Engineering Commons^™

Solid Transformations And Premelting Phenomena In Fluorite Structures And The System Srcl₂Bacl₂, Damri Sukhotanang

Doctoral Dissertations

"Thermal expansion and phase transformations in CaF₂, BaF₂, SrCl₂, and BaCl₂ were studied by high temperature x-ray diffractometry, differential thermal analysis, and thermodilatometric analysis. Thermal expansion characteristics of CaF₂, BaF₂ and SrCl₂ are very similar. The structures expand normally at lower temperatures and depart substantially from linearity at higher temperatures, because of formation of defects and disordering of anions. At high temperatures CaF₂ and BaF₂ react with water vapor, even at low humidities, forming oxides and emitting HF, leading to difficulty in observation of phase transformations. SrCl …

Parameter Identification Of Nonuniform Distributed Rc Networks, Roger Allen Hayes

Doctoral Dissertations

"The problem of the unique parameter identification of nonuniform distributed RC networks is addressed in this dissertation. Previous literature provides for the equivalence of distributed networks with respect to the terminal characteristics. Therefore, the question is whether unique parameter identification is even possible. This work settles that question by presenting the sufficient conditions to insure a unique solution to the parameter identification problem. One theorem requires the knowledge of a driving-point impedance, the knowledge of the physical length, and the constraint that the r(x)c(x) product remains constant to insure uniqueness of the parameters r(x) and c(x). Relaxation of the r(x)c(x) …

Removal Of Nutrients By Sorption On Activated Alumina, Checkman Michael Yue

Doctoral Dissertations

"The nutrient enrichment of surface, primarily impounded, water and the associated problems of accelerated eutrophication and prolific algal growth have become a nationwide concern. Phosphorus and nitrogen are considered to be the key elements in abating eutrophication and are contributed from many sources, natural and manmade; prominent among these is the discharge of domestic and industrial wastes.

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the removal of nutrients, primarily phosphorus and nitrogen, with activated alumina using a continuous-flow pilot plant system. Specific objectives were the: development and construction of appropriate bench and field-scale pilot plant units utilizing the rapid …

Transition Boiling Of Normal Pentane From A Horizontal Flat Gold Surface, Ronald M. Canon

Doctoral Dissertations

"The characteristic boiling curve for Normal Pentane was determined at 1 atmosphere pressure with particular attention devoted to the transition boiling region. The heat transfer surface was a horizontal, gold-plated, copper disc.

Stability analysis was employed to demonstrate why previous investigators have had only limited success in collecting data in the transition region and to provide a valid basis for equipment designed to operate in this region.

A method of predicting the transition region boiling curve from the nucleate curve and the Liedenfrost point is presented. The method was found to predict the transition boiling of Normal Pentane, Freon 12, …

Direct And Inverse Heat Conduction In Rock Materials Using The Finite Element Method, Vernon Dale Allen

Doctoral Dissertations

"A finite element method is presented for solution of direct and inverse heat conduction problems in rock materials. Finite element programs for direct and inverse heat conduction problems were developed and demonstrated. Flow charts are given for the finite element programs.

The direct finite element heat conduction program changes material properties with temperature to approximate the temperature dependent properties of rock materials. An example problem was solved by the finite element method and also using Kirchoff's transformation. The finite element solution compared quite well with the Kirchoff transformation solution.

The inverse method utilizes the direct finite element heat conduction program …

Dropwise Condensation As Affected By Vapor Diffusion And Molecular Sticking, Salil K. Banerjee

Doctoral Dissertations

"Experimental values of heat flux in dropwise condensation on a gold plated vertical copper surface were determined in presence and absence of (or minute traces of) noncondensable gas. The noncondensable gas concentration varied from 0.0045% to 7.5% over a range of subcooling from 2.155 to 17.13°F and system pressure of 4.124 to 16.67 psia. The calculated heat transfer coefficient ranged from 1,545 to 11,135 Btu/hr-ft²-°F. In the part of the experiment where precautions were taken to avoid the presence of noncondensable gas in the water vapor, much higher values of heat flux were observed. Values of heat transfer coefficient ranging …

