Engineering Commons^™

The Calendar - May 1992, Nova University

The Calendar

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Acuta Enews May 1992, Vol. 21, No. 5

ACUTA Newsletters

In This Issue

Nominations for officers sought

President's column

AT&T opens development site

Northeast regional meeting

Review: 'Optical Fiber Communications' (2nd Edition), By Gerd Keiser, Bradley D. Duncan

Electro-Optics and Photonics Faculty Publications

If first impressions are worth anything (and they usually are), I would have to admit that my first impression of the second edition of Gerd Keiser's now popular text Optical Fiber Communications was quite good. My compliments are hereby extended to the publisher for choosing a rather handsome cover and dust jacket. It stands in strong contrast to the text's first edition, which still ranks as probably the ugliest book I own, with color choices ranging from dull cream and "baby" blue to pale pink! I am now happy to say that this older version has been discretely·retired to the …

A Survey Of Electronic Environmental Controllers, Richard S. Gates, Douglas G. Overhults, Larry W. Turner

Biosystems and Agricultural Engineering Faculty Publications

Sixteen commercially available electronic environmental controllers were evaluated. The units were classified according to enclosure type, analog versus microprocessor based control, power supply, sensors, alarms, control relays and triac output, interval timers, outside temperature feedback, and retail price. An assessment of these controllers indicated several critical limitations in the application of this technology.

The use of integrated controllers for animal production has the potential for substantial improvements in production efficiencies. If the limitations observed in the present controller technology, as represented by this sample, are addressed, industry acceptance of the technology can be accelerated. A uniform standard to address this …

Finite-Dimensional Approximations Of Unstable Infinite-Dimensional Systems, G. Gu, P. P. Khargonekar, E. B. Lee, Pradeep Misra

Electrical Engineering Faculty Publications

This paper studies approximation of possibly unstable linear time-invariant infinite-dimensional systems. The system transfer function is assumed to be continuous on the imaginary axis with finitely many poles in the open right half plane. A unified approach is proposed for rational approximations of such infinite-dimensional systems. A procedure is developed for constructing a sequence of finite-dimensional approximants, which converges to the given model in the L infinity norm under a mild frequency domain condition. It is noted that the proposed technique uses only the FFT and singular value decomposition algorithms for obtaining the approximations. Numerical examples are included to illustrate …

Sprinkler Irrigation-Pesticide Best Management Systems, A. Y. Ranjha, Richard C. Peralta, Robert W. Hill, A. M. Requena, Howard M. Deer, M. Ehteshami

Civil and Environmental Engineering Faculty Publications

The relative reduction in potential groundwater contamination due to pesticides at several sites in Utah was determined by comparing alternative irrigation system designs, water management practices, and pesticides. Alternative sprinkler irrigation distribution coefficients were used to estimate irrigation application depths. The movement of pesticides through soils following sprinkler irrigations was simulated with a one-dimensional model. Pesticide contamination of groundwater can be reduced by careful selection of pesticides, using properly designed irrigation systems, and improved water management techniques. Procedures for selecting an appropriate sprinkler system design and pesticide are presented. KEYWORDS. Pesticides, Leaching, Sprinkler irrigation, Irrigation depth, Irrigation system design, Soil, …

The Interaction Of System Structure, Index, And Numerical Stability In Classes Of Differential/Algebraic Systems, Mariesa Crow

Electrical and Computer Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Systems which are difficult to solve numerically have always been considered to be ill-conditioned and their analysis has been somewhat neglected. Recent advances in DAE theory have established that, although high-index DAE systems pose some interesting challenges, they are not the anathema they were once thought to be. This paper will present several examples of DAE systems which arise in power systems and non-linear circuit analysis and will discuss both the analytical and numerical challenges these systems pose.

Deterministic Approximations To Co-Production Problems With Service Constraints And Random Yields, Gabriel R. Bitran, Thin Yin Leong

Research Collection School Of Computing and Information Systems

Production planning problems where multiple item categories are produced simultaneously are examined. The items have random yields and are used to satisfy the demands of many products. These products have specification requirements that overlap. An item originally targeted to satisfy the demand of one product may be used to satisfy the demand of other products when it conforms to their specifications. Customers' demand must be satisfied from inventory. The problem is formulated with service constraints and a near-optimal solution is provided to the problem with a fixed planning horizon. Simple heuristics are proposed for the problem solved with a rolling …

A Parametric Investigation On Aeroelastic Behavior Of An Airfoil In Steady Flow, Edward J. Feltrop

