Engineering Commons^™

Simulation Of The Field Electron Emission Characteristics Of A Flat Panel X-Ray Source, Chrystian Mauricio Posada ArbeláEz

Masters Theses

"A distributed flat panel x-ray source is designed as an alternative for medical and industrial imaging fields. The distributed x-ray source corresponds to a two dimensional array of micro (~100μm) x-ray cells similar in format to a field emission display. In this paper the electron field emission characteristics of a single of the proposed micro-sized x-ray cells are simulated. The field electron emission from the CNTs-based cathode is simulated using the Particle-In-Cell code OOPIC Pro. The electron source is simulated as a triode structure, composed of an emitting cathode, extracting grid and anode. The possibility of using focusing lenses to …

Towards On-Line Voltage Stability Assessment Using Synchrophasors, Himanshu Subandhu Hirlekar

Masters Theses

"Voltage instability has become a growing concern in the operation of power systems in recent years. The reason is that power systems all over are being operated with reduced margins because of increased demand exacerbated by a general reluctance to invest in improvement of the electric grid infrastructure. Until recently it was difficult to predict voltage instability in the on-line environment. However, advances in technology has made possible the on-line monitoring and assessment of voltage stability. Synchrophasors is a relatively new technology in the field of power systems which allows system operators to monitor the system conditions at specific measurement …

Uncertainty Quantification Integrated To Computational Fluid Dynamic Modeling Of Synthetic Jet Actuators, Srikanth Adya

Masters Theses

"The Point Collocation Non-Intrusive Polynomial Chaos (NIPC) method was applied to a stochastic synthetic jet actuator problem to demonstrate the integration of computationally efficient uncertainty quantification to the high-fidelity CFD modeling of Synthetic Jet Actuators. The uncertainty quantification approach was first implemented in two stochastic model problem cases for the prediction of peak exit plane velocity using a Fluid Dynamic Based analytical model of the Synthetic Jet Actuator, which is computationally less expensive than CFD simulations. The NIPC results were compared with direct Monte Carlo sampling results. To demonstrate the efficient uncertainty quantification in CFD modeling of synthetic jet actuators, …

Thermomechanics Of Curves In Space, Pavan Krishna Kanchi

Masters Theses

"Several biological molecules are known to form helices and coiled structures, such as DNA, collagen, bacterial flagella, and proteins. The backbones of such molecules may be modeled as a curve in three dimensions. A variational problem for the functional of the total free energy required to perturb moving curves in space is considered. The total energy of a curve in three dimensions is minimized y with a general intensive energy, which is a function of position, and the invariants, curvature and torsion. Three types of moduli are identified: stretching, bending and torsional moduli. As a result, three independent force balances …

Optimal Control Of A Helicopter Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (Uav), David John Nodland

Masters Theses

"This thesis addresses optimal control of a helicopter unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV). Helicopter UAVs may be widely used for both military and civilian operations. Because these helicopters are underactuated nonlinear mechanical systems, high-performance controller design for them presents a challenge. This thesis presents an optimal controller design via both state and output feedback for trajectory tracking of a helicopter UAV using a neural network (NN). The state and output-feedback control system utilizes the backstepping methodology, employing kinematic and dynamic controllers while the output feedback approach uses an observer in addition to these controllers. The online approximator-based dynamic controller learns the …

Phytoforensic Tools: Directional Uptake Of Chlorinated Solvents, Matthew Alan Limmer

Masters Theses

"Trees have been used to locate contaminated soil and groundwater, augmenting traditional methods, such as well drilling, that are time-consuming and expensive. In the past decade, plant sampling has gained acceptance as a reliable method for site screening. In this new field of phytoforensics, research efforts focus on developing quicker, more accurate and more informative sampling and analysis methods for measuring contaminant concentrations in trees. These phytoforensic tools are a novel approach to site assessments, potentially reducing cost while more effectively locating contaminated groundwater. This thesis evolved from field data suggesting azimuthal concentrations in tree trunks may reflect the corresponding …

A Numerical Study Of Novel Drag Reduction Techniques For Blunt Bodies In Hypersonic Flows, Christopher Marley