Mathematical Simulation Of Gas And Water Coning In Petroleum Reservoirs By The Dynamic Material Balance Technique, Visheshwar Nath Simlote

Doctoral Dissertations

"The prediction of coning behavior at a producing oil well is one of the most difficult numerical simulation problems. Because of the convergent flow patterns and small sizes of the inner grid blocks, the radial coordinate models used to study the problem have a tendency to become unstable. Since several hundred pore volumes may flow through the inner grid blocks during a rather small time interval, instabilities are likely to occur in the saturation calculations for these grid blocks. The dynamic approach to saturation calculations is a method which first computes the correct material balance and then calculates the saturation …

Evaluation Of Methods For The Recovery, Chemical And Toxicological Characterization Of Trace Organics, James Robert Matthews

Doctoral Dissertations

"Organic contaminants are generated in substantial quantities by the activities of man and through natural processes, and are present in natural runoff, industrial wastes, and agricultural discharges; synthetic organic chemicals, many of which are refractory and reach surface and subsurface water, are of particular significance. Earlier studies have generally emphasized the organoleptic and esthetic problems caused by trace organics, although their acute and long-term toxic potential has also been recognized.

The overall objective of this investigation was the analytical and toxicological characterization of trace organics recovered concomitantly from Missouri waters of varied character by large-scale solvent extraction (SEM) and carbon …

Nucleate Boiling Of N-Pentane, N-Hexane And Several Mixtures Of The Two From Various Tube Arrays, Kenneth Wayne Wall

Doctoral Dissertations

"An investigation of nucleate boiling heat transfer in saturated pools of Normal Pentane, Normal Hexane and several mixtures of the two was conducted. The fluids were boiled from gold-plated, copper, cylindrical heat transfer surfaces, 4.96 inches long, and 1.048 inch in diameter. The heat transfer elements were boiled in varying vertical tube arrays at a pressure of 14.70 psia.

It was found that the mixtures boiled with a lower heat transfer coefficient than that for either pure component when boiled alone. When boiling in any of the tube bundle arrangements, the heat transfer coefficients for the upper tubes in the …

Hydrodynamic Mixing Model Applied To A Continuous Stirred-Tank Reactor With And Without Second-Order Reaction, Leon L. Otte

Doctoral Dissertations

Paper 1: "A hydrodynamic mixing (HDM) model, used to calculate the steady-state spatial distribution of conversion for a second-order reaction in a continuous stirred-tank reactor (CSTR) for non-premixed reactants was developed and contrasted with other methods. The HDM model is based on a segmental description of the reactor and includes turbulent mixing effects in each segment. As a test of the model, the experimental results obtained from a tubular reactor were found to be very well represented for a range of reactant ratios. Spatial distributions of concentration and segregation intensity (degree of mixing) within the CSTR were determined for a …

A Study Of Exothermic Chemical Reaction In A Porous Catalyst Wedge, Joseph Michael Schardl Jr.

Doctoral Dissertations

"Temperature and composition were measured at various locations in a system where ethylene is hydrogenated to ethane on a 1/4 inch porous catalyst wedge made of nickel supported on alumina. 'When the wedge of catalyst was bathed in hydrogen, experimental results indicated a high temperature rise from the feed temperature to the catalyst which is implied by the diffusion controlled regime for solid catalyzed, highly exothermic reactions. This high activity was reversibly reduced by bathing the catalyst wedge in nitrogen for extended time periods (greater than 24 hours). This nitrogen soaking changed the experimental conditions from those of diffusion controlled …

Solid-Fluid Drag Reduction, Ian Radin

Doctoral Dissertations

"Pressure drop measurements were made on a variety of solid-liquid suspension systems in order to study the effects of particle shape and size, concentration, fluid viscosity and tube diameter on drag reduction. Measurements were made over a wide range of Reynolds numbers in two tubes: 1/4 inch and 1 inch in diameter.

