Engineering Commons^™

Technical Area 3 - 40; Physics Building- Fire And Life Safety Analysis, Parker Fellows

Fire Protection Engineering: Culminating Experience Project Reports

A Fire Protection Engineering Analysis was performed on TA‐3‐0040, Physics Building at the Los Alamos National Laboratory in Los Alamos, New Mexico. The goal of the analysis has two parts; first, to examine the buildings fire protection features from a code based prescriptive analysis and second, to examine the building and fire protection features using a performance based design analysis.

Building 40 is a 2 story structure approximately 187,000 square feet. The building was constructed in the mid‐1950s with a first floor, basement, partial sub‐basement, and various mezzanines. Originally, this building was constructed as a non‐combustible type IIB structure according …

Pre-R, Brian Carreon, Mariel Sanchez

Computer Science and Software Engineering

The project that PomTech worked on for Capstone is the Pre­R iOS Application for Dr. Sam Slishman. The main objective for this project was to create a functional prototype of the iOS application and deliver it to Dr. Slishman by the end of the 2016 Winter quarter. The prototype features the ability for patients to contact Dr. Slishman for consultation through a phone call, a Facetime video call, email, or a house call. In addition, the user of the prototype is able to see the proximity and availability of Dr. Slishman. Other features include a profile page of Dr. Slishman, …

Design And Validation Of A Fall Detection Application For Ios, Connor Lewis Mosley

Master's Theses

Despite significant preventative efforts, falls continue to be a major source of morbidity and mortality among the elderly. Additionally, the fear of falling can be a major obstacle to independent living for otherwise self-sufficient individuals. This fear is significantly heightened in individuals who have sustained a fall and often results in self-imposed restrictions on mobility and exercise, causing weakening in these individuals and further exacerbating the danger. Much time has been spent developing alert systems in an attempt to mitigate these problems. Unfortunately these systems typically involve dedicated monitoring centers and therefore often come with substantial upfront and recurring costs. …

Oceanographic Instrument Simulator, Amy Chen

Master's Theses

The Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute (MBARI) established the Free Ocean Carbon Enrichment (FOCE) experiment to study the long-term effects of decreased ocean pH levels by developing in-situ platforms [1]. Deep FOCE (dpFOCE) was the first platform, which was deployed in 950 meters of water in Monterey Bay. After the conclusion of dpFOCE, MBARI developed an open source shallow water FOCE (swFOCE) platform located at around 250 meter of water to facilitate worldwide shallow water experiments on FOCE [1][2]. A shallow water platform can be more ubiquitous than a deep-water platform as shallow water instruments are less expensive (as it …

Design And Build Of An Automated Animal Feed Dispenser, Soroush Sedigh

BioResource and Agricultural Engineering

This senior project discusses the design, construction, and evaluation of automated animal feed dispenser on a small-scale level. The system consists of three main components with various sub-components. Those three components are the outer-casing, the hardware and circuitry, and lastly the code to make sure the hardware operates properly.

System tests have indicated that the feed dispenser is able to provide one week’s worth of feed to the end user with no human interference

Automated Vehicles: A Guide For Planners And Policymakers, Charlie Coles

Master's Theses

Automated vehicles are those which are capable of sensing their environments in order to perform at least some aspects of the safety-critical control (like steering, throttling, or braking) without direct human input. As a guide for planners and policymakers, the objective of this thesis is to develop a strong foundation for anticipating the potential impacts resulting from advancements in vehicle automation. To establish the foundation, this thesis uses a robust qualitative methodology, coupling a review of literature on the potential advantages and disadvantages of vehicle automation and lessons from past innovations in transportation, with recent trends of the Millennial Generation, …

Exploring Transit Ridership Using Census, Routing & Scheduling, And Stop Characteristic Data, Douglas Harvey Moody

Master's Theses

This study develops, analyzes, and a­­­­­pplies transit-system-specific regression tree models that identify and prioritize transit system improvements through analysis and application of ridership, Census, routing and scheduling, and transit stop characteristic data. Regression trees identify and rank independent variables that split dependent variable datasets into meaningful subsets according to significant relationships with independent variable datasets, and regression tree models can be used to identify and prioritize transit system improvements. In this study, ridership datatypes are the dependent variables (i.e., boardings and alightings) and Census, routing and scheduling, and transit stop characteristic datatypes are the independent variables. Data associated with the …

Taylor Place- Fire Life Safety Report, Christopher Thomas

Fire Protection Engineering: Culminating Experience Project Reports

This document is a Fire and Life Safety Report on the Taylor Place Dormitory located in Phoenix, Arizona as part of the Arizona State University (ASU) downtown campus. The building was evaluated on a prescriptive basis based on the current City of Phoenix building codes and further evaluated on using performance based methods from the Society of Fire Protection Engineers (SFPE) Handbook and National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) 101 Life Safety Code®.

