Engineering Commons^™

A Portable Photovoltaic Water Aeration System, Florida Solar Energy Center, William Young

FSEC Energy Research Center®

Water aeration is a method to improve the water quality in a lake by adding oxygen to the water. Because water aeration systems are often located in remote locations, photovoltaics are ideal for powering these systems. This paper describes a water aeration system powered by photovoltaics that is used in Florida. The portable nature of this system permits the owner to conveniently relocate the system and aerate bodies of water as needed.

Statistical Continuum Theory For Inelastic Behavior Of A Two-Phase Medium, Brent L. Adams, H. Garmestani, S. Lin

Faculty Publications

This work was supported in part (B.L. Adams) by the MRSEC Program of the National Science Foundation under Award no. DMR-9632556. Further support was provided by the Center for Materials Research and Technology (MARTECH at FSU) and Center for Nonlinear and Nonequilibrium Sciences (CENNAS at FAMU). A statistical contiuum mechanics formulation is presented to predict the inelastic behavior of a medium consisting of two isotropic phases. The phase distribution and morphology are represented by a two-point probability function. The isotropic behavior of the single phase medium is represented by a power law relationship between the strain rate and the resolved …

Development And Experimental Verification Of A Three-Dimensional Model Of Left Ventricular Flow Dynamics, Tong Ding

FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Ischemic heart disease, which results from the insufficient coronary artery blood flow is a leading cause of mortality in developed countries. It manifests itself by abnormal left ventricular wall motion during systole.

A three dimensional numerical model was developed to simulate the flow patterns in the left ventricle. Numerical solutions were obtained by discretizing the Navier-Stokes equations for viscous, incompressible, steady flow using finite element method.

A diagnostic index Central Ejection Region (CER) as well as its quantitative version CER coefficient which are based on the flow patterns were defined as the region in which velocity vectors were aligned 5 …

Measured Energy Savings Of A Comprehensive Retrofit In An Existing Florida Residence, Florida Solar Energy Center, Charles Withers, Jr.

FSEC Energy Research Center®

Simulation analysis suggests that electricity consumption can be reduced up to 40% in existing Florida homes with judicious use of methods to reduce loads, as well as more efficient equipment. To test this theory, an all-electric home was located in Miami, Florida upon which to perform a variety of retrofits. The total annual electricity consumption in the one year base-line period preceding the study was 20,733 kWh. Although high, this is not unusual for a South Florida home with a swimming pool since pool pumping often accounts 3,000 -4,000 kWh per year. Detailed instrumentation and metering equipment was installed in …

Energy Needs During Disasters: Workshop Summary Report, Florida Solar Energy Center, Gerard Ventre

FSEC Energy Research Center®

When natural disasters, such as hurricanes, earthquakes and floods, occur, thousands of people can be left without homes, electrical power, communications, potable water, and food storage capabilities. Adequate electrical power is imperative for both disaster relief operations and community rebuilding. However, the disaster may have disrupted the commercial power supply to a community, requiring disaster relief agencies to rely on alternative sources of power. Photovoltaic-powered equipment provides electrical power which is renewable, quiet, and safe, and which can be used for many essentials of disaster relief efforts, such as refrigeration, communications and lighting. However, at present, photovoltaic (PV) technology is …

Tractor Test Museum Commttee Minutes November 19th, 1997, Tractor Museum

Lester F. Larsen Tractor Museum: Planning and Development Documents

Update on Roof Progress Big Red Club State Fair Project

Pv Powering A Weather Station For Severe Weather, Florida Solar Energy Center, William Young

FSEC Energy Research Center®

A natural disaster, such as Hurricane Andrew, destroys thousands of homes and businesses. The destruction from this storm left thousands of people without communications, potable water, and electric power. This prompted the Florida Solar Energy Center to study the application of solar electric power for use in disasters.

During this same period, volunteers at the Tropical Prediction Center at the National Hurricane Center (NHC) and the Miami Office of the National Weather Service (NWS) were working to increase the quantity and quality of observations received from home weather stations.