Drag reduction could always be obtained with fibrous additives of length-to-diameter ratio greater than 25-35 if the concentration was sufficiently high. The drag reduction behavior of these suspensions is different from that of high polymer and soap solutions. Laminar flow behavior is stabilized giving lower than normal friction …

Applications Of Frequency Domain Stability Criteria In The Design Of Nonlinear Feedback Systems, Allen Joseph Rushing

Doctoral Dissertations

"The Popov criterion for absolute stability of nonlinear feedback systems is applied to several example problems. Model transformations such as pole shifting and zero shifting extend the class of systems to which the criterion applies. Extensions of the criterion having simple graphical interpretations yield stronger results for systems with constant monotonic slope-bounded nonlinearities. Additional extensions lacking simple graphical interpretations in the complex plane are also demonstrated by example.

Stability throughout a region in parameter space is discussed, and the Kalman conjecture is verified for a new class of systems. The Popov criterion is also used to prove BIBO stability, process …

Analysis Of Continuous Curvilinear Structures By Infinite Matrix Series Methods, Trinh-Ngoc Rang

Doctoral Dissertations

"The objective of this dissertation is to present two methods of structural analysis for continuous curvilinear frames by using infinite matrix series as an extension of the well-known moment-distribution method. The sum of all unbalanced moments and thrusts relaxed at joints of a continuous system can be expressed in a compact and exact mathematical expression, which is in terms of the sum of a convergent infinite matrix series. With these unbalanced forces at joints, the final support forces may be calculated in a single stage of distribution and carry-over. The convergence of the balancing process is also demonstrated. Approximate results …

Considerations In The Design Of A Network Of Minicomputers, Hardy J. Pottinger

Doctoral Dissertations

"The advantages of a network consisting of a number of minicomputers coupled to a large time shared computer are described. This type of network is very useful in the areas of data acquisition, real time control of experiments, and front-end processing for computer graphics.

Problems associated with the development of a network of this type, various possible solutions, and the trade-offs involved are presented. These problems are classified into two categories: the interface between the network and the central computing facility, and the interface between the remote sites and the rest of the network.

The design constraints, rationale, and implementation …

Rock Fragmentation By Subsurface Thermal Inclusions - A Finite Element Study, Mahendrakumar Ramkrishna Patel

Doctoral Dissertations

"Although rock tunneling machines are being used extensively with performance and cost advantages over traditional drill and blast methods, their usefulness for hard rock excavation is far from being practical due mainly to the inability of present day mechanical cutters to penetrate these rocks economically. Among various novel techniques that are being investigated, internal heating methods seem to be the most promising. This investigation is concerned with a feasibility study of thermal rock fragmentation using heat to create in-depth thermal inclusions.

The three-dimensional problem of in situ rock fragmentation involves parallel rows of equidistant holes drilled to a constant depth. …

Implementation Of Recursive Algorithms For Delay-Time Estimation Using The Fast Walsh Transform, Donald Robert Nelson

Doctoral Dissertations

"Use of the fast Walsh transform to resolve noisy signals into Walsh function series to digitally implement maximum-likelihood parameter estimators for real-time use is investigated. Realization of estimators which seek a null in the derivative of the log-likelihood function, instead of direct maximization, results in feedback algorithms which yield considerable savings in computation time and storage. Performance of these feedback delay-estimation algorithms is characterized in terms of mean-squared error (MSE) and response to a delay step by Monte Carlo simulation. The effect of changing the number of points in the transform on the MSE is also investigated. Hard limiting of …

Parameter Identification Applied To Linear Quadratic Differential Games, John D. Corrigan

Doctoral Dissertations

"A two player zero-sum linear quadratic differential game is investigated for the case in which one of the players has incomplete a priori knowledge of the parameters of his opponent's dynamic system. This incomplete system parameter information game is shown to be playable since the ignorant player can make limiting estimates of the unknown parameters from the relative controllability condition for the game. Performance from the ignorant player's point of view is suboptimal.