These building features and systems were evaluated using prescriptive methods:

General construction, fire resistive construction and fire resistive separations Occupancy, Life safety features and building egress Smoke management …

Micro-Mechanics: Fire And Life Safety Evaluation, Michael Beam

Fire Protection Engineering: Culminating Experience Project Reports

The purpose of this report is to perform a fire and life safety evaluation of an existing building, Micro-Mechanics. The current codes and standards are used to evaluate the following prescriptive fire protection systems including: Occupancy and Hazard Classification, Structural Fire Protection, Egress Analysis, Fire Detection, Alarm and Communication Systems, and Fire Suppression Systems. An evaluation of possible special hazards is discussed to determine if any extra precautions need to be taken to prevent uncontrollable fire or explosions. A performance based analysis is used to evaluate the effectiveness of the prescriptive building systems. Using a combination of computer models including …

Evaluation Of Strength Reduction Factor For Concentrically Braced Frames Based On Nonlinear Single Degree-Of-Freedom Systems, Ryan Michael Slein

Master's Theses

Strength Reduction Factor (R-Factor), often referred to as Response Modification Factor, is commonly used in the design of lateral force resisting systems under seismic loading. R-Factors allow for a reduction in design base shear demands, leading to more economical designs. The reduction of strength is remedied with ductile behavior in members of proper detailing. Modern seismic codes and provisions recommend R-Factors for many types of lateral force resisting systems. However these factors are independent of the system fundamental frequency and many other important system properties, resulting in factors that may result in an unfavorable seismic response. To evaluate the validity …

Structural Damage Detection By Comparison Of Experimental And Theoretical Mode Shapes, William George Rosenblatt

Master's Theses

Existing methods of evaluating the structural system of a building after a seismic event consist of removing architectural elements such as drywall, cladding, insulation, and fireproofing. This method is destructive and costly in terms of downtime and repairs. This research focuses on removing the guesswork by using forced vibration testing (FVT) to experimentally determine the health of a building. The experimental structure is a one-story, steel, bridge-like structure with removable braces. An engaged brace represents a nominal and undamaged condition; a dis-engaged brace represents a brace that has ruptured thus changing the stiffness of the building. By testing a variety …

Development Of A Model And Optimal Control Strategy For The Cal Poly Central Plant And Thermal Energy Storage System, Daniel Douglas Castro

Master's Theses

This thesis develops a calibrated model of the Cal Poly Central Chilled Water Plant with Thermal Energy Storage for use in determining an optimal operating control strategy. The model was developed using a transient systems simulation program (TRNSYS) that includes plant performance and manufacturer data for the primary system components, which are comprised of pumps, chillers, cooling towers, and a thermal energy storage tank. The model is calibrated to the actual measured performance of the plant using the current control strategy as a baseline. By observing and quantifying areas for potential improvement in plant performance under conditions of high campus …

Coffee Queue Project, George Dimitrov Gargov

Master's Theses

In this paper, a computer vision system for counting people standing in line is presented. In this application, common techniques such as Adaptive Background Subtraction (ABS), blob tracking with Kalman filter, and occlusion resistive techniques are used to detect and track people. Additionally, a novel method using Dual Adaptive Background Subtractors (DABS) is implemented for dynamically determining the line region in a real-world crowded scene, and also as an alternative target acquisition to regular ABS. The DABS technique acts as a temporal bandpass filter for motion, helping identify people standing in line while in the presence of other moving people. …

Seasonal And Dilution Rate Impacts On Nannochloropsis Oceanica Productivity In Algae Raceway Ponds, Garrett Dameron Murawsky

Master's Theses

Biomass growth of the alga Nannochloropsis oceanica, cultivated outdoors in six pilot-scale raceway ponds, was monitored over the course of 1.5 years, at two different dilution regimes each season, to establish the effects on algal biomass productivity and concentration of dilution rate, pond water temperature, and solar radiation. The 4.5-m² ponds were located in a mild, mid-latitude, coastal region (central California). Experimental conditions were operated in duplicates or triplicates with a consistent artificial seawater medium, pond depth, pH range, paddle wheel mixing speed, and replete nutrient conditions for the duration of the study. Two cultivation regimes were used …

Out-Of-Loop Compensation Method For Op-Amps Driving Heavy Capacitive Loads, Shubham Gandhi

Master's Theses

It is well known that real op-amps do not share most of the desirable characteristics of an ideal one, particularly those of gain and output impedance. When presented with a capacitive load, such as a MOSFET or ADC, feedback in an op-amp circuit can quickly become unstable. This thesis studies and characterizes an op-amp’s output impedance and how its interaction with this type of load creates a parasitic pole which leads to instability. Applying ideas from feedback control theory, a model for studying the problem is developed from which a generalized method for compensating the undesirable circumstance is formulated.