Masters Theses

"Numerical simulations of a full three-dimensional hemispherical body in hypersonic flow are conducted and innovative techniques involving forward injection of gas from the stagnation point of the sphere are investigated; techniques include annular (ring) and swirled injection both with and without upstream energy deposition. Objectives of the analysis are the assessment of 1) drag reductions achieved on the blunt body (including the detrimental drag effect caused by the forward-facing injection itself) and 2) stability characteristics of the jet. Studies are conducted at free-stream Mach numbers of 10 and 6.5 at standard atmospheric conditions corresponding to 30 km altitude. While centered …

Effects Of A Nickel Reactor Liner And Other Reaction Variables During Supercritical Water Reformation Of Glycerin, Michael S. Stever

Masters Theses

"The non-catalytic reformation of glycerin using supercritical water was conducted in a 400-mL tubular reactor constructed of Haynesʼ Alloy 230. The evaluated parameters for this thesis include water-to-glycerin molar ratios ranging from 3 to 24 and reactor temperatures ranging from 500⁰C to 700⁰C. In addition, experiments were performed using the Haynes' Alloy 230 reactor both without a liner and with a Nickel 201 liner. Space time was maintained at approximately 100 seconds and the reactor pressure was kept constant at 24.1 MPa. The resultant effect on product gas composition and carbon gasification was determined. The product gases consisted of a …

Characterization Of Shielding Effectiveness For Metallic Enclosures, Nicholas Bennett Mentesana

Masters Theses

"This topic discusses and verifies an equation for estimating the shielding effectiveness of metallic enclosures through the use of numerical simulations. Using ideas from Bethe's "Theory of Diffraction by Small Holes", a previous student from the Missouri S&T Electromagnetic Compatibility Laboratory developed an equation that would yield an envelope prediction for the worst-case EMI from an aperture array backed by an over-moded cavity. Min Li (PhDEE '99) used results from measurements, simulations, and physics-based equations to formulate a simple equation that would predict these EMI levels. The main purpose of this thesis is to revisit this work and determine when …

Mutual Attraction Guided Search: A Novel Solution Method To The Traveling Salesman Problem With Vehicle Dynamics, Jared Adam Nisbett

Masters Theses

"Traveling Salesman Problem (TSP) solution techniques are often used for route planning for automated vehicles. Most TSP solution methods focus on path length as the fitness reference, however in many cases, traversal time is of more practical importance. Mutual Attraction Guided Search (MAGS) is a novel solution method that uses an iterative process to simultaneously optimize both angle of travel through each target as well as the ordering of the targets in order to optimize path traversal time. MAGS deterministically locates a locally optimum solution quickly and can optimize for the acceleration limits of a specific vehicle rather than requiring …

Computational Investigation Of Plasma Actuator As An Active Flow Control Strategy Of Laminar Separation Bubbles, Justin Roger Aholt

Masters Theses

"A parametric computational study designed to examine the plausibility of an external body force generated by active means, such as a plasma actuator, as a means of controlling a Laminar Separation Bubble (LSB) over an airfoil at low Reynolds numbers was conducted. Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) was employed to characterize the effect that a body force, localized to a small region tangent to the airfoil surface, might have on an LSB. In this study, the effects of altering the strength and location of the "actuator" on the size and location of the LSB and on the aerodynamic performance of the …

Managing A Solar Sensor Array Project: Analyzing Insolation & Motivation, Beth A. Yount

Masters Theses

"The renewable power industry is rapidly growing today and is in need of much data to augment the advancement of the field. Photovoltaic technology, while making substantial improvement over the last 60 years, still has some significant hurdles to overcome. When shading, dust, or damaged cells reduce the power output of one panel, the traditional series-parallel configurations make it so every panel in series with that lower current panel, will also have its current lowered; this lowers the overall power output of the array significantly. Advancements in configurations and converters could change this phenomenon and dramatically increase a solar array's …

Upgrade And Simulation Of The Subcritical Assembly At Missouri University Of Science And Technology, Lucas Powelson Tucker

