Engineering Commons^™

A Non-Invasive Technique For Burn Area Measurement, Jong-Daw Yu

Theses

The need for a reliable and accurate method for assessing the surface area of burn wounds currently exists in the branch of medicine involved with burn care and treatment. The percentage of the surface area is of critical importance in evaluating fluid replacement amounts and nutritional support during the 24 hours of postburn therapy. A noninvasive technique has been developed which facilitates the measurement of burn area. The method we shall describe is an inexpensive technique to measure the burn areas accurately.

Our imaging system is based on a technique known as structured light. Most structured light computer imaging systems, …

Reduced Complexity Receivers For Trellis Coded Modulations Via Punctured Trellis Codes, Bonchul Koo

Theses

We introduce a new concept, called matched punctured trellis encoding, that simplifies the complexity of Maximum Likelihood Sequence Estimation (MLSE) receivers for combined trellis encoding and modulations with memory. Matched punctured trellis encoding is applied to tamed frequency modulation (TFM) which is a bandwidth efficient correlative - FM scheme. TFM finds applications in satellite, microwave radio, and mobile communications.

Our approach is based on puncturing a rate - 1/2 matched convolutional code to obtain a rate - 2/3 mismatched code. A matched code is one that produces trellis coded modulations of minimum complexity. Puncturing these codes to obtain mismatched codes …

Schottky-Barrier Solar Cells, Surface Patterning For Efficient Light Collection, Constantinos Manolis

Theses

Different geometrical surface configurations are considered here for a Au/n-Si semiconductor Schottky-barrier solar cell to improve their light collection efficiency.

Optical and electrical properties are theoretically analyzed for two given optical wavelengths of 0.9 and 0.5 micrometers respectively.

The configurations considered are: V-shaped, Star- shaped, M-shaped, asymmetric-V-shaped, and asymmetric-M-shaped. They all show a significant improvement in the short-circuit current over a flat cell model, while the open-circuit voltage remains practically unchanged.

Computer Controlled Oxygen Bioreactor, Dinesh Sachdeva

Theses

A computer controlled oxygen bioreactor has been designed to obtain more accurate values for oxygen bioreactor requirements and to optimize oxygen productivity with respect to oxygen concentration. This study solves a specific problem relating to oxygen concentration measurement and bioreactor control. The proposed reactor system is computer controlled to insure a desired oxygen concentration supply to an oxygen consuming reaction or organism. This thesis also explains and illustrates the bioreactor and its computer control system.

The computer controller incorporates oxygen sensing, oxygen measurement and temperature measurement, Electrical circuits have been designed and built for proper signal conditioning, data acquisition, data …

Application Of Microwave Energy To Remediation Of Soils Contaminated With Chromium, Chih-Ju Jou

Theses

A process based upon microwave treatment has been developed to render soil non-hazardous after that soil had been classified as hazardous due to heavy metal contamination. It has been applied to chromium-contaminated soil. The object of the present regulations is to prevent damage to water supplies as a result of the leaching of heavy metal ions from the soils. This object is expressed in the standard test for leaching, namely, the EPA EP Leachate test. This process can be used to immobilize metal ions sufficiently to meet the aforementioned standard. The present standard is based upon acid leaching, and not …

A Computer Program On The Economics Of Collection And Sortation Of Recyclable Materials In Municipal Solid Wastes, Ara Nigogos Kahyaoglu

Theses

The first version of the economic of recyclable materials in municipal solid waste analysis program was developed in interpretive BASIC by Rutgers the State University of New Jersey. Since BASIC is a line interpretative language several restrictions were encountered, the major one being the language size restriction.

The first objective was to obtain a truly portable program that would not be dependent on specific compilers and operating systems. The second objective was to generate a program that had the capability for expansion.

The C language was used over other high level languages such as PASCAL and FORTRAN because it had …

The Evaluation Of Polysulfone Composites As Structural Implants In Orthopaedic Surgery, Howard L. Scalzo

Theses

Two polysulfone composites were evaluated to determine their use as structural implants in orthopaedic surgery. The first composite, carbon fiber reinforced polysulfone (C/PS), was evaluated for environmental degradation in an in vivo and in vitro study. The C/PS composites were implanted subcutaneously in the abdomen of rabbits for the in vivo study and immersed in saline solution at 32° C for the in vitro study. The second composite, hydroxylapatite coated polysulfone (HA/PS), was evaluated for bone ingrowth in an in vivo study, and for attachment strength between the HA and the PS in an in vitro study. Also, two surface …

A Study Of Volatile Organic Compound Emissions In The Ambient Air Of A Sanitary Landfill In Richard W. Dekorte State Park, New Jersey, Minsen Gao

Theses

A study was made of 15 volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in the ambient air emissions of a sanitary landfill located at Richard W. DeKorte Park, Lyndhurst, New Jersey. The samples were collected from July 1986 to September 1987 at 10 designated landfill sites over the selected time period from 4 to 24 hours by drawing the air to be analyzed through a Tenax trap. An average 10 to 15 liters of air sample was collected each time. Sample analysis is done on a Varian Gas Chromatograph (GC) combined with a Tekmar Thermal Desorber. A standard gas mixture of the 15 …

Reactor Design For Hazardous Waste Treatment Using Immobilized Phanerochaete Chrysosporium, Ikram Ul Haq

Theses

The degradation of 2-Chlorophenol by Phanerochaete chrysosporium, a white rot fungus, was studied in three different reactor configurations, namely a batch reactor, a chemostatic reactor with the fungus immobilized on a silica based porous biocatalyst, and a packed bed reactor utilizing balsa wood chips as packing.

Preliminary experiments indicated that the use of porous solid support improved the degradation rate in batch reactor and chemostatic reactor. However, the packed bed configuration was found to be superior, and was studied in greater detail. The apparent Michaelis-Menten kinetic constants were obtained for the packed bed reactor.

Thermal Decomposition Of 1,1,1-Thrichloroethane-Methane-Oxygen Mixture In Tubular Flow Reactor, Yo-Ping Wu

Theses

The thermal decomposition of 1,1,1-trichloroethane in methane/oxygen mixtures and argon bath gas was carried out at 1 atmosphere total pressure in a tubular flow reactors. The thermal degradation of 1,1,1-trichloroethane and methane were analyzed systematically over temperature ranges from 500 to 800°C, with average residence times in the range of 0.05 to 2.5 seconds. Five reactants ratio sets in three different size flow reactors were studied.

It was found that the complete decay (99%) of the 1,1,1-trichloroethane at 1 second residence time occurs at about 600°C for all the reactants ratio sets. The major product for 1,1,1-trichloroethane decomposition are 1,1-dichloroethylene …

Surfactant Enhanced Scrubbing In An Ejector Venturi Scrubber Of Sulfur Dioxide From Air Exhaust Streams, Humberto Roman

Theses

The objective of this work was to determine the feasibility of applying the Surfactant Enhanced Scrubbing technique to the removal of sulfur dioxide using an ejector venturi scrubber.

Surfactants were chosen according to information from manufacturers. Those surfactants which offered good behavior in the presence of acidic solutions ( low pH ), and anti-corrosion characteristics were tested.

In the first phase, experiments were performed to determine the behavior of the foams in the ejector venturi scrubber. A foam destruction system was used when foaming conditions required it. In the second phase dynamic runs were performed to determine the removal efficiencies …

Ph Parametric Pumping : An Examination Of Different Feed Locations For A Two And Three Column Process With The Same Flow Patterns And Ph Distribution, Roberta Rosty

Theses

PH parametric pumping is used to separate protein mixtures of hemoglobin and Albumin.

In this thesis, modifications to a two-column process, where the fluid stage flow pattern and the pH distributions were constant, were explored. These modifications consisted of: changes in the feed stream inlet and outlet locations, changes in the amount of feed itself, and an addition of another column and reservoir to the original two-column process. The results were obtained through computer simulation.

Results indicate that the batch or no-feed two and three column processes yield better separations of the two proteins than the same processes with feed …

Prediction And Correlation Of Liquid-Liquid Equilibria, Jose Simonetty Jr.

Theses

The NRTL, LEMF, and UNIQUAC models are used in the prediction and correlation of liquid-liquid equilibrium data for ten type I systems. The results indicate that best predictions are obtained with the LEMF equation, with an overall average absolute percentage error in distribution coefficients of 19.5 as compared to 23.0 and 24.7 with the NRTL and UNIQUAC equations, respectively. Good correlation of liquid-liquid equilibrium data alone is obtained with all three models; the LEMF equation is slightly better with an overall average absolute percentage error in distribution coefficients of 5.5 as compared to 6.7 and 5.9 for the NRTL and …

Scanning Electron Microscopy And X-Ray Energy Dispersive Spectroscopic Analysis Of Selected Sorbent Materials, Elhamy Amin Sedhom

Theses

A previous study⁽¹⁾ showed that a combination of acidic and basic sorbents in a layered system is required to reduce to safe levels the contaminants present in the leachates emanating from industrial landfills. The sorbents used were fly ash, vermiculite, kaolinite, illite, zeolite, apautagite, bentonite, activated carbon and bauxite.

The purpose of this investigation is to study the physical properties, elemental composition and the distribution of the aforementioned solid sorbents. Properties of interest are particle size, shape and distribution and also the chemical composition and the distribution of the elements within the sample particles.

Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) and …

Algorithms And Analysis Of Dialogue Time Patterns, Muhammad Saleem Akhtar

Theses

The characteristics of a conversation between two people can be determined not only what they say to each other, but also by the rhythm of their dialogue. Their moods, attitudes and attributes may be conveyed in part by time patterns of the speech. The programs described herein can be useful in exploring the relationship between dialogue time patterns and other psychological aspects of human behavior. The measurements of these time patterns can be quickly, inexpensively, and reliably accomplished by the use of a PC.

The programs described herein are capable of calculating the variabilities, the time durations and frequencies of …

In Vitro Biocompatibility Study To Determine The Synergistic Effect Of Components For An Artificial Bone Graft Material, Levelle Elise Burr Alexander

Theses

A composite bone graft material which can induce or promote new bone growth has potential orthopaedic applications in the repair of bone defects or the stabilization of surgically implanted devices. This material should be biocompatible, have good handling properties, promote osteoinduction and/or osteoconduction and have a good shelf life. Demineralized bone matrix and bone morphogenetic protein have been demonstrated to promote osteoinduction in vitro and in vivo.

This in vitro study examined the inductive ability of an osteoinductive protein, bone morphogenetic protein, when absorbed on non-active devitalized bone matrix. In culture, fetal rat muscle was grown on powdered rabbit demineralized …

An Intelligent Electrocardiogram Tutoring Package Ekgchallenger, Santosh K. Ananthraman

Theses

This thesis presents the development and implementation of an intelligent electrocardiogram tutoring package, namely, EKGCHALLENGER which is meant for use in medical schools to teach medical students a method of diagnosing electro cardiograms.

EKGCHALLENGER is an IBM - PC based, user friendly package. It works in two basic modes. The first is a tutorial mode wherein the user is taught the step-by-step diagnosis of electrocardiograms ( EKGs ) which are presented in order of increasing difficulty. The second is the challenger mode wherein the user is asked to diagnose EKGs which are randomly chosen from an EKG database. The diagnosis …

Performance Enhancement & Fault Detection Of Cmos Dynamic Logic For Vlsi, Ashok Arunachalum

Theses

New CMOS dynamic latches are designed which can be used along with conventional dynamic circuits to realize fast pipelined dynamic logic. Also a new method is described for detecting the difficult CMOS Non-classical faults viz. stuck open and stuck on faults. The conventional Domino logic is redesigned to make all the stuck open and stuck on faults detectable.

Unified Study Of Trellis Encoded Correlative-Fm, K. Narendra Bhat

Theses

Trellis encoding of correlative-FM is studied from the point of view of the overall structure, performance, bandwidth occupancy, and complexity. Here, correlative (partial-response) coding is used to improve the bandwidth efficiency of MSK (Minimum-Shift Keying) at the expense of performance. Then, trellis codes are used to improve the error-rate performance of the corresponding correlative-FM scheme with little or no increase in bandwidth occupancy (compared to uncoded MSK). In a sense, this is similar to Ungerboeck's coding for (memoryless) PSK modulation.

A new encoding approach, called matched encoding, is used here that produces trellis coded modulations achieving greater coding gains than …

Non Invasive Monitoring Of Cardiovascular Dynamics Through A Microwave Interferometer, Suresh Chakravarthi

Theses

The microwave interferometer is utilized to pick up vibrations of the anterior (front) chest wall, produced by cardiac activity. This instrument is capable of remotely measuring the vibrations at distances up to four feet through clothing, by using low level microwave energy at 9.3 Ghz. The vibrations picked up from subjects are filtered, and processed through a PC to correlate with EKG signals, and thereby evaluate the instrument as a non-invasive, non-contacting cardiac monitor.

The subjects lie on their back with the microwave energy illuminating their chest, and their cardiovascular dynamics are recorded simultaneously with EKG signals. The EKG is …

Investigation Of Surface Formation In Abrasive Waterjet Cutting, Shy-Shyan Chen

Theses

This study is concerned with experimental and numerical investigation of the dynamics of surface generation during the impingement of the abrasive waterjet on a workpiece.

A series of erosion zones were generated by the abrasive waterjet on the polished surface of stainless steel samples. The impingement was carried out at different traverse speeds and abrasive flow rates. An optical, a scanning electron microscope and a laser displacement sensor were used to investigate the developed surface.

