Engineering Commons^™

Pilot Study Of Applicability Of A Generic Microprocessor Assembly Language, Joseph H. Bartlett

Retrospective Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this investigation is to research the utility of a standardized generic microprocessor assembly language. More precisely, use of a generic language implementation on a given microprocessor and its effect on programmer productivity will be investigated. Programmer productivity will be scored in terms of an inverse function of the time taken to complete a programming task correctly. Shorter times imply better programmer productivity and longer times imply the opposite

The Development Of An Automated Production System, Brian M. Cardinal

Retrospective Theses and Dissertations

This paper describes the development of an automated production system recently completed by the Martin Marietta Aerospace Division, Orlando, Florida, for the assembly, inspection and test of printed circuit boards. The project began in January 1981 with the purpose of increasing the then existing production capability and to create the building block for the total automation of the printed circuit board assembly area of the plant in Ocala, Florida. The system was implemented using a combination of off the shelf equipment modified and integrated to create a single production system. The system employs much of the new production philosophies tailored …

Geotechnical Investigation Of In-Lake Sediment Treatment For Megginnis Arm Of Lake Jackson, Tallahassee, Florida, Richard L. Johnson

Retrospective Theses and Dissertations

Megginnis Arm of Lake Jackson in Tallahassee, Florida, has experienced rapid eutrophication as a result of development within the contributing area watershed. Bottom sediments were sampled for purposes of mapping, classifying and designating for removal. Sediment desiccation studies were performed to determine the percent of consolidation and sealing characteristics of the soils in the event of a lake drawdown. Restoration alternatives are presented and compared on the basis of field investigations, laboratory testing and analysis, and the desiccation study. Alternative methods are discussed with respect to the cost, the flexibility and the problems inherent in the different proposals. From the …

Image Analysis And Segmentation Based On The Circular Pipeline Video Processor, Jon M. Albritton

Retrospective Theses and Dissertations

Visual inspection of printed circuit boards has generally depended on human inspectors. However, a system has been developed which allows for automated visual inspection using robotics and modern image processing techniques. This paper first introduces automatic visual inspection processes, overviews the Automatic Board Assembly, Inspection and Test (ABAIT) system, reviews image processing concepts and describes the Circular Pipeline Video Processor (CPVP). Image data from the CPVP is analyzed and an investigation into alternate segmentation algorithms to identify circuit board features is presented. The relative performance of these algorithms is compared conclusions drawn.

Sun Position In Florida, Florida Solar Energy Center, Ross Mccluney

FSEC Energy Research Center®

Described herein is a procedure for determining the path of the sun through the Florida sky relative to a solar collector array, a window, a skylight or an entire building - information needed by architects, engineers and others for shading and orientation calculations involved in active and passive building design. It can be used for positioning exterior shading devices for maximum benefit. This information can also be used to pinpoint solar collector shading problems.

Open-Cycle Ocean Thermal Energy Conversion, Florida Solar Energy Center, Magdy Girgis

FSEC Energy Research Center®

In May 1983 the Florida Solar Energy Center(FSEC) received $ 328,000 from the federal Solar Energy Research Institute in Colorado to determine the feasibility of an Open-Cycle Ocean Thermal Energy Conversion (OTEC) concept. The objective of the project is to assess the economic and technological viability of the conceptual design of an Open Cycle OTEC power plant. FSEC and Create R&D Inc., Hanover, New Hampshire, bring together complementary skills and experience in resource assessment, component design, system engineering and project management. FSEC also will study possible sites for an OTEC plant in Florida as part of a complementary project funded …

Photovoltaics: A Question And Answer Primer, Florida Solar Energy Center, Ingrid Melody

FSEC Energy Research Center®

Of all the solar energy technologies, photovoltaics (PV) show the greatest promise for worldwide acceptance and application. Their universal appeal lies in the fact that they generate electricity from the sun. Working photovoltaics have no moving parts, are relatively simple in design, need very little maintenance and are environmentally benign. They simply and silently produce electricity whenever they are exposed to light.

