Active Diesel Soot Measurement By Laser Opacity, Jonathan Audish, Brian Ko, Edward Ma, Travis Mcdaniel

Electrical Engineering

This project looks into understanding the concentration of soot being omitted by a diesel engine through the creation of an innovative opacity sensor. The system contains a receiver circuit implementing a photodiode, laser with wavelength of 405±10nm, and a microcontroller with analog-to-digital (A/D) converter. As the laser pulsates, the microcontroller collects and processes the data to calculate the amount of soot within the exhaust system. The opacity sensor in our tests will be used on an Isuzu 1.9 liter diesel engine. The elegant design of the system can be integrated into conventional manufacturing molding or casting processes for new exhaust …

Application Of Wireless Power For Charging The Battery Of A Wireless Mouse, Jacob Keast, Vincent Jison

Electrical Engineering

Electronic devices are a part of all modern homes, but restricted by available outlets and the hassle of wires. With the modern wireless mouse, this is also the case. When the battery is low the consumer has several options: it is replaced with a new battery, it can be recharged using a USB wire, or the mouse is placed on a charging dock. This project provides an alternative to these options and allows the mouse’s battery to be charged via wireless inductive coupling. The wireless power charging system that was implemented in this project was successful in its ability to …

Radio Link Analysis And Characterization Of Past And Future Cal Poly Cubesats, Brian Gilbert Tubb

Electrical Engineering

Cal Poly's satellites design team, PolySat, has three satellites in Low Earth Orbit (LEO) and four more planned to launch within the next two years. Radio communication of past and current orbiting satellites has been an exercise in frustration, prompting significant research into the satellite-side of the radio link by several other Senior Projects and Thesis papers. However, minimal effort has been spent on evaluating why these problems were discovered only once the satellites reached orbit. This paper details the downfalls of relying heavily on link budgets and improper long range test setups, then experimentally determines the sensitivity of PolySat's …

Radio Direction Finding Network Receiver Design For Low-Cost Public Service Applications, Marcel Colman Eric Stieber

Master's Theses

A low-cost radio direction finding (RDF) VHF receiver has been investigated for development into a radio direction finding network (RDFN) with a particular focus towards public service and commercial asset tracking applications. The primary design criteria were reproducibility, low-cost, and simplicity such that public service and volunteer organizations can benefit from the technology. Two receiver designs were built and tested to allow for comparison of practicality, cost, and accuracy. A pseudo-Doppler RDF and a time difference of arrival (TDOA) receiver were built as proof-of-concept for a system design based on commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) components. The pseudo-Doppler system is a less …

Implementation And Validation Of Fault-Rupture Response Spectrum Analysis Procedure In Csibridge For Bridges Crossing Earthquake Fault Ruptures, Jennifer Evelyn Tures

Master's Theses

This thesis evaluates the application of a simplified analysis procedure as implemented in version 16 of CSiBridge^TM for design of bridges crossing earthquake fault ruptures. The fault-rupture response spectrum analysis (FR-RSA) approximation method has been proved adequate for both straight and curved ordinary bridges, but lacked a comfortable interface to accommodate the method users. Computers and Structure, Inc. has implemented the FR-RSA procedure into CSiBridge^TM, a user-friendly integrated 3-D bridge design software, as an added seismic design feature. By combining the response of the bridge due to the quasi-static displacement from the fault strike-slip rupture and the …

Seismic Performance Of Symmetric Steel Moment Frames With Random Reactive Weight Distributions, Conner F.F. Williamson

Master's Theses

When a structure undergoes seismic excitation, the intensities and spatial distributions of the reactive weights on the structure may not be the same as those assumed in original design. Such a difference is inevitable due to many facts with the random nature (e.g., redistribution of live load), resulting in accidental eccentricity and consequently torsional response in the system. The added torsion can cause excessive deformation and premature failure of the lateral force resisting system and its detrimental effect is typically accounted for in most building design codes with an arbitrarily specified accidental eccentricity value. While it tends to amplify drift …

Design, Fabrication And Manufacturing Analysis Of A Rollover Protection System, Nikolas Paris

BioResource and Agricultural Engineering

This senior project discusses the design, fabrication and manufacturing analysis of a rollover protection system specifically designed for early body style Ford Broncos (1966-1977). The rollover protection system, or roll cage, is an integral safety feature on vehicles which commonly encounter extreme terrain conditions. Many vehicles which attempt to traverse terrain such as this are not always properly equipped with a rollover protection system. This is the case with the early body style Ford Bronco. This system will be designed to market the niche of early bronco parts.

