Engineering Commons^™

Dynamic Response Of A Gyrocompass, Subhash Govind Kelkar

Masters Theses

"A gyrocompass with three degrees of freedom is studied and an attempt made to solve the exact equations of motion numerically. The equations are obtained by using the Lagrange formulation of the problem. The kinetic energy and the potential energy of the system are determined from the energies of the various components. These are then substituted into Lagrange's equation to obtain the three equations of motion for the three angular coordinates. As few restrictive assumptions as possible are made during this development. From these exact equations of motion an approximate analytical solution is obtained by making several assumptions and then …

The Design Of A Direct Current Generator Field Controller, Melvyn Elwin Downs

Masters Theses

"A controller was built utilizing transistors and silicon controlled rectifiers to allow torque control of the General Electric dynamometer, type TLC-50. The current gain of the controller was approximately 10⁶ such that the field current could be controlled by an input current of zero to approximately two microaaperes. The transfer function for the controller-dynamometer system was experimentally determined. The results indicate that the gain of the open loop torque control system is constant for frequencies up to 1.1 radians per second. Satisfactory values of gain for proportional and proportional plus integral control, were experimentally determined by operating the closed loop …

A Study Of The Correlation Potential Of The Optimum Moisture Content, Maximum Dry Density, And Consolidated Drained Shear Strength Of Plastic Fine-Grained Soils With Index Properties, Marvin Tartt Harris

Masters Theses

"The correlation potential of the compaction properties and the consolidated drained shear strength parameters of plastic fine-grained soils with index properties was investigated in this study. The interrelationships of these properties were derived through graphical and multilinear regression analysis. The compaction properties, optimum moisture content, and maximum dry density were found to be related to many of the index properties. The most important relationships were with the plasticity indices and the percentage of particles smaller than two microns; the highest degree of simple correlation was achieved with the liquid limit. The consolidated drained shear parameters, cohesion, and the angle of …

The Influence Of Ionic Polarizability On The High Temperature Mechanical Properties Of Ionic Crystals, William A. Johnston

Masters Theses

No abstract provided.

Estimation Of Film Boiling Heat Transfer Coefficients For Cylindrical Heaters In Corresponding States Fluids, Gary Joseph Capone

Masters Theses

"An investigation of film boiling heat transfer was made with cylindrical heaters. The (0.75" O.D.) gold plated, copper heaters were positioned horizontally in pools of liquid argon, nitrogen, and carbon monoxide. A correlation for film boiling corresponding states fluids is derived and discussed. The correlation is a least squares fit of three variables: the diameter of the cylindrical heater, the reduced pressure of the system, and the temperature difference between the heater surface and the saturated pool"--Abstract, page iii.

Isotope Effect Of Interstitial Diffusion Of Carbon In A Dilute Fe-Si Alloy, Edward T. Yen

Masters Theses

"The isotope effect of carbon interstitial diffusion in a Fe-2.75at%Si alloy has been measured at -3.10°C using the disaccommodation technique. The disaccommodation has been analyzed in terms of two relaxation processes which are discussed on the basis of the reorientation mechanism of carbon interstitials at Fe-Fe sites and Fe-Si sites respectively. The ratios of the relaxation times [tau]₁₃/[tau]₁₂ are 1.0382 for the former and 1.0072 for the latter relaxation process. This result is discussed on the basis of many-body reaction rate theory"--Abstract, page ii.

Waveform Distortion Caused By A Plasma Sheath, James R. Carl

Masters Theses

"A short burst of electromagnetic energy that propagates into and through a plasma medium can react with the plasma medium in several different ways depending on both the characteristics of the plasma and of the pulse. This thesis derives approximations for the plasma transfer function at low pressure (high altitude) and at high pressure (low altitude). The mechanisms that can change the shape of a waveform, in general, are dispersion and breakdown. dispersive distortion at low altitude is shown to exist for electron concentrations well above the resonant concentration for plasma sheaths that are thin compared to one wavelength. Several …

Chemical Precipitation Of Phosphorous With Sodium Aluminate And Alum In The Activated Sludge Aeration Chamber, Richard Charles Vedder

Masters Theses

"The purpose of this investigation was to study the removal of phosphorus by chemical precipitation with sodium aluminate and alum in the activated sludge aeration chamber, and determine the effect of the aluminum to phosphorus ratio and the mixed liquor suspended solids concentration on the phosphorus removal efficiency and the effect of the precipitants on the removal of organic pollutants in the activated sludge process. The studies were conducted on settled domestic sewage in three bench-scale continuous flow activated sludge units supplemented with jar tests. Major parameters employed included influent and effluent total phosphorus and chemical oxygen demand (COD), mixed …

Pressure Welding Of Continuously Cast Nodular Iron, Gerald W. Wille

Masters Theses

"The objective of this study was to determine the feasibility of using pressure welding as a joining technique for swaged nodular iron.

Test pressure welds were produced with swaged continuous cast nodular iron at temperatures between 1750⁰F and 2050⁰F with welding pressures between 15,900 psi and 51,400 psi using an induction coil to heat the weld zone.

Pressure welds of greater strength than the as-received nodular iron were produced by swaging the material before welding. The optimum welding parameters were a temperature of 2050⁰F with a welding pressure of 46,700 psi.

On the basis of these tests it is concluded …

Scattering Parameter Measurements And Amplifier Design, Thomas J. Herrick

Masters Theses

"The scattering parameter formulation in describing the small-signal operation of an active two-port device is developed. The inherent advantages of measuring the scattering parameters at UHF frequencies and the clear insight into the design problem are demonstrated. Some of the practical difficulties in a typical design problem are also considered"--Abstract, page ii.

Engineering Properties Of Bloomington-Normal Subsoils, Rohn Dunseth Abbott

Masters Theses

"The glacial subsoils of the Bloomington-Normal, Illinois area have been analyzed with regard to their engineering properties. Several boring logs are included to illustrate the horizontal and vertical variability in soil units encountered and in the engineering properties of these soil units. The engineering properties of the two most common foundation soils, the Bloomington and Normal tills are compared and special consideration is given to evaluating the compressibility of these materials. Evidence is presented that indicates that the circumferential trimming of a highly preconsolidated soil containing stones can cause significant sample disturbance. Special sampling techniques which eliminate circumferential trimming yield …

Analytical And Experimental Methods For Determining The Properties Of Materials At Very High Rates Of Loading, A. G. Behring

Masters Theses

"In the following report, some of the properties of ALCOA 7075 T651 aluminum, when subjected to high rates of loading, are experimentally investigated by impacting two rods of the material longitudinally. One rod is accelerated to a uniform velocity with an air gun launcher. The stationary second rod is instrumented with strain gages on its lateral surface in order to determine the strain-time history following impact. A detailed description of the experimental equipment is included. Simple, one-dimensional theory is used to determine the dynamic, elastic modulus of the test material under the impact condition. Several observations regarding the behavior of …

The Design Of A Hybrid Computer System, James Joseph Becker

Masters Theses

"Three typical hybrid computers in industry and educational institutions are presented. The hybrid computer designed and built at the University of Missouri at Rolla consists of an SCC-650 digital computer, a TR-48 analog computer, and a hybrid interface. The interface permits the digital computer to control the modes of operation on the analog computer. There are also 9 multiple-pole relays on the interface that can be controlled by the digital computer. A 320 hold removable patchboard is included in the interface. There are 40 trunks lines from the analog computer that are present on the patchboard. The 4 digital-to-analog channels …

The Design Of A Tape Deck Controller, Frederick Harold Keeve

Masters Theses

"A controller was built to interface the SCC-650 general purpose digital computer and the Kennedy Model 1400R incremental write/continuous read tape unit. All logic design information, signal lists, and tape deck instructions are included"--Abstract, page ii.

The Design Of A Molten Fueled, Vortex Reactor, For Use As A Rocket Propulsion Device, Robert Philip Schmitt

Masters Theses

"The purpose of this investigation is to design a nuclear reactor which can be used as a rocket propulsion device. The reactor investigated is fueled with a molten uranium-bismuth alloy and utilizes a two phase vortex flow principle. Hydrogen is employed as a coolant and rocket propellant. The hydrogen is heated directly by the fuel thus eliminating the need for heat exchangers. The major part of the investigation consists of a two group neutron diffusion study to show the operational feasibility of this type of reactor and to obtain an optimum design. the study shows that this type of reactor …

Construction Time And Cost Control Using The Ibm Project Management System/360, James Donald Bailey

Masters Theses

"The object of this investigation was to determine the advantages or disadvantages involved in the use of the IBM Project Management system/360 as a time and cost control tool as compared to the methods presently used by construction contractors in the small to medium size range.

The methods used by three construction contractors were investigated in order to acquire a sample of methods presently used.

It was determined from the investigation that a number of advantages could be obtained which would provide better control of a construction project.

It was also decided that a detailed investigation concerning the cost of …

A Numerical (Matrix) Solution For The Vibration Frequencies And Modes Of A Nonuniform Rectangular Plate With Arbitrary Edge Conditions, F. David Utterback

Masters Theses

"The material presented in this thesis is designed to provide the practicing engineer with a practical, approximate method of solution for the increasingly important problem of plate vibrations. The technique presented herein is basically an application of the use of generalized coordinates to describe the elastic and inertial properties of a finite element representation of a nonuniform rectangular plate. The plate will be idealized by utilizing a modification of the grid work technique developed by Hrennifkoff as a lattice work of interconnecting beams. By employing the elastic displacements as generalized coordinates, the only required compatibility conditions are that the displacements …

The Numerical Solution Of Two-Dimensional Fluid Flow Problems, E. David Spong

Masters Theses

"A numerical solution method is developed for the solution of two-dimensional, irrotational and compressible fluid flow problems. The partial differential equation, in terms of the velocity potential, describing the flow is replaced by finite difference equations and the resulting matrix is solved by Gaussian elimination. The method is successfully applied to two subsonic flow problems: a 7.5⁰ wedge and a 6⁰ wedge inlet. The method becomes invalid, as expected, with the appearance of sonic velocity in the flow field. An investigation of the definition of the singularities is made. This indicates that the best agreement with the experimental results for …

Sufficiency Conditions For Constrained Optima, Cheng-Chun Huang

Masters Theses

"The sufficiency conditions for constrained optimization problems are derived through the use of Lagrangian functions and through the introduction of the new concept of "constrained total derivatives." The relations can be used with equality and/or inequality constraints. The sufficiency conditions derived earlier by Phipps were corrected in this work--Abstract, page ii.

Distillation Column Simulation And Control, Hsian T. Chao

Masters Theses

"A 5-component, 10-stage distillation column was simulated by PACTOLUS by use of the hybrid technique. It was found that the digital-analog simulator is completely satisfactory for solving unsteady-state multicomponent distillation problems. A feedforward controller for a distillation column was designed and tested. The effects of feedforward and feedback control on binary system distillation columns were compared by PACTOLUS. It was found that the liquid flow rates, the holdups as well as the number of stages are important factors in the design of a feedforward controller"--Abstract, page ii.

A Study Of Swirling Air Flow In A Converging Nozzle, Charles William Lineberry

Masters Theses

"A study was conducted to determine the behavior of swirling air flow in a converging nozzle. Special instrumentation was constructed to obtain radial traverses of the flow at four axial positions. the data collected consisted of velocity, static pressure, and stagnation temperature. The flow pattern demonstrated the Ranque-Hilsh effect and reversed axial flow in the core region. As the flow entered the nozzle, it had the characteristics of a free vortex. At the exit plane the characteristics were those of a forced vortex. The converging nozzle caused an increase in the magnitude of the axial velocity component"--Abstract, page ii.

An Experimental Method Of Determining The Thermal Accommodation Coefficients Of Metallic Surfaces, Raymond John Dethorne

Masters Theses

"In the free molecule regime, Knudsen number greater than 10, heat is transferred from a solid by radiation and conduction. The ability of a surface to emit radiant energy is governed by a surface property called emittance while the surface property which apparently regulates the amount of heat transferred by conduction is called the thermal accommodation coefficient. This thesis presents the results of an experimental investigation to determine a relationship between these two properties, emittance and thermal accommodation coefficient. A test apparatus was constructed to measure both the radiation and conduction contributions between two concentric cylinders. cylinders of aluminum and …

Compressive Creep Of Basic Refractories, Maurice E. Green

Masters Theses

"The microstructure and mineralogical composition of direct bonded, 50 wt.% magnesia - 50 wt.% chrome ore refractory compositions containing controlled additions of silica were correlated with their compressive creep behavior in the temperature range 1450⁰ to 1550⁰C under stresses of 100 to 175 psi. Steady state creep rates were determined from the linear regression of the steady state regions of deformation on time. Apparent activation energies and deformation flow characteristics were determined from the temperature and stress dependence of the steady state creep rates. Silica contents up to 3.5 wt.% increased the amount of direct intergranular bonding which decreased the …