Many weather data collecting stations are at remote sites, which are …

Extracting The Relative Grain Boundary Free Energy And Mobility Functions From The Geometry Of Microstructures, Brent L. Adams, D. Kinderlehrer, W. W. Mullins, Anthony D. Rollett, Shlomo Ta'asan

Faculty Publications

This work was supported primarily by the MRSEC Program of the National Science Foundation under Award Number DMR-9632556. This paper describes a method for extracting, from measurements of a polycrystal, the relative excess free energy and the relative mobility of the grain boundaries as functions of the crystallographic type (five degrees of freedom) and relevant thermodynamic variables. The method requires the simultaneous measurement of both the geometry and the crystallography of a large number of grain boundary intersections; the crystallographic information may be obtained from orientation imaging microscopy (OIM). For simplicity, the intersections will be assumed to be triple junctions …

Robotic Tcf And Rigid-Body Calibration Methods, Edward Red, Xuguang Wang

Faculty Publications

For off-line programming to work, systematic methods must be developed to account for non-ideal performance of the parts and devices in the manufacturing cell. Although much of the literature focuses on robot inaccuracy, this paper considers practical methods for the tool control frame (TCF) calibration and rigid-body compensation required to close the inverse kinematics loop for target driven tasks.

Nonlinear Optimal Control Of A Hydraulically Actuated Positioning System, Timothy Mclain, Randal W. Beard

Faculty Publications

In this paper, the nonlinear optimal control problem is formulated for the position control of an electrohydraulic servo system. The optimal control is given by the solution to the Hamilton-Jacobi-Bellman equation, which in this case cannot be solved explicitly. An alternative method, based upon successive Galerkin approximation, is used to obtain an approximate optimal solution. Preliminary simulation results, demonstrating the application of this approach to the position control of a hydraulically actuated device, are presented.

Method And Apparatus For Transferring A Person, Donald J. Smith Jr., Patrick J. Atkinson, Melissa L. Evans, Shawn P. Londo, William J. Ryan

Mechanical Engineering Patents

A method and vehicle preferably a wheelchair (10) for transporting and transferring an invalid person is described. The wheelchair has first and second frames (12 and 48) with drive wheels (18) between which is provided a chair (82) or support (83). The first frame has top and bottom sliding mechanisms (34 and 36) which are mounted by I-beam extensions (38 and 40) to the bars (24 and 26) of the first frame. The second frame has top and bottom rails (54 and 56) which are slidably connected to the sliding mechanisms of the first frame. The rails have slots (78) …

Demonstration Of Cooling Savings Of Light Colored Roof Surfacing In Florida Commercial Buildings: Retail Strip Mall, Florida Solar Energy Center, Danny Parker

FSEC Energy Research Center®

A series of tests were conducted in seven retail shops in a strip mall in Cocoa, Florida to examine how roof whitening would impact air conditioning load. The roof of the strip mall was conventional: unsurfaced galvanized corrugated metal with R-11 insulation suspended by purlins underneath. Below the insulation was the roof plenum which contained both the air handler and duct air distribution system. Cooling was accomplished in each shop by a dedicated direct expansion air conditioning (AC) system between 3 and 4 tons in size. Each had its air conditioning metered for half of the summer in a baseline …

Electrode Performance Test On Single Ceramic Fuel Cells Using As Electrolyte Sr‐ And Mg‐Doped Lagao3, Kevin Huang, Man Feng, John B. Goodenough, Christopher Milliken

Faculty Publications

The electrode performance of a single solid oxide fuel cell was evaluated using a 500 μm thick La_0.9Sr_0.1Ga_0.8Mg_0.2O_2.85 (LSGM) as the electrolyte membrane. Comparison of La_0.6Sr_0.4CoO_3-δ (LSCo) and La_0.9Sr_0.1MnO₃ (LSM) as cathodes showed LSCo gave an exchange current density two orders of magnitude higher than that of LSM. Comparison of CeO₂/Ni and LSGM/Ni as anodes showed a degradation of the latter with time, and studies of the anode‐electrolyte interface and the reactivity of NiO and LSGM suggest better anode …

Photovoltaic Equipment For Disaster Relief, Florida Solar Energy Center, William Young

FSEC Energy Research Center®

Photovoltaic (solar electricity) has been used to power various equipment used in disasters. Previously, no organized program had used photovoltaic powered equipment in disasters. In response to an energy needs study with disaster relief organizations, Sandia National Laboratories for the U.S. Department of Energy sponsored the Florida Solar Energy Center to provide PV equipment to selected disaster relief organizations and evaluate its performance and acceptability. The purpose of the report is to describe the six PV-powered systems that were provided.

Optimization Of Microstructure Development During Hot Working Using Control Theory, James C. Malas Iii, W. Garth Frazier, S. Venugopal, Enrique A. Medina, Steven Madeiros, Raghavan Srinivasan, R. Dennis Irwin, W. M. Mullins, Anil Chaudhary

Mechanical and Materials Engineering Faculty Publications

A new approach for controlling microstructure development during hot working processes is proposed. This approach is based on optimal control theory and involves state-space type models for describing the material behavior and the mechanics of the process. The effect of process control parameters such as strain, strain rate, and temperature on important microstructural features can be systematically formulated and then solved as an optimal control problem. This method has been applied to the optimization of grain size and process parameters such as die geometry and ram velocity during the extrusion of plain carbon steel. Experimental results of this investigation show …

Controlling Ventilation And Space Depressurization Inrestaurants Inhot And Humid Climates, Florida Solar Energy Center, Charles Withers, Jr.

