Engineering Commons^™

Filament Wavefront Evolution, Daniel Thul

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Filamentation is a complex process that gives rise to many nonlinear interactions. However, the fundamentals of filament formation and propagation can be explained in terms of two dominant mechanisms: Kerr self-focusing and plasma defocusing. The first to occur, self-focusing, is responsible for an increase in irradiance through beam collapse. This process requires sufficient initial peak power, on the order of gigawatts for near infrared beams in air. Plasma defocusing then arrests the collapse process once the irradiance reaches the ionization threshold of the medium. These two processes balance each other in an extended plasma channel known as a filament. A …

Novel Photonic Resonance Arrangements Using Non-Hermitian Exceptional Points, Hossein Hodaei

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

In recent years, non-Hermitian degeneracies also known as exceptional points (EPs) have emerged as a new paradigm for engineering the response of optical systems. EPs can appear in a wide class of open non-Hermitian configurations. Among different types of non-conservative photonic systems, parity-time (PT) symmetric arrangements are of particular interest since they provide an excellent platform to explore the physics of exceptional points. In this work, the intriguing properties of exceptional points are utilized to address two of the long standing challenges in the field of integrated photonics- enforcing single mode lasing in intrinsically multimode cavities and enhancing the sensitivity …

Generation Of High-Flux Attosecond Pulses And Towards Attosecond-Attosecond Pump-Probe Experiments, Yang Wang

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

At present, the energy of a single isolated attosecond pulse is limited to nanojoule levels. As a result, an intense femtosecond pulse has always been used in combination with a weak attosecond pulse in time-resolved experiments. To reach the goal of conducting true attosecond pump-attosecond probe experiments, a high flux laser source has been developed that can potentially deliver microjoule level isolated attosecond pulses in the 50 eV range, and a unique experimental end station has been fabricated and implemented that can provide precision control of the attosecond-attosecond pump-probe pulses. In order to scale up the attosecond flux, a unique …

Florida Rural Small Business Energy Assistance Collaborative Cumulative Report Ending December 31, 2016, Florida Solar Energy Center, Janet Mcilvaine

FSEC Energy Research Center®

The U.S. Department of Agriculture's (USDA) Rural Development initiative reaches out to communities across America with many programs (http://www.rd.usda.gov/programs-services/all-programs). USDA's Rural Energy for America Program (REAP) offers grants and loan guarantees for energy efficiency improvements and renewable energy systems to agriculture operations and qualifying rural small businesses. USDA has awarded the University of Central Florida a grant to provide a limited number of subsidized Energy Audits to eligible businesses in Florida in support of USDA Rural Development (USDA-RD) Grant and Loan programs for rural small businesses. The ultimate goal of the energy audits is to increase participation in REAP. Audits …

Phased Retrofits In Existing Homes In Florida Phase Ii: Shallow Plus Retrofits [Revised], Florida Solar Energy Center, Karen Sutherland

FSEC Energy Research Center®

The U.S. Department of Energy Building America team Partnership for Improved Residential Construction is collaborating with Florida Power & Light Company (FPL) to conduct a phased residential energy-efficiency retrofit program. This research seeks to determine the impacts on annual energy reductions from the installation of advanced residential technologies. Earlier project work involving the application of two levels of retrofit, shallow and deep, found average savings of 9% and 38%, respectively. Whole-house demand reduction among the deep retrofit homes averaged 39% during FPL's peak summer hour. These savings levels approach the Building America program goals of reducing whole-house energy use of …

The Subject Librarian Newsletter, Nanoscience, Fall 2016, Sandy Avila

Libraries' Newsletters

No abstract provided.

Energy-Efficient Management Of Mechanical Ventilation And Relative Humidity In Hot-Humid Climates, Florida Solar Energy Center, Charles Withers, Jr.

FSEC Energy Research Center®

The U.S. Department of Energy's Building America research team Building America Partnership for Improved Residential Construction conducted this research project to gain data and insight into these issues. The project focused on energy-efficient management of mechanical ventilation and RH during the cooling season. It consisted of eight test configurations. A particular focus evaluated how well a ductless seasonal energy-efficiency ratio (SEER) 21.5 mini-split heat pump (MSHP) could perform as the primary cooling system without a dehumidifier for supplemental dehumidification in a continuously mechanically ventilated house.

