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Full-Text Articles in Engineering

A Maximum Entropy Approach To Identifying Important Statistical Moments To Best-Represent Spray Distribution Data, Cheng Chen Oct 2016

A Maximum Entropy Approach To Identifying Important Statistical Moments To Best-Represent Spray Distribution Data, Cheng Chen

Theses and Dissertations

To obtain accurate spray droplet size and velocity distributions, higher-order statistical moments are needed. The Maximum Entropy formalism has been successfully used to predict the motion of spray flow in different models. This work is mainly focused on the use of the fourth-order moment combinations to calculate droplet probability density functions using the Maximum Entropy Formalism. Beginning with the second-order moment combinations, Lagrange multipliers have been calculated subject to given moment constraints, defining the probability density function. All lower moments are included when calculating the possible different higher-order moment combinations. From the results, each moment combination generated a set of …


Dynamics And Control Of Three-Dimensional Perching Maneuver Under Dynamic Stall Influence, Mir Alikhan Bin Mohammad Feroskhan Oct 2016

Dynamics And Control Of Three-Dimensional Perching Maneuver Under Dynamic Stall Influence, Mir Alikhan Bin Mohammad Feroskhan

Theses and Dissertations

Perching is a type of aggressive maneuver performed by the class ‘Aves’ species to attain precision point landing with a generally short landing distance. Perching capability is desirable on unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) due to its efficient deceleration process that potentially expands the functionality and flight envelope of the aircraft. This dissertation extends the previous works on perching, which is mostly limited to two-dimensional (2D) cases, to its state-of-the-art three-dimensional (3D) variety. This dissertation presents the aerodynamic modeling and optimization framework adopted to generate unprecedented variants of the 3D perching maneuver that include the sideslip perching trajectory, which ameliorates the …


Angle Of Attack Visualization: A Proposal For A Tangible Interactive In-Flight Loss Of Control Recovery System, Nicholas Kasdaglis Oct 2016

Angle Of Attack Visualization: A Proposal For A Tangible Interactive In-Flight Loss Of Control Recovery System, Nicholas Kasdaglis

Theses and Dissertations

The Trajectory Recovery System (TRS) is a proposed system that will help a pilot quickly restore the aircraft to controlled flight. In-flight Loss of Control (I-LOC) is the leading cause of aviation fatalities. While attempts to address this threat have mainly focused upon prevention and avoidance, there has been little offered for recovery from an I-LOC event. The work presented herein addresses this gap. Offered here will be a Human- Centered Design (HCD) solution to the problem of I-LOC. The TRS is a real-world application arising from robust multi-agent models of human-automation teaming. The use of such models transforms cognitive …


High-Level Multi-Objective Model For Microgrid Design, Siamak Talebi Oct 2016

High-Level Multi-Objective Model For Microgrid Design, Siamak Talebi

Theses and Dissertations

Recently, there is vast inclination toward using renewable energy in rural areas away from the main electricity generation plants. Small airports located in rural areas are good candidates to apply sustainable energy for electrical power needs. Because of the intermittency of the renewable sources, it is important to have energy storage to guarantee an uninterrupted and stable power supply for end users. In this work, a high-level micro grid model is proposed considering making decisions about different factors such as different renewable sources capacity, storage and system capacity. A multi-objective model of a microgrid high-level design is used to formulate …


On Phase Change Material Heat Exchangers: A Computational And Experimental Investigation, Christian Omar Rodriguez Dieppa Oct 2016

On Phase Change Material Heat Exchangers: A Computational And Experimental Investigation, Christian Omar Rodriguez Dieppa

Theses and Dissertations

The emergence of ground- and airborne-based high energy laser (HEL) weapon systems has created a need for high-rate thermal energy storage (TES) devices that meet demanding size, weight, and power (SWaP) requirements for integration into the HEL thermal management system (TMS). Current and near-term HEL weapon systems produce thermal loads on the order of 30-300 kW when emitting, and approximately 5-10% of the peak load when in a non-emitting standby state. Emission to standby duty cycles of 10-50% are common, and therefore, sizing the TMS for real-time rejection of the peak thermal load is not practical. Accordingly, TES components can …


Mechanical Properties And Fatigue Behavior Of Unitized Composite Airframe Structures At Elevated Temperature, Mohamed Noomen Sep 2016