FSEC Energy Research Center®

Testing was performed in 9 restaurants to identify uncontrolled air flows and pressure imbalances, building and duct system airtightness, building air barrier location, pressure differentials, building air flow balance, and ventilation rates. All restaurants are depressurized under normal operating conditions, ranging from -1.0 to -43 pascals. Space depressurization is a function of exhaust fan flow rates, missing or undersized make-up air, intermittent outdoor air caused by the cycling of air handlers, dirty outdoor air and make-up air filters, and building airtightness. Ventilation rates were found to be high, generally exceeding ASHRAE 62-1989 minimum recommended levels. Pressure imbalances and excessive ventilation …

High-Frequency Response Of Atomic-Force Microscope Cantilevers, Joseph A. Turner, Sigrun Hirsekorn, Ute Rabe, Walter Arnold

Department of Engineering Mechanics: Faculty Publications

Recent advances in atomic-force microscopy have moved beyond the original quasistatic implementation into a fully dynamic regime in which the atomic-force microscope cantilever is in contact with an insonified sample. The resulting dynamical system is complex and highly nonlinear. Simplification of this problem is often realized by modeling the cantilever as a one degree of freedom system. This type of first-mode approximation (FMA), or point-mass model, has been successful in advancing material property measurement techniques. The limits and validity of such an approximation have not, however, been fully addressed. In this article, the complete flexural beam equation is examined and …

Moving Mountains With Good Research - A Case Study, Florida Solar Energy Center, Ross Mccluney

FSEC Energy Research Center®

Mountains can be moved by good ideas based on good research. A wonderful example comes to us from, of all things, the Naval Facilities Command (NAVFAC), headquartered in Washington, DC. This agency of the Department of Defense is responsible for some $5 billion per year in new and retrofit construction, with naval facilities all over the globe. The federal government alone is responsible for $50 billion per year of construction, which Terry Emmons of NAVFAC claims is half of total U.S. construction. It seems that the Navy has 120,000 buildings around the world, some buildings, or groupings, are the size …

Batteries And Charge Control In Stand-Alone Photovoltaic Systems, Florida Solar Energy Center, James Dunlop

FSEC Energy Research Center®

This report presents fundamentals of battery technology and charge control strategies commonly used in stand-alone photovoltaic (PV) systems. This work is a compilation of information from several sources, including PV system design manuals, research reports and data from component manufacturers.

Details are provided about the common types of flooded lead-acid, valve regulated lead-acid, and nickel cadmium cells used in PV systems, including their design and construction, electrochemistry and operational performance characteristics. Comparisons are given for various battery technologies, and considerations for battery subsystem design, auxiliary systems, maintenance and safety are discussed.

Requirements for battery charge control in stand-alone PV systems …

Needs Assessment For Applying Photovoltaics To Disaster Relief, Florida Solar Energy Center, William Young

FSEC Energy Research Center®

When disaster strikes, such as a hurricane, flood, tornado, or earthquake, it can leave many people without adequate medical services, portable water, electrical service and communications. It can be as destructive as Hurricane Andrew, which left several hundred-thousand people homeless. Those fortunate enough to survive the disaster could be without local utility power and other services for long periods of time as services are restored.

When such disasters occur, emergency management teams, the military, and many public and private organizations respond with massive relief efforts. Dependency on electrical utility power becomes pronounced as emergency services are rendered and rebuilding begins. …

Energy Efficiency For Florida Educational Facilities: The 1996 Energy Survey Of Florida Schools, Florida Solar Energy Center, Danny Parker

FSEC Energy Research Center®

A detailed survey of energy use and related physical and operational characteristics of Florida's public schools has been completed. A mailed survey instrument was sent to all 2,512 schools throughout the state in March 1996. A total of 1,298 surveys were returned -- a response rate of approximately 52%. Of these some 680 provided matching utility data. The survey data was analyzed to create a school energy use profile as well as to identify characteristics that may influence efficiency. Based on our findings, the total annual energy cost for the Florida school system totaled $205 million in 1995. As shown …

The Effect Of Residential Equipment Capacity On Energy Use, Demand, And Run-Time, Florida Solar Energy Center, Jo Ellen Cummings