Effect Of Ducted Hpwh On Space-Conditioning And Water Heating Energy Use - Central Florida Lab Home, Florida Solar Energy Center, Carlos Colon

FSEC Energy Research Center®

The purpose of this research is to investigate the impact of ducted heat pump water heaters (HPWHs) on space-conditioning and water heating energy use in residential applications. Two identical HPWHs, each with a capacity of 60 gal, were tested side by side at the Flexible Residential Test Facility (FRTF) laboratories on the Florida Solar Energy Center (FSEC) campus in Cocoa, Florida. The FRTF's residential buildings feature the same square footage (1,535 ft2 ), orientation, and envelope characteristics; currently, the only difference between them is the finished floor material. The east FRTF building is furnished with standard carpet flooring, whereas the …

Ev Workplace Charging Energy Use And Cost Case Study, Florida Solar Energy Center, Richard Raustad

FSEC Energy Research Center®

Efforts to increase the availability of plug-in electric vehicle (PEV) charging stations have focused on expanding public charging stations, promoting charging at the workplace and using charging stations as a shopping incentive for retail stores. This report examines the costs and energy uses to provide the charging service. Rapidly charging a PEV requires expensive electric equipment and can lead to high operating costs due to electrical demand charges. This project presents results from a detailed case study for 5 PEV chargers where the charger electricity costs are a part of a facilities electric bill. Also presented are options for minimizing …

Flight Emergency Advice Works Just As Well Back On The Ground, Carolyn Massiah

UCF Forum

Save yourself first!

This one sentence is a valuable piece of advice I wish I had received and fully embraced so much earlier in life. In fact, it is still a notion that I struggle with because it is one that sounds selfish in nature. However, now more than at any other point in my life, I realize that in order to be selfless and to be able to assist others, you must first truly work on thinking of your own self first.

Making Scholarly Activity Available To The Masses: The Scaffolding Of Scholarship Throughout The Undergraduate Curriculum, Michael Savarese, Trent R. Brown, Carolyn Culbertson, Anna Carlin

Florida Statewide Symposium: Best Practices in Undergraduate Research

Florida Gulf Coast University’s Quality Enhancement Plan (QEP) focuses on improving student critical thinking, information literacy, and written communication. Rather than developing these skills through traditional methods (e.g., through senior-level, independent research), these learning outcomes are practiced through scholarly experiences. Traditional undergraduate scholarship manifests itself through terminal, senior capstone or research experiences. These, because of the economy of scale, typically reach a minority of students, often just honors students or those approached by faculty mentors. At FGCU, however, scholarly experiences are a part of the curriculum throughout the program of study, and scaffolded to build greater depth and sophistication. Presented …

Comparison Of The Modes And Mechanisms Of Degradation Of Experimental C-Si Pv Modules With Various Encapsulants, October 2016, Florida Solar Energy Center, Neelkanth Dhere

FSEC Energy Research Center®

Seven modules with different encapsulants, provided by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), were installed at the Florida Solar Energy Center (FSEC) outdoor test facility for long-term durability testing in the hot and humid climate of Florida. Along with the modules, NREL also provided corresponding load resistors, junction boxes, and module connections. The modules were installed at latitude tilt, on a south facing rack on March 20, 2014.During project different types of tests such as visual inspection in environmental conditions and infrared imaging and I-V characterization were carried out on the seven module

Cost Analysis Of Workplace Charging For Electric Vehicles, Florida Solar Energy Center, Richard Raustad

FSEC Energy Research Center®

This report examines the life-cycle costs associated with the operation of electric vehicle supply equipment (EVSE) and the impact that plug-in electric vehicle (PEV) charging may have on commercial building electricity cost. This study assumed that a utility electric meter was attached to each charging station and that 10 kWh of energy was required to replenish the energy consumed during a typical 35-mile daily work commute. Through a life-cycle assessment of typical EVSE equipment, including first cost and maintenance and operating costs, it was found that AC Level 1 or 2 workplace charging can be similar to or lower in …

Lennar Ventures Power Purchase Agreement Analysis, Florida Solar Energy Center, Philip W. Fairey

FSEC Energy Research Center®

An analysis was performed to determine the cost-effectiveness of photovoltaic (PV) system Power Purchase Agreements for prototype homes in 13 United States climate locations. EnergyGauge® USA v.5.1 software was used to simulate the energy use of one-story, three-bedroom, 2000 ft² , single-family, frame prototype homes in thirteen representative U.S. climates comprising six IECC climate zones. The same software was used to simulate the power production of PV systems designed to provide approximately 75% of the annual electric energy required by the prototype homes. The net present value (NPV) of the photovoltaic PPA was then calculated as the difference in …

Evaluation Of The Impact Of Slab Foundation Heat Transfer On Heating And Cooling In Florida, Florida Solar Energy Center, Danny Parker

FSEC Energy Research Center®

The U.S. Department of Energy's Building America Partnership for Improved Residential Construction (BA-PIRC) performed experiments in the Florida Solar Energy Center's Flexible Residential Test Facility intended to assess for the first time (1) how slab-on-grade construction influences interior cooling in a cooling-dominated climate and (2) how the difference in a carpeted versus uncarpeted building might influence heating and cooling energy use.

