Engineering Commons^™

Site Characterization And Remedial Engineering Options At An Uncontrolled Hazardous Waste Site : Fulbright Landfill, City Of Springfield, Mo., Kathleen Carey Duckett

Masters Theses

"Fulbright Landfill is located approximately 3 miles north of the City of Springfield, Missouri along State Highway 13. Hazardous substances, including acids and cyanides, were disposed of regularly in the landfill for a period of about 7 years, from 1962 to 1969. Because of its disposal history, Fulbright Landfill was placed on the Interim National Priorities List in October of 1981. A full-scale remedial investigation and feasibility study is presently being conducted by SCS Engineers (Reston, VA).

The purpose of this thesis is to assess the nature and extent of the threat to the public or the environment based on …

A New Automated Pulse Testing Analysis Method Applying Inflection Point Theory, Jose Maria Donoso

Masters Theses

"This paper describes a new technique for pulse test analysis that combines the simplicity of the tangent method with the result repeatability of the iterative methods. Inflection points are used instead of time lag with the added advantage that they are calculated by a simple algorithm and are not subject to graphical misinterpretation. Charts are made for the calculation of transmissibility and storage for unequal pulse and shut-in periods from 0.1 to 0.9 relating inflection time to pulse response amplitude and dimensionless inflection time.

The graphs presented for this technique have the same dimensionless cycle period ranges (from 0.44 to …

A New Basin Characteristic For Use In Estimating Impervious Area And Flood Discharges In Urban Missouri Basins, Rodney E. Southard

Masters Theses

"A previous regression analysis of flood peaks on urban basins in St. Louis County, Missouri, indicated that the percentage of impervious area and drainage area were the only basin characteristics of statistical significance in estimating the 2-, 5-, 10-, 25-, 50-, and 100-year peak-flow discharges at ungaged urban basins. In this statewide regression analysis of urban basins, a new basin characteristic called the percentage of developed area was computed and used in a simple regression analysis. The regression analysis included percentage of developed area as the independent variable and impervious area as the dependent variable, resulting in a simplified procedure …

Microencapsulation As An Alternative To Emulsification For Preparing As A For Use In Papermaking, William J. Corriveau

Masters Theses

The sizing chemical ASA is emulsified to make i t compatible with the papermaking process. Unfortunately, emulsified ASA is chemically reactive with water at the elevated temperatures found in papermaking systems. As an alternative, encapsulated ASA was made and investigated for its stability towards water at elevated temperatures.

A handsheet procedure was developed to analyze emulsified and encapsulated ASA. It was concluded that the procedure gave statistically reproducible results. Investigations with the procedure revealed important variables concerning the laboratory and m ill application of ASA. Evidence indicated that retention of ASA was critical to sizing development.

Encapsulated ASA made for …

Shear Induced Anisotropy In The Rheology Of Solids Dispersions, Nicholas G. Triantafillopoulos

Masters Theses

Under strong hydrodynamic forces, solids dispersions could no longer be considered isotropic fluid s but rather two-phase systems. The continuous (dispersing) phase was only sheared in side an effective gap determined in a Couette flow device by the presence of solid (dispersed) phase in to suspension. Three parameters, the effective gap, percent gap reduction and the relative shear volume, were incorporated to account for the influence of solids in the rheology of their suspension.

The objectives of this study were: (1) to investigate the role of solids volumetric concentration, particle size, nominal gap and continuous phase viscosity on Hercules Hi-Shear …

An Application Of A Heuristic Search Algorithm In Biomedical Images On The Magiscan Ii Image Analysis System, Patricia S. Humes

Masters Theses

The goal of this project was to successfully apply a heuristic search algorithm in the image analysis environment of the Magiscan II Image Analysis System. The purpose of this particular application was to enable the specific segmentation of a white blood cell image by outlining the boundary of the cell nucleus, a process not currently possible with the existing system software.