Opportunities for Undergraduate Research Experience Program (OURE)

A parametric study is performed to investigate the influence of a number of aerodynamic, inertia and damping parameters upon the dynamic response of an elastically-supported rigid wing in steady flow. The dimensionless equations governing the vertical and angular motion of this wing are solved by an interactive computer program which facilitates the systematic analysis of the effects of changes in these parameters upon the dynamic response of the system. This investigation demonstrates the coupling of the vertical and angular motion of the wing, and illustrates the strong influence of damping, spring stiffness, initial spring deflection, and initial angular velocity upon …

Physical And Numerical Experiments On Flat Plate Boundary Layers, Scott A. Atterberry

Opportunities for Undergraduate Research Experience Program (OURE)

The results of an interactive computer program developed to predict the boundary layer flow over a flat plate with suction or injection are presented. The results include the solutions for the Blasius function and its derivatives, the velocity profiles, the shear stress distribution, and the temperature distribution. The program can be used for predicting steady, two-dimensional, laminar, viscous flow fields with temperature gradients.

A wind tunnel setup that can be used in addition to the computer program is described. The setup description includes a description of the flat plate, the wind tunnel test section, and the suction/injection unit. The experimental …

Border Detection Of Skin Tumor Images, Salman Akhtar

Opportunities for Undergraduate Research Experience Program (OURE)

Color border programs are used to try to obtain a border for skin tumors. A series of programs are used to obtain a color segmented image. This color segmented image can then be passed through a program that searches for the border, "Colborder. Simple”. Problems have occurred in trying to obtain the color segmented image. Normal images were used instead of the color segmented image as input to the color border detection program. The program was unsuccessful in finding the border.

Computer Software Control Of A Three-Joint Model Robot, John W. Fierke

Opportunities for Undergraduate Research Experience Program (OURE)

The general scope of the computer program to control a three-joint model robot is presented. Several existing and potential sources of difficulty are also mentioned. For all specific explanations the reader is referred to the thesis papers of Richard Wainwright and Eric Stelzer. This presentation merely adheres to the description of the software to control the robot using the existing information contained in these two papers.

The Simulation Of Tool Path Generation In Milling For Machining Processes, Rickey W. Jennings

Opportunities for Undergraduate Research Experience Program (OURE)

This paper is a report on the progress of this project to create a complete CAD/CAM system. The paper describes the introduction to the simulation package called Vericut. It also discusses the integration of the three packages: AutoCad version 11, PCAPT with APTGEN, and Vericut. The progress of the project to this point is only to the integration of the three packages. The paper also indicates the work which still needs to be completed. The key point of which is the menu system which is the final step in the project.

Static And Dynamic Testing Of Serpentine Belt Drive Tensioners, John W. Minor

Opportunities for Undergraduate Research Experience Program (OURE)

Serpentine belt drive tensioners are used in virtually every model of automobile produced today. Limited testing has been done to see how the tensioner performs under certain situations. In each case outside influences were either not accounted for or considered not to influence the way the tensioner performed in a given situation. By developing new ways of testing tensioners for static and dynamic characteristics separately, the influence each trait has on the performance of the tensioner can be exactly gauged.

Cyclodextrin Stationary Phases For The Gas-Solid Chromatographic Separation Of Hydrocarbons, Chris A. Monge

Opportunities for Undergraduate Research Experience Program (OURE)

Cyclodextrin, bonded to silica gel and used as a gas-solid chromatographic stationary phase provides a practical and efficient means for separating a wide variety of C₁-C₇ hydrocarbons at ambient to elevated temperatures. Conditioning the columns at high temperature (300°C) for several hours increased efficiency and resolution. The adsorption of these light hydrocarbons involves a multiple retention mechanism. Evaluation of the columns and an analogous silica gel column with hydrocarbon standards is reported. Capacity factors and chromatograms are presented for these GSC stationary phases.

Computer Modeling Of A Liquid Fuel Spray, Clement R. Goodin Jr.

Opportunities for Undergraduate Research Experience Program (OURE)

This project was designed to find an accurate and convenient method of computing fuel spray parameters. The project centers around an experimental setup which basically fires a laser beam through a fuel spray mist. A concentric ring detector then measures energy from the scattered light.

