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Journal of Undergraduate Research at Minnesota State University, Mankato

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Full-Text Articles in Engineering

Design And Validation Of A Low Cost High Speed Atomic Force Microscope, Michael Ganzer, Tien Pham Sep 2017

Design And Validation Of A Low Cost High Speed Atomic Force Microscope, Michael Ganzer, Tien Pham

Journal of Undergraduate Research at Minnesota State University, Mankato

The Atomic Force Microscope (AFM) is an important instrument in nanoscale topography, but it is expensive and slow. The authors designed an AFM to overcome both limitations. To do this, they used an Optical Pickup Unit (OPU) from a DVD player as the laser and photodetector system to minimize cost and they did not implement a vertical control loop, which maximized potential speed. Students will be able to be use this device to make nanoscale measurements and engage in micro-engineering. To prototype this idea, the authors tested an OPU with a silicon wafer and demonstrated the ability to consistently distinguish …


Improving Speech Recognition For Interviews With Both Clean And Telephone Speech, Sung Woo Choi Sep 2017

Improving Speech Recognition For Interviews With Both Clean And Telephone Speech, Sung Woo Choi

Journal of Undergraduate Research at Minnesota State University, Mankato

High quality automatic speech recognition (ASR) depends on the context of the speech. Cleanly recorded speech has better results than speech recorded over telephone lines. In telephone speech, the signal is band-pass filtered which limits frequencies available for computation. Consequently, the transmitted speech signal may be distorted by noise, causing higher word error rates (WER). The main goal of this research project is to examine approaches to improve recognition of telephone speech while maintaining or improving results for clean speech in mixed telephone-clean speech recordings, by reducing mismatches between the test data and the available models. The test data includes …


Msu Xtreme: Minnesota State University, Mankato's Entry Into The "Clean Snowmobile Challenge 2001", Scott Betcher, Allen Caldwell, Nathan Lindeman, Brian Mandelkow, Dave Maniak, Randy Rohlf, James Skuya, Dennis Swanson, Aaron Wolff, Mark Brandl, Dan Dobesh, Ryan Erickson, Jeff Gillen, Jan Smith, Jason Wilkie Aug 2014

Msu Xtreme: Minnesota State University, Mankato's Entry Into The "Clean Snowmobile Challenge 2001", Scott Betcher, Allen Caldwell, Nathan Lindeman, Brian Mandelkow, Dave Maniak, Randy Rohlf, James Skuya, Dennis Swanson, Aaron Wolff, Mark Brandl, Dan Dobesh, Ryan Erickson, Jeff Gillen, Jan Smith, Jason Wilkie

Journal of Undergraduate Research at Minnesota State University, Mankato

Minnesota State University, Mankato’s Automotive Engineering Technology program formed a team to enter the Clean Snowmobile Challenge 2001. Selections for the organization’s machine included a 2001 Polaris Edge Chassis specially outfitted with a 2000 500 cc two-stroke Polaris engine. Modifications to the snowmobile were made specifically for Clean Snowmobile Challenge 2001 events. Acceleration, emissions, cold start, noise, fuel economy/range, handling/drivability, hill climb, and static display made up the list of events featured in the competition. MSU Xtreme has modified the snowmobile in every area with special emphasis on emissions and handling. Testing and analysis of the sled’s systems brought the …


Formula-Sae Wireless Data Logger, Eric Holland Aug 2014

Formula-Sae Wireless Data Logger, Eric Holland

Journal of Undergraduate Research at Minnesota State University, Mankato

The Formula-SAE (Society of Automotive Engineers) race car requires an onboard data logger to obtain and record the performance information received from the Fuel Injection Controller. This data is needed for analyzing the engine performance of the race car. It is advantageous to have this unit transmit the data via a wireless link to a handheld monitoring tool. Having user interface, like a LCD screen and a keypad, would make the monitoring tool easy to use. Also making the monitoring tool communicate with a PC would offer the beneficial features of saving and printing data. By having the PC connectivity, …


Health Risks Caused By Wireless Technologies, Durreeshahwar Zafarahmed, Qurrat-Ul-Ain Zafarahmed Aug 2014

Health Risks Caused By Wireless Technologies, Durreeshahwar Zafarahmed, Qurrat-Ul-Ain Zafarahmed

Journal of Undergraduate Research at Minnesota State University, Mankato

There are many health issues related to the use of cellular phones, wireless local area networks, and other devices that emit electromagnetic radiation (EMR). Some of these systems have become a part of our daily lives and many of us are in direct or indirect contact for extended period of times with these devices. However, the general public is unaware of the health risks associated with the use of these devices. Our research covers studies done by individuals as well as organizations on the harmful effects on the health of people from these devices and their claims. We also present …


Rad Car: Restructuring Of The Chassis And Body, Chris Hadfield, Dale Larue Aug 2014

Rad Car: Restructuring Of The Chassis And Body, Chris Hadfield, Dale Larue

Journal of Undergraduate Research at Minnesota State University, Mankato

This paper covers the project of designing and constructing the RAD Car chassis as part of the requirement for a senior design class. This paper discusses methods of redesigning and constructing a new mold section, complete chassis, and jig fixtures. Also discussed are the steps that were taken to accomplish such a project which included the feasibility of different designs, the choices for these designs, and the costs associated with manufacturing and production.