The method used involved tracing boundaries by choosing points based on a calculated cost factor. The cost factor has several input parameters that will enable it to be applied in a wide variety of applications. Several different cells' nuclei …

A Study Of Shadow Contrast For A Grating, Steve Eugene Watkins

Masters Theses

"A theoretical and experimental investigation of the causes of the reduction of the contrast in the shadow of a grating has been made. The variation of the shadow contrast is shown to be different for the two causes--diffraction and divergence. The conditions which determine the dominant effect are presented. Also, the contrast pattern due to diffraction is shown to have a squared scaling law while the divergence pattern is shown to scale linearly. This understanding of the shadow contrast increases the versatility and usefulness of the shadow moire technique, an optical method for determining the topography of surfaces"--Abstract, page ii.

Evaluation Of A Near-Surface Low-Level Radioactive Waste Disposal Facility For The State Of Missouri, Christine Lang Nelson

Masters Theses

"A low-level radioactive waste disposal facility for the state of Missouri Is designed. The proposed facility Is to be placed in a mined opening within a Precambrian granite outcrop in southeastern Missouri.

A safety assessment of the proposed facility was performed. The method used was fault tree analysis.

The threat of seismic activity within the region ls seen to be the main determent to the proposed design. Groundwater modelling was not possible due to a lack of data.

The facility design Includes a provision for the retrieval of the low-level waste once the waste has decayed to acceptable levels"-- Abstract, …

Automated Evaluation Of Reservoir Parameters Applying Pressure Transient Theory, Steven Robert Homoky

Masters Theses

"This study presents an investigation to automatically evaluate reservoir parameters using pressure transient theory. Methods will be introduced to numerically fit the well test data in the real (time) domain (specifically the pressure change as a function of test time). The numerical fit and known fluid, rock and well properties will be used to evaluate the dimensionless storage coefficient. The theoretical dimensionless pressure (being a function of skin factor, permeability, and dimensionless storage coefficient) is obtained by Laplace Inversion. The ability to evaluate the dimensionless storage coefficient thus reduces the parameters of the pressure equation by one. Varying the skin …

The Effect Of Electrodes On The Thermally Stimulated Currents In Sodium Silicate Glass, Ruth Mogrovejo Cuzmar

Masters Theses

“Electrodes play an important role in the study of alkali ion motion in glasses when TSPC/TSDC techniques are used. Silver, gold and combinations of them were used in the study of Na⁺ motion in Na₂O·3SIO₂ glass. The lower temperature peak is not affected by any of these electrodes, so it is attributed to the bulk glass. A second and third peak are strongly dependent on the kind of electrode used. A gold anode is a blocking electrode, and a gold cathode, is partially blocking. There is a tendency for a space charge polarization to form when …

Development Of Apparatus For Constant-Hydraulic-Gradient And Constant-Rate-Of-Strain Consolidation Tests, Jack F. Geerlings

Masters Theses

"A back pressure type consolidometer manufactured by Anteus Laboratory Equipment Company is modified to perform either constant hydraulic gradient or constant rate of strain consolidation tests. The modification of the consolidometer and its instrumentation are described. Computer software is developed for the purpose of apparatus control and for test data acquisition and analysis.

Constant hydraulic gradient and constant rate of strain consolidation tests are performed on samples consolidated from a slurry in the laboratory. Results of these tests are compared with incremental consolidation tests performed with an oedometer.

The modified apparatus was found to be suitable for use in both …

Oxygen Absorption And Diffusion In Tissue, Bo Henrik Arve

Masters Theses

"A mathematical model which describes the diffusion of oxygen in absorbing tissue is presented. The model accounts for the presence of a moving boundary which marks the deepest penetration of oxygen into the absorbing medium and predicts the steady state and unsteady state distribution of oxygen through the absorbing tissue.

Results are shown for zeroth, half, first, one and a half, and second order rates of absorption as well as when the rate of absorption is described by the Michaelis - Menten equation.