It is also shown that parameter identification techniques can be applied by the ignorant player in order to directly identify the smart player's closed-loop parameters in the …

Nucleate Boiling From Polymer Coated Surfaces., David Franklin Warner

Doctoral Dissertations

"This study consisted of an examination of both the effects of nucleate boiling on polymer coated surfaces and the effects of the polymer coated surfaces on the nucleate boiling curve. The nucleate boiling curve (the curve resulting from plotting heat transferred per unit area versus the temperature difference between the boiling surface and the liquid pool) of the polymer coated surfaces were compared with the nucleate boiling curve of gold-plated surfaces with no polymer coat and it was found that the thicker the polymer coat, the more the curve deviated from that of the metal uncoated surfaces.

All surfaces were …

Flowware -- A Flow Charting Method To Describe Digital Systems, Wayne Everett Omohundro

Doctoral Dissertations

"FLOWWARE is an interactive, graphical language to aid in the understanding and design of digital networks. The language is based upon the concept of flow charting. The user specifies the register layout of the system and the sequential operation in the form of a diagram on a graphics terminal. FLOWWARE makes full use of a local minicomputer to perform editing and drawing functions, and a remote large computer to perform translation and simulation. This division of labor allows the user to build his description off-line without having the remote computer program active"--Abstract, page ii.

Hydrostatic Extrusion Of Waste Glass And Plastic, Subhash Govind Kelkar

Doctoral Dissertations

"Waste glass and waste plastic combine to form a major portion of nonbiodegradable, solid waste. These waste products aggravate the already too serious problem of environmental pollution. Hence, a means is sought of utilizing this waste in the construction industry, thus solving two problems simultaneously - that of beautifying the environment, and of procuring inexpensive building materials.

Extrusion is not an uncommon process as far as the manufacture of original products is concerned. Hydrostatic extrusion is a modification of the process wherein a billet or slug of some material is forced to flow through a die under the influence of …

Convergence Of Material Balance In Mathematical Simulation Of Petroleum Reservoirs, Abdul Rashid Merchant

Doctoral Dissertations

One criterion for determining the precision of pressures calculated by a simulation model is the accuracy of the material balance. A high degree of precision in the calculated pressures is a necessary condition for elimination of error in prediction of fluid migration in the reservoir. However, this condition is not sufficient to guarantee accuracy of the simulation, since inaccuracies are introduced by truncation errors, machine round-off errors, and by the use of finite difference approximations to represent nonlinear partial differential equations.

A new procedure called Error Matrix Technique has been developed for reduction of material balance errors. This reduction is …

Numerical Simulation Of Individual Wells In A Field Simulation Model, Ali Mohammed Akbar

Doctoral Dissertations

"Conventional numerical simulation of hydrocarbon reservoirs is inadequate for the prediction of bottom-hole pressures at production wells. This problem can be overcome by using a special mathematical model which combines individual well simulation with reservoir simulation. Severe computational instability is commonly encountered in the radial models due to the relatively small grid-blocks and high fluid velocities in the vicinity of the well bore. This instability is found to be more pronounced during depletion of the reservoir when the pressure near the well bore is below bubble-point pressure. A new technique is introduced here for saturation calculations in the critical region …

Transient State Analysis Of Separated Flow Around A Sphere, Ching-Liang Lin

Doctoral Dissertations

"Transient state solution of the Navier Stokes equation was obtained for incompressible flow around a sphere accelerating from zero initial velocity to its terminal free falling velocity. By assuming rotational symmetry around the axis in the falling direction, the Navier Stokes equation and the continuity equation were simplified in terms of vorticity and stream function. The instantaneous acceleration of the falling sphere was calculated by considering the difference between the gravitational force and the drag force in a transient state. The governing partial differential equations were non-dimensionalized. A set of implicit finite difference equations was developed. In order to obtain …

