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California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo

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2006

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Articles 31 - 60 of 100

Full-Text Articles in Engineering

Effects Of Placement Conditions On Decomposition Of Municipal Solid Wastes In Cold Regions, James Hanson, Nazli Yeşiller, K. A. Howard, Wei-Lien Liu, S. P. Cooper Jul 2006

Effects Of Placement Conditions On Decomposition Of Municipal Solid Wastes In Cold Regions, James Hanson, Nazli Yeşiller, K. A. Howard, Wei-Lien Liu, S. P. Cooper

Civil and Environmental Engineering

The effects of placement practices on decomposition of wastes were investigated at Anchorage Regional Landfill (Anchorage, Alaska) since 2002. Temperatures and gas concentrations of wastes placed at various seasons were monitored. Wastes were placed at sub-freezing temperatures during cold seasons. Waste temperatures generally increased upon placement. High variation was observed in waste temperatures near the surface whereas steady temperatures were obtained at depth. High maximum stable temperatures resulted from warm placement conditions. Steady temperatures between approximately –1 to +35°C were observed. The central portion of a frozen waste band (with a total initial thickness of 7 m at placement, currently …


Parallel Operation Of Hybrid Loaded Resonant Converter Using Phase-Shift Control, Taufik, James J. Mullins Jul 2006

Parallel Operation Of Hybrid Loaded Resonant Converter Using Phase-Shift Control, Taufik, James J. Mullins

Electrical Engineering

This paper presents a phase shifting method to adjust the combined output voltage of two hybrid loaded resonant converters connected in parallel. The method implements a fixed switching frequency and hence it is particularly useful in applications such as medical instrumentation where audible noise is not desirable. The design and analysis of parallel hybrid resonant converters operating in discontinuous conduction mode using the phase shifting method is described. Computer simulation to prove the feasibility of the phase shifting method in the design example is also provided. Analysis of the characteristics of the output voltage produced by phase shifting control along …


A Miniature 5.5 Amp Dc Motor Drive, Taufik, Edwin Tahlman Jul 2006

A Miniature 5.5 Amp Dc Motor Drive, Taufik, Edwin Tahlman

Electrical Engineering

This paper details the design process and the stages of construction of a 12 V 5.5 A DC motor drive on a very small 1.5 inches by 1.5 inches printed circuit board. The relatively small-size but high power dc motor drive may open door to a wide spectrum of industrial electronic applications. The tiny size was made possible by the latest technology in power electronics for integrated dc motor drive technology and was aimed to improve overall efficiency of the dc motor drive circuit. A laboratory prototype was built and loading tests and measurements were conducted. The results of these …


Engineering Students' Perceptions Of And Attitudes Towards Cheating, Donald D. Carpenter, Trevor S. Harding, Cynthia J. Finelli, Susan M. Montgomery, Honor J. Passow Jul 2006

Engineering Students' Perceptions Of And Attitudes Towards Cheating, Donald D. Carpenter, Trevor S. Harding, Cynthia J. Finelli, Susan M. Montgomery, Honor J. Passow

Materials Engineering

Academic dishonesty has become a serious problem at institutions of higher learning. This is particularly true in engineering where, according to previous research, engineering undergraduates are among the most likely to cheat in college. To investigate this concern, the authors embarked on a research project whose goal was to develop a better understanding of what students and faculty perceive as cheating and to use this knowledge to help instructors and institutions increase the level of academic integrity among students. The primary instrument for this project was a seven-page survey that was administered to 643 engineering and pre-engineering undergraduates at eleven …


Rotorcraft Acoustic Noise Estimation And Outlier Detection, Johnny Fu, Xiao-Hua Yu Jul 2006

Rotorcraft Acoustic Noise Estimation And Outlier Detection, Johnny Fu, Xiao-Hua Yu

Electrical Engineering

This paper focuses on the application of artificial neural networks for rotorcraft acoustic data modeling, prediction, and outlier detection. The original data is recorded by microphones mounted inside a wind tunnel at NASA Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, CA. The experimental data is first acquired in the time-domain as a time history measurement; then the sound pressure level (SPL) that represents the acoustic noise in frequency domain is derived from the time history dataset. In this study, neural networks based models are developed in both time domain and frequency domain. Outlier detection is then performed using modified Z-scores for SPL …