Kinetics Of The Formation Of Strontium Zirconate, W. H. Parker

Masters Theses

"The decomposition rate of strontium carbonate (SrC0₃) was measured using a TGA apparatus. It was found to deviate slightly from zero order classical reaction. The rate of formation of strontium zirconate (SrZr0₃) from zirconium oxide (ZrO₂) and strontium oxide (SrO) in the form of the decomposition product of SrCO₃ was measured using quantitative x-ray diffraction for mineralogical analysis. It was found to most nearly follow the Zhuravlev-Lesokhin-Tempel' man rate equation. The rate of decomposition of strontium carbonate was found to be more rapid than the rate of formation of strontium zirconate such that for the most part strontium oxide is …

Spacing Of Explosive Charges, Calvin J. Konya

Masters Theses

"It is generally believed that the spacing of simultaneously initiated collar primed multiple charges is not dependent on the charge length. The stresses generated by explosive charges have been assumed to propagate through a material in a cylindrical manner. this assumption implied that the stress generated in any plane along the charge diameter would have been uniform in magnitude and direction. A finite explosive velocity along with a conical stress wave causes the stresses near the collar to differ from those farther down the column. for this reason, the spacing of charges would be dependent on charge length. An experimental …

Thermal Runaway In Power Transistors, Jerry H. Lee

Masters Theses

"Considerable work has been done on the theory of thermal runaway and the relationship between transistor junction temperature and collector power dissipation. The first part of this thesis is a review of literature. An equation for the normalized junction temperature and its peak value is developed. From this equation, the junction temperature at the thermal runaway point for a given maximum power dissipation could be determined. The second part of this thesis is experimental. The author examined the thermal runaway points for eight different transistors in the basic common emitter class A circuit which operated under no signal DC conditions"--Abstract, …

Radiation And Annealing Characteristics In Neutron Bombarded Transistors Operated In The Inverse Configuration, Lo-Soun Su

Masters Theses

"When operating a silicon planar epitaxial transistor in the inverse configuration (i.e., with the emitter functioning as a collector and the collector functioning an emitter) the bulk space-charge volume of the new "emitter-base" junction is increased by a factor of 26.5 times that of the normal emitter-base junction. The carrier concentration in the new "emitter" is decreased by five orders of magnitude from that of the normal emitter, thus making it easier to investigate the effects of neutron radiation on the space-charge region and at the surface. Experiments using biasing of the new "emitter-base" junction during neutron radiation to change …

An Intragastric Ph And Motility Monitoring And Automatic Titration System, Barry Foster Maycock

Masters Theses

"Knowledge of the effects of prolonged states of weightlessness on the physiological activities of gastric motility and acid secretion will aid in the planning of future space flights, since aberrations in these activities could affect the performance of astronauts. Investigation of these activities requires monitoring of the pressure and pH in the stomach and titration of the gastric contents. Since previous methods and equipment used for performing these functions are inadequate for this investigation, the equipment whose design and operation are discussed in this thesis was developed. This equipment includes an ingestible sensor capsule which is tethered in the stomach, …

A Study Of Porous Membrane Evaporation For Desalination In A Flow System, Jing Ming Lee

Masters Theses

"The purpose of this investigation was to study the simultaneous mass and heat transfer mechanism in evaporation through a porous membrane with a non-wettable surface. Such water repellent membranes permit the passage of water vapor, but not liquid water. The investigation concerned the mass transfer rate through the membrane pores with flow on one or both sides of the membrane. The water-repellent membrane separated a hot salt solution from the fresh water, and a copper sheet separated the fresh water from a cold salt solution. A three-channel evaporator-condenser was used, and the membrane consisted of glass fiber paper treated with …

The Decomposition Of 5-Hydroxymethyl-2-Furaldehyde Under Gamma Irradiation, William George Bowles

Masters Theses

"An investigation into the effects of gamma irradiation decomposition of 5-hydroxymethyl-2-furaldehyde (HMF) revealed HMF to be resistant to radiation catalyzed decomposition. A 1.0 normal solution of HMF was irradiated at a dose rate of 4.1 x 10⁵ Rads/hr to a total dose of 8.2 x 10⁶ Rads from a 5000 Curie ⁶⁰Co source. a total of 31 per cent of the HMF decomposed in a zero order reaction, although it was found the HMF decomposed completely under cadmium shielded irradiation in a nuclear reactor with some neutrons present. The reaction rate constant was found to be 4.8 x 10⁻³ moles …