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Faculty Publications

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Articles 2941 - 2970 of 3294

Full-Text Articles in Engineering

Successive Galerkin Approximations To The Nonlinear Optimal Control Of An Underwater Robotic Vehicle, Timothy Mclain, Randal W. Beard Jul 1998

Successive Galerkin Approximations To The Nonlinear Optimal Control Of An Underwater Robotic Vehicle, Timothy Mclain, Randal W. Beard

Faculty Publications

The application of a new nonlinear optimal control strategy to the station-keeping control of an underwater robotic vehicle is considered. The control approach described and demonstrated here is based upon the numerical approximation of solutions to the Hamilton-Jacobi-Bellman equation. These solutions are computed by an iterative application of Galerkin's method. Preliminary simulation results demonstrating the application of this approach to the control of an underwater vehicle in the horizontal plane are presented.

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Development And Experimental Validation Of An Underwater Manipulator Hydrodynamic Model, Timothy W. Mclain, Stephen M. Rock Jul 1998

Development And Experimental Validation Of An Underwater Manipulator Hydrodynamic Model, Timothy W. Mclain, Stephen M. Rock

Faculty Publications

Hydrodynamic forces can be large and hence have a significant effect on the dynamic performance of underwater manipulation systems. this paper investigates these forces for a cylindrical single-link arm undergoing motions that are characteristics of a robotic manipulator. Based on flow visualization, theoretical analysis, and experimental measurements, a new model is developed that describes these forces. This model differs from previous models in that the drag and added-mass coefficients are state-dependent functions that depend on the distance traveled by the arm. A factor of four improvement in accuracy is demonstrated over standard constant-coefficient models.

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Preparing An Assessment Plan At San Jose State University, Michael Jennings, Thalia Anagnos Jun 1998

Preparing An Assessment Plan At San Jose State University, Michael Jennings, Thalia Anagnos

Faculty Publications

The College of Engineering at San Jose State University is scheduled for an accreditation visit in Fall 1999 and has decided to seek reaccreditation under the ABET 2000 criteria. An assessment implementation project has been active for the past two years within the College; with primary objectives of refining missions for programs, defining program outcome objectives, determining which components to assess, and developing appropriate metrics and methods. Longer term objectives of this project are to establish a continuous quality improvement philosophy in the College and to provide information for the ABET accreditation review.This paper is an evaluation of the status …

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A Practical Algorithm For Designing H∞ Control Laws, Timothy Mclain, Randal W. Beard Jun 1998

A Practical Algorithm For Designing H∞ Control Laws, Timothy Mclain, Randal W. Beard

Faculty Publications

We describe an approximation method for the Hamilton-Jacobi-Isaacs (HJI) equation that results in feedback control. The approximation is accomplished via a two-step successive Galerkin approximation scheme. An application of the technique to the control of the forward motion of an underwater vehicle is described.

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Fuel Equalized Retargeting For Separated Spacecraft Interferometry, Timothy Mclain, Randal W. Beard, Fred Y. Hadaegh Jun 1998

Fuel Equalized Retargeting For Separated Spacecraft Interferometry, Timothy Mclain, Randal W. Beard, Fred Y. Hadaegh

Faculty Publications

Motivated by NASA's proposed Deep Space 3 interferometer mission, the paper considers the problem of reorienting a constellation of spacecraft such that the total fuel distributed across the constellation is both conserved and expended uniformly. The spacecraft constellation is controlled to reorient as if it were a rigid body. Two approaches to fuel equalization are investigated. The first approach picks a point of rotation a priori that optimizes an objective function that trades off minimum-fuel maneuvers and maneuvers that equalize the fuel. Since the point of rotation is selected a priori and is fixed during the rotation, this approach is …

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Cryptococcus Neoformans Chemotyping By Quantitative Analysis Of H-1 Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Spectra Of Glucuronoxylomannans With A Computer-Simulated Artificial Neural Network, Robert Cherniak, Homayoun Valafar, Laura C. Morris, Faramarz Valafar Mar 1998

Cryptococcus Neoformans Chemotyping By Quantitative Analysis Of H-1 Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Spectra Of Glucuronoxylomannans With A Computer-Simulated Artificial Neural Network, Robert Cherniak, Homayoun Valafar, Laura C. Morris, Faramarz Valafar

Faculty Publications

The complete assignment of the proton chemical shifts obtained by nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy of de-O-acetylated glucuronoxylomannans (GXMs) from Cryptococcus neoformanspermitted the high-resolution determination of the total structure of any GXM. Six structural motifs based on an α-(1→3)-mannotriose substituted with variable quantities of 2-O-β- and 4-O-β-xylopyranosyl and 2-O-β-glucopyranosyluronic acid were identified. The chemical shifts of only the anomeric protons of the mannosyl residues served as structure reporter groups (SRG) for the identification and quantitation of the six triads present in any GXM. The assigned protons for the mannosyl residues resonated at clearly …

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Understanding Comics: The Invisible Art, Alan D. Manning Mar 1998

Understanding Comics: The Invisible Art, Alan D. Manning

Faculty Publications

INSIGHTS about professional communication may come from odd and unexpected places. McCloud's Understanding Comics (hereafter UC) is a case in point. Despite the juvenile connotations evoked by any discussion of comic books, the theory of visual communication presented in UC arguably rivals the best of contemporary semiotics (that is, the study of how we make meaning out of gestures, words, paragraphs, pictures, and so on).

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Spatial Resolution Enhancement Of Ssm/I Data, David G. Long, Douglas L. Daum Mar 1998

Spatial Resolution Enhancement Of Ssm/I Data, David G. Long, Douglas L. Daum

Faculty Publications

One of the limitations in using Special Sensor Microwave/Imager (SSM/I) data for land and vegetation studies is the relatively low-spatial resolution. To ameliorate this limitation, resolution-enhancement algorithms can be applied to the data. In this paper, the Backus-Gilbert inversion (BGI) technique and the scatterometer image-reconstruction (SIR) algorithm are investigated as possible methods for creating enhanced resolution images from SSM/I data. The two algorithms are compared via both the simulation and the actual SSM/I data. The algorithms offer similar resolution enhancement, though SIR requires significantly less computation. Sample results over two land regions of South America are presented.

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Determination Of The Asymmetry Parameter And Scattering Coefficient Of Turbid Media From Spatially Resolved Reflectance Measurments, Matthew R. Jones, Yukio Yamada Mar 1998

Determination Of The Asymmetry Parameter And Scattering Coefficient Of Turbid Media From Spatially Resolved Reflectance Measurments, Matthew R. Jones, Yukio Yamada

Faculty Publications

We present a technique for determining the asymmetry parameter and scattering coefficient of turbid media from spatially resolved reflectance measurements. This technique will contribute to the development of medical applications in which it is necessary to predict the distribution and propagation of light in tissue. Based on Monte Carlo simulations, we derived correlations which relate the reduced scattering coefficient and the asymmetry parameter to the relative reflectance curve. Initial estimates of the optical properties are obtained from these correlations. Final values are obtained by adjusting the optical parameters and repeating the Monte Carlo simulations until the simulated reflectance pattern matches …

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Computer Simulations Of Branched Alkanes: The Effect Of Side Chain And Its Position On Rheological Behavior, Richard L. Rowley, Tapani A. Pakkanen, Maija Lahtela, Mikko Linnolahti Feb 1998

Computer Simulations Of Branched Alkanes: The Effect Of Side Chain And Its Position On Rheological Behavior, Richard L. Rowley, Tapani A. Pakkanen, Maija Lahtela, Mikko Linnolahti

Faculty Publications

Nonequilibrium molecular dynamics simulations have been performed on model fluids representing eicosane isomers in order to investigate the effect of branching and side chain position on fluid rheology. A heterogeneous, united-atom model with 20 Lennard-Jones interaction sites located at carbon centers was used to model the fluids. Vibrations and bond rotations were frozen, but torsional rotation was included. It was found that viscosity increases significantly from the n-alkane structure to a branch on carbon 2, but the movement of the branch along the carbon backbone has a smaller increasing than decreasing effect. The size of the group in a branched …

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Derivation Of An Analytical Model To Calculate Junction Depth In Hgcdte Photodiodes, Stacy H. Gleixner, H. G. Robinson, C. R. Helms Feb 1998

Derivation Of An Analytical Model To Calculate Junction Depth In Hgcdte Photodiodes, Stacy H. Gleixner, H. G. Robinson, C. R. Helms

Faculty Publications

Presents an enhanced analytical model to calculate junction depth and Hg interstitial profile during n-on-p junction formation in HgCdTe photodiodes. Detailed information on the enhanced model; Function of the model; Information on HgCdTe; Detailed information on how the model was obtained.

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On Block-Coded Modulation Using Unequal Error Protection Codes Over Rayleigh-Fading Channels, Robert H. Morelos-Zaragoza, Tadao Kasami, Shu Lin, Hideki Imai Jan 1998

On Block-Coded Modulation Using Unequal Error Protection Codes Over Rayleigh-Fading Channels, Robert H. Morelos-Zaragoza, Tadao Kasami, Shu Lin, Hideki Imai

Faculty Publications

This paper considers block-coded 8-phase-shift-keying (PSK) modulations for the unequal error protection (UEP) of information transmitted over Rayleigh-fading channels. Both conventional linear block codes and linear UEP (LUEP) codes are combined with a naturally labeled 8-PSK signal set, using the multilevel construction of Imai and Hirakawa (1977). Computer simulation results are presented showing that, over Rayleigh-fading channels, it is possible to improve the coding gain for the most significant bits with the use of binary LUEP codes as constituent codes, in comparison with using conventional binary linear codes alone.

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Sr‐ And Ni‐Doped Lacoo3 And Lafeo3 Perovskites: New Cathode Materials For Solid‐Oxide Fuel Cells, Kevin Huang, Hee Y. Lee, John B. Goodenough Jan 1998

Sr‐ And Ni‐Doped Lacoo3 And Lafeo3 Perovskites: New Cathode Materials For Solid‐Oxide Fuel Cells, Kevin Huang, Hee Y. Lee, John B. Goodenough

Faculty Publications

An improved cathode material for a solid‐oxide fuel cell would be a mixed electronic and oxide‐ion conductor with a good catalytic activity for oxygen reduction at an operating temperature T op ≥ 700°C and a thermal expansion matched to that of the electrolyte and interconnect. We report on the properties of Sr‐ and Ni‐doped LaCoO3 and LaFeO3 perovskites that meet these criteria. Single‐phase regions were determined by X‐ray diffraction, and thermogravimetric analysis measurements were used to obtain the temperatures above which oxygen loss, and hence oxide‐ion conductivity, occurs. The conductivity and Seebeck measurements indicate the coexistence of both …

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Proton Diffusion In Nickel Hydroxide: Prediction Of Active Material Utilization, Sathya Motupally, Christopher C. Streinz, John W. Weidner Jan 1998

Proton Diffusion In Nickel Hydroxide: Prediction Of Active Material Utilization, Sathya Motupally, Christopher C. Streinz, John W. Weidner

Faculty Publications

Galvanostatic charge and discharge experiments reveal that the active material in nickel electrodes cannot be fully accessed at high currents or for thick films. It has been proposed that the utilization of the active material is controlled by the diffusion rate of protons through the film. This hypothesis is supported by the good agreement between mathematical simulations of material utilization and experimental data over a range of charge and discharge currents and film thicknesses. Furthermore, the fraction of material utilized is larger on charge than on discharge. The asymmetry on charge and discharge is due to a diffusion coefficient that …

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Chromium Oxides And Lithiated Chromium Oxides. Promising Cathode Materials For Secondary Lithium Batteries, Pankaj Arora, Dong Zhang, Branko N. Popov, Ralph E. White Jan 1998

Chromium Oxides And Lithiated Chromium Oxides. Promising Cathode Materials For Secondary Lithium Batteries, Pankaj Arora, Dong Zhang, Branko N. Popov, Ralph E. White

Faculty Publications

Chromium oxides and lithiated chromium oxides were synthesized by thermal decomposition of chromium trioxide (CrO3) at high temperatures and oxygen pressures. Synthesis temperature and pressure markedly affect the performance of these cathode materials. Higher pressures lead to a higher O/Cr ratio and fewer impurities in the final product. These materials are stable intercalation hosts for lithium, and exhibit a higher capacity than any of the prominent positive electrodes used in secondary lithium batteries. m-CrOx has a capacity of 255 mAh/g, while m-LiCrOx has a capacity of 210 mAh/g, during the first discharge. The average …

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Cognitive Agents, Michael N. Huhns, Munindar P. Singh Jan 1998

Cognitive Agents, Michael N. Huhns, Munindar P. Singh

Faculty Publications

Several researchers have proposed using cognitive concepts as a semantic basis for agent communications (M.N. Huhns and M.P. Singh, 1997). One of the leading candidates for such a semantics is based on Arcol, the communication language used within Artimis. Interestingly, this application (not only of Arcol, but also in general) appears extremely misguided. The intentional concepts are well suited to designing agents, but are not suited to giving a basis to a public, standardizable view of communication. A challenge for using the cognitive concepts is that although they are natural in several respects and can guide implementations, full blown implementations …

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Personal Assistants, Michael N. Huhns, Munindar P. Singh Jan 1998

Personal Assistants, Michael N. Huhns, Munindar P. Singh

Faculty Publications

Already there are simple personal agents to help with some of our shopping. There are agents to track stocks in our portfolios, advise us on how to use particular software products, and arrange meetings within corporate workgroups. However, none of these agents takes more than one aspect of our activities into account, nor do they adapt easily to our preferences. Personal assistants, on the other hand, are agents that can represent individuals on the Web. They help users in their day-to-day activities, especially those involving information retrieval, negotiation, or coordination. A personal assistant might schedule a meeting and then, based …

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Workflow Agents, Michael N. Huhns, Munindar P. Singh Jan 1998

Workflow Agents, Michael N. Huhns, Munindar P. Singh

Faculty Publications

Software agents as user agents, resource agents, and brokers may be able to enhance usefulness of workflow applications. Workflow technology is important to network computing because workflows exist naturally wherever distributed resources are interrelated. The problem with current workflow technology is that it is often too rigid. The lack of freedom accorded to human participants causes workflow management systems to appear unfriendly. As a result, they are often ignored or circumvented. This rigidity also causes productivity losses by making it harder to accommodate the flexible, ad hoc reasoning of human intelligence. Another challenge is that system requirements are rarely static. …

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All Agents Are Not Created Equal, Michael N. Huhns, Munindar P. Singh Jan 1998

All Agents Are Not Created Equal, Michael N. Huhns, Munindar P. Singh

Faculty Publications

As the technology advances, we can expect the development of specialized agents to be used as standardized building blocks for information systems. Two trends lend credence to such a prediction. First, software systems in general are being constructed with larger components, such as ActiveX and JavaBeans, which are becoming closer to being agents themselves. They have more functionality than simple objects, respond to events autonomously, and, most importantly, respond to system builders at development time, as well as to events at runtime. Moreover, there is a move toward more cooperative information systems, in which the architecture itself plays an important …

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Anthropoid Agents, Michael N. Huhns, Munindar P. Singh Jan 1998

Anthropoid Agents, Michael N. Huhns, Munindar P. Singh

Faculty Publications

In the study of agents on the Internet, we often ascribe to them human qualities, such as beliefs and intentions. These qualities are best understood as metaphors that give developers a way to talk about and design the capabilities and applications of agents. Despite all the progress in computing, users have been slow to accept the technology. They have often accepted what was thrown at them, but only under economic duress. Bringing the technology closer to their emotional needs might ease this resistance. So how can we put a human face on computing? Maybe by putting an animated face on …

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Electrochemical Investigations Of Cobalt-Doped Limn2O4 As Cathode Material For Lithium-Ion Batteries, P. Arora, Branko Popov, Ralph E. White Jan 1998

Electrochemical Investigations Of Cobalt-Doped Limn2O4 As Cathode Material For Lithium-Ion Batteries, P. Arora, Branko Popov, Ralph E. White

Faculty Publications

A wide range (y = 0.05–0.33) of Co-doped LiCoyMn2–yO4 spinels were synthesized and electrochemically characterized. These Co-doped spinels showed improved specific capacity and capacity retention over pure spinels. Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy and the linear polarization resistance technique were used to determine the transport and electrochemical kinetic parameters of Co-doped spinels. The presence of Co in the spinel inhibits the passivation process occurring on the surface of the cathode. Also, Co increases the exchange current density and facilitates the charge-transfer reaction of the active material. The lower self-discharge observed for Co-doped spinels was attributed …

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Characterization Of Hydrogen Permeation Through Zinc-Nickel Alloys Under Corroding Conditions: Mathematical Model And Experimental Study, M. Ramasubramanian, Branko N. Popov, Ralph E. White Jan 1998

Characterization Of Hydrogen Permeation Through Zinc-Nickel Alloys Under Corroding Conditions: Mathematical Model And Experimental Study, M. Ramasubramanian, Branko N. Popov, Ralph E. White

Faculty Publications

A mathematical model was developed for the characterization of hydrogen permeation into metals and alloys under corroding conditions. The model requires a knowledge of the corrosion rate of the given metal or alloy in solutions of various H+ concentrations. It provides quantitative values of rate constants of the hydrogen discharge, recombination, and adsorption reactions. This model can serve as a diagnostic criterion for determining the effectiveness of various metals and alloys as hydrogen permeation inhibitors and can be used for evaluation of hydrogen entry inhibition efficiency. Experiments were carried out to study the effectiveness of thin layers of electrodeposited …

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Characterization Of Sol-Gel-Derived Cobalt Oxide Xerogels As Electrochemical Capacitors, Chuan Lin, James A. Ritter, Branko N. Popov Jan 1998

Characterization Of Sol-Gel-Derived Cobalt Oxide Xerogels As Electrochemical Capacitors, Chuan Lin, James A. Ritter, Branko N. Popov

Faculty Publications

Very fine cobalt oxide xerogel powders were prepared using a unique solution chemistry associated with the sol-gel process. The effect of thermal treatment on the surface area, pore volume, crystallinity, particle structure, and corresponding electrochemical properties of the resulting xerogels was investigated and found to have significant effects on all of these properties. The xerogel remained amorphous as Co(OH)2 up to 160°C, and exhibited maxima in both the surface area and pore volume at this temperature. With an increase in the temperature above 200°C, both the surface area and pore volume decreased sharply, because the amorphous Co(OH)2 decomposed …

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Studies On Electroless Cobalt Coatings For Microencapsulation Of Hydrogen Storage Alloys, Bala S. Haran, Branko N. Popov, Ralph E. White Jan 1998

Studies On Electroless Cobalt Coatings For Microencapsulation Of Hydrogen Storage Alloys, Bala S. Haran, Branko N. Popov, Ralph E. White

Faculty Publications

LaNi4.27Sn0.24 alloy was microencapsulated with cobalt by electroless deposition from an alkaline hypophosphite bath. Discharge curves of the encapsulated alloy indicate an additional contribution to the capacity arising from the cobalt on the surface. Studies on cobalt thin films reveal the presence of adsorbed hydrogen in cobalt. The amount of hydrogen adsorbed was observed to increase with time of cathodic polarization and to reach a maximum. Polarization techniques have been used to characterize the cobalt-plated alloy as a function of state of charge. The equilibrium potential of the microencapsulated electrode at low hydrogen concentration is determined by …

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Theoretical Analysis Of Metal Hydride Electrodes: Studies On Equilibrium Potential And Exchange Current Density, Bala S. Haran, Branko N. Popov, Ralph E. White Jan 1998

Theoretical Analysis Of Metal Hydride Electrodes: Studies On Equilibrium Potential And Exchange Current Density, Bala S. Haran, Branko N. Popov, Ralph E. White

Faculty Publications

A theoretical model for the metal hydride electrode has been developed assuming that hydrogen diffusion in the alloy and charge-transfer at the surface control the discharge process. Theoretical equations for the dependence of equilibrium potential and exchange current density on the surface hydrogen concentration have been derived. These parameters have been used to correlate experimental data with the theoretical electrode discharge model. Analysis of both the experimental and theoretical discharge curves reveals a potential plateau determined by the magnitude of the interactions between the hydrogen in the alloy and the unhydrided metal. Neglecting these hydrogen-metal site interactions results in simulations …

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A Nonisothermal Nickel‐Hydrogen Cell Model, Pauline De Vidts, Javier Delgado, B. Wu, D. M. See, K. Kosanovich, Ralph E. White Jan 1998

A Nonisothermal Nickel‐Hydrogen Cell Model, Pauline De Vidts, Javier Delgado, B. Wu, D. M. See, K. Kosanovich, Ralph E. White

Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

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The Role Of Oxygen At The Second Discharge Plateau Of Nickel Hydroxide, Sathya Motupally, Mukul Jain, Venkat Srinivasan, John W. Weidner Jan 1998

The Role Of Oxygen At The Second Discharge Plateau Of Nickel Hydroxide, Sathya Motupally, Mukul Jain, Venkat Srinivasan, John W. Weidner

Faculty Publications

It was shown that the appearance of a secondary discharge plateau approximately 400 mV below the primary plateau can result from the reduction of oxygen. During the galvanostatic discharge of planar nickel-hydroxide films at room temperature and in 3 weight percent KOH solutions, the second discharge plateau was observed only in the presence of dissolved oxygen in the electrolyte. When the solution was deoxygenated, no residual capacity could be extracted from the films even at low discharge rates or from overcharged films. In addition, the duration of the second plateau is inversely proportional to the square of the discharge current, …

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Steady-State Modeling Of A Parallel-Plate Electrochemical Fluorination Reactor, Kamal Jha, Gerald L. Bauer, John W. Weidner Jan 1998

Steady-State Modeling Of A Parallel-Plate Electrochemical Fluorination Reactor, Kamal Jha, Gerald L. Bauer, John W. Weidner

Faculty Publications

A steady-state mathematical model of a parallel-plate reactor was developed for studying the electrochemical fluorination of organic compounds dissolved in anhydrous hydrogen fluoride. The model incorporates two-phase flow with differential material, energy, and pressure balances. Profiles of temperature, pressure, vapor volume fraction, and current density in the reactor are presented at two inlet temperatures to provide insight into the operation of the reactor. The effects of the inlet temperature, feed flow rate, and cell current on the cell pack voltage and current efficiency of the reactor are presented to determine problematic operating regions for the reactor. Optimum operating currents based …

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The Effect Of Particle Size On The Discharge Performance Of A Nickel-Metal Hydride Cell, Jussi M. Heikonen, Harry J. Ploehn, Ralph E. White Jan 1998

The Effect Of Particle Size On The Discharge Performance Of A Nickel-Metal Hydride Cell, Jussi M. Heikonen, Harry J. Ploehn, Ralph E. White

Faculty Publications

We investigate the effect of particle size on the discharge performance of a nickel-metal hydride cell with a mathematical model. Electrodes with uniform as well as with nonuniform particle sizes are studied. With uniform particle size, the dependence of the particle-to-particle resistance on the particle size is taken into account. The optimal particle size depends on the discharge rate. Moreover, we show that under certain conditions it is advantageous to use a nonuniform particle size. In general, the higher the discharge current density, the more the particle size affects the electrode performance.

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Measurement Of Thin Liquid Film Drainage Using A Novel High-Speed Impedance Analyzer, Kevin O. Hool, Robert C. Saunders, Harry J. Ploehn Jan 1998

Measurement Of Thin Liquid Film Drainage Using A Novel High-Speed Impedance Analyzer, Kevin O. Hool, Robert C. Saunders, Harry J. Ploehn

Faculty Publications

This work describes the design and implementation of a new instrument, called the thin film impedance analyzer, which measures the rate of drainage of thin oil films. The instrument forms an oil film by elevating a planar oil–water interface into a water drop hanging from a stainless steel capillary tube immersed in the oil. The instrument measures the magnitude of the impedance of the matter between the capillary tube and a screen electrode immersed in the lower water phase. Under appropriate conditions, the capacitance of the oil film dominates the impedance. The instrument records the increase in the magnitude of …

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