The model predictions show that the total time for the moving boundary to recede to the surface …

A Theoretical Study Of Antecedent Soil Moisture As It Relates To The Rainfall-Runoff Relationship, Karen Sue Angert

Masters Theses

"This paper addresses the feasibility of using antecedent soil moisture as a tool for predicting the extractions from rainfall due to the infiltration process by solving the one-dimensional equation for saturated- unsaturated flow through porous media. Soil moisture characteristics in the form of empirical equations were used to incorporate the hysteretic behavior of the soil-water relationships into the model. Two sets of parameters were developed to be representative of a silty sand and a silty fine sand.

Extractions as infiltration from a given storm hyetograph and the total volume of direct runoff were computed for different initial moisture states. When …

Complex Reactions In Porous Media, Dar-Sen Horng

Masters Theses

"The dusty-gas model is used to describe the molar fluxes of complex irreversible reactions with moles changes in isothermal porous catalysts.

The model presented in this work can be used for any number of independent reactions occurring in porous media as long as the number of independent reactions is equal to or less than the total number of species.

Systems of two parallel reactions involving a ternary mixture is used in this work. Five sets of reaction parameters are used for each reaction system and the overall selectivity and effectiveness factors are calculated for different geometric constants.

Results show that …

Electric And Magnetic Field Induction On Parallel Transmission Lines, Robert Joseph Schnell

Masters Theses

"The theory behind electric and magnetic field induction is developed. The theory is then applied to the calculations of induced voltages and currents on a de-energized three phase transmission line paralleling an energized three phase transmission line. The effect of shield wires on the induction phenomena is explained. Interactive computer programs for both electric and magnetic field induction are presented and instructions given for their use. Both programs are stored on disks and are for use on an IBM (or compatible) personal computer. Example problems are posed and solved"--Abstract, page ii.

Sintering Of Catio₃ With The Addition Of Caco₃ And Lif, Surapol Pleekram

Masters Theses

"The densification of CaTiO₃ with the addition of 4.74, 5.90, 6.88 mol% CaCO₃ and 22 mol% LiF was investigated over the temperature range 800° to 1050°C, for sintering times ranging from 1 to 216 hours. It was found that CaCO₃ reacts with LiF and to form a liquid at a temperature of about 450°C. This liquid enhances the densification of CaTiO₃ . The densification process was followed by making weight loss, shrinkage and porosity measurements. The microstructural development was determined by scanning electron microscope examination of both fractured and polished surfaces. X-ray diffraction and DTA/TGA were …

An Evaluation Of Magnetic Field Shielding And Cross Talk For Various Cable Configurations, Amir Hossein Nafar

Masters Theses

"The effect of shield grounding on magnetic field coupling in coaxial and twisted pair cables, was studied for various positions of the ground connection at 50 KHz. For the case of only one end of shield grounded the attenuation was about 60 dB. Furthermore, the effect of frequency from 50-500 KHz was considered on three cases. Thus it was concluded that attenuation increases as frequency increases. A combined experimental and analytical investigation was also conducted to characterize the mechanism of cross talk between wires of ribbon cable and traces on printed circuit boards. Inductive and capacitive coupling were studied in …

The Effect Of The Degree Of Saturation On The Permeability Of A Compacted Clay To Organic Permeants, Mark Alan Harms

Masters Theses

"Relationships for permeability of kaolinite versus degree of saturation and permeability versus flow are developed for 0.005 N calcium sulphate, xylene and aniline permeants using the triaxial flexible wall permeameter. The clay was statically compacted at degrees of saturation of 50%, 75% and 100%. A gradient of 277 was used for the permeability tests.

