Engineering Commons^™

The Microbial Hydrolysis Of Cellulose And Some Factors Affecting The Production Of Cellulase In A Submerged Culture Of Alternaria Sp, Robert Murray Logan

Doctoral Dissertations

"A mile hydrolyzing procedure was utilized to degrade oak sawdust. Its capability of producing a suitable fermentatation [sic] medium was studied. In the interest of solubilizing, enzymatically, the carbohydrate portion of oak sawdust, an investigation was conducted in which various microorganisms were examined for their ability to utilize different forms of cellulose for their growth and to produce cellulose decomposing enzymes. The microorganisms included a myxobacterium, several fungi, and a wood-rotting basidiomycete. The fungi included two highly cellulolytic organisms, Myrothecium verrucaria and Trichoderma viride. The myxobacterium used was Sorangium cellulosum and the basidiomycete was Pleurotus ostreatus. The principla substrates employed …

Drag Reduction In Newtonian Polymer Solutions, Harry C. Hershey

Doctoral Dissertations

"Prior work in the area of drag reduction has been mainly limited to aqueous solutions. Theoretical and empirical analyses of the resulting data in aqueous solutions have been hindered by the fact that some polymers cause drag reduction and others do not...This investigation was directed to the study of how the size and configuration of the polymer molecule in solution affected drag reduction and the related phenomenon of turbulence suppression. Apparatuses were designed and built to measure viscometric flow, curves, friction factors, velocity profiles, and normal stresses (by a jet thrust technique developed by Metzner and associates)"--Summary, page 1-2.

The Anodic Dissolution Of Cadmium In Nitrate Solution, Eh Deng

Masters Theses

"It is only relatively recently that the immensity of the problem of corrosion prevention has begun to be realized. In times when materials were plentiful, the problem did not seem so pressing. Now that a finite limit can be seen for the world*s resources of metals, and the cost of finding, mining and extracting them has become ever more expensive, the problem of controlling the destructive processes of corrosion has become an urgent one.

The basic mechanism of the anodic dissolution of metals such as cadmium, zinc, silver and magnesium in salt solutions is not completely known. Although several mechanisms …

Cylinder-Head Surface Temperature And Maximum Pressure In A Diesel Engine, Jayant M. Patel

Masters Theses

"This report presents the result of an experimental investigation on the effect of 1) fuel consumption in a diesel engine on the mean cylinder-head surface temperature 2) engine speed and load on the maximum cylinder pressure.

A fast-response thermocouple was fixed in the cylinder head and temperatures were measured for various load and speed conditions. An attempt was made to record a transient surface temperature versus crank-angle diagram. Some doubt as to the reliability of this recording may arise because of the very small amount of time lag in the thermocouple action. This is immaterial to the subject of this …

A Study Of Hot Shortness In Steels, Koang-Hwa Kung

Masters Theses

"In this investigation an attempt was made to study the deformation of a number of laboratory-melted and commercial steels. A compressive load was applied to the steels at constant temperature and also during heating. The amounts and rates of deformation in these two types of tests was not consistent: in the constant temperature tests the hot short steels deformed more than the others while they appeared to deform less during heating. Metallographic examination of the sulfides indicated that the sulfides in cast steel are not stable and that they change during heating and hot working"--Introduction, page 2.

A Computer Approach To Transistor Circuit Design, Kwok Chee Hong

Masters Theses

"The design of amplifiers is usually approached through experimental study. This thesis proposes a mathematical approach, using a digital computer to predict the performance of an active transistor circuit (a frequency equalizer circuit to compensate for the RIAA recording frequency characteristics) prior to the actual construction of the physical system. The simple but powerful computer analysis method will be based upon the nodal equations of the complete circuit. The primary aim is to design a circuit which would give a desired frequency-gain characteristic. The complete set of simultaneous complex nodal equations describing the circuit operation is then written. Based on …

Investigation Of The Use Of Optics In The Analysis Of Structures, Jimmy D. Hahs

Masters Theses

"This study was made to determine the feasibility of the use of optics in the analysis of structures. Since the curvature of a beam due to a loading condition is a function of the moment, a measure of this curvature is a measurement of the moment.

This study used the relationship between object size and image size formed by a concave or convex reflective surface to determine the radius of curvature and the moment at the point.

Overhanging simply supported beams of plexiglass with concentrated loads at various positions were used to demonstrate the developed optical theory. Optical measurements were …

Anodic Dissolution Of Silver In Aqueous Solutions, Jagdish Shantilal Sanghvi

Masters Theses

"Silver and platinum, although not used extensively in industry, find considerable use in specialized work. Silver, because of its much lower cost, is used to a greater extent than platinum. Since silver has a high position in the electromotive series, it is very resistant to chemical attack. It is unaffected by alkaline conditions even at high temperatures and hence silver is used in ladles and molds for producing pure sodium and potassium hydroxides. This and its excellent electrical conductivity makes it a very useful material in circuitry.