Even …

Design And Analysis Of A Lift Assist Walker, Deep P. Shah

Master's Theses

Walkers provided stability to the elderly but cannot assist a person from sitting to standing. The objective of this project is to present the design and analysis of a lift assist walker. This report discusses the design and analysis of a collapsible lift assist walker capable of lifting a patient up to 250 lbs. from seated to standing in under 10 seconds. The designed walker utilized a two stage scissor mechanism with a gas spring assisted embedded linear actuator.

Effect Of Low Velocity Impact On The Vibrational Behavior Of A Composite Wing, Richard M. De Luna

Master's Theses

Impact strength is one of the most important structural properties for a designer to consider, but it is often the most difficult to quantify or measure. A major concern for composite structures in the field is the effect of foreign objects striking composites because the damage is often undetectable by visual inspection. The objective for this study was to determine the effectiveness of using dynamic testing to identify the existence of damage in a small scale composite wing design. Four different impact locations were tested with three specimens per location for a total of 12 wings manufactured. The different impact …

Fluid Flow Characterization In Rapid Prototyped Common Iliac Artery Aneurysm Molds, Daniel Cole Greinke

Master's Theses

The goal of this project was to determine whether i) fused deposition modeling could be employed to manufacture molds for vascular constructs, ii) whether vascular constructs could be created from these molds, and iii) to verify practical equivalence between observed fluid velocities. Dye tracking was to be employed to characterize fluid velocity profiles through the in vitro vascular constructs, including a half-vessel model and a full vessel model of an iliac artery aneurysm. A PDMS half-vessel construct was manufactured, and the movement of dye through the construct was tracked by a cellphone camera. Thresholds were applied to each video in …

A Simulation Model For Decision Support In Business Continuity Planning, Marissa Anne Mosunich

Master's Theses

Enterprises with a global supply network are at risk of lost revenue as a result of disruptive disasters at supplier locations. Various strategies exist for addressing this risk, and a variety of types of research has been done regarding the identification, assessment and response to the risk of disruption in a supply chain network.

This thesis establishes a decision model to support Business Continuity Planning at the first-tier supplier level. The decision model incorporates discrete-event simulation of supply chain networks (through Simio software), Monte Carlo simulation, and risk index optimization. After modeling disruption vulnerability in a supply chain network, costs …

Towards Improved Estimates Of Upper Ocean Energetics, Alexander Grant Wineteer

Master's Theses

The energy exchanged between the atmosphere and the ocean is an important parameter in understanding the Earth’s climate. One way of quantifying this energy exchange is through the use of “wind work,” or the work done on the ocean by the wind. Since wind work is calculated according to the interaction between ocean surface currents and surface wind stress, a number of surface current decompositions can be used to decompose wind work calculations. In this research, geostrophic, ageostrophic, Ekman, and total current decompositions are all used to calculate wind work. Geostrophic currents are formed by the balance of surface pressure …

Cal Poly On-Site Water Treatment Project Proposal, Tanner Wingo

Biomedical Engineering

This report is based off of a competition hosted by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA): the 2015 Campus RainWorks Challenge. Student teams were encouraged to design an infrastructure that could manage storm water, benefit campus life, and promote sustainability. The report summarizes the engineering aspects that support the competition submittal. The design is to treat campus wastewater on-site and to a suitable level for either reuse or discharge into Brizzolara Creek.

Full-Scale Shake Table Cyclic Simple Shear Testing Of Liquefiable Soil, Jasper Stanford Jacobs

Master's Theses

This research consists of full-scale shake table tests to investigate liquefaction of sandy soils. Consideration of the potential and consequences of liquefaction is critical to the performance of any structure built in locations of high seismicity underlain by saturated granular materials as it is the leading cause of damage associated with ground failure. In certain cases the financial losses associated with liquefaction can significantly impact the financial future of an entire region.

Most liquefaction triggering studies are performed in the field where liquefaction has been previously observed, or in tabletop laboratory testing. The study detailed herein is a controlled laboratory …

Calpoly 2015 Transportation Survey Report, William Riggs

City and Regional Planning Studios and Projects

In the spring of 2015, City & Regional Planning faculty conducted a campus-wide transportation survey as part of work on the campus Climate Action Plan. The survey represented spring 2014 commutes and was issued to a sample of full and part-time CalPoly faculty, staff, students and auxiliaries with assistance from Facilities Services and the Vice President for Administration and Finance.