Pervious Pavement Infiltrometer, Madeline Musgrove

BioResource and Agricultural Engineering

This project tests infiltration rates on three different slabs of pervious pavement. A methodology was put in place to ensure that all three slabs were tested the same way. The test that is used for the infiltration rates is a constant head test. A steel ring is placed on the surface of the pervious pavement and sealed with Plumbers Putty around the bottom of the ring. A mark is then sketched on the inside of the ring at 2 inches above the surface of the pavement for a constant backpressure that is equal in all scenarios. Five gallons of water …

Residential Grid-Tied With Battery Backup Photovoltaic System, Thomas Stobuagh

Electrical Engineering

When power outages occur, many homes are left without power for some time as they are dependent on the power grid. This project aims to design a residential grid tied battery backup photovoltaic system that will provide up to 7.2kW in an area that gets 5.36-5.49 kWh/m2/day [1] to support a home with an average daily usage of 28.4 kWh/day. To effectively use this system the house remains connected to the electric utility at all times, so any power needed above what the solar system can produce is simply drawn from the utility. It includes battery backup or uninterruptible power …

Solar Turbines Creep Test Fixture, Rene Maciel, Eric Nelson, Chris Ewald

Mechanical Engineering

No abstract provided.

Integrating Qplm And Biomedical Test Data With An Anisotropic Fiber Distribution Model And Predictions Of Tgf-Β1 And Igf-1 Regulation Of Articular Cartilage Fiber Modulus, Michael E. Stender, Christopher B. Raub, Kevin A. Yamauchi, Reza Shirazi, Pasquale Vena, Robert L. Sah, Scott J. Hazelwood, Stephen M. Klisch

Mechanical Engineering

A continuum mixture model with distinct collagen (COL) and glycosaminoglycan elastic constituents was developed for the solid matrix of immature bovine articular cartilage. A continuous COL fiber volume fraction distribution function and a true COL fiber elastic modulus ( Ef) were used. Quantitative polarized light microscopy (qPLM) methods were developed to account for the relatively high cell density of immature articular cartilage and used with a novel algorithm that constructs a 3D distribution function from 2D qPLM data. For specimens untreated and cultured in vitro, most model parameters were specified from qPLM analysis and biochemical assay results; consequently, Ef was …

The Quickiecomposer Android Application, Brigit Elizabeth Hawley

Liberal Arts and Engineering Studies

The QuickieComposer application is a program intended for use on Android Devices. Designed for the composer on the go, the QuickieComposer app is perfect for those “in the moment” compositions. In the following document, the functionality and development of the first version of the QuickieComposer application is explained.

Distributed Forcing On A 3d Bluff Body With A Blunt Base, An Experimental Active Drag Control Approach, Ethan Bruce Erlhoff

Master's Theses

This paper seeks to explore the effects of an active drag control method known as distributed forcing on a 3D bluff body with a blunt base. The 9.5 x 15.25 x 3 inch aluminum model constructed for this experiment has an elliptically shaped nose and rectangular aft section. The model is fitted with four, 12 Volt fans, forcing the freestream air into and out of 1 mm thick slots on the upper and lower trailing edges. The forcing is steady in time, held at a constant forcing velocity though all Reynolds numbers, but varies roughly sinusoidally in the spanwise direction …

Mapping And Visualizing Ancient Water Storage Systems With An Rov – An Approach Based On Fusing Stationary Scans Within A Particle Filter, William D. Mcvicker

Master's Theses

This paper presents a new method for constructing 2D maps of enclosed un- derwater structures using an underwater robot equipped with only a 2D scanning sonar, compass and depth sensor. In particular, no motion model or odometry is used. To accomplish this, a two step offline SLAM method is applied to a set of stationary sonar scans. In the first step, the change in position of the robot between each consecutive pair of stationary sonar scans is estimated using a particle filter. This set of pair wise relative scan positions is used to create an estimate of each scan’s position …

Low Cost Neurochairs, Frankie Pike

Master's Theses

Electroencephalography (EEG) was formerly confined to clinical and research settings with the necessary hardware costing thousands of dollars. In the last five years a number of companies have produced simple electroencephalograms, priced below $300 and available direct to consumers. These have stirred the imaginations of enthusiasts and brought the prospects of "thought-controlled" devices ever closer to reality. While these new devices were largely targeted at video games and toys, active research on enabling people suffering from debilitating diseases to control wheelchairs was being pursued. A number of neurochairs have come to fruition offering a truly hands-free mobility solution, but whether …

Noise Reduction With Microphone Arrays For Speaker Identification, Zachary Gideon Cohen

Master's Theses

The presence of acoustic noise in audio recordings is an ongoing issue that plagues many applications. This ambient background noise is difficult to reduce due to its unpredictable nature. Many single channel noise reduction techniques exist but are limited in that they may distort the desired speech signal due to overlapping spectral content of the speech and noise. It is therefore of interest to investigate the use of multichannel noise reduction algorithms to further attenuate noise while attempting to preserve the speech signal of interest.