It has been reported in the literature that when active metals such as …

The Effect Of Carbonate Karst Terrain On Water Quality, Robert Russell Kilgo

Masters Theses

"The ever increasing use of water and unabated pollution of streams have made necessary increased research efforts into the quality and quantity of the available national water resources. Karst terrain is prevalent in several sections of the United States, however, little work has been done on the effect of this topography on water quality.

The purpose of this investigation was to determine the effect of carbonate karst terrain on the quality of water. The Meramec spring area, east of Rolla, Missouri, was selected for study. This area was underlain with dolomite formations and contains both karst and non-karst drainage basins …

Comparison Of Measured And Calculated Stiffnesses For Lightweight Normal Concrete Beams, Raman Patel

Masters Theses

"This study is a presentation of the findings involving experimental measurements of stiffness (EI) for different percentages of reinforcement steel in normal and lightweight concrete beams. The experimental values of stiffness are compared with calculated values obtained by applying the standard reinforced concrete theory. The measured values of stiffness obtained by the rotation method are compared with those obtained by the deflection method. Of the thirty beams that were tested, fifteen were tested for normal concrete and the remaining fifteen for lightweight concrete. Each of these beams were tested at different ages, ranging from seven to twenty-eight days.

The test …

Mass Transfer In The Electrodialytic Desalination Of Brackish Water And A Correlation Of Experimental Data With Theory, James Shih-Jiann Yang

Masters Theses

"The object of this work is an experimental investigation into the possibility of obtaining an increase in mass transfer in the electrodialysis of brackish water by altering the physical character of the selective membrane, and a correlation of experimental mass transfer data with theory"--Introduction, page 1.

Warping And Curling Of Plain Concrete Slabs, Vipinbhai Ratilal Shah

Masters Theses

"The study was made to determine the effect of daily atmospheric temperature variation and curing on the warping and curling of plain concrete slabs and to study the effect of moisture on the warping of plain concrete slabs under nearly constant temperature conditions, by keeping the bottom surface of one slab wet and the other dry.

Daily observations consisted of dial gage readings to determine the progressive variations in warping contours due to typical daily temperature curling. Trends were found for three months of dial gage readings and interpreted in terms of warping and curling of the slabs.

The warping …

The Elastic And Anelastic Constants Of A Synthetic Fluor-Mica Formed By Glass-Ceramic Fabrication Techniques, John H. Ainsworth

Masters Theses

"A tetrasilicic fluor mica, K₂Mg₅Si₈O₂₀F₄, was synthesized using glass forming techniques. Density changes, weight losses, and shrinkage, as well as elastic and anelastic properties, were measured on bars heat-treated at selected temperatures between 500°C and 1150°C to determine the characteristics of this material. Phase changes were followed by determining thermal expansion, logarithmic decrement, and modulus of elasticity from room temperature to 800°C.

It was found that the elastic and anelastic constants decreased gradually with heat treatments from 600°C to 1000°C. This indicated progressively increased structural ordering. Heat treatments above 1000°C …

The Design And Construction Of A Medium Power, Synchronous, Electronic Switch, Floyd S. Hall

Masters Theses

"This paper presents the design and construction of a medium power, synchronous, electronic switch and associated timing and control circuits.

The unit described is capable of controlling a 20 ampere resistive or inductive load from a 110/220 volt, 60 Hz excitation source. Thyristors are used as the active switching elements. The period of the on/off switching cycle may be varied from 1/60 second to 8 1/2 seconds. Turn-on and turn-off may occur at independently selected phase angles relative to the reference frequency source.

Higher power operation could be obtained easily with minor design changes"--Abstract, page ii.

Buckling Strength Of Titanium Alloy Columns In The Elastic And Inelastic Range, Richard O. Rintoul

Masters Theses

"The purpose of this study is to find experimentally the buckling strength of titanium alloy (Ti.-6Al.-4V.) columns and to determine a suitable equation to be used in the design of titanium columns in the elastic and inelastic range.

Effective length over radius of gyration ratios of from 178 to 16.1 were studied. High strength steel plates with cylindrical radii milled in the faces served as column ends while cylindrical radii ends were milled on the columns. SR-4 strain gages were used at the mid-points of all columns to determine lateral deflection and predict a theoretical buckling stress. Actual column loads …

The Development Of Conical Stress Forms By Explosive Charges, Walter T. Casquino

Masters Theses

"Usually stresses generated by explosive charges during blasting are considered to propagate through materials in a spherical manner. Although conical stress waves had been suggested by a few investigators they have never been clearly defined or studied in the laboratory.