The microscopical examination of the surface enabled determination of the shape of asperities created by individual particles, distribution of asperities on the surface and the …

Anaerobic Biodegradation Of Trichloroethylene By Activated Carbon Fluidized-Bed, Yeam-How Chin

Theses

Abstract - The biodegradation of Trichloroethylene by using anaerobic activated carbon fluidized bed has been investigated in the present study. High quality effluent was obtainable when the TCE influent concentration was up to 2.4 ppm in the first stage. Glucose was introduced as a cosubstrate to determine the effects of glucose/TCE ratio on the COD, Glucose and TCE removal. The experimental data indicates that the overall TCE removal efficiency was only slightly affected by TCE loading, but the first stage performance was significantly influenced by TCE loadings. It was also found that the microbial activities were affected by TCE loadings …

The Applicability Of Parametric Inverse Scattering For Optical Waveguides With Imperfect Boundaries, Hyoung Jin Choi

Theses

In this thesis, the applicability of an inverse scattering technique for an optical waveguide with imperfect boundaries is investigated. The inversion of imperfect boundaries of waveguides is different from usual inverse scattering algorithms because only eigenmodes can propagate in a waveguide. We suggest a parametric inversion method based on the first-order coupled mode equation. The validity and usefulness of the method are demonstrated using examples of periodic and almost periodic imperfect boundaries.

Implementation Of The Sliding Dictionary Data Compression Algorithm On An At&T Dsp 32 Digital Signal Processor, Shu Fang

Theses

Compared with other data compression algorithms, the sliding dictionary is more practical for implementation in hardware. After a comprehensive study of the algorithm, an on line data compression scheme which uses AT&T DSP 32 Digital Signal Processor has been developed. Assembly language programs for encoder and decoder have been written and tested. The whole compression system has been simulated in a real-time environment and results have been obtained. A quantized coding scheme has been used to increase compression ratio. Separate assembly language programs have been written to implement the quantized coding scheme and tested. Results obtained from real-time simulation are …

Robotic Safety Utilizing A Safety Engineering Approach, Brian Gallagher

Theses

Robotic safety is examined and explained using a safety engineering perspective. After reviewing robot fundamentals and defining the need for safety, hazard assessment and risk analysis techniques are studied. Reasons for a comprehensive robot safety program are discussed. Currently available accident statistics are examined to better understand the hazards associated with robot installations. Robotic safety procedures and methods are listed which can help reduce the severity or frequency of hazards. Various safeguarding sensors and types are analyzed for they are the "last line of defense" to reduce hazards to an acceptable level. The American Robot Safety Standard, ANSI/RIA R15.06 - …

One-Dimensional Parametric Inverse Scattering For Lossless Dispersive Media, Frank Gangi

Theses

In this thesis, the effects of high frequency noise on a perturbational inversion algorithm for a stratified dispersive medium are investigated. It is shown that the perturbational algorithm becomes unstable under high frequency noise. The physical origin of this instability is discussed.

In order to enhance the robustness of the perturbational inverse scattering solution, a parametric inversion algorithm is implemented. The improvement by the use of a parametric inversion is given quantitatively by the profile-to-error ratio (PER). Examples of the two-pole and the three-pole reflection coefficients are compared and contrasted.

A Decomposition Algorithm For The State Transition Lattices Of Certain Non-Product Queueing Protocols, Cheng-Kuo Hong

Theses

In this thesis, an algorithm is developed to decompose the state transition lattice of a class of non-product form queueing models. Here only the lattices of regular type A structure are considered. By applying the algorithm, the lattice is decomposed into solvable subsets which can be solved sequentially.

Modelling And Parameter Estimation In Clinical Electrooculography, Shengche Hsu

Theses

The Corneoretinal potential (CRP) was discovered in 1848. Its response to changes in light intensity can provide information relevant in the diagnosis of some retinal degenerative disorders. The indirectly measured CRP is referred to as electro-oculography (EOG). A system for automatic data acquisition and modelling, providing graphic presentation, data processing and file management, has been developed. A linear feedback model is proposed to represent the dynamics of the EOG signal. Model parameters are estimated by the nonlinear least-square method. The effect of measurement time on the reliability of parameter estimation is discussed.

An Interactive Graphics Capability For Numerical Design Optimization, Abbay P. Joshi

Theses

Hierarchical Object Oriented Program Software [HOOPS] is used here to develop an interactive graphical interface for the design optimization program CADOP5. A preprocessor provides the user with button menu options. Using various buttons like Variable Button, Obj Button, Parameter Button, etc. the user can interactively define problem variables, parameters and limits as well as interactively modify the behavior and the constraint functions. The post processor displays variable values for three consecutive design cycle in the form of bar charts. Objective function values are plotted against the number of design cycle. Using this information the user can determine if the solution …

Adaptive Subband Video Coding With Motion Compensation, Manjunatha S. Kadur

Theses

An efficient scheme for video sequence coding is presented here. The interframe redundancy present in the video sequence is exploited by motion compensation using the efficient independent orthogonal search technique, which requires least number of computations in the worst case. The motion compensated frame difference signal is encoded with a new technique — subband adaptive vector quantization.

Subband coding like transform coding results in signals of unequal energy patterns, which is efficiently utilized for bit allocation. In addition, the subband approach offers means for efficient (but suboptimal) Vector Quantization (VQ) by splitting the signal into several signals. By rate distortion …