Final Report: Cooling Seasonal Energy And Peak Demand Impacts Of Improved Duct Insulation On Fixed-Capacity (Seer 13) And Variable-Capacity (Seer 22) Heat Pumps, Florida Solar Energy Center, Charles Withers, Jr.

FSEC Energy Research Center®

Previous phase 1, 2, and 3 research identified that duct conductive losses to an attic environment imposed greater relative energy losses for the variable-capacity systems compared to the fixed-capacity systems (Cummings and Withers 2011) because of the longer dwell time of conditioned air in the ducts. The purpose of the Phase 4 experiments reported here was to see if duct R-value enhancement would benefit the overall operating efficiency of the variable-capacity system relatively more than the fixed-capacity system. The current Phase 4 experiments (the primary focus of this report) found that this was a secondary effect.

Flexible Residential Test Facility: Impact Of Infiltration And Ventilation On Measured Cooling Season Energy And Moisture Levels (2016), Florida Solar Energy Center, Danny Parker

FSEC Energy Research Center®

Originally published in January 2014, this revision of the report clarifies and corrects references to Standard 62.2 as the 2013 version (62.2-2013), and it corrects the total CFM requirement for the subject buildings under the standard. Further, two plots have been updated to distinguish between the mechanical CFM and the total CFM required for the subject buildings under Standard 62.2-2013.

Building A Pathway To Engineering For Our Daughters – Brick By Brick, Ali P. Gordon

UCF Forum

As a father of young elementary and middle school-aged kids, I’m also curious to know exactly how my undergrad students came to be interested in mechanical engineering. An exchange with a UCF student might go like this: “You did a great job on the exam. Congrats! By the way, how did you get interested in mechanical engineering, anyway?” I mentally log the answers for my kids’ future benefit.

Florida Rural Small Business Energy Assistance Collaborative Cumulative Report Ending July 31, 2016, Florida Solar Energy Center, Janet Mcilvaine

FSEC Energy Research Center®

The U.S. Department of Agriculture's (USDA) Rural Development initiative reaches out to communities across America with many programs (http://www.rd.usda.gov/programs-services/all-programs). USDA's Rural Energy for America Program (REAP) offers grants and loan guarantees for energy efficiency improvements and renewable energy systems to agriculture operations and qualifying rural small businesses. USDA has awarded the University of Central Florida a grant to provide a limited number of subsidized Energy Audits to eligible businesses in Florida in support of USDA Rural Development (USDA-RD) Grant and Loan programs for rural small businesses. The ultimate goal of the energy audits is to increase participation in …

Cost Effectiveness Of Energy Efficiency And On-Site Photovoltaic Power For 2015 Iecc Energy Rating Index (Eri) Compliance (Draft), Florida Solar Energy Center, Philip W. Fairey

FSEC Energy Research Center®

EnergyGauge® USA v.5.1 is used to simulate the energy use of one-story, three-bedroom, 2000 ft² , single-family, frame homes in sixteen representative U.S. climates comprising all eight IECC climate zones. The energy use of the Section R406.2 minimum efficiency home (the Baseline Home) is compared against the energy use of homes complying with the prescriptive requirements of Section R402 of the 2015 IECC and against homes complying with the Section R406 Energy Rating Index (ERI) Compliance Alternative. The improvement cost and energy savings of the improved homes relative to the Baseline Home are then used to determine the cost …

2015 Electric Vehicle Market Summary And Barriers, Florida Solar Energy Center, David L. Block

FSEC Energy Research Center®

The object of this research report is to present the current market status of plug-in-electric vehicles (PEVs) and to predict their future penetration within the world and U.S. markets. The sales values for 2015 show that China leads in yearly sales at 214,283 (triple increase for 2014) followed by Western Europe at 184,500 vehicles sold. The U.S. is third at 115,262 followed by Japan at 46,339 vehicles. These four countries comprise 95% of the global sales market. The world total of EV sales for 2015 is estimated to be 565,668 up from 315,519 in 2014. This data also shows that …

Evaluating The Economic Impacts Of The Legislatively Delayed Provisions Of The 5th Edition (2014) Florida Building Code (Final Report), Florida Solar Energy Center, Robin Vieira

FSEC Energy Research Center®

This research provides an assessment of the potential economic impacts of implementing three legislatively delayed requirements of the Florida Building Code, 5th Edition (2014): 1) residential air leakage testing, 2) residential whole-house mechanical ventilation, and 3) two fire service access elevators for applicable buildings.

The Subject Librarian Newsletter, Engineering And Computer Science, Spring 2016, Ven Basco

Libraries' Newsletters

No abstract provided.