Masters Theses

"The Missouri University of Science and Technology Subcritical Assembly (S&TSub) was brought back into service and upgraded with a new neutron detection system and internet access. Before the upgrade neutron counting was only possible in one location. Using a movable detection system housed in acrylic tubes measurements can now be taken in any empty fuel location and at any height within the tube, making three dimensional flux mapping a possibility. By connecting the new detection system to a Canberra Lynx Digital Signal Analyzer, remote users can have limited data collecting capabilities. To further enhance the potential of the facility, an …

Numerical Comparison Of Thermal And Kinetic Modification Of Hydrogen And Oxygen, John Benjamin Gaither

Masters Theses

"This document describes a new modeling technique used to compare thermal and kinetic modification of hydrogen and oxygen gas. The thermal model uses an equilibrium thermodynamic analysis to determine the heat required for given mole fractions of molecular and dissociated products. A kinetic model is developed for a mono-energetic electron beam and a Maxwellian energy distribution. The kinetic model uses electron impact cross sections for excitation, dissociation, and ionization tabulated from available source data between 0-1000 eV. Cross sections are used to calculate forward reaction rates, electron penetration depths, and associated product concentrations for excited, dissociated, and ionized species. The …

3-Dimensional Computational Fluid Dynamics Modeling Of Solid Oxide Fuel Cell Using Different Fuels, Sachin Laxman Puthran

Masters Theses

"Solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) technology has been of great interest over many years due to its flexibility in using different fuels for operation; including the fundamental fuel i.e. Hydrogen. Various computational and numerical models have been developed along with experimental work to evaluate the performance as well as to identify and overcome the problems faced in the development of SOFC's. In an attempt to achieve efficient operation with respect to design and combined thermal and electrochemical perspective, the main objective of the proposed study is to present a three-dimensional computational model, which will serve as a framework for the …

Analysis And Modeling Of Depth-Of-Cut During End Milling Of Deposited Material, Haythem Gaja

Masters Theses

"This study addresses depth-of-cut detection and tool-workpiece engagement using an acoustic emission monitoring system during milling machining for a deposited material. Online detection of depth-of-cut presents many technical difficulties. Researchers have used various types of sensors and methods to assess the depth-of-cut and surface errors. Due to the strong correlation between acoustic emission and cutting depth during the depth end milling process, it is useful to forecast the depth-of-cut from the acoustic emission signal. This work used regression analysis to model and detect the depth-of-cut. The experiments were carried out on a Fadal vertical 5-Axis computer numerical control machine using …

Quantifying Model Uncertainty Using Measurement Uncertainty Standards, Harsheel Rajesh Shah

Masters Theses

"Model uncertainty quantification is mainly concerned with the problem of determining whether the observed data is consistent with the model prediction. In real world, there is always a disagreement between a simulation model prediction and the reality that the model intends to represent. Our increased dependence on computer models emphasizes on model uncertainty which is present due to uncertainties in model parameters, lack of appropriate knowledge, assumptions and simplification of processes. In addition, when models predict multi-variate data, the experimental observation and model predictions are highly correlated. Thus, quantifying the uncertainty has a basic requirement of comparison between observation and …

Solar Powered Residential Hydrogen Fueling Station, Aanchal Shah

Masters Theses

"Interest towards the hydrogen fuel technology is increasing but its potential benefits will not be felt until hydrogen vehicles and the fueling infrastructure captures a substantial market share. Though there has been a rapid progress in the hydrogen fuel cell technology, a major challenge to the commercialization of fuel cell vehicles is the lack of hydrogen fueling infrastructure. The development of a commercial hydrogen fueling station is a challenge due to its high initial cost and safety concerns. Residential fueling stations provide an innovative solution to this issue since they also produce electricity and heat for the residential buildings in …

Simultaneous Measurement Of Temperature And Strain By Three-Section Phase-Shift Long Period Fiber Grating, Hongbiao Duan

Masters Theses

"Long period fiber gratings (LPFGs) have found many applications as sensors to measure strain, temperature, refractive index and other physical parameters. In various sensing applications, the cross-sensitivity between two parameters, especially the temperature cross-sensitivity, has been a major difficulty to achieve high accuracy measurement. One of the solutions is to develop LPFG sensors for simultaneous, multi-parameter measurements.