Mechanical Properties And Fatigue Behavior Of Unitized Composite Airframe Structures At Elevated Temperature, Mohamed Noomen

Theses and Dissertations

The tension-tension fatigue behavior of a newly developed unitized composite material system was investigated. The unitized composite consisted of a polymer matrix composite (PMC) co-cured with a ceramic matrix composite (CMC). The PMC portion consisted of an NRPE high-temperature polyimide matrix reinforced with carbon fibers woven in an eight harness satin weave (8HSW). The CMC layer is a single-ply non-crimp 3D orthogonal weave composite consisting of ceramic matrix reinforced with glass fibers. In order to assess the performance and suitability of this composite for use in aerospace components designed to contain high-temperature environments, mechanical tests were performed under temperature conditions …


An Examination Of Commercial Motor Vehicle Hours Of Service Safety Regulation, Jason R. Anderson Sep 2016

An Examination Of Commercial Motor Vehicle Hours Of Service Safety Regulation, Jason R. Anderson

Theses and Dissertations

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMSCA) stipulates Hours of Service (HOS) regulations in order to minimize or eliminate fatigued truck driving, a major cause of truck-related accidents. This research examines the efficacy of HOS with three unique research approaches: 1) a typology classification model to indicate differences in HOS regulation from other safety regulations, 2) an exhaustive enumeration method utilizing the theoretical foundation of perishable inventory theory, and 3) a statistical analysis on accidents caused by or involving truck drivers. This research provides insight into similar Air Force Instructions regarding flight-time restrictions for pilots, which attempt to prevent flying …


Orbit Determination Using Vinti's Solution, Steven P. Wright Sep 2016

Orbit Determination Using Vinti's Solution, Steven P. Wright

Theses and Dissertations

Orbital altitudes congested with spacecraft and debris combined with recent collisions have all but negated the Big Sky Theory. As the sheer number of orbital objects to track grows unbounded so does interest in prediction methods that are rapid and minimally computational. Claimed as the \other solvable solution, the recently completed solution too orbital motion about the earth, based on Vinti's method and including the major effects of the equatorial bulge, opens up the prospect of much more accurate analytical models for space situational awareness. A preliminary examination of this solution is presented. A numerical state transition matrix is found …


The Scaling Of Loss Pathways And Heat Transfer In Small Scale Internal Combustion Engines, Joseph K. Ausserer Sep 2016

The Scaling Of Loss Pathways And Heat Transfer In Small Scale Internal Combustion Engines, Joseph K. Ausserer

Theses and Dissertations

Prior literature indicates fuel conversion efficiency and normalized power deteriorate increasingly rapidly with decreasing displacement, but does not fully reveal the driving losses. The literature also suggested that increasing losses relax the required fuel anti-knock index (AKI), but offered conflicting conclusions on the performance impact. This comprehensive experimental study of three, 28 cm3 to 85 cm3 displacement, commercial-off-the-shelf (COTS), two-stroke ICEs identified short-circuiting as having the most deleterious impact on COTS engine performance in this size range. Heat transfer losses were comparable to larger engines for displaced volumes greater than 10 cm3. An engine friction model was developed that uses …


Space Qualification Testing Of A Deployable Shape Memory Alloy Cubesat Antenna, Carl L. Kobza Sep 2016

Space Qualification Testing Of A Deployable Shape Memory Alloy Cubesat Antenna, Carl L. Kobza

Theses and Dissertations

Increasingly capable CubeSat missions require antenna with improved Radio Frequency performance over the traditional CubeSat antennas. Deployable quadrifilar helical antennas (QHA) enable an acceptable stowing volume and deploy to provide increased gain and bandwidth over traditional patch and dipole antennas. Extensive ground testing is required to ensure the antenna is space qualified and to characterize the antenna deployment in the space environment. AFIT requires a QHA to perform a future CubeSat geolocation mission and contracted Helical Communication Technologies (HCT) to design and manufacture a Shape Memory Alloy (SMA) L-band deployable QHA. Vibration, thermal vacuum, laser vibrometer, and Voltage Standing Wave …