The initial degree of saturation was inversely related to the permeability of the clay. Saturated clay samples were found to be virtually impervious to aniline and xylene. As the degree of saturation decreased, the permeability increased with the initial volume of flow equivalent to the volume …

Stress And Stress Management Among Geoscientists In The U.S. Petroleum Industry, August 1984: An Analysis, Ann M. Hagni

Masters Theses

"For the past three years, employment in the petroleum industry has declined significantly. This, along with many other factors, has created a potentially stressful situation similar to the petroleum industry recession of the late 1950s. A four page "Stress Questionnaire" mailed to 1000 geoscientists in the U.S. petroleum industry in August, 1984, concludes that geoscientists appear to be coping very well with their potentially stressful situation.

These geoscientists rated themselves considerably up-to-date with respect to their professional discipline and show a strong need to grow and develop. They are very personally involved in their work and at least some of …

A Case Study Of The Management Of New Packaging Technologies, Richard Kirk Maguire

Masters Theses

"There has been a growing interest by industry in the functions of packaging management as packaging is being recognized as a greater factor in the overall success of a company.

This is a case study on the packaging management structure of one company and how the introduction of new packaging technology is handled by that company. The case study follows the history of the packaging department of the company and examines the current structure of the department. The study goes on to analyze the department's methods for handling old and new technologies and the reasons for doing so. A closer …

A Study Of The Effect Of Solids, Viscosity, And Basestock On The Development Of Blade Coated Paper Properties, Steven D. Bennett

Masters Theses

A review of literature relating coating solids to coated paper properties revealed many contradictions. Little was found relating coating viscosity to coated paper property development. A statistically designed study was conducted to evaluate the importance of solids, viscosity, and basestock on the development of blade coated paper properties. Temperature was used to control coating viscosity independently of solids. Clay-latex and calcium carbonate-latex coatings were applied to groundwood containing basestocks using a Flooded Nip blade coater. Multiple linear regression models were generated for each of the coated paper properties. Solids and basestock were most important in the models for gloss, smoothness, …

Electrogalvanizing And Drawing Of Steel Wires, Thomas Joseph O'Keefe Jr.

Masters Theses

"The effects of varying current density, temperature, Zn⁺² and licorice concentrations on the morphology of the zinc deposited on steel wire have been studied and compared. The plated wires were then drawn and evaluated in terms of required drawing energy and zinc loss during processing of up to 40% reduction in area. Scanning electron microscope and X-ray diffraction were used to evaluate the electrodeposits"--Abstract, page ii.

A Study On Fragmentation And Ground Vibration With Air Space In The Blasthole, Everett Ellsworth Bleakney Iii

Masters Theses

"The degree of fragmentation and the level of ground vibration from a bench blast employing standard full-column completely-coupled explosive charges are commonly controlled by varying one or more of the many dimensional variables of blast design. Blasting techniques such as decoupling and air-gapping, utilizing air space in the blasthole, have also been reported as having the potential to control rock fragmentation and ground vibration.

This investigation, using reduced-scale in situ bench blasts, examined the degree of fragmentation and the level of ground vibrations produced from the standard full-column completely-coupled, air-gapped, and decoupled methods of blasting to:

1. Compare the effectiveness …

A Thermal Contact Conductance Correlation For Mechanically Expanded Finned Tube Heat Exchangers, Mahmoud Ahmed Abu Ebid

Masters Theses

"Tests were conducted in dry vacuum environment, on eight mechanically expanded finned tube heat exchangers (with 3/8 inch outer diameter tubes) with different geometries including variation in fin thickness, fin collar length, and net interference. One of the eight heat exchangers was also tested under wet conditions. A mathematical model was used to calculate the thermal contact conductance from the experimental data. An error analysis was performed to estimate the range of error in determining the thermal contact conductance. A correlation of the dry contact conductance in terms of fin number (actual fin collar length in contact with the tubes), …

Preparation And Properties Of Phosphorus Oxynitride Glasses, Mary R. Reidmeyer

Masters Theses

"The preparation techniques and properties of phosphorus oxynitride glasses produced from sodium metaphosphate and nitride compounds are reported. A preliminary survey of possible nitride additives to sodium metaphosphate is presented along with an extended study of the two most promising nitrides, AIN and Mg₃N₂. Properties reported include: nitrogen content, dissolution rate in water, thermal expansion coefficient, softening point, glass transformation temperature, density, refractive index, microhardness, and infrared absorption"--Abstract, page 1.