Comparison Of Optimization Techniques In Large Scale Transportation Problems, Tapojit Kumar Aug 2014

Comparison Of Optimization Techniques In Large Scale Transportation Problems, Tapojit Kumar

Journal of Undergraduate Research at Minnesota State University, Mankato

The Transportation Problem is a classic Operations Research problem where the objective is to determine the schedule for transporting goods from source to destination in a way that minimizes the shipping cost while satisfying supply and demand constraints. Although it can be solved as a Linear Programming problem, other methods exist. Linear Programming makes use of the Simplex Method, an algorithm invented to solve a linear program by progressing from one extreme point of the feasible polyhedron to an adjacent one. The algorithm contains tactics like pricing and pivoting. For a Transportation Problem, a simplified version of the regular Simplex …


An Economic Analysis Of Small-Scale Biodiesel Production: Implementation Of Ethyl Ester Production In A Job Shop Setting, Scott Haase, Benjamin Craig Aug 2014

An Economic Analysis Of Small-Scale Biodiesel Production: Implementation Of Ethyl Ester Production In A Job Shop Setting, Scott Haase, Benjamin Craig

Journal of Undergraduate Research at Minnesota State University, Mankato

Biodiesel is becoming a demanded consumer automotive alternative fuel used in diesel vehicles today. An emerging trend is toward small-scale biodiesel production performed by the final consumer. A limited source of commercially available production systems exists and has resulted in many systems being designed and built by the user. Preliminary research conducted by the authors has shown biodiesel to be the least-cost alternative to petroleum diesel after as few as 8 months of system use. This study examines the economic viability of building and producing biodiesel using a small-scale production system versus buying consumer petroleum diesel. During production, measurements were …


Designing An Articulation-Agreement Database For The College Of Science And Engineering And Technology Advising Center, Stephanie Fasen, Susan Hendley, Tim Pham, Danish Zaman Aug 2014

Designing An Articulation-Agreement Database For The College Of Science And Engineering And Technology Advising Center, Stephanie Fasen, Susan Hendley, Tim Pham, Danish Zaman

Journal of Undergraduate Research at Minnesota State University, Mankato

During their academic careers, some college students transfer to different universities. To allow students to transfer seamlessly to other colleges, advisors at Minnesota universities create articulation agreements that list the classes that transfer between two universities. To use these documents, students and advisors must search through binders to find the correct articulation agreement and then manually review it. This is a time-consuming process for both students and advisors. To make this information more accessible, we created a web-based database that instantly produces a list of equivalent classes for majors offered at Minnesota St ate University, Mankato (MSU) and other Minnesota …


Effects Of Thermal Boundary Conditions During Finite Element Modeling Of Physical Vapor Transport, Wade Luhman Aug 2014

Effects Of Thermal Boundary Conditions During Finite Element Modeling Of Physical Vapor Transport, Wade Luhman

Journal of Undergraduate Research at Minnesota State University, Mankato

Physical vapor transport (PVT) is a material processing method commonly used to produce different types of semiconductor materials. Computer modeling of PVT is important to understand the fundamentals of the processing method. Due to the large amount of computer processing power and storage needed to solve the computer models many of the previously solved simulations have been simplified to efficiently utilize computer usage. Previous PVT computer simulations of mercurous chloride (Hg2Cl2) have assumed constant temperature profiles on the source and crystal substrate for simplicity. These simulations were performed using the FIDAP computational fluid dynamics software package. In this research the …


Fluid Properties In The Formation Of High-Grade Iron Ore In Northern Minnesota, Elizabeth Drommerhausen Aug 2014

Fluid Properties In The Formation Of High-Grade Iron Ore In Northern Minnesota, Elizabeth Drommerhausen

Journal of Undergraduate Research at Minnesota State University, Mankato

The Mesabi Iron Range in Northern Minnesota has been a major producer of iron ore for over 100 years. Production has been from the 1.85 – billion-year –old Biwabik Iron Formation, an iron-rich sedimentary rock that is tilted gently to the south. Most of the known high-grade ore lies near the surface and has been already mined. Determining whether more high-grade ore may lie at depth could have significant economic impact on the mining industry in northern Minnesota. To evaluate the likelihood of finding more high-grade iron ore deeper underground, it is important to determine the source of the fluids …


Instrumentation To Monitor Bridge Foundation On The Crosstown Project, Brian Welch Aug 2014

Instrumentation To Monitor Bridge Foundation On The Crosstown Project, Brian Welch

Journal of Undergraduate Research at Minnesota State University, Mankato

The Crosstown Bridge Monitoring Project is located at the intersection of Highway 62 and Interstate I35W a few miles south and west of downtown Minneapolis. The bridge being evaluated is at a railroad overpass located midway along the Crosstown expansion. This research project involved placing instrumentation on the bridge foundation in order to measure the change in the foundation loading during the course of the construction project. For several years there have been questions pertaining to the forces in the pile foundations that support highway embankments. This project placed strain gages on the pile foundations in order to monitor these …