A Comparative Study Of Various Loss Functions In The Economic Tolerance Design, Jehnan Pan, Jianbiao Pan Jun 2006

A Comparative Study Of Various Loss Functions In The Economic Tolerance Design, Jehnan Pan, Jianbiao Pan

Industrial and Manufacturing Engineering

Engineering tolerance design plays an important role in modern manufacturing. In this paper, the Kapur's model was modified so that the economic specification limits for both symmetric and asymmetric losses can be established. Three different loss functions: (1) Taguchi's quadratic loss function; (2) Inverted Normal Loss Function; (3) Revised Inverted Normal Loss Function are compared in the economic tolerance design. The relationships between the three loss functions and process capability indices for symmetric tolerance are established. The results suggest that the revised inverted normal loss function be used in determination of economic specification limits.


Cosmm: An Undergraduate Laboratory For Engineering And Manufacturing Complex, Organic Shapes Using Nature As A Template, Daniel Walsh, Lanny Griffin, Robert Crockett Jun 2006

Cosmm: An Undergraduate Laboratory For Engineering And Manufacturing Complex, Organic Shapes Using Nature As A Template, Daniel Walsh, Lanny Griffin, Robert Crockett

Biomedical Engineering

No abstract provided.


Laying The Foundation For Nanoscience And Nanotechnology With An Introductory Module For High School Students, Maynard Valerie, Hsu Mathew, Katherine C. Chen, R. H. Chang Jun 2006

Laying The Foundation For Nanoscience And Nanotechnology With An Introductory Module For High School Students, Maynard Valerie, Hsu Mathew, Katherine C. Chen, R. H. Chang

Materials Engineering

In response to the need to create a skilled workforce in nanotechnology and to excite young students with the wonders and potentials of science, the National Center for Learning and Teaching in Nanoscale Science and Engineering, is developing educational materials for grades 7 – 16. Learning theory and cutting-edge research are used in the development of modules on nanoscience and nanotechnology. This paper describes the rationale for such materials and describes an introductory module in which students are lead through a series of inquiry-based and hands-on activities, which lead to a design project. Its goal is to teach an underlying …


Curricula To Educate The 2020 Mse Engineering Professional: Simple But Powerful Changes In The Way That Mse Is Taught, Linda Vanasupa, Blair London, Katherine C. Chen, Richard Savage Jun 2006

Curricula To Educate The 2020 Mse Engineering Professional: Simple But Powerful Changes In The Way That Mse Is Taught, Linda Vanasupa, Blair London, Katherine C. Chen, Richard Savage

Materials Engineering

National leaders in science and technology sectors speak in unison as they call for engineers who are not only technically competent in their fields, but who possess the abilities to communicate well, to work on teams, to apply systems thinking, to operate in the global business environment, to design within a greater set of constraints (environmental, health and safety, sustainability, economic, societal, political, manufacturability, and ethical). In short, our challenge is to educate an engineering professional who is far more sophisticated than the engineer of the 20th century. Additionally, challenges brought on by the overuse of natural resources put …


The Role Of Industry In Supporting Education In Environmentally Responsible Engineering, Andrew Borchers, David Rinard, Trevor S. Harding, Terri Lynch-Caris Jun 2006

The Role Of Industry In Supporting Education In Environmentally Responsible Engineering, Andrew Borchers, David Rinard, Trevor S. Harding, Terri Lynch-Caris

Materials Engineering

Achievement of a sustainable future implies a collaborative effort between a variety of stakeholders including industry, government, and academia. We are traveling in unfamiliar waters where the course is not always clear and the goals are sometimes daunting. To develop the environmental wisdom we need to help us know the “right answers,” we must bring together the knowledge we get from our academic pursuits with the experience we obtain through trial and error. Bringing together the academic world and the business world not only helps us solve the immediate engineering need, it more importantly builds a partnership that will produce …


Research In The Undergraduate Environment, Charles Birdsong, Peter Schuster Jun 2006