Specifically, this thesis looks to investigate the use of microphone arrays in conjunction with multichannel …

Space Vehicle Testing, Charlotte Ann Belsick

Master's Theses

Requirement verification and validation is a critical component of building and delivering space vehicles with testing as the preferred method. This Master’s Project presents the space vehicle test process from planning through test design and execution. It starts with an overview of the requirements, validation, and verification. The four different verification methods are explained including examples as to what can go wrong if the verification is done incorrectly. Since the focus of this project is on test, test verification is emphasized. The philosophy behind testing, including the “why” and the methods, is presented. The different levels of testing, the test …

Confined Mixing Of Multiple Transverse Jets, Allen J. Bishop

Master's Theses

The mixing performance of multiple transverse jets has been evaluated experimentally. Measurement techniques included laser Doppler velocimetry and planar laser induced fluorescence. Basic findings are consistent with results presented in literature for single jet mixing behavior. Mixing performance has been compared to literature for the single jet case and the Holdeman parameter has been re-evaluated for effectiveness at low jet numbers. A single jet in a confined crossflow was found to have a local minimum at B(d⁄D) = 0.721. Results for two jets indicate monotonically decreasing unmixedness for the range of conditions tested, with no local optimum apparent. Data for …

Pullout Strength Of Epoxy Anchors Installed Underwater, Jeffrey Lee Blanchette

Master's Theses

This work presents the development of a test program and the results from the final round of testing to better understand the effect a submerged anchor installation has on the pullout strength of epoxy anchors. Two different epoxies were tested at embedment depths of two, four, and six bar diameters. These tests utilized three distinct installation procedures under dry and submerged conditions. The testing program occurred over five phases, with the final round used in analysis consisting of 24 anchor pullout tests. These tests showed that the presence of water did not have an effect on the epoxy bond when …

Effects Of Seawater On The Mechanical Behavior Of Composite Sandwich Panels Under Monotonic Shear Loading, Thomas Robert Woo

Master's Theses

Abstract

Salt water environments are very harsh on materials that are used within them. Many issues are caused by either corrosion and/or internal degradation to the materials themselves. Composites are better suited for this environment due to their high strength to weight ratios and their corrosion resistance, but very little is known about the fracture mechanics of composites. The goal of this study is to gain a better understanding for the behavior of a composite boat hull under a shear loading, similar to the force water applies on the hull as the boat moves through the water; then attempt to …

Development Of Simulation Platform For Oropharyngeal Airway Placement And Design Evaluation Of The Bardo Airway, Lewis On Hang Lee

Master's Theses

Off-label use of traditional Oropharyngeal Airway (OPA) as a bite-block, and the subsequential procedure of force exertion of the device by physician has caused many cases of patient’s teeth damage and monetary loss, as the patient’s incisors were damaged while clenching on the OPA during an adverse scenario called “Emergency Clenching”. To remedy this harmful situation, Bardo OPA was developed by Dr. Theodore Burdumy. The Bardo airway has unique design to transfer the clenching force from incisor to the molar. However, the Bardo OPA is one-sized, and cannot fit most of the patients like the commonly-used OPAs, such as the …

Calibration And Characterization Of Cubesat Magnetic Sensors Using A Helmholtz Cage, Justin Dean Foley

Master's Theses

Small satellites, and CubeSats in particular, have quickly become a hot topic in the aerospace industry. Attitude determination is currently one of the most intense areas of development for these miniaturized systems and future Cal Poly satellite missions will depend heavily on magnetometers. In order to utilize magnetometers as a viable source of attitude knowledge, precise calibration is required to ensure the greatest accuracy achievable. This paper outlines a procedure for calibrating and testing magnetometers on the next generation of Cal Poly CubeSates, utilizing a Helmholtz cage to simulate any desired orbital magnetic field that would be experienced by a …

Bioflocculation Of Wastewater Treatment Pond Suspended Solids, Louis Lefebvre

Master's Theses

Bioflocculation of Wastewater Treatment Pond Suspended Solids

Louis Lefebvre

Wastewater treatment lagoons and high rate algae ponds (HRAPs) can provide cost effective wastewater treatment, but they commonly have high effluent concentrations of total suspended solids (TSS). In this thesis algae pond effluent was treated in a beaker testing apparatus (mixed and aerated) with various mixtures of activated sludge and primary effluent simulating differing activated sludge aeration basin compositions then was allowed to settle to assess settleability. Conventionally, microalgal suspended solids are removed by chemical coagulation followed by separation methods that often have a high cost relative to the low cost …

Performance Of A Wastewater Treatment Pond System With Microfiltration, Eric Todd Martin

Master's Theses

ABSTRACT

PERFORMANCE OF A WASTEWATER TREATMENT POND SYSTEM WITH

MICROFILTRATION

Eric Martin

The Woodlands Wastewater Treatment Plant (WWWTP) treats wastewater from the Woodlands housing community near Nipomo, California. The treated effluent is recycled for irrigation of a golf course within the community. The treatment facility consists of three facultative ponds in series followed by a microfiltration system and chlorine disinfection. Microfiltration of wastewater pond effluent is a fairly new, and potentially challenging, application of microfiltration. This thesis describes the operating conditions and behavior of the WWWTP pond system followed by a microfiltration system for the purpose of producing recyclable water …

Amaethon – A Web Application For Farm Management And An Assessment Of Its Utility, Tyler Yero

Master's Theses

Amaethon is a web application that is designed for enterprise farm management. It takes a job typically performed with spreadsheets, paper, or custom software and puts it on the web. Farm administration personnel may use it to schedule farm operations and manage their resources and equipment. A survey was con- ducted to assess Amaethon’s user interface design. Participants in the survey were two groups of students and a small group of agriculture professionals. Among other results, the survey indicated that a calendar interface inside Amaethon was preferred, and statistically no less effective, than a map interface. This is despite the …

Design And Simulation Of Passive Thermal Management System For Lithium-Ion Battery Packs On An Unmanned Ground Vehicle, Kevin Kenneth Parsons

Master's Theses

The transient thermal response of a 15-cell, 48 volt, lithium-ion battery pack for an unmanned ground vehicle was simulated with ANSYS Fluent. Heat generation rates and specific heat capacity of a single cell were experimentally measured and used as input to the thermal model. A heat generation load was applied to each battery and natural convection film boundary conditions were applied to the exterior of the enclosure. The buoyancy-driven natural convection inside the enclosure was modeled along with the radiation heat transfer between internal components. The maximum temperature of the batteries reached 65.6 °C after 630 seconds of usage …

Process Improvements For Establishing Cmmi Certification At Company Xyz, Megan Farrell

Industrial and Manufacturing Engineering

CMMI stands for Capability Maturity Model Integration and is an enterprise-wide Process-Improvement model that provides a set of best practices that addresses productivity, performance, costs, and stakeholder satisfaction. This improvement model is generally used in computer software companied and not only does it improve their processes, but many contracts will only be awarded with those companies who are CMMI certified, so it is very important for Company XYZ. This goal of this project was to help improve the CMMI efforts at Company XYZ in 4 of the 20 distinct processes areas to attain a CMMI Maturity Level of 3. Improvement …

Design And Manufacture Of Natural Composite Canoe, Derek Baptista

Industrial and Manufacturing Engineering

Abstract

This report looks into the application and feasibility of manufacturing natural composite canoes. The main fabrics that were analyzed are flax, hemp, and jute. These were then compared to carbon fiber and fiberglass to see the difference in mechanical properties. It was found that the natural fibers have lower mechanical properties but that this could be overcome by designing a balsa wood core with ribs running up the walls. After manufacturing a hemp canoe, many lesson were learned and areas of interest were further explored. With the use of different natural fibers, these canoes can greatly reduce the carbon …

Chsr Clothing: How To Start A Small Business Clothing Line To Be Run Efficiently With Minimum Capital And Maximum Profit, Kayvon Banisalam

Industrial and Manufacturing Engineering

Executive Summary

Many clothing brands have failed because they did not design marketable products with a suitable business plan. Often times, clothing brand owners do not use the capital they possess in efficient ways. They can get caught off guard with unexpected costs and are not running the business in the most resourceful and professional way.

The goal of this project is to create a clothing brand that portrays distinctive designs to go along with an effective business model. This includes implementing decision analysis at several points of the planning phase, along with quality and cost controls. Creating quality products …

Facilities Planning For An Aerospace Manufacturing Company, William Petrossi

Industrial and Manufacturing Engineering

Absolute Technologies Inc. (ATI) has been growing for years, and is running out of space at their current manufacturing facility in Yorba Linda, CA. ATI will be moving to a much larger facility this winter. They are looking for an efficient way to utilize this space. The machine positions were taken as fixed, seeing as a lean expert was brought in to give advice on placement. With the machines fixed, the scope was narrowed to other areas.

A systematic approach to facilities design is utilized. First, a goal needs to be defined. The goal is to reduce the time wasted …