An experimental technique using models was developed to produce conical stress waves from an explosive. Several materials with different properties were selected as models for the purpose of determining whether or not conical waves could be generated in all materials.

This investigation showed that conical stress waves do exist under certain conditions, which would closely approximate those present for much …

The Influence Of Cation Exchange And Electrolyte Concentrations Upon The Atterberg Limits, Kent J. Schwieger

Masters Theses

"The object of this investigation is to correlate relationships between cation exchange capacity, clay content, and type and concentration of the exchangeable cations upon the Atterberg limits of a soil. Synthetic soils consisting of loessial silt and either an illitic natural deposit, bentonite, ball clay, or kaolin clay were used.

As the percent clay fraction was increased the cation exchange capacity, liquid and plastic limits and plasticity index increased linearly in the clay range. Results also suggested a linear relationship between the liquid and plastic limits and the cation exchange capacity of soils of one hundred percent clay fraction"--Abstract, page …

Matching Of A Horn Antenna To Its Dense Surrounding Media By The Use Of Artificial Dielectric Methods, Paul Arthur Ray

Masters Theses

"The purpose of this thesis is to design an artificial dielectric slug to match a horn in a media such as water and to discuss a method of determining experimentally its dielectric properties. The design is based on known artificial dielectric methods. The method of determining the dielectric properties is by microwave waveguide reflection techniques. This thesis deals with the theoretical aspects and suggests an experimental method of determining the practicability of such a matching method"--Abstract, page ii.

Field Permeability Determination Of Partially Saturated Fine Grained Soil, Edward G. Rapp

Masters Theses

"The determination of water permeability through a soil is necessary to estimate seepage losses from small reservoirs. At the present time, the methods available to conduct this determination in partially saturated fine grained soils are expensive and in most cases not commensurate with the cost or importance of the individual structure. This investigation was conducted to evaluate the use of a proposed, potentially inexpensive field procedure in this situation. A modified borehole apparatus was utilized in field tests to determine the permeability of a partially saturated soil deposit in place. Undisturbed samples from the same location were tested in the …

Equivalent Circuit Of Unsymmetrical Inductance Diode Using Linvill Lumped Model, Donald Lawrence Willyard

Masters Theses

"Integrated circuit techniques and applications are rapidly changing the electronics industry. A problem common to both state-of-the-art approaches to integrated circuit fabrication is that of miniaturizing and integrating inductors. It is found that, for a certain range of injection current levels, certain unsymmetrically doped junction diodes have an inductive small-signal impedance. This thesis discusses the theory of inductance diodes and applies finite difference equations and the Linvill lumped model to the differential equations that describe their carrier flow processes. The static I-V characteristic and the small-signal equivalent circuit at high injection densities are derived. The elements (R,L,C) of this equivalent …

Design Of Non-Uniform Linear Antenna Arrays With Digitized Spacing And Amplitude Levels, Jack F. Morris

Masters Theses

"Recent developments in space exploration have shown a need for high resolution, high gain antennas. The introduction of non-uniform linear array theory has provided a means by which arrays may be designed to produce narrow main beams with fewer elements than required by uniform arrays. A general theory has not been developed, however, and the design engineer has been left with only trial-and-error methods with which to work. In this study a technique has been developed by which non-uniform antenna arrays may be synthesized to meet a given set of specifications with reasonable accuracy. The elements of the array are …

Instrumentation Of A Diesel Engine For Measuring Cylinder Head Temperature, And Pressure At Various Crank Angles, Raman A. Patel

Masters Theses

"In this investigation, an attempt has been made to measure the instantaneous pressures in the cylinder and the transient temperatures of cylinder head versus crank angle in a Diesel engine. A strain-gage pressure transducer and a sensitive surface thermocouple were used. The pressure transducer was practically free from temperature influence and strain effects caused by installation. It had a greatly reduced sensitivity to vibrations compared with other available types of pressure transducers. The thermocouple had a very short response time. A device enabling very accurate measurement of crank-angle was constructed. Appropriate quantities were displayed on the screen of an oscilloscope …

The Kinetics And Mechanisms Of The Reaction Of Benzyl Chloride With Potassium T̲-Butoxide In T̲-Butyl Alcohol, Der-Rong Chen

Masters Theses

"Benzyl chloride is a moderately reactive halide. Substitution of the Cl⁻ by other nucleophiles, e.g., HO⁻, AcO⁻, S₂O₃⁻, Br⁻ etc. proceeds almost quantitatively in solutions at convenient temperatures ... The object of this study was to investigate if the less basic t̲-butoxide in t̲-butyl alcohol would afford the same product, viz., stilbene; and, if so, by what mechanism. A study of the products and kinetics of the interaction between benzyl chloride and potassium t̲-butoxide in t̲-butyl alcohol therefore has been initiated"--Introduction, page 1.