FSEC Energy Research Center®

Installed central air conditioning system capacities in 368 recently-built Florida homes were compared with Manual J load values calculated from house audit data. Over 50% of the homes had installed systems with a cooling capacity greater than 120% of the calculated Manual J value. Thirty-one percent of the 78 heat pump homes in this study had installed heating capacity greater than 120% of the calculated Manual J value. Using submetered data from the air conditioning system, a definite increase in peak energy use was observed for systems sized over 120% of Manual J calculations. The effect of system sizing on …

Photovoltaic System Design Course For Savannah State College: Course Evaluation, Florida Solar Energy Center, Gerard Ventre

FSEC Energy Research Center®

This report describes the evaluation of a course entitles Photovoltaic System Design (PVSD), which was presented by the Florida Solar Energy Center (FSEC) to faculty members of Savannah State University (SSU). This distance education (DE) course was delivered via a two-way audio/video delivery system from FSEC to SSU. This course evaluation report is included as one of the deliverables in a contract awarded to SSU and FSEC as part of the Advanced Communications Technologies Satellite research project sponsored by the NASA Lewis Research Center, Cleveland, Ohio.

Development Of A Mechatronics Design Studio, Sema E. Alptekin

Industrial and Manufacturing Engineering

Mechatronics is a combination of mechanics, electronics and information technology intended to raise the intelligence level and flexibility of products and devices. There is a need to develop programs and laboratories in Mechatronics to create an understanding of how new technologies influence the traditional methods of designing products and manufacturing systems. A model "Mechatronics Design Studio" has recently been developed to support the Mechatronics and Manufacturing Automation courses offered at Cal Poly's Industrial and Manufacturing Engineering Department. Laboratory experiments have been developed and several student projects have been completed. In this paper, an overview of the design studio and select …

Mechatronics Engineering Laboratory Development At San Jose State University, J. Wang, Burford Furman, T. Hsu, P. Hsu, P. Reischl, Freidoon Barez

Faculty Publications, Mechanical Engineering

The Mechanical Engineering Department of San Jose State University has been developing a new mechatronics engineering laboratory since Fall 1995. This laboratory is intended to provide engineering students on the application of electronics, microprocessors and software in designing electro-mechanical systems, mechatronics products and process control systems. The laboratory development is a principal part of an award for “Undergraduate Curriculum Development on Mechatronics System Engineering” by the division of undergraduate education of the National Science Foundation (NSF). Major task of the new laboratory is to support instruction and provide hands-on study of two of the five new courses: ME106 Fundamentals of …

Impact Of Evaporator Coil Air Flow In Residential Air Conditioning Systems, Florida Solar Energy Center, Danny Parker

FSEC Energy Research Center®

The performance of conventional split system residential air conditioners is highly dependent on adequate air flow across the evaporator coil. Sufficient air flow is necessary to achieve a proper balance between sensible and latent cooling capacity. Typical target air flow rates are approximately 350 - 450 cubic feet per minute per ton (581 - 747 L/S per kW) of cooling capacity. The authors have measured the air flow across the coil in 27 installations in Florida. Both flow hood and strip heat resistance methods were used to measure air flow with an established protocol. The installations measured ranged in capacity …

Fostering Strong Interactions Between Industry And Academia, T. R. Kurfess, Mark L. Nagurka

Mechanical Engineering Faculty Research and Publications

This paper highlights a number of key issues in the development and execution of joint university-industry engineering projects. Government funding reductions have lead to decreased support of university research and economic forces have driven corporations to reduce or eliminate internal R&D centers. These are two driving factors behind the renewed ties between universities and industries. In developing a plan for a joint research project and when working together towards its solution, both sides need to be cognizant of their respective roles to ensure a successful partnership.

Tractor Test Museum Commttee Minutes May 20th, 1997, Tractor Museum

Lester F. Larsen Tractor Museum: Planning and Development Documents

Officer Elections Foundation Funds State Fair Discussions

Solar Water Heating: A Question And Answer Primer, Florida Solar Energy Center, David Block

FSEC Energy Research Center®

Solar water heating is a technology that every homeowner can use to save dollars on utility bills. Questions most frequently addressed to the Florida Solar Energy Center (FSEC) about solar water heating are answered below. Please note that many replies are general and more explanation may be required for those with individual questions. For additional information, contact the FSEC

Solar Water Heating Options In Florida, Florida Solar Energy Center, John Harrison

FSEC Energy Research Center®

This document is intended to acquaint Florida's general public with typical methods of heating household water by means of the sun. The types of solar systems discussed are pumped (both direct and indirect), thermosiphon and integral collector storage.