In this thesis, three-section phase-shift (PS) LPFGs were fabricated and investigated for simultaneous measurement of temperature and strain. Compared with a two-section PS-LPFG, a three-section PS-LPFG has two deeper resonance sub bands and a larger separation between the two bands. The strain, temperature …

Rapid Simulation Of The Statistical Variation Of Crosstalk In Cable Harness Bundles, Xiang Li

Masters Theses

"Accurate assessment of crosstalk problems in cable harnesses requires simulation methods that account for the statistical variation of harness parameters. Methods are proposed to determine the influence of the statistical variation in wire positions, the rate that wires change position (i.e. "twist"), harness height, harness density (i.e. how closely wires are packed) and circuit loads. Methods use a combination of simulation and probability theory. Simulations use the T-parameter method, a rapid simulation technique for harness bundles. Simulation time is further improved by using the mean and variance of crosstalk estimated for fixed harness parameter values to estimate the mean and …

Thermo-Physical Properties Measurement And Steel - Ceramic Shell Interactions In Investment Casting, Chirag Mahimkar

Masters Theses

"Investment casting is a process in which a ceramic shell is prepared on a wax or foam pattern. The wax is melted out or the foam is burnt out and the shell is sintered to have sufficient strength to withstand casting conditions. The investment casting process is very important as it produces near net shape castings which reduce the need for subsequent operations of castings like machining etc. Investment casting shells are subjected to a number of heating cycles during pattern removal, firing, preheating before pouring and finally during solidification. The thermo-physical properties of the shell play an important role …

Visual Inspection And Ground Penetrating Radar Investigation Of The Historical Pulaski County Poor Farm Cemetery, Ibrahim E. Ahmed

Masters Theses

"This thesis is a comprehensive summary of the geotechnical investigation of the Historical Pulaski County Poor Farm Cemetery, southeast Waynesville, Missouri. This research demonstrates that unmarked graves in an abandoned historical cemetery can be located using visual site inspection and ground penetrating radar techniques.

During the course of these investigations, multiple visual site inspections of Pulaski County Poor Farm Cemetery were conducted and ground penetrating radar data were acquired. Based on the visual site inspections and the interpretation of ground penetrating radar data, a total of one-hundred and fifty-one (151) graves were identified; eighty-seven (87) of the graves were mapped …

Contrast Enhancement Of Digital Mammography Based On Multi-Scale Analysis, Muhammad Imran Khan Abir

Masters Theses

"A contrast enhancement algorithm is developed for digital mammograms aiming to assist radiologists in discerning early breast cancer easily. The algorithm is based on a Laplacian pyramid framework image processing technique. The mammogram is decomposed into three frequency sub-bands, low, mid, and high frequency sub-band images. The lower sub-band image contains very fine details and higher level contains coarser features. In this method contrast enhancement is achieved from high and mid sub-bands by decomposing the image based on multi-scale Laplacian pyramid and enhance contrast by image processing. Several mapping functions are applied on sub-band images based on experimental analysis. After …

Heat Transfer Augmentation In Rectangular Ducts Due To Passive Flow Destabilization, James Jackson Tinsley

Masters Theses

"The following thesis documents the comparison of surface enhancements in rectangular ducts for heat transfer enhancement of the air-side of off-road heat exchangers. Two sets of experiments were completed, one utilizing air as the working fluid, and the other utilizing water. Five air geometries and four water geometries were studied, including those with crosswise bumps, longitudinal vortex generators, and a unique rifling geometry. A smooth test section was also tested in the water experiments to verify the experimental setup. Such verification had been performed previously for the air experiments by Rucker [2007]. The experiment involved an applied constant heat flux …

Numerical Simulation Of Relative Permeability Modifier Effect On Oil And Water Production, Murad Mohammedahmed Abdulfarraj