The Effect Of Copper Upon The Eutectoid Reaction In The Zinc-Aluminum System, Paul Theodore Corcoran

Masters Theses

"A Leitz dilatometer was used to study the kinetics of the eutectoid reaction in the zinc-aluminum system and the effect of small additions of copper upon this reaction. Three alloys were investigated: a pure 78% zinc - 22% aluminum alloy; a 78% zinc - 21.9% aluminum - 0.1% copper alloy; a 78% zinc - 21% aluminum -1.0% copper alloy. It was found that this reaction was similar to the pearlite reaction in the iron-carbon system. The reaction occurred by diffusion processes and the products of the reaction looked similar to pearlite when examined under the microscope. Copper was found to …

Oxidation Of Ortho-Xylene To Phthalic Anhydride Using A Fluidized Bed Catalysis, Jyue-Sheng Wang

Masters Theses

"This investigation was conducted to study the vapor-phase oxidation of o-xylene to phthalic anhydride in a fluidized bed reactor. Parameters investigated during the study were temperature, molar ratio of air to o-xylene vapor, and space velocity. The catalyst used was vanadium pentoxide supported on a silica base and diluted with potassium sulfate. The studies were conducted on a laboratory scale"--Abstract, page ii.

The Effect Of Vegetation, Soil, And Rock Type On Runoff From Some Small Watersheds In Missouri, Anant Suthipas Narupon

Masters Theses

"A previous study of mean annual floods (Harbaugh, 1962) was based on watershed area, channel length, and channel slope of forty five small watershed in the State of Missouri. The present study investigates the effect of precipitation, soil distribution, vegetal cover, and underlying bedrock on annual peak rate of discharge. This study consists of statistical analysis by multiple correlations of additional quantitative data for nine of Harbaugh's forty five watersheds. Hydrologic data were obtained from the U.S. Geological Survey and U.S. Weather Bureau climatological publications. Distribution of vegetation was compiled from U.S. Department of Agriculture aerial photographs. Soil and rock …

An Analysis Of Pressure Build-Up Theory, Hansraj J. Patel

Masters Theses

"Various theories regarding the pressure build-up characteristics for producing wells are analyzed. The merits and limitations of each theory are discussed. The error involved in plotting the pressure build-up data for the case of well-bore pressure versus shut-in time is pointed out. Equations have been presented for the various quantitative determinations of reservoir properties which can be obtained from typical pressure build-up data. Utilizing all the previous methods presented in the literature, a recommended procedure for field application is proposed. One oil well and three gas wells have been analyzed using the recommended procedure with the attendant calculations given in …

Free Convection Heat Transfer From An Inclined Heated Flat Plate In Air, Shu Chien Yung

Masters Theses

"An experimental investigation has been performed to determine the free convection heat transfer from a heated flat plate in air moved from the vertical position through three inclined positions to the horizontal position. The hot surface of the plate was facing downward for the horizontal and three inclined positions. Tests were performed at plate surface temperatures from 120°F up to 404°F. Data for the plate surface temperature at about 165°F with the plate in the vertical position agrees very well with previous experimental work. This same data was used to determine a new parameter, introduced into the Pholhausen free convection …

An Apparatus To Measure Capillary Jet Thrusts And The Evaluation Of Normal Stresses In Fluids, Charles Donald Green

Masters Theses

"The purpose of this work was to design, construct and calibrate simple, inexpensive apparatus which could be used to measure the normal stresses and tangential shear stresses of a fluid. For normal stress measurements, the capillary jet thrust principle was selected. A standard analytical balance was modified so that capillary tubes could be fitted on it horizontally. It was designed so that the thrust produced by a jet of fluid from the tube caused a deviation from the zero balance position. The weights needed to rezero the balance gave a measure of the thrust"--Summary, page 1.

On Time-Optimal Second Order Discrete Control Systems, Chao-Tai Li

Masters Theses

"The time optimal control problem in unforced discrete systems is studied in this thesis. Comparison is made between the discrete and the continuous control systems by means of minimum time isochrones. concerning optimal time, it is shown that using the discrete control system will take at most one more sampling period of time to go to equilibrium. An investigation is also made for the case when the time constant of the physical plant, G(s), and the control model are different. In such a case, an optimal trajectory can not be obtained. An adaptive process is proposed to adjust the model …