Research In The Undergraduate Environment, Charles Birdsong, Peter Schuster

Mechanical Engineering

The benefits of research experiences for undergraduates are significant. For many faculty, these were the experiences that convinced us to pursue further education and a career in academia. However, performing research at an undergraduate institution carries with it certain challenges. In traditional research institutions, doctoral students perform most of the research activities, led by the faculty. These students have completed at least their undergraduate courses and can be expected to remain on the research team for four to six years. In contrast, at an undergraduate institution students may start in the group with only one or two engineering courses completed, …


Student Competitions - The Benefits And Challenges, Peter Schuster, Andrew Davol, Joseph Mello Jun 2006

Student Competitions - The Benefits And Challenges, Peter Schuster, Andrew Davol, Joseph Mello

Mechanical Engineering

Intercollegiate design competitions are a popular means to engage students in design activities that extend beyond the curriculum. When students gather around a project in their spare time and use their classroom skills to design, build, and test a product for an intercollegiate competition, something amazing happens: They develop a passion for engineering. This paper discusses the key benefits to engineering undergraduate students that flow from involvement in a team design competition. Advisor involvement plays a key role in both project success and student learning throughout the process. Different approaches to advising student competition teams are compared. Specific examples are …


Bandwidth Enhancement Of Fabry-Perot Quantum-Well Lasers By Injection-Locking, Xiaomin Jin, Shun-Lien Chuang Jun 2006

Bandwidth Enhancement Of Fabry-Perot Quantum-Well Lasers By Injection-Locking, Xiaomin Jin, Shun-Lien Chuang

Electrical Engineering

Theory and experiment for dc and small-signal electrical modulation of an injection-locked quantum-well (QW) Fabry-Perot laser are presented. Our experiment is realized by performing side-mode injection locking of a multiple-quantum-well (MQW) InGaAsP Fabry-Perot (FP) laser, which has the advantage of optical wavelength conversion. We first measure the dc characteristics and optical spectra of an injection-locked laser to define its locking range and linewidth enhancement factor. We then show experimentally that the bandwidth of an injection-locked semiconductor laser is 10.5 GHz, which is around twice the free-running electrical modulation bandwidth (5.3 GHz). The relaxation frequency of the injection-locked laser can be …


Investigation Of Particle-In-Cell Acceleration Techniques For Plasma Simulations, David D. Marshall, Douglas B. Vangilder Jun 2006

Investigation Of Particle-In-Cell Acceleration Techniques For Plasma Simulations, David D. Marshall, Douglas B. Vangilder

Aerospace Engineering

COLISEUM is an application framework that integrates plasma propagation schemes and arbitrary 3D surface geometries. Using Particle-in-Cell (PIC) schemes to model the plasma propagation high fidelity modeling of the plasma and its interactions with the surfaces is possible. In order to improve the computational performance of the Particle-in-Cell scheme with Direct Simulation Monte Carlo collision modeling (PIC-DSMC) within COLISEUM, AQUILA, acceleration techniques have been developed that significantly decrease the amount of CPU time needed to obtain a steady-state solution. These techniques have been demonstrated to decrease the CPU time from 3 to 24 times with little appreciable differences in the …


Infusing The Materials Engineering Curriculum With Sustainability Principles, Katherine C. Chen, Linda Vanasupa, Blair London, Richard N. Savage Jun 2006

Infusing The Materials Engineering Curriculum With Sustainability Principles, Katherine C. Chen, Linda Vanasupa, Blair London, Richard N. Savage

Materials Engineering

In order to better prepare our students for the complex, global world outside the confines of the university, we have been making concerted efforts to incorporate sustainability principles (i.e., balance of economics, society, and environment) within the materials engineering curriculum at California Polytechnic (Cal Poly) State University. Many future engineering tasks will require the understanding of complicated interplays of technology with the environment and society. In addition, energy demands and dwindling natural resources have emerged as significant challenges for scientists and engineers. The materials engineer has great opportunity to help devise sustainable solutions through appropriate materials selection and processing, and …


Cheating In College And Its Influence On Ethical Behavior In Professional Engineering Practice, Trevor S. Harding, Cynthia J. Finelli, Donald D. Carpenter Jun 2006