Passive Cooling Ideas For The Southeast, Florida Solar Energy Center, Chris Beck

FSEC Energy Research Center®

A passively cooled home is one which is kept relatively comfortable through natural means. Homeowners in the Southeast have been using passive building techniques in order to live more comfortably during hot, humid seasons since the early 1900's. The concept of designing for minimum use of artificial cooling and heating systems is not new, but with the advent of sophisticated mechanical air-conditioning and heating systems and the availability of inexpensive fossil fuels in the '40s and '50s, builders began bypassing passive techniques. Too many of today's homes are designed with more concern about accommodating a mechanical conditioning system than with …

Models For Economic Evaluation Of Flexible Manufacturing Systems, Daniel P. Salomon

Retrospective Theses and Dissertations

The current methods of economic justification are not suitable for identifying the benefits of automated manufacturing systems. This study is an introduction to Flexible Manufacturing Systems (FMS), its main features, and the economic benefits that can be expected. The models are designed to perform the following analyses: 1. Analysis of direct cost savings. 2. Analysis of the impact of incremental implementation on capital recovery costs. 3. Analysis of the cost effects of improving machine utilization and reducing manufacturing lead time. 4. Sensitivity analysis of the after-tax equivalent uniform annual cost of a FMS and a conventional system. The models are …

Testing Of Active Feedback Applied To Piezoelectric Devices, William H. Barrow

Retrospective Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this research is to test a unique implementation of active feedback applied to a low frequency piezoelectric transducer. Understanding that active feedback can be used to shape the frequency response of an electrical system a method for applying active electroacoustical feedback will be used to obtain a wider acoustical bandwidth in a piezoelectric transmitter. By applying active feedback to a resonant device its bandwidth was increased by a factor of 2.5. This is a significant improvement for applications where minimum electrical phase shift versus frequency is desired.

On The Theory And Experimental Results Of A Sensitive Fiber Optic Laser Accelerometer, Steven C. Furlong

Retrospective Theses and Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Application Of Ground Penetrating Radar To The Detection Of Subsurface Cavities, Gary L. Kuhns

Retrospective Theses and Dissertations

Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR) identifies subsurface features by distinguishing materials with different dielectric constants and electrical conductivities. Subsurface cavities can, therefore, be detected by the variation in their electrical properties from the electrical properties of the surrounding material. To test the cavity detection ability of GPR, subsurface cavities of varying size, shape and content were modeled. Radar response to the cavity models was found to be affected by the composition of the surrounding soil material, the depth of the groundwater table, and the radar signal frequency. Based on knowledge gained from the cavity modeling study, a natural subsurface cavity was …

The Fundamental Hardware Elements And Options Of Digital Signal Processing, Mark A. Hemmerlein

Retrospective Theses and Dissertations

The hardware available for digital signal processing is evaluated. The elements required for implementation of digital signal processing applications are identified. These elements--memories, ALUs and multipliers -- are analyzed. Then the operation of parts which make up a range of possible solutions are evaluated. Thus, the graduating engineer is aided in making a transition from the theoretical to the practical world.

Digital Filtering With The Iapx 86/20, Robert E. Canright

Retrospective Theses and Dissertations

The iAPX 86/20 (8086 with the 8087 numeric coprocessor) is considered for digital filtering. The advantage in using the iAPX 86/20 lies in the 80-bit width of the 8087 floating-point arithmetic-registers. With such large arithmetic registers, the effects of coefficient roundoff and arithmetic roundoff errors on the filter output are reduced. The price paid for the improved numerical performance is the increased time spent by the system moving data to and from memory. The method of Knowles and Olcayto for measuring the effect of coefficient roundoff is studies in detail. This method is applied to an example filter in order …

Design Of A Single User Deconcentrator For A Conferenced Voice Communication Circuit Switching System, Ming-Yung Wen

Retrospective Theses and Dissertations

A single user deconcentrator is designed for a circuit switched digital switching system which emphasizes mass conferencing. The switching system consists of distributed concentrators which include a first level of conferencing and a broadcast bus which includes a second level of conferencing. The deconcentrator features volume adjustment of individual conferences as well as a third and last level of conferencing- a conference of the individual conferences obtained from the broadcast bus. The design identifies the MSI and SSI components of the deconcentrator and provides an estimate of timing and board size. An alternative volume adjustment algorithm and the extension of …

Feasibility Of Graywater Systems For The Florida Environment, Joseph L. Tessitore