Automated, Autonomous And Connected Vehicle Technology Assessment, Florida Solar Energy Center, David L. Block

FSEC Energy Research Center®

The U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) and almost every state DOT are showing extreme interest in the application of automated and connected vehicles (ACV). This combined application can significantly reduce crashes, energy consumption, pollution and the costs of congestion which in turn will offer a fundamental change to the U.S. transportation network and system. The objective of this technology assessment project is to evaluate the vehicle technologies, actions, laws and policies that are now in place and to assess their future usage. The assessment also evaluates the highest level of automated vehicles called autonomous or self-driving vehicles. In fact, autonomous …

Comprehensive Modeling Of Optimal Paths To Reach Nearly Zero Energy Buildings (Nzebs) For New Constructions In Europe, Florida Solar Energy Center, Delia D'Agostino

FSEC Energy Research Center®

As established by the recast of the European Union (EU) Directive on Energy Performance of Buildings (EPBD), all new buildings have to be nearly zero energy buildings (nZEBs) by the end of 2020. However, reaching this result considering cost-optimality is still an open challenge. Balancing renewable power generation with energy efficiency to reach the nZEB target is a key goal of all EU Member States. We describe results obtained from the modeling of nZEBs for new constructions in Europe using the energy performance software EnergyPlus. The model performs hourly sequential simulations showing how to best achieve nearly zero energy home …

Phased Retrofits In Existing Homes In Florida Phase I: Shallow And Deep Retrofits (February 2016), Florida Solar Energy Center, Danny Parker

FSEC Energy Research Center®

The U.S. Department of Energy's Building America research team Building America Partnership for Improved Residential Construction is collaborating with Florida Power & Light (FPL) to conduct a phased residential energy-efficiency retrofit program. This research seeks to establish impacts on annual energy and peak energy reductions from the technologies applied at two levels of retrofit--shallow and deep--with savings levels that approach the Building America program goal of reducing whole-house energy use by 40%.

Relationship Between The Home Energy Score (Hes) And The Home Energy Rating System (Hers), Florida Solar Energy Center, Philip W. Fairey

FSEC Energy Research Center®

A significant cohort of approximately 2,900 registered home energy ratings using the REM/Rate HERS software tool, as reported to RESNET, are subjected to statistical analysis by the Dillon Group, Inc. The statistical analysis determines the distribution of HES results as a function of home energy efficiency as measured by the minimum standards of the 2009 IECC and by EPA’s ENERGY STAR program.

In addition, a parametric simulation analysis is conducted by the Florida Solar Energy Center using EnergyGauge® USA version 5.0, a RESNET-accredited HERS software tool, to determine the relationship between HES scores and the HERS Index. The parametric analysis …

Bioremediation Of A Trichloroethene Dnapl Source Zone Utilizing A Partitioning Electron Donor - Field Implementation, Joseph Bartlett

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Trichloroethene (TCE) is a chlorinated volatile organic compound (CVOC) that can be found in industrial and household products. It is typically used as a solvent or degreaser. TCE can have detrimental health impacts and is known to be carcinogenic to humans. Federal and state regulatory drivers determine the need to assess and remediate soil and groundwater contaminated with CVOCs. There are many different methods for remediation; however, bioremediation has the ability to breakdown TCE all the way to harmless gasses (ethene and ethane). Bioremediation requires dechlorinating microbes (indigenous or augmented), electron donor (food source), and an electron acceptor (CVOCs). Electron …

A Simulation-Based Evaluation Of Efficiency Strategies For A Primary Care Clinic With Unscheduled Visits, Afrifah Bobbie

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

In the health care industry, there are strategies to remove inefficiencies from the health delivery process called efficiency strategies. This dissertation proposed a simulation model to evaluate the impact of the efficiency strategies on a primary care clinic with unscheduled "walk-in" patient visits. The simulation model captures the complex characteristics of the Orlando Veteran's Affairs Medical Center (VAMC) primary care clinic. This clinic system includes different types of patients, patient paths, and multiple resources that serve them. Added to the problem complexity is the presence of patient no-shows characteristics and unscheduled patient arrivals, a problem which has been until recently, …

Understanding Hydroclimatic Controls On Stream Network Dynamics Using Lidar Data, Seoyoung Kim

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation investigates the hydroclimatic controls on drainage network dynamics and characterizes the variation of drainage density in various climate regions. The methods were developed to extract the valley and wet channel networks based on Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR) data including the elevation and intensity of laser returns. The study watersheds were selected based on the availability of streamflow observations and LiDAR data. Climate aridity index was used as a quantitative indicator for climate. The climate controls on drainage density were re-visited using watersheds with minimal anthropogenic interferences and compared with the U-shape relationship reported in the previous studies. …