Cheating In College And Its Influence On Ethical Behavior In Professional Engineering Practice, Trevor S. Harding, Cynthia J. Finelli, Donald D. Carpenter

Materials Engineering

Research has demonstrated that engineering undergraduates report rates of cheating higher than those in most other disciplines and that students who cheat in college are more likely to make unethical decisions as professionals. To explore the relationship between academic and professional ethical behavior, the authors launched the Work Experience Study (WES) that examines students' decision-making processes in situations where they are tempted to engage in unethical behavior in academic and professional settings. The population sampled for WES includes engineering undergraduates with substantial work experience in engineering. Such a sampling strategy enables us to make comparisons between academic and work-place scenarios …


Examining The Underlying Motivations Of Engineering Undergraduates To Behave Unethically, Trevor S. Harding, Cynthia J. Finelli, Donald D. Carpenter, Matthew Mayhew Jun 2006

Examining The Underlying Motivations Of Engineering Undergraduates To Behave Unethically, Trevor S. Harding, Cynthia J. Finelli, Donald D. Carpenter, Matthew Mayhew

Materials Engineering

The need for ethical behavior in engineering professional practice has been demonstrated repeatedly over the years, and most, if not all, academic institutions provide opportunities for engineering students to learn about ethics and professional responsibility. While there has been some investigation of the effectiveness of these academic efforts on student learning of ethics, little attention has been paid to students’ ethical decision-making and behavior. The present study seeks to verify the use of a model of ethical decision-making to predict the tendency of engineering and humanities students to engage in cheating, an unethical behavior with which nearly all undergraduates are …


A Bimodular Theory For Finite Deformations: Comparison Of Orthotropic Second-Order And Exponential Stress Constitutive Equations For Articular Cartilage, Stephen M. Klisch Jun 2006

A Bimodular Theory For Finite Deformations: Comparison Of Orthotropic Second-Order And Exponential Stress Constitutive Equations For Articular Cartilage, Stephen M. Klisch

Mechanical Engineering

Cartilaginous tissues, such as articular cartilage and the annulus fibrosus, exhibit orthotropic behavior with highly asymmetric tensile–compressive responses. Due to this complex behavior, it is difficult to develop accurate stress constitutive equations that are valid for finite deformations. Therefore, we have developed a bimodular theory for finite deformations of elastic materials that allows the mechanical properties of the tissue to differ in tension and compression. In this paper, we derive an orthotropic stress constitutive equation that is second-order in terms of the Biot strain tensor as an alternative to traditional exponential type equations. Several reduced forms of the bimodular second-order …


Recyclability Index For Automobiles, Alexander Tsuji, Yarrow Nelson, Andrew Kean, Samuel A. Vigil Jun 2006

Recyclability Index For Automobiles, Alexander Tsuji, Yarrow Nelson, Andrew Kean, Samuel A. Vigil

Civil and Environmental Engineering

A rating system was developed to quantify the environmental impacts of light-duty motor vehicles at the end of their life-cycle based on recyclability, toxic material content and ultimate disposal. Each year, 10-11 million vehicles are retired from service in the United States. The vehicle material not recycled is called automotive shredder residue (ASR). About 4.5 to 5 million tons of ASR are disposed in U.S. solid waste landfills annually. The volume of this residue is likely to increase as vehicle manufacturers continue to use more plastics and composites in their designs to reduce weight and increase fuel efficiency. The rating …


Plotting A Bright Future For Manufacturing Education: Results Of A Brainstorming Session, Daniel Waldorf, Sema E. Alptekin, Robert Bjurman Jun 2006

Plotting A Bright Future For Manufacturing Education: Results Of A Brainstorming Session, Daniel Waldorf, Sema E. Alptekin, Robert Bjurman

Industrial and Manufacturing Engineering

Manufacturing industries worldwide have undergone dramatic changes in recent years and now demand more from graduating manufacturing engineers. The effects of globalization have forever changed the parameters for success in manufacturing. Our educational institutions must respond to these changes with innovation. That agenda formed the basis for a special SME/CIRP international conference on manufacturing engineering education called “Looking Forward: Innovations in Manufacturing Engineering Education,” held in San Luis Obispo, California, June 22-25, 2005. At the meeting, manufacturing education professionals from around the world came together to share their own innovative ideas and to brainstorm ways to shape the future of …