Corrosion Fatigue Crack Growth Behavior At Notched Hole In 7075-T6 Under Different Biaxial Stress Ratios, Khalid A. Alghamdi Sep 2016

Corrosion Fatigue Crack Growth Behavior At Notched Hole In 7075-T6 Under Different Biaxial Stress Ratios, Khalid A. Alghamdi

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis presents the results of a study to quantify the effects of biaxial loading on fatigue crack behavior in both air and saltwater (3.5% NaCl) environments from pre-cracked notched circular hole in a 7075-T6 cruciform specimen using a fracture mechanics approach. With stress ratio of R = 0.5, the crack growth behavior was investigated under fatigue loading with 0.5, 0, -0.5, and -1 biaxial stress ratio lambda. The crack propagation was monitored using optical microscopy. Finite Element Analysis was performed using the different stress ranges and stress ratios with various crack sizes to compute of stress intensity factors (delta …


Effect Of Stress Ratio On Fatigue Crack Growth Rate At Notched Hole In 7075-T6 Aluminum Alloy Under Biaxial Fatigue, Reja Alshahrani Sep 2016

Effect Of Stress Ratio On Fatigue Crack Growth Rate At Notched Hole In 7075-T6 Aluminum Alloy Under Biaxial Fatigue, Reja Alshahrani

Theses and Dissertations

This research investigates the behavior of fatigue crack growth rate in both laboratory air and saltwater (3.5% NaCl) environments for notched cruciform specimen made from 7075-T6 aluminum alloy sheet at different stress ratios. With biaxility ratio of 1, and frequency of applied load of 10 Hz, the crack growth behavior was investigated under in-plane biaxial tension-tension fatigue with 0.1, 0.5, 0.7 stress ratios and then compared them to study the effect of stress ratio on the crack growth rate. Finite Element Analysis (FEA) was used to calculate cyclic variation of stress intensity factors (delta K) at the crack tips. The …


Air Force Project Risk Management – The Impact Of Inconsistent Processes, Eric J. Perez Sep 2016

Air Force Project Risk Management – The Impact Of Inconsistent Processes, Eric J. Perez

Theses and Dissertations

On the surface, the majority of Air Force units appear to be executing some form of project risk management (PRM). Deeper investigation exposes many of the PRM practices currently in place to often be ad hoc, and as such, have the potential to poorly inform decisions when risk data is escalated to the enterprise levels of the Air Force. Resultantly, there is inconsistency between the PRM processes practiced by Air Force units. This inconsistency is an indication of risk mishandling at the project level and erroneous risk data provided at the enterprise levels of the Air Force. It may be …


Application Of Executable Architecture In Early Concept Evaluation Using The Dod Architecture Framework, Zhongwang Chua Sep 2016

Application Of Executable Architecture In Early Concept Evaluation Using The Dod Architecture Framework, Zhongwang Chua

Theses and Dissertations

The increasing complexity in the development of today's modern warfighting systems demands a systematic evaluation approach in the assessment of the envisaged capability and estimating the cost effectiveness, especially in the early stages of Concept Development. This research focused on the development of early Concept evaluation methodology through the use of Executable Architecture (EA) through the System Architecting process. Particularly, the methodology was applied in the assessment of a proposed Multi-tiered Unmanned Aircraft System System-of-System that is designed provide target acquisition and conduct dynamic strike on Theater Ballistic Missile launchers. Through the implementation of the evaluation methodology using dynamic modeling …


Adaptive Estimation And Heuristic Optimization Of Nonlinear Spacecraft Attitude Dynamics, Joshuah A. Hess Sep 2016

Adaptive Estimation And Heuristic Optimization Of Nonlinear Spacecraft Attitude Dynamics, Joshuah A. Hess

Theses and Dissertations

For spacecraft conducting on-orbit operations, changes to the structure of the spacecraft are not uncommon. These planned or unanticipated changes in inertia properties couple with the spacecraft's attitude dynamics and typically require estimation. For systems with time-varying inertia parameters, multiple model adaptive estimation (MMAE) routines can be utilized for parameter and state estimates. MMAE algorithms involve constructing a bank of recursive estimators, each assuming a different hypothesis for the systems dynamics. This research has three distinct, but related, contributions to satellite attitude dynamics and estimation. In the first part of this research, MMAE routines employing parallel banks of unscented attitude …