The Compositional And Temperature Dependence Of Radiation-Induced Void Nucleation And Swelling In Austenitic Alloys, Bahram Esmailzadeh

Masters Theses

"The objective of this study is to introduce a model which can demonstrate the major features of the compositional and temperature dependence of radiation-induced swelling of austenitic alloys. The effective vacancy diffusion coefficient, D_V^eff, is the prime variable explored in this study. Variations in D_V^eff with composition and/or irradiation temperature are used along with the KWR nucleation theory to determine the subsequent effects of these variables on the void nucleation rate and the duration of the transient regime. The materials chosen for this study are nickel (Ni) and the Ni-Si, Fe-Ni-Cr and Fe-Ni-Cr-Si alloy systems. …

An Investigation Of Methods Of Surface Estimation With Application To The Interpolation Of Antenna Patterns, Paul Matthew Niall Feehan

Masters Theses

"The problem of estimating a surface from a set of discrete measurements lying along straight lines is considered. This situation arises when one attempts to determine the S-Band antenna gain pattern for the Space Shuttle, from measurements taken at several ground stations. The results of previous investigators concerned with the performance of surface approximation techniques for the present application, are extended in this study by examining the case where the data samples are corrupted by measurement noise. Results have been obtained using least-squares approximation with bicubic B-spline basis functions, and for an interpolation algorithm in conjunction with a spatial smoothing …

The Role Of Boron In So32 And So43 Steels, Sunil S. Moghe

Masters Theses

"In this project study was conducted with the goal of understanding the role of boron involved in structure-toughness property relationship for SO32 and SO43 steels. For a standard heat-treatment of austenitizing (1 hr.) at 1700°F, water quenching and 1 hr. tempering at 1150°F SO32 steel (with 37 ppm B) lacked in toughness, while SO43 steel (with 2 ppm B) showed good toughness. In both steels all the boron was present in the form of "soluble boron" i.e., Fe₂₃ (B,C)₆ borocarbide. Experiments were carried out to study the effect of various heat treatment parameters on the precipitation behavior of …

Thermally Stimulated Current Studies Of Barium Titanate Capacitors, Patrick Donald Martin

Masters Theses

"Thermally stimulated polarization current (TSPC) and thermally stimulated depolarization current (TSDC) measurements were used to study sample current behavior based on the thermally activated release of trapped charges and polarization mechanisms. Samples studied included laboratory-prepared barium titanate samples (the barium to titanium ratio ranging from 0.96 to 1.04) and commercial ceramic capacitors. Both TSPC and TSDC showed the current spectra of the barium titanate samples were a function of crystal structure and the Ba/Ti ratio. The TSPC/TSDC results of the ceramic capacitors showed differences between capacitor formulations. TSPC/TSDC results also showed differences between good capacitors (physically and electrically) and capacitors …

Solid Solubility Of Sulfur In Transition Metal Oxides And Stability Of Sulfates Relevant To Roasting Processes, Zeynal Karakus

Masters Theses

"Two types of sulfur equilibration experiments were carried out in this study using either a conventional thermal gravimetric analysis (TGA) technique or a horizontal tube furnace apparatus. Samples were equilibrated with flowing SO₂-O₂ gas mixtures of either 58% SO₂ or 10% SO₂.

The types of experiments were:
1. Investigation of the extent of solid solution of sulfur in ZnO, NiO, CuO, and Fe₂O₃ over a wide range of temperature.
2. Studies of compound or solid solution formation between binary sulfate mixtures of Fe-Zn, Cu-Zn, Ni-Zn, Fe-Cr, and Cd-Zn by TGA.

The …