Using Genetic Algorithms And Particle Swarm Optimization For Optimal Design And Calibration Of Large And Complex Urban Stormwater Management Models, Misgana K. Muleta, Paul F. Boulos, Chun-Hou Orr, Jun Je Ro May 2006

Using Genetic Algorithms And Particle Swarm Optimization For Optimal Design And Calibration Of Large And Complex Urban Stormwater Management Models, Misgana K. Muleta, Paul F. Boulos, Chun-Hou Orr, Jun Je Ro

Civil and Environmental Engineering

Computer models are vital for the evaluation and management of urban drainage systems. Usefulness of these models, however, depends on how well they are calibrated. Properly calibrated models can be used to conceive, evaluate and compare various design improvement alternatives. Unfortunately, calibration and design of urban stormwater models, especially with the commonly used trial-and-error approach, are an expensive, time-consuming process and normally represent the most painful step of a modeling exercise. Their success depends mainly on the engineering expertise of the modeler and budget availability. The effort is complicated by the fact that these models normally necessitate the evaluation of …


An Innovative Geocentric Decision Support Solution To Comprehensive Planning, Design, Operation, And Management Of Urban Drainage Systems, Paul F. Boulos, Misgana K. Muleta, Chun-Hou Orr, Jun Je Ro May 2006

An Innovative Geocentric Decision Support Solution To Comprehensive Planning, Design, Operation, And Management Of Urban Drainage Systems, Paul F. Boulos, Misgana K. Muleta, Chun-Hou Orr, Jun Je Ro

Civil and Environmental Engineering

Geographic Information System (GIS) is quickly becoming a critical component to develop and sustain asset management for today’s wastewater utilities as most of their data is geographically referenced. This technology offers sophisticated data management and spatial analysis capabilities that can greatly improve and facilitate urban drainage infrastructure modeling and analysis applications. This paper presents a comprehensive GIS-based decision support system that integrates several technologies for use in the effective management of urban stormwater collection systems. It explicitly integrates ESRI ArcGIS geospatial model with advanced hydrologic, hydraulic, and water quality simulation algorithms, nature-based global optimization techniques including genetic algorithms for design …


Effects Of Hydrogen On The Phases And Transition Temperatures Of Niti, Amanda Runciman, Katherine C. Chen, Alan R. Pelton, Christine Trepanier May 2006

Effects Of Hydrogen On The Phases And Transition Temperatures Of Niti, Amanda Runciman, Katherine C. Chen, Alan R. Pelton, Christine Trepanier

Materials Engineering

Austenitic (B2) NiTi samples were cathodically charged with various amounts of hydrogen. Trends are tracked based on temperature, time and voltage throughout the process to establish consistent and predictive hydrogen charging procedures. The effect of hydrogen on the austenitic structure and the formation of hydrides are studied with x-ray diffraction (XRD). An increase in the austenite lattice parameter with increased hydrogen content is observed up to a hydrogen solubility limit of approximately 85 wppm. At greater hydrogen concentrations, additional XRD peaks appear, suggesting possible hydride formation. Differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) results show a decrease in both the austenitic and martensitic …


Tile Size Selection For Low-Power Tile-Based Architectures, John Y. Oliver, Ravishankar Rao, Michael Brown, Jennifer Mankin, Diana Franklin, Frederic T. Chong, Venkatesh Akella May 2006

Tile Size Selection For Low-Power Tile-Based Architectures, John Y. Oliver, Ravishankar Rao, Michael Brown, Jennifer Mankin, Diana Franklin, Frederic T. Chong, Venkatesh Akella

Electrical Engineering

In this paper, we investigate the power implications of tile size selection for tile-based processors. We refer to this investigation as a tile granularity study. This is accomplished by distilling the architectural cost of tiles with different computational widths into a system metric we call the Granularity Indicator (GI). The GI is then compared against the communications exposed when algorithms are partitioned across multiple tiles. Through this comparison, the tile granularity that best fits a given set of algorithms can be determined, reducing the system power for that set of algorithms. When the GI analysis is applied to the Synchroscalar …