Physical Layer Defenses Against Primary User Emulation Attacks, Joan A. Betances Sep 2016

Physical Layer Defenses Against Primary User Emulation Attacks, Joan A. Betances

Theses and Dissertations

Cognitive Radio (CR) is a promising technology that works by detecting unused parts of the spectrum and automatically reconfiguring the communication system's parameters in order to operate in the available communication channels while minimizing interference. CR enables efficient use of the Radio Frequency (RF) spectrum by generating waveforms that can coexist with existing users in licensed spectrum bands. Spectrum sensing is one of the most important components of CR systems because it provides awareness of its operating environment, as well as detecting the presence of primary (licensed) users of the spectrum.


Evaluation Of The Impact Of An Additive Manufacturing Enhanced Cubesat Architecture On The Cubesat Development Process, Rachel E. Sharples Sep 2016

Evaluation Of The Impact Of An Additive Manufacturing Enhanced Cubesat Architecture On The Cubesat Development Process, Rachel E. Sharples

Theses and Dissertations

Additive manufacturing (AM) is a fabrication method ideally suited to low-quantity, highly customized builds, leading to interest in its application to satellite development and manufacturing, where each build is unique. Due to the issues of long development schedules and high development and manufacturing costs, methods are needed in the CubeSat development process to reduce the weight and volume of subsystems and decrease integration time. The work develops an architecture for an AM-augmented CubeSat and examines the AM techniques of embedded electronics, embedded thrusters, and custom radiation-hardened materials can impact the subsystems of a CubeSat. The AM-augmented architecture shows a shift …


Cavity Geometric Features And Entrainment Characterization Resulting From A Ballistically Induced Hydrodynamic Ram Event, Andrew J. Lingenfelter Sep 2016

Cavity Geometric Features And Entrainment Characterization Resulting From A Ballistically Induced Hydrodynamic Ram Event, Andrew J. Lingenfelter

Theses and Dissertations

Hydrodynamic Ram can cause damage to industrial and aircraft systems. The resulting transient spray increases the probability of fire. To better understand the driving mechanisms behind transient spray, internal, and external measurements of the cavity geometry, and entrained flow field were accomplished. Research determined cavity contraction and separation are pre-cursors to the initiation of the transient spray phases. The entrained flow measurement required development of a new and novel technique using a continuous wave laser and atomized water particles. The peak mass flow correlated well with cavity geometric features, such as cavity contraction. Using the mass flow, cavity diameter at …


Absolute Positioning Using The Earth's Magnetic Anomaly Field, Aaron J. Canciani Sep 2016

Absolute Positioning Using The Earth's Magnetic Anomaly Field, Aaron J. Canciani

Theses and Dissertations

Achieving worldwide alternatives to GPS is a challenging engineering problem. Current GPS alternatives often suffer from limitations such as where and when the systems can operate. Navigation using the Earth's magnetic anomaly field, which is globally available at all times, shows promise to overcome many of these limitations. We present a navigation filter which uses the Earth's magnetic anomaly field as a navigation signal to aid an inertial navigation system (INS) in an aircraft. The filter utilizes highly-accurate optically pumped cesium (OPC) magnetometers to make scalar measurements of the Earth's magnetic field and compare them to a map using a …


Degradation Of Carbon Fiber Reinforced Polymer And Graphite By Laser Heating, Nicholas C. Herr Sep 2016

Degradation Of Carbon Fiber Reinforced Polymer And Graphite By Laser Heating, Nicholas C. Herr

Theses and Dissertations

The availability of high power, diode pumped solid state and fiber lasers at powers 10 kW and shorter wavelengths (1.07 micrometer) has invigorated the development of tactical laser weapons. This shift to tactical missions greatly increases the variety of potential targets including carbon fiber reinforced polymers and related materials. The complexity of laser-material interactions has driven a historical reliance on live-fire testing and empirical models, but this becomes more difficult as the number of target materials grow. This dissertation combines thermal imagery and existing thermal models of the fire response of composite materials to develop a hybrid modeling approach of …


Conceptual Architecture To Measure The Effects Of Subauroral Polarization Streams On Radar Operations, Shayla K. Redmond Sep 2016

Conceptual Architecture To Measure The Effects Of Subauroral Polarization Streams On Radar Operations, Shayla K. Redmond

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis provides the initial conceptual development of taking into account subauroral polarization streams when preparing for a radar operation. The DoDAF views created to portray the architecture consisted of operational, capabilities, data and information, and finally system views to ensure consistency and realistic outcomes. OV-2 was the significant view because it set the baseline for required actions necessary for the proposed results the Flow Integration of Ionospheric Activity and Radar Evaluation (FIIARE) system would produce. FIIARE is a computer based system concept that performs consolidations and produce predictions using algorithms from the International Reference Ionosphere (IRI). The data portrayed …


Improving Real-World Performance Of Vision Aided Navigation In A Flight Environment, Donald T. Venable Sep 2016

Improving Real-World Performance Of Vision Aided Navigation In A Flight Environment, Donald T. Venable

Theses and Dissertations

The motivation of this research is to fuse information from an airborne imaging sensor with information extracted from satellite imagery in order to provide accurate position when GPS is unavailable for an extended duration. A corpus of existing geo-referenced satellite imagery is used to create a key point database. A novel algorithm for recovering coarse pose using by comparing key points extracted from the airborne imagery to the reference database is developed. This coarse position is used to bootstrap a local-area geo-registration algorithm, which provides GPS-level position estimates. This research derives optimizations for existing local-area methods for operation in flight …


Applying Lean To The Ac-130 Maintenance Process For The Royal Saudi Air Force, Fisal A. Alzahrani Sep 2016

Applying Lean To The Ac-130 Maintenance Process For The Royal Saudi Air Force, Fisal A. Alzahrani

Theses and Dissertations

The ideas expressed in this research come from the researchers experiences working in the AC-130 maintenance squadron in the Royal Saudi Air Force. The AC-130 maintenance process is not currently being used as effectively as it could be to make AC-130 fully mission capable. That can be done by improving communication, reducing distances needed to move or transport anything during the maintenance process and by efficient use of the available qualified workforces, tools and equipment. Consideration is given to applying an existing management technique to the Royal Saudi Air Forces AC-130 Maintenance Squadrons. The selected technique is the Lean management …


Optimal Control Of An Uninhabited Loyal Wingman, Clay J. Humphreys Sep 2016

Optimal Control Of An Uninhabited Loyal Wingman, Clay J. Humphreys

Theses and Dissertations

As researchers strive to achieve autonomy in systems, many believe the goal is not that machines should attain full autonomy, but rather to obtain the right level of autonomy for an appropriate man-machine interaction. A common phrase for this interaction is manned-unmanned teaming (MUM-T), a subset of which, for unmanned aerial vehicles, is the concept of the loyal wingman. This work demonstrates the use of optimal control and stochastic estimation techniques as an autonomous near real-time dynamic route planner for the DoD concept of the loyal wingman. First, the optimal control problem is formulated for a static threat environment and …


Haptic Shape-Based Management Of Robot Teams In Cordon And Patrol, Samuel Jacob Mcdonald Sep 2016

Haptic Shape-Based Management Of Robot Teams In Cordon And Patrol, Samuel Jacob Mcdonald

Theses and Dissertations

There are many current and future scenarios that require teams of air, ground or humanoid robots to gather information in complex and often dangerous environments, where it would be unreasonable or impossible for humans to be physically present [1-6]. The current state of the art involves a single robot being monitored by one or many human operators [7], but a single operator managing a team of autonomous robots is preferred as long as effective and time-efficient management of the team is maintained [8-9]. This is limited by the operator's ability to command actions of multiple robots, be aware of robot …


An Exploration In Fiber Optic Sensors, Frederick Alexander Seng Sep 2016

An Exploration In Fiber Optic Sensors, Frederick Alexander Seng

Theses and Dissertations

With the rise of modern infrastructure and systems, testing and evaluation of specific components such as structural health monitoring is becoming increasingly important. Fiber optic sensors are ideal for testing and evaluating these systems due many advantages such as their lightweight, compact, and dielectric nature. This thesis presents a novel method for detecting electric fields in harsh environments with slab coupled optical sensors (SCOS) as well as a novel method for detecting strain gradients on a Hopkinson bar specimen using fiber Bragg gratings (FBG). Fiber optic electric field sensors are ideal for characterizing the electric field in many different systems. …


