Engineering Commons^™

Coordinated Strategic Planning Of Hydroelectric Energy Usage Using Stochastic Dynamic Programming With Decoupled Production Cost Simulation, Duane David Highley

Masters Theses

"The method of Stochastic Dynamic Programming is applied to the problem of Long-term hydrothermal coordination for a five-reservoir system in the Midwest. The model that has been developed will optimize the monthly reservoir elevations to produce the lowest expected energy production cost. The production cost calculations are decoupled from the Dynamic Programming loop, resulting in shorter execution times. Constraints are included for maximum and minimum reservoir elevations, maximum monthly reservoir rise and drop, and maximum and minimum monthly energy production. These constraints help to reduce the state space and shorten execution time. An additional constraint is modeled to control the …

Toughening Mechanisms In Weak Matrix Ceramic Composites, Jowoong Ha

Doctoral Dissertations

"Tough behavior of ceramic matrix composites is closely related to the weak interface between fiber and matrix. The weak interfaces in composites have been provided by reducing the chemical bonding and the residual thermal stresses between constituents. A new way to introduce the weak interface by induced porosity or damaged zones, so called porosity toughening or damage toughening respectively, was proposed in this study to provide the rationale for guiding development of oxide/oxide composites. The existence of porosity toughening was examined by qualitative theoretical consideration and experiments. Porous oxide/oxide composites were fabricated using alumino-silicate fibers (Nextel 440) and magnesium alumino-silicate …

Toward The Development Of Decision Support Tools To Manage The Catis Project Life Cycle, Steven Wayne Mccrary

Doctoral Dissertations

"The American Public Works Administration (1987) states that communities' infrastructures are in need of repair and better management and recommends CATIS (Computer-Assisted Terraspatial Information Systems) as an excellent tool to assist in that endeavor. Small communities have several voids that CATIS technology can fill. This research reports on a life-cycle approach to CATIS adoption that will help small communities to better manage their infrastructure.

It is important for small communities to become aware of the types of systems available and what each system can do. This study presents a straightforward, understandable discussion of CATIS technologies, features, and applications. Justifying the …

Reduced Order H∞ Controller Design, Seng Chu Chow

Masters Theses

"The problem formulation and the development of the H_∞ optimal control theory are reviewed. Various H_∞ robust controller design techniques, including both state and output feedback cases, together with a brief comparison and some remarks on these methodologies arc presented. Also included are a review of the controller order reduction alternatives and various balanced truncation model reduction methods.

A new model reduction technique with reduced error bound is proposed. This proposed technique introduces a new parameter which can be used to select the spectral norm of the model reduction error at low and high frequency ranges according to …

Dose Rate Determination Of The Highly-Enriched Uranium Fuel At The University Of Missouri-Rolla Reactor In Preparation For Transportation, Alice Ann Netzer

Masters Theses

"An analytical model was developed in order to accurately estimate the dose rates in air of the highly-enriched uranium (HEU) fuel at the University of Missouri - Rolla Reactor. Based upon these results, a method is proposed to remove the fuel from the reactor.

First thermoluminescent dosimeters (TLDs) were exposed under water to each of the fuel elements in the reactor pool, except for the four control rodded elements. A model was developed to use the in-water TLD readings to calculate the dose rate of the fuel elements in air at 1 foot and 3 feet. The fuel was modeled …