The Implications Of Academic Dishonesty In Undergraduate Engineering On Professional Ethical Behavior, Donald D. Carpenter, Trevor S. Harding, Cynthia J. Finelli May 2006

The Implications Of Academic Dishonesty In Undergraduate Engineering On Professional Ethical Behavior, Donald D. Carpenter, Trevor S. Harding, Cynthia J. Finelli

Materials Engineering

Student academic dishonesty, commonly referred to as cheating, has become a serious problem at institutions of higher education. This is particularly true of engineering students who, according to previous research, are among the most likely to cheat in college. In addition, research on college students in all fields has indicated that such behavior is more common among students who participate in academic dishonesty at the high school level and that it is correlated with other deviant or unethical behaviors, such as petty theft and lying. If, in fact, such correlations do exist, one might hypothesize that there is also a …


Biodegradation Of Hydrocarbons Assisted By Arroyo Willows In Controlled Mesocosms Conducted At The Former Guadalupe Oil Field, Kevin Crossley, Yarrow M. Nelson May 2006

Biodegradation Of Hydrocarbons Assisted By Arroyo Willows In Controlled Mesocosms Conducted At The Former Guadalupe Oil Field, Kevin Crossley, Yarrow M. Nelson

Civil and Environmental Engineering

Abstract of paper presented at conference.


Biotreatment Of Synthetic Drill-Cutting Waste In Soil, Laleh Rastegarzadeh, Yarrow Nelson, Todd G. Ririe May 2006

Biotreatment Of Synthetic Drill-Cutting Waste In Soil, Laleh Rastegarzadeh, Yarrow Nelson, Todd G. Ririe

Civil and Environmental Engineering

Oil and gas drilling operations create drill cutting wastes around the world. Drill cutting waste includes synthetic drilling fluids typically consisting of petroleum-based compounds mixed with clay-type materials and water. Biological treatment is an effective means of disposing of drill cutting wastes, but proper biodegradation conditions are critical. In this study biological treatment of drill cutting wastes containing Saraline® (synthetic paraffin mineral oil) was examined using a variety of amendments to study the effect of different conditions on the biodegradability of synthetic drill cutting wastes. Soil was collected from a drilling site in Southeast Asia and soil microcosms were incubated …


Biodegradation And Toxicity Of Hydrocarbons Along Vertical Transects In A Groundwater Plume, Yarrow M. Nelson, Andrew Lassen, Christopher L. Kitts, Paul Lundegrad, Gonzalo Garcia May 2006

Biodegradation And Toxicity Of Hydrocarbons Along Vertical Transects In A Groundwater Plume, Yarrow M. Nelson, Andrew Lassen, Christopher L. Kitts, Paul Lundegrad, Gonzalo Garcia

Civil and Environmental Engineering

Abstract of paper presented at conference.


Experiences In Accurately Predicting Time-Dependent Flows, Russell M. Cummings, Scott A. Morton, David R. Mcdaniel May 2006

Experiences In Accurately Predicting Time-Dependent Flows, Russell M. Cummings, Scott A. Morton, David R. Mcdaniel

Aerospace Engineering

As computational fluid dynamics matures, researchers attempt to perform numerical simulations on increasingly complex aerodynamic flows. One type of flow that has become feasible to simulate is massively separated flow fields, which exhibit high levels of flow unsteadiness. While traditional computational fluid dynamic approaches may be able to simulate these flows, it is not obvious what restrictions should be followed in order to insure that the numerical simulations are accurate and trustworthy. Our research group has considerable experience in computing massively separated flow fields about various aircraft configurations, which has led us to examine the factors necessary for making high-quality …


Study Of Optical-Feedback Using An Integrated Laser-Modulator/Amplifier Device, Xiaomin Jin, A. Hsu, Shun Lien Chuang Apr 2006

Study Of Optical-Feedback Using An Integrated Laser-Modulator/Amplifier Device, Xiaomin Jin, A. Hsu, Shun Lien Chuang

Electrical Engineering

We study optical-feedback effects using an integrated laser-modulator/amplifier. Our experiment and theory are agree well and provide interesting results of feedback effects on optical spectrum, spatial-hole burning, the photon density profile, and the microwave modulation.