A computer code was written which solves a governing equation to give computed values of the energy from scattered light. Comparison of the experimental energy and the computed energy tells how well the fuel parameters of the computer model matches those of the real spray of the experiment. An iteration technique then manipulates the computer …

Calculation Of Neutron Flux And Neutron Radiation Dose In A Human Phantom, L. Alan Smith

Opportunities for Undergraduate Research Experience Program (OURE)

At present, the neutron dose received by personnel working in nuclear installations is recorded by body surface dosimeters worn by workers. To estimate the true neutron dose to internal organs, this ’surface dose” is multiplied by empirical factors to account for the attenuation of the body itself.

The objective of this work was to obtain better estimates of the internal dose by calculating the attenuation of the neutron flux provided by the body. Using DOT, a 2-D radiation transport code, the neutron flux as a function of energy was calculated at several points in a 2-D model of the human …

Behavior Of Composites For The Nasp Project, Robert B. Stone

Opportunities for Undergraduate Research Experience Program (OURE)

It is well known that ceramics are strong, highly heat resistant, refractory materials. Unfortunately, they are brittle and fail catastrophically. However, the strength as well as fracture toughness of ceramics can be greatly improved with the addition of continuous fibers, thus obtaining ceramic matrix composites (CMC). Normally the addition of aligned continuous fibers to a matrix degrades the transverse (the direction 90° to the fiber axes) properties while greatly improving the longitudinal properties. It has been shown that the addition of whiskers to a continuous fiber CMC will improve moduli and strength properties in both the transverse and longitudinal directions. …

Microcomputer Control Of A Model Robot System, David N. Ilges

Opportunities for Undergraduate Research Experience Program (OURE)

The project involved creating an interface board that would allow an I.B.M.- AT computer to control a model robotic system already in existence. The I.B.M.- AT computer was then to be programmed in Pascal such that the model robotic system could perform various path movements and functions. The interface board involved taking various digital outputs from the computer and converting them to analog control signals or use them to turn devices off and on. The interface board also would collect inputs from the robotic system and convert these analog values back to digital words.

Solution Of Divertor Magnetohydrodynamic Equilibria For The Study Of Alpha Particle Edge Transport In Fusion Plasmas, J. W. Schumer

Opportunities for Undergraduate Research Experience Program (OURE)

Removal of thermalized alpha particles from deuterium- tritium (D-T) fusion plasmas can be accomplished through the use of divertor magnetic fields if the magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) equilibria is well understood [1]. Modifying a MHD variational energy principle for poloidal flux surfaces described by �� = ��(ρ, θ) results in an inverse Fourier representation of the three-dimensional (3-D) equilibria solution. Application of the �� = ��(ρ, θ) flux profile allows transformation of the magnetic field into a non-singular coordinate system along the divertor separatrix [2] and therefore, analysis of different divertor schemes. Derivation of the coupled, non-linear differential equations follows [5] except …

A Heat Balance Program For A Nuclear Power Plant, Timothy C. Steadham

Opportunities for Undergraduate Research Experience Program (OURE)

In a coal fired power plant, the steam leaving the boiler can reach 1000 °F and 3000 psia; this state is superheated considerably. On the other hand, a nuclear power plant is not capable of reaching such conditions without compromising reactor safety and integrity. Therefore, the steam leaving the reactor might only be a few degrees superheated, and hence the steam leaving each turbine will be wet. Since wet steam will erode turbine blades very quickly, devices must be placed between turbines to separate the steam into saturated vapor and saturated liquid. The steam is routed through the next turbine …

Thermally Induced Stresses In Micro-Chip Mounting Devices, K. J. Mikulcik

Opportunities for Undergraduate Research Experience Program (OURE)

Microchip thermal stress due to the temperature change related to the mounting of a chip to its lead frame was investigated by moire interferometry. Large scale models were made, and the problems of applying a grating to this model at high temperature were addressed without success. Further possibilities, however, remain to be attempted. Moire interferometry was successfully used at room temperature by examining mechanically relieved residual stresses. The results agreed with an analytical approach to stress analysis and also to a finite element analysis. A practical solution to the problem of peeling was found.

Instant Centers Of Velocity In A Kinematically Intelligent Blackboard Environment, R. Jeff Fensterman

Opportunities for Undergraduate Research Experience Program (OURE)

This project was part of a continuing expansion of a graphical software environment called "Skimp”, originally developed by Dr. J. K. Nisbett.[l] The final version of this software package will allow the kinematic concepts of an introductory machine dynamics class to be taught exclusively on a blackboard sized projected computer screen. This software package will be used as a teaching aid in the classroom as well as a tutorial for students outside the classroom.

The scope of this project was limited to the concept of instant centers of velocity. This portion is a subroutine accessible during the regular execution of …

Implementation Of T1545 In Air Pressure Control, Kