Engineering Commons^™

Calibration Considerations For A Reduced-Timeline Optimized Approach For Vnir Earth-Orbiting Satellites, Zachary Bergen, Joe Tansock

Space Dynamics Laboratory Publications

With the increasing number of commercial satellite constellations launching, the need for calibration remains as relevant as ever. Some of these instruments are built with COTS optical components and, given the number and need for timely calibration, a flexible, dynamic, and streamlined approach is necessary for reproducibility, regression testing, adaptability, and high-quality image data. We present a use case for a commercial VNIR payload and demonstrate techniques and a storyboard of our experience. We ran a calibration campaign on a 100” focal length telescope assembled in a payload of approximate 50kg containing a commercial Bayer pattern camera of medium resolution …

Di2e: Defense Intelligence Information Enterprise, Space Dynamics Laboratory

Space Dynamics Laboratory Publications

The rising demand for rapid intelligence software solutions combined with limited Government funding has highlighted the need for an organized process to use resources more efficiently. The solution needed to leverage existing capabilities to meet mission needs and ensure that defense intelligence information flows seamlessly across enterprise boundaries. In response, as a Government initiative, the NRO and AFRL developed the Defense Intelligence Information Enterprise (DI2E) framework as a solution to promote intelligence software asset reuse where possible.

Road Scholars For The Western States: Protecting Natural Areas By Improving Road Management Research, Brian Cooke, Charlie Luce, Tom Black, David G. Tarboton

Civil and Environmental Engineering Faculty Publications

A poorly placed or unsuitably designed road can result in landslides, flooding, gullies, stream damage, and wildlife habitat destruction. Particularly in natural areas, benefits of roads, such as accessibility and convenience, must be weighed against potential water quality degradation, scenic and wildlife habitat destruction, and hazardous driving conditions.

Scientists at the Rocky Mountain Research Station helped create two free tools—GRAIP (Geomorphic Road Analysis and Inventory Package) and GRAIP-Lite—to help land managers make better decisions about road management in environmentally sensitive areas. GRAIP helps land managers analyze and predict surface erosion, gully risk, landslide risk, stream crossing failure risks, and other …

Experimental Validation Data For Cfd Of Forced Convection On A Vertical Flat Plate, Jeff R. Harris, Blake W. Lance, Barton L. Smith

Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Faculty Publications

A CFD validation data set for turbulent forced convection on a vertical plate is presented. The design of the apparatus is based on recent validation literature and provides a means to simultaneously measure boundary conditions and system response quantities. All important inflow quantities for RANS CFD are also measured. Data are acquired at two heating conditions and cover the range 40;000 < Rex < 300;000, 357 < Red2 < 813 and 0:02 < Gr/Re2 < 0:232. The data and uncertainties are contained in files in the supplemental material

Comparison Of Selected Differential Producing, Ultrasonic And Magnetic Flow Meters, Johnny B. Prettyman, Michael C. Johnson, Steven L. Barfuss

Civil and Environmental Engineering Faculty Publications

Selecting the best flow meter for a specific application can be challenging because of the many types and designs of flow meters, with each having its own merits and drawbacks. Illustrating these specific benefits and drawbacks can help the buyer select the meter best suited for the desired application. The flow meters investigated in this research include five designs of differential-pressure meters (i.e., differential-producing), a magnetic flow meter, and an ultrasonic flow meter. The differential meters included the Venturi designs, the wedge flow meter, and the V-cone meter. Testing was completed at the Utah Water Research Laboratory to quantify the …

Large Eddy Simulation Of Turbulence And Solute Transport In A Forested Headwater Stream, A. Khosronejad, A. T. Hansen, J. L. Kozarek, K. Guentzel, M. Hondzo, M. Guala, Peter Wilcock, J. C. Finlay, F. Sotiropoulos

Civil and Environmental Engineering Faculty Publications

The large eddy simulation (LES) module of the Virtual StreamLab (VSL3D) model is applied to simulate the flow and transport of a conservative tracer in a headwater stream in Minnesota, located in the south Twin Cities metropolitan area. The detailed geometry of the stream reach, which is _135 m long, _2.5 m wide, and _0.15 m deep, was surveyed and used as input to the computational model. The detailed geometry and location of large woody debris and bed roughness elements up to _0.1 m in size were also surveyed and incorporated in the numerical simulation using the Curvilinear Immersed Boundary …

Microbubble Assisted Polyhydroxybutyrate Production In Escherichia Coli, Kadriye Innan, Fulya Ay Sal, Asif Rahman, Ryan J. Putman, Foster A. Agblevor, Charles D. Miller

Biological Engineering Faculty Publications

Background

One of the potential limitations of large scale aerobic Escherichia coli fermentation is the need for increased dissolved oxygen for culture growth and bioproduct generation. As culture density increases the poor solubility of oxygen in water becomes one of the limiting factors for cell growth and product formation. A potential solution is to use a microbubble dispersion (MBD) generating device to reduce the diameter and increase the surface area of sparged bubbles in the fermentor. In this study, a recombinantE. coli strain was used to produce polyhydroxybutyrate (PHB) under conventional and MBD aerobic fermentation conditions.

Results

In conventional …

Rational Design Of Rama-Labeled Nanoparticles For A Dual-Modaility, Light Scattering Immunoassay On A Polystyrene Substrate, Nathan D. Israelsen, Donald Wooley, Cynthia Hanson, Elizabeth Vargis

Biological Engineering Faculty Publications

Background: Surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) is a powerful light scattering technique that can be used for sensitive immunoassay development and cell labeling. A major obstacle to using SERS is the complexity of fabricating SERS probes since they require nanoscale characterization and optical uniformity. The light scattering response of SERS probes may also be modulated by the substrate used for SERS analysis. A typical SERS substrate such as quartz can be expensive. Polystyrene is a cheaper substrate option but can decrease the SERS response due to interfering Raman emission peaks and high background fluorescence. The goal of this research is to …

Automated Chess Board, Andrew Deakin, Mitch Morse

Electrical and Computer Engineering

The Automated Chess Board (ACB) is a novel device that integrates the benefits of playing chess on a computer with those of playing on a physical board. It uses an array of electromagnetic coils underneath a glass playing surface that can be activated individually or in groups. This allows one or more physical wooden chess pieces with affixed permanent magnets to be moved around the board. These coils are controlled by an internal computer running a chess engine, allowing the user to play chess against the computer on a physical board.

AUtomated STroller DEsign (Asd), Evan Paull

Electrical and Computer Engineering

The purpose of this project is to design a system that will drive a jogging stroller for a user. This will allow a user a hands free jogging / walking experience. For someone who finds it too difficult to push their children around the neighborhood or down a nature trail, they now have a solution to free them up to enjoy the outdoors.

Automatic Aeroponic Indoor Garden Container, Trevor Grover, Jason Gramse, Samuel Vonniederhausern

Electrical and Computer Engineering

The objectives and goals for this senior design project are as follows:

• Objective 1: Create a garden container ideal for a small indoor living space, such as an apartment.
• Objective 2: Give the garden container the ability to provide water, nutrients, and light to the plants autonomously.
• Objective 3: Create a garden container that is energy and resource efficient.

In addition to these goals, design requirements were gathered to help achieve these objectives.

Autonomous Can Rotating System, Tyler Curtis

Electrical and Computer Engineering

• Autonomous storage and retrieval of canned goods
• Automatic updating of inventory
• Bluetooth connection for easy user interface
• Grows and updates according to user’s needs
• Code easily adaptable to varying mechanical components

Making 3d Images, Bryce Walker

Electrical and Computer Engineering

The Idea: Turn a mirascope into an animated 3D imaging device by replacing the top mirror and frog with an LED screen and an optical filter.

Bluetooth Low Energy Quantum Meter, Christopher Clark

Electrical and Computer Engineering

The purpose of this project is to design a quantum meter that interfaces with a mobile device. A quantum meter is a type of light sensor that measures the light in the spectrum that causes photosynthesis, which is 400 to 700 nanometers.

Controlwurx, Jacob Sorenson, Michael Wells

Electrical and Computer Engineering

• Wireless controller with multiple input devices
• 18 channels of data
• 2, 20 mile range (line-of-sight)
• Input modules consist of slide potentiometers, joysticks, push buttons, and toggle switches

Digital Guitar Amp, David Chester

Electrical and Computer Engineering

Digital Signal Flow

• Equalization Filter allows user to adjust treble, middle and bass equalization
• Wave-shaping emulates the distortion of vacuum tube guitar amps
• Low shelf filter limits high order harmonics for a smoother sound
• High shelf filter eliminates DC and emulates the capacitance found in a tube amp

Embedded-Digital-Signal-Processing-Just-In-Time (Edspjit) Compiler, David N. Petrizze Iii

Electrical and Computer Engineering

A small library for configurable sound processing, minus recompiling, reflashing and the overhead of conditionals

Runs on the embedded controller, compiles the given script immediately

The returned instructions are then executed from flash memory.

Home Automation And Control System (Hacs), Daniel Weckler

Electrical and Computer Engineering

The Home Automation and Control System (HACS) is a prototype implementation of "The Internet of Things." The goal of this system is to provide the customer with a user-friendly way of controlling their home using only their smartphone.

Maglock Bike Lock: The Smart Lock, Tyson Niemann

Electrical and Computer Engineering

The project is an electromagnetic self-contained bike lock. The cable is installed into the handlebars, making it concealed but easily accessible. You then are able to wrap around the object that you wish to lock it to and then touch the end against the electromagnet that is mounted to the frame. GPS tracking and location is for added anti-theft prevention and in the event you forget where you left it.

Personal Tracking Robotic Automated Camera (P-Trac), Joel A. Buttars

Electrical and Computer Engineering

• With the rise of the #selfie movement almost anyone can be an Autophotographer or Autovideographer
• The quality of the majority of these self-filmed videos is typically sub-par
• P-TRAC’s goal is to deliver a tilt and pan camera unit for Android phones to improve self-shot videos that could be loaded on social media sites such as YouTube.
• P-TRAC will allow tech-savvy YouTube vloggers to produce high quality videos without a camera man

Passive Tracking Device, Dallin Marshall

Electrical and Computer Engineering

The Passive Tracking Device (PTD) is a tracking solution that can be concealed inside an ATV that will periodically transmit its location to the user’s cell phone via an SMS message.

Predator Deterrent Ear Tag, Thomas Day, Dusty Henson

Electrical and Computer Engineering

This ear tag is a simple replacement for a regular sheep tag and will help prevent predation. The tag will turn on during crepuscular hours. When activated it flashes a light to scare predators.

Project X - Unmanned Aerial Vehicle, Gabriel Diamond, Wesley Schaefermeyer, Samuel Vonniederhausern

Electrical and Computer Engineering

The overall goal of the project was to design controllers for a UAV that would maintain a constant altitude and bank angle. Shown below are the kinematic model and control loops that were used.

Project Iris, Alex Wallentine

Electrical and Computer Engineering

Project Iris is a real-time closed captioning system aimed at helping the hearing impaired see what they fail to hear. The first stage of this project was realized last year - a functioning speech-to-text smartglass system. The second stage has now been completed - a sound location feature. Knowing where a sound is coming from is something that those with good hearing take for granted. This feature alarms the user of nonverbal sounds that speech to text APIs cannot understand like sirens, dogs barking, etc. It is a critical step in the progression of Project Iris.

Rc Electric Vehicle, Chase Kunz, Cameron Sego, Austin Costley

Electrical and Computer Engineering

This project is the first stage of vehicle automation for furthering research in the field of dynamic wireless power transfer. Our project focused on the low-level control that interfaces with the vehicle. We reverse engineered the sensor network of a 2013 Ford Focus Electric and found ways to take control of the vehicle using a Tiva C microcontroller. We used a RC transmitter to control the vehicle remotely.

Solo Lift, Jacob Hansen, Jake Thornton, Ken Sills

Electrical and Computer Engineering

A voice command is received by the Raspberry Pi. The microcontroller uses this input along with input from the sensors to alter lift position.

Motorcycle Streaming Gyrocam, Jeremy Sargent, Ike Iverson

Electrical and Computer Engineering

Our goal with this project was to design and make a camera that could read and compensate for lean angle changes on a sport motorcycle. As you can see from both the top center image and the middle right image, these machines reach extreme lean angles when cornering. Our design is a bike mounted solution that keeps the images that are recorded on a level horizon. This helps to prevent disorientation during review of the video of the observers. The advantages are that valuable data can be obtained for rider improvements and progress can be easily tracked.

Sweeping Impedance Probe For Space Missions, Kelton Rich, Sam Tanner, Taylor Peterson

Electrical and Computer Engineering

Impedance probes have been used for decades to measure the electron density of the Ionosphere. These measurements have been extremely important due to the affect the Ionosphere has on telecommunications. Traditionally, impedance probes have gone on large satellites. The latest trend; however, is to use small cost effective Cube Satellites. The current impedance probe designs are too large and power hungry to be used on a Cube Satellite. The purpose of this project is to design a energy efficient impedance probe that will run on 400 mW and that could be flown on future Cube Satellite missions.

Tennis Serve Analyzer, Kaitlyn Christensen

Electrical and Computer Engineering

The tennis serve analyzer gets data from a magnetometer, gyroscope, and accelerometer connected to the bottom of a tennis racket. The data is then displayed on a computer to provide the user feedback on their serve. Which will allow them to improve their consistency and decrease the risk of injury.

Utility Glove Project, Anthony Manuell

Electrical and Computer Engineering

The goal of the project was to create an electronic multi-tool that was accessible from the tips of the user's fingers.

This was done by using a series of flex sensor oriented voltage dividers to detect gestures. Upon detecting a gesture a tool is then activated and the related data displayed.