Three Dimensional Transient Asymmetric Flowfields In Physical Vapor Transport, Joseph Dobmeier Aug 2014

Three Dimensional Transient Asymmetric Flowfields In Physical Vapor Transport, Joseph Dobmeier

Journal of Undergraduate Research at Minnesota State University, Mankato

Physical Vapor Transport is a manufacturing process used to produce single crystals of semiconductor materials such as mercurous chloride (Hg2Cl2). In the past this time-varying process has been studied with numerical simulation by considering three dimensional flow using an axi-symmetric two dimensional model or by restricting the simulation to asymmetric two dimensional flow and dropping the assumption of axi-symmetry from the model. It is generally agreed that neither of these methods accurately represent the true behavior of the process. The purpose of this research was to extend the asymmetric two dimensional model to three dimensions thereby obtaining a solution which …


Verification Of Costless Merge Pairing Heaps, Joshua Vander Hook Aug 2014

Verification Of Costless Merge Pairing Heaps, Joshua Vander Hook

Journal of Undergraduate Research at Minnesota State University, Mankato

Most algorithms’ performance is limited by the data structures they use. Internal algorithms then decide the performance of the data structure. This cycle continues until fundamental results, verified by analysis and experiment, prevent further improvement. In this paper I examine one specific example of this. The focus of this work is primarily on a new variant of the pairing heap. I will review the new implementation, compare its theoretical performance, and discuss my original contribution: the first preliminary data on its experimental performance. It is instructive to provide some background information, followed by a formal definition of heaps in 1.1. …


Improvements To Uhmwpe, Brooke Mckelvogue Aug 2014

Improvements To Uhmwpe, Brooke Mckelvogue

Journal of Undergraduate Research at Minnesota State University, Mankato

Ultra high molecular weight polyethylene (UHMWPE) is a material used in artificial implants for articular joint replacements. However, these implants have a limited lifespan in which the patient will be pain-free due to the wear of the UHMWPE components. Recently crosslinking, or exposing the material to radiation, has been used to extend the wear resistance of UHMWPE. Crosslinking introduces another set of drawbacks; mainly the reduction of the fracture toughness of UHMWPE and the generation of free radicals, which leave the polymer vulnerable to damage from oxidation. Currently, research is being conducted on other methods to increase the wear resistance …


Work In Progress - Peer Directed Learning In A Project Based Model, Andrew Mcnally Aug 2014

Work In Progress - Peer Directed Learning In A Project Based Model, Andrew Mcnally

Journal of Undergraduate Research at Minnesota State University, Mankato

Iron Range Engineering is a new, unique, undergraduate program using problem-based learning. One guiding principle is student responsibility for learning. In order to facilitate learning, faculty and students alike have come up with several learning methods. Learning modes may include self-directed learning, peer-directed learning, one-on-one faculty directed learning, or industry mentored learning. Peer directed learning often manifests in the form of learning groups (a group of students learning similar competencies), led by either a faculty member or a student who has previously excelled in that competency and has taken an interest in pursuing advanced credit. Recently, Iron Range Engineering has …


Computational Model Of A Left Ventricle: Showing The Effects Of Inertia On Cardiac Dyssynchrony, Andrew Mcnally, Matthew Korpela, Erin Lamke, Matthew Hudson Aug 2014

Computational Model Of A Left Ventricle: Showing The Effects Of Inertia On Cardiac Dyssynchrony, Andrew Mcnally, Matthew Korpela, Erin Lamke, Matthew Hudson

Journal of Undergraduate Research at Minnesota State University, Mankato

In an effort to research heart failure, a leading cause of death in the industrialized world, this research team has developed a segmented lumped parameter model of the left ventricle. The computations model developed focuses on dyssynchrony, a heart condition where some regions of the heart vary significantly in properties like internal muscle resistance, mass, or elastance. Inertial effects are often assumed as negligible by cardiovascular models. One primary function of this model is to investigate inertial effects as they relate to mechanical cardiac dyssynchrony. An added dimension of this analysis is to observe the thermodynamics of the cardiac cycle …


Optimization Of Reactive Ion Etching (Rie) Parameters For Selective Removal Of Mosfet Gate Dielectric And Evaluation Of Its Physical And Electrical Properties, Hojoon Lee, Samuel Wood Aug 2014

Optimization Of Reactive Ion Etching (Rie) Parameters For Selective Removal Of Mosfet Gate Dielectric And Evaluation Of Its Physical And Electrical Properties, Hojoon Lee, Samuel Wood

Journal of Undergraduate Research at Minnesota State University, Mankato

The integrated circuit (IC) is dominated by technology using Complementary Metal-oxide-Semiconductor Field-effect Transistor (CMOSFET). In order to put over 300 million transistors on silicon chip requires selective removal of material by Reactive Ion Etching (RIE) which ensures vertical cut thereby increasing packing density of devices on the chip. The gate insulator of CMOS devices plays a crucial role in its electrical performance. In this research gate insulator of MOSFET has been etched by state-of-art technique RIE and its physical and electrical properties have been measured. The gate insulator etching by RIE give rise to charge accumulation on the gate dielectric …