO₂, In₂O₃, WO₃ and polymers), each array of nanowires can produce a distinguishable response for each separate …

Parallel Computing Of Particle Filtering Algorithms For Target Tracking Applications, Jiande Wu

LSU New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

Particle filtering has been a very popular method to solve nonlinear/non-Gaussian state estimation problems for more than twenty years. Particle filters (PFs) have found lots of applications in areas that include nonlinear filtering of noisy signals and data, especially in target tracking. However, implementation of high dimensional PFs in real-time for large-scale problems is a very challenging computational task.

Parallel & distributed (P&D) computing is a promising way to deal with the computational challenges of PF methods. The main goal of this dissertation is to develop, implement and evaluate computationally efficient PF algorithms for target tracking, and thereby bring them …

Laparoscopic Devices And Methods Of Using, M. Susan Hallbeck, Jakeb Riggle, Adam De Laveaga, Jake Kaufman

Department of Mechanical and Materials Engineering: Faculty Publications

A number of improvements to laparoscopic devices are described herein, primarily to improve the ergonomic functionality of the devices. For example, an articulating rod system is described, a gripping mechanism is described, and an end effector is described