Retrospective Theses and Dissertations

The objectives of this report was to study the existing literature and data of residential graywater treatment and disposal systems and their possible applications and environmental impacts in Florida. The report addresses mainly (1) the definition of graywater quantity and quality, (2) the evaluation of proposed graywater treatment systems for possible reuse and disposal, (3) the impact of residential graywater systems on existing and proposed wastewater treatment plants, and (4) the possible impacts on groundwater and surface water environment. The report also presents some preliminary residential graywater treatment and disposal system designs including expected treatment efficiencies and cost. It should …

The Use Of Companding In Conferencing Voice Communications Systems, Jon P. Klages

Retrospective Theses and Dissertations

Compounded codes are used for representing voice data in digital communication systems. This thesis addresses the use of the Mu-law companding algorithm in a system optimized for conferencing. A procedure for determining the degree of compression for a variable number of conferees and design equations for implementing a table-lookup scheme using read-only-memories are presented.

The Use Of Computer Vision To Close The Control Loop Of A Robot Arm, Randall S. Janka

Retrospective Theses and Dissertations

Flexible automation is a partial solution to America's industrial and economic recovery and survivability. At the core of this manufacturing technology is the robot whose own flexibility is enhanced through the use of computer vision to close the control loop on the arm and also give the robot environmental intelligence. The basic subdivisions of a computer vision system are sensing, segmentation, description, recognition, and interpretation. When the vision processor analyzes a scene it can give the robot controller symbolic object information and object coordinates. The robot controller transforms such coordinates into its own reference frame through the use of homogeneous …

Three-Phase Unidirectional Surface Acoustic Wave Transducer Model And Computer Aided Design Implementation, Samuel M. Richie

Retrospective Theses and Dissertations

This thesis presents an introduction into surface acoustics wave (SAW) unidirectional transducer (UDT) technologies and identifies advantages and disadvantages of various approaches. A complete model of the three-phase unidirectional structure is presented for the purpose of design analysis. This model incorporates the effects of the electrodes and transducer pattern along with the equivalent circuit model of the transducer structure. The model, when included with the appropriate peripheral components for transducer phasing and matching, can be used to determine accurately the frequency response of a given transducer structure. Such a model is well suited for implementation on a digital computer. With …

The Design Of A Deep Ocean Hydrophone, Michael F. Hackathorn

Retrospective Theses and Dissertations

A design for a deep ocean hydrophone is proposed here. The hydrophone's sound sensing element is comprised of a capped end, piezoelectric cylinder. This sound sensing element is encased in an acoustic coupling fluid filled elastomeric boot. A small diameter tube communicates hydrostatic pressure from the coupling fluid to the interior of the sound sensing element for hydrostatic pressure compensation. The theoretical free field voltage sensitivity, the ratio of open circuit voltage to incident acoustic pressure, is predicted from mathematical model of the sound sensing element.

Interactive Computer Aided Design And Animation Of Spatial Mechanisms, Emmet B. Peter

Retrospective Theses and Dissertations

The synthesis of planar and spatial mechanisms is often accomplished by either trial and error supplemented by computer analysis or by specific analytical techniques in the literature. In either case it is extremely helpful to be able to visualize a physical design as it emerges, and to see a graphic display of it in animated motion. This paper describes the development of a general interactive program for both analyzing and viewing a spatial 4-bar (RSSR) mechanism in animated motion. The analysis provides complete position, velocity, and acceleration information and, for the special case of the planar 4-bar, the same information …

Pressure Drop Across A Tube Support Plate Of Trefoil Geometry Used In Steam Generator, Raad H. Bashar

Retrospective Theses and Dissertations

This research is concerned with the presentation of pressure drop experimental results across a restriction of trefoil geometry (tube support plate) used in steam generators. The pressure drops were obtained for single-phase and two-phase of air, water, and their mixtures. The tests were performed at atmospheric conditions (pressure and temperature). The loss coefficients associated with these pressure drops were experimentally determined, and empirical correlations for the results were developed. The results were compared with previous studies done on other geometries with air-water mixtures, and also to a similar geometry with steam-water mixture.