Masters Theses

"Excess water production is one of the most prevalent operational problems that oil companies are facing. Polymers and polymer gels have been used widely to control excess water production for mature oilfields. It is well known that polymers/gels can reduce the permeability to water (Krw) much more than that to oil (Kro). This phenomenon is called disproportionate permeability reduction (DPR) and the polymers or gels that exhibit this behavior are called relative permeability modifier (RPM). When RPMs are placed in reservoir, reduced permeability to water can lead to decreased water production, and sometimes increased hydrocarbon production, therefore prolonging the useful …

A Rapid-Acquisition Electrical Time-Domain Reflectometer For Analysis Of Time-Variant Impedance Discontinuities, Joseph Andrew Bishop

Masters Theses

"A distributed crack sensor has been developed for the measurement of cracks in concrete structures. The sensor is measured using a distributed measurement technique known as electrical time-domain reflectometry (ETDR). ETDR has traditionally been used to measure time-invariant (i.e. unchanging with time) impedance discontinuities, however applications of the sensor in structural failure analysis require measurement of time-variant (i.e. changing with time) impedance discontinuities at rates as high as 10 k measurements per second. ETDR is a suitable measurement technique for these applications since a time-domain reflectometer (TDR) acquisition can be performed in less than 100 µs. Employment of ETDR in …

Impact Of Channel Statistics And Correlation On Underwater Acoustic Communication Systems, Jesse Scott Cross

Masters Theses

"Several statistical properties of underwater acoustic channels gathered from experiment data are analyzed. The baseband channel impulse response (CIR) is estimated using a time domain least squares technique with a sliding window applied to the probing sequences. From the CIR estimation, the probability distribution functions (PDFs) of the magnitude, real part, imaginary part, and phase of the CIR are calculated. Gamma, Rayleigh, and compound k distributions are fitted to the magnitude PDF and the fitness of the distributions are calculated with a two-sample Kolmogorov-Smirnov test. Other statistics such as the autocorrelation function, coherence time, and scattering function are evaluated. The …

Calcium Wire Ladle Treatment To Improve Cleanliness Of Centrifugal Cast Steel, Edith Yolanda Martinez Silva

Masters Theses

"Centrifugal casting provides the opportunity of combining large centrifugal forces and directional solidification to reduce non-metallic inclusions in the cast steel product. Calcium treatment in the ladle has the potential of reducing and modifying non-metallic inclusions to achieve better machinability and mechanical properties. The objective of this research is to analyze the combined effects of calcium wire ladle treatment and centrifugal casting on the number, size, composition and morphology of non-metallic inclusions in centrifugally cast steel products.

All experiments were completed at an industrial foundry. The experiments involved feeding calcium wire into the ladle after argon oxygen decarburization (AOD) and …

Using Conditional Probability To Predict Solar-Powered Pump-And-Treat Performance, Erica RenéE Collins

Masters Theses

"Green and sustainable remediation can be further environmentally friendly by using renewable energy systems in place of utility-provided power. This project includes the installation of a single-axis tracking photovoltaic (PV) array at a former dry cleaning site that is undergoing remediation under the Missouri Department of Natural Resources (MODNR) Dry cleaning Environmental Response Trust (DERT) Fund program. The PV array provided power to a positive displacement piston pump that extracted ground water from a 15 m deep monitoring well. The tetrachloroethene (PCE)-contaminated ground water was treated using granular activated carbon (GAC) units prior to discharge to the local publicly owned …

Influence Of Particle Size And Specimen Preparation On The Iowa Pore Index, Christopher Paul Davis

Masters Theses

"This study was performed in order to identify a size correction that would allow aggregate of different sizes, other than the standard 1/2-3/4-inch fraction, to be used in the Iowa Pore Index (IPI) test. This size correction would allow for the IPI to be determined for aggregate gradations of material that have a nominal maximum size (NMS) smaller than 3/4-inch. The interest in a size correction for the IPI developed from its use in a Durability Factor (DF) estimation equation. The estimation equation was developed with the use of 19 different DF from Missouri aggregate sources, where eight aggregates had …