The total number of responses was 3,961, roughly 17% of the entire campus population of roughly 23,000. Unsurprisingly, the majority of respondents were students, totaling 68.6%, while the rest were made up of faculty, staff, and visitors. Results are significant …

Design And Development Of The Sunswift Eve Solar Vehicle: World's Fastest Long-Range Electric Car, Sam Paterson, Pujith Vijayaratnam, Charith Perera, Graham Doig

Aerospace Engineering

The Sunswift project of the University of New South Wales, Australia, exists to provide university students with a multi-disciplinary engineering challenge, enhancing the true educational value of their degree with a unique hands-on real-world experience of creating solar–electric hybrid vehicles. The design and development of the low-drag ‘solar supercar’ Sunswift eVe car are described here, detailing the student-led process from initial concept sketches to the completed performance vehicle. eVe was designed to demonstrate the potential of effective solar integration into a practical passenger-carrying vehicle. It is a two-seater vehicle with an on-body solar array area of 4 m² and …

Interactions Of Shock Tube Exhaust Flows With Laminar And Turbulent Flames, Joel E.C. Chan, Paul M. Giannuzzi, Kaveh R. Kabir, Michael J. Hargather, Graham Doig

Aerospace Engineering

The interactions of flow features emitting from open-ended shock tubes with free-standing propane flames have been investigated using high-speed schlieren imaging and high-frequency pressure measurements, with additional data from validated numerical modeling. Both compressed air-driven interactions with non-pre-mixed laminar diffusion flames (small-scale) and explosively-driven interactions with turbulent non-pre-mixed turbulent flames (large-scale) were tested for various flame locations and shock tube stagnation pressures (and therefore Mach numbers). In the small-scale tests it was observed that the flames were not significantly influenced by the passage of either the initial shock if placed close to the tube exit, or the weaker pressure waves …

A New Type Of Wind Tunnel For The Evaluation Of Curved Motion, James Keogh, Tracie Barber, Sammy Diasinos, Graham Doig

Aerospace Engineering

While aerodynamic analysis of the flow conditions during cornering can be an important design parameter for applications such as automobiles, vessels, and highly maneuverable aircraft, it can be difficult to simulate. This type of motion requires controlled and repeatable flow curvature, relative to the model. A new design to allow experimental testing for this condition has been developed, and by testing in a non-inertial reference frame, flow curvature is achieved in the absence of a static pressure gradient. Initial results have demonstrated the ability of the concept to produce the correct flowfield and the new design offers potential for new …

Faraday Rechargeable Battery System, Alex Gasper, Bret Omsberg

Electrical Engineering

The modern electronic age has given birth to a variety of innovative and hand-held devices that are carried with the consumer nearly 24 hours a day, seven days a week. The one shortfall of these devices is their energy storage, or in most cases, a battery. The Faraday Rechargeable Battery System is a unique system that will generate electricity through rotational movement of a tire. This can be a bike, a car, or any other transportation vehicle that uses wheels for movement. The kinetic energy that is engendered either by the user or an engine can then be converted into …

Automated Detection And Analysis Of Depolarization Events In Human Cardiomyocytes Using Madec, Agnieszka F. Szymanska, Christopher M. Heylman, Rupsa Datta, Enrico Gratton

Biomedical Engineering

Optical imaging-based methods for assessing the membrane electrophysiology of in vitro human cardiac cells allow for non-invasive temporal assessment of the effect of drugs and other stimuli. Automated methods for detecting and analyzing the depolarization events (DEs) in image-based data allow quantitative assessment of these different treatments. In this study, we use 2-photon microscopy of fluorescent voltage-sensitive dyes (VSDs) to capture the membrane voltage of actively beating human induced pluripotent stem cell-derived cardiomyocytes (hiPS-CMs). We built a custom and freely available Matlab software, called MaDEC, to detect, quantify, and compare DEs of hiPS-CMs treated with the β-adrenergic drugs, propranolol and …

Label-Free Imaging Of Metabolism And Oxidative Stress In Human Induced Pluripotent Stem Cell-Derived Cardiomyocytes, Rupsa Datta, Christopher M. Heylman, Steven C. George, Enrico Gratton

Biomedical Engineering

In this work we demonstrate a label-free optical imaging technique to assess metabolic status and oxidative stress in human induced pluripotent stem cell-derived cardiomyocytes by two-photon fluorescence lifetime imaging of endogenous fluorophores. Our results show the sensitivity of this method to detect shifts in metabolism and oxidative stress in the cardiomyocytes upon pathological stimuli of hypoxia and cardiotoxic drugs. This non-invasive imaging technique could prove beneficial for drug development and screening, especially for in vitro cardiac models created from stem cell-derived cardiomyocytes and to study the pathogenesis of cardiac diseases and therapy.

Assessing Leanness Level With Demand Dynamics In A Multi-Stage Production System, Rehab M. Ali, Ahmed Deif

Industrial Technology and Packaging

Purpose

Design/methodology/approach