Trust In Automation: A Study Of Helicopter Pilot Perception On Enhanced Flight Vision Systems (Efvs), Nicholas Colby Currie Sep 2016

Trust In Automation: A Study Of Helicopter Pilot Perception On Enhanced Flight Vision Systems (Efvs), Nicholas Colby Currie

Theses and Dissertations

Trust in automation is a growing field of research that serves a vital role in understanding how humans interact with modern technology. Though automation is certainly becoming more prevalent in many professions, it has become a mainstay in the modern helicopter cockpit. One particular piece of modern aviation technology that incorporates a significant amount of automation is Enhance Flight Vision Systems (EFVS). EFVS technology provides pilots with a wealth of information that enables them to “see” under low visibility conditions, thereby increasing their situational awareness. Though the benefits of EFVS technology are easily recognizable, it is still an automated system …


Rapidscat Slice Spatial Response Function Contour Parameterization, John Clyde Niedfeldt Sep 2016

Rapidscat Slice Spatial Response Function Contour Parameterization, John Clyde Niedfeldt

Theses and Dissertations

The spatial response function (SRF) of the backscatter measurements for a radar scatterometer is often used in reconstruction. It has been found that in many cases the SRF can be approximated as a binary function that is 1 inside the - 6 dB contour of the SRF and 0 outside. This improves the computation speed of reconstruction. Computing the SRF contour can still be a lengthy computation, which can be simplified by precomputing and tabulating key SRF contours. The tabular parameterization for many spinning scatterometers, i.e., QuikSCAT, is straight-forward. For RapidSCAT, this estimation is more involved than other radars due …


Rapid Generation Of 3d Microchannels Using A Multiphoton Laser System In Blended Hydrogels To Serve As Templates For Microvascular Generation, Stephanie Renée Burtch Sep 2016

Rapid Generation Of 3d Microchannels Using A Multiphoton Laser System In Blended Hydrogels To Serve As Templates For Microvascular Generation, Stephanie Renée Burtch

Theses and Dissertations

Lack of scaffold microvascularization is one of the biggest problems facing graft survival and success within current tissue engineering applications. Fortunately, techniques aiming to form microchannels within three-dimensional scaffolds have shown promise in providing templates for tube-like cell formations. Unfortunately, many current patterning approaches are limited in the types of materials the technique can be applied to and lack the ability to form capillary-sized (<10 microns in diameter) networks. In this study, a multiphoton laser was used to create channels down to the micron level within an optically-clear hydrogel scaffold. Different percentages of poly (ethylene glycol) diacryate (PEGDA) and collagen were used to create different blends of hydrogels at 0%, 1%, 2%, and 3% collagen/PEGDA (w/w). Mechanical and transmittance testing were performed on all blends in order to determine which had optimal mechanical strength and optical clarity for laser subtractive printing. Swelling and degradation were measured to confirm the scaffolds served the tissue engineering requirement of eventual degradation. All gels with PEGDA incorporation showed an increase in mechanical stability and transparency when compared to pure collagen gels. Hydrogel blends showed resistance to degradation in phosphate-buffered saline, but appeared to exhibit collagen degradation in collagenase, although no statistical significance was seen. Cell viability tests within the hydrogels showed viability in cell-seeded hydrogels when compared to dead controls, although cells lacked some markers of healthy cells, such as spreading. In conclusion, results show that hydrogel blends provide a good matrix for subtractive optical micropatterning approaches, although other types of hydrogels may improve cell spreading and other cell responses.


Assessment Of The Correlation Between Memory Span Test Result And Attention Using A Wireless Eeg System, Yu Yu Sep 2016

Assessment Of The Correlation Between Memory Span Test Result And Attention Using A Wireless Eeg System, Yu Yu

Theses and Dissertations

The process to encode, retain and retrieve information is known as memory. Ever since models for short-term memory and working memory systems were proposed, the function and importance of the short-term memory and working memory systems have been explored by a number of studies which in part have examined factors which may affect memory capacity. Although there are many undetermined factors which may affect the result of these two different memory span test, recent studies have suggested a link between human mental condition and memory capacity. These studies show that the results of simple memory span tests are improved when …