Considerations Involved In Implementing Material Requirements Planning In A Government Contractor Firm, Susan B. Biberman

Retrospective Theses and Dissertations

The government often imposes requirements on their contractors for the purpose of monitoring and control. Many government contractors utilize a matrix organization structure to help cope with the government's ever changing and challenging requirements. It is both the government requirements and this matrix organization which lead to the need for special information and features in a government contractor's manufacturing/material control system. This report specifically addresses those features which would be desirable in a government contractor's MRP system. These features involve the operation of the master schedule, the bill of material, the MRP software, the inventory files, purchasing, and shop floor …

Analysis Of Scheduling For Low Cost Part Task Trainers, William Fellows

Retrospective Theses and Dissertations

This study develops a methodology for the analysis of Part Task Trainer (PTT) refresh scheduling used in conjunction with large simulators. A human performance model is defined through the development of descriptive equations and system random variables. PTT scheduling calculations are performed by employing a computer program simulation. The computer algorithm generates a set of random vectors to represent the learning characteristics of a sample group of individual trainees. The relationships between simulator scheduling time, PTT frequency training, and model variables are demonstrated to be user interactive. This will allow the PTT refresh scheduling program to be used as an …

A Mini Apple Network For Apple Ii Plus Computers, Michael E. Harnage

Retrospective Theses and Dissertations

Computer networks have become increasingly popular over the last ten years. A simple low cost Mini Apple Network that uses Apple II plus computers and Apple's Parallel Interface Cards, is presented here. The Mini Apple Network is driven by PIC DRIVER, a software program that is able to transmit an Applesoft array variable from one computer to another. Three application programs are presented. A comparison is made of the gain in execution time when one, two, and three computers are used to solve the same problem, namely Laplace's partial differential equation. An increase in gain was obtained when the number …

Designing And Installing Commercial Solar Pool Heating Systems, Florida Solar Energy Center, Douglass E. Root

FSEC Energy Research Center®

Solar heating of swimming pools is an economically attractive utilization of Florida's abundant solar resource. The temperature requirement is lower than that of domestic or service water heating, lower than that for building heating and far lower than that for solar powered air conditioning. Florida's year-round mild and sunny climate allows swimming during much of the winter, so a properly heated pool is economically attractive.

The Development Of A Computer Aided Design Program For Constant Group Delay Monolithic Crystal Filters, Michael A. Robitaille

Retrospective Theses and Dissertations

A computer program, which realizes monolithic crystal filters with constant group delay, is developed. This program analyzes and synthesizes a class of transfer functions developed by J.D. Rhodes called equidistant linear phase transfer functions. Using cascade synthesis, the program calculates the values of the inductor and capacitors of the ladder sections which realizes these functions. The ladder sections are implemented using monolithic crystal filters.

An Evaluation Of The 8051 Microcontroller, George C. Schafner

Retrospective Theses and Dissertations

With the increasing availability and use of 16-bit microprocessors, the 16-bit data bus and is becoming more prevalent. However, many peripheral devices such as printers and tape/disk drives still require an 8-bit data bus for their interface. This paper will explain how an Intel 8051 microcontroller may be used to interface a 16-bit data bus to a peripheral requiring an 8-bit data bus. A FIFO is used to buffer data from a 16-bit processor so that efficient use of processing time is maintained. The 8051 is used to control the peripheral and data transfer.

Convective Heat Transfer From A Cylinder Rotating In Air, O. Kemal Pasamehmetoglu

Retrospective Theses and Dissertations

This study had a two-fold purpose. The initial emphasis was placed upon the analysis of heat transfer to ambient air from a rotating cylinder. Three distinct heat transfer regimes can be identified. For low rotational speeds corresponding to a Reynolds number less than the critical value for initiation of turbulence, the flow is laminar and the rotation has no effect on the average heat transfer coefficient. In the transition region, the heat transfer coefficient depends upon both natural convection and rotational effects. For higher rotational velocities, the flow is fully turbulent and rotational effects dominate. Previous analytical and experimental studies …

Forced Convective Critical Heat Flux Modeling For Tubes And Rod Bundles, Joseph E. Dahlquist

Retrospective Theses and Dissertations

This thesis presents a model for predicting the forced convective critical heat flux (CHF) for water over a wide range of thermal-hydraulic conditions which might be encountered during normal and accident operations of a light water nuclear reactor. The model is primarily composed from existing steady-state CHF correlations for tubes or tube and rod bundle geometries, and encompasses the following parametric ranges:

0.3 ≤ P (MPa) ≤ 16.0

6.0 ≤ D (mm) ≤ 30.0

100.0 ≤ G (kg/m²s) ≤ 8000.0

-0.30 ≤ X ≤ 1.0

The correlations used as the foundation of this model are the

1) Westinghouse-3 …