Stability Of The Developing Laminar Flow In A Circular Tube, Lung-Mau Huang

Doctoral Dissertations

"An investigation is made of the linear stability of the developing laminar flow of an incompressible fluid in the entrance region of a circular tube. Both axisymmetric and non-axisymmetric small disturbances are considered in the analysis. The stability characteristics of the fully developed flow are also re-examined. The main flow velocity distribution used in the stability analysis is that from the solution of the linearized momentum equation. The governing equations for the disturbances and the boundary conditions constitute an eigenvalue problem which is solved by a direct numerical integration scheme along with an iteration technique. The solution starts with a …

Electro-Reduction Of Bromate On Mercury, Jaw-Shin Chang

Doctoral Dissertations

"The electrochemical reduction of BrO⁻₃ was studied on a stationary Hg electrode in neutral and basic solutions containing K⁺, Na⁺, and L⁺. Coulombic efficiency studies showed Br⁻ to be the predominant reduction product. The steady state kinetic parameters include Tafel slopes of ca. -0.120 V, approximate first order activity dependences for both BrO⁻₃ and the accompanying cation, and no pH dependence. A reaction scheme is proposed which involves BrO⁻₃ "bridged" to the electrode by the accompanying cation. It is suggested that the "bridging" is a result of ion-pairing in the electrical double-layer"--Abstract, page 1.

Methods For Predicting The Influence Of Intense Sound, Steady Flow, And Elevated Temperature On The Acoustic Performance Of Automotive Exhaust System Components, Richard Chuka Oboka

Doctoral Dissertations

"The principal objective of this investigation was to study the feasibility of developing laboratory techniques for automobile-exhaust muffler design in order to reduce the amount of on-vehicle trial-and-error testing currently required. The investigation included (1) improving the capability of existing laboratory equipment to simulate the conditions in automobile exhaust (i.e., high-amplitude pressure waves, steady flow, and elevated temperature), and (2) theoretical and experimental studies of typical acoustic elements (side-branch resonators, expansion chambers, louvered tubes) used in muffler design. The sound fields used for these studies included pure tones, single pulses (tone bursts), random noise, and simulated automobile exhaust noise.

Empirical …

Film Boiling Of Freon 113, Normal Pentane, Cyclopentane, And Benzene From Cylindrical Surfaces At Moderate Pressures, Gary Joseph Capone

Doctoral Dissertations

"An investigation of film boiling heat transfer in saturated pools of liquid Freon 113, Normal Pentane, Cyclopentane, and Benzene was made. The fluids were boiled from copper, cylindrical heat transfer surfaces, 3 inches long, and 0.55, 0.75, and 1.00 inch in diameter. The heat transfer elements were positioned horizontally in an autoclave and tested at moderate pressures of up to a pressure of 242.5 psia for Normal Pentane.

The experimental data are discussed and compared with known film boiling correlations. The known correlations were found to be inadequate in predicting heat transfer coefficients as a function of pressure, temperature difference …

Nonlinear Optimum Design Of Dynamic Damped Structures, Mark E. Botkin

Doctoral Dissertations

"A method to optimize the weight of plane frames subjected to dynamic loads is presented. Restrictions are imposed upon the maximum dynamic stresses and displacements, desirable section moduli of the constituent members, and the range of values allowed for natural frequencies. Various considerations for rigid frame design include damping, the P-Δ effect, static girder loads, static column loads and girder shears transferred to the columns. A finite difference approach is presented to evaluate the shock spectrum which is used in conjunction with modal superposition to obtain the peak upperbound dynamic displacements and stresses for multistory and multibay frames. The displacement …

Initial Surface Reactions And Nucleation Kinetics Of Boron On Atomically Clean Molybdenum Substrates, Richard Eugene Moore

Doctoral Dissertations

"A study of the chemical vapor deposition (CVD) of boron from boron triiodide (BI₃) on molybdenum has been done with field emission microscopy (FEM) and low energy electron diffraction (LEED).

A correlation of the efficiency by which BI₃ is effectively dissociated to form adsorbed boron, and the temperature of the substrate has been shown through work function measurements on the boron covered molybdenum field emitter surfaces. The boron-induced work function change of molybdenum has been shown to be in agreement with a theoretical model which predicts positive, as well as negative work functions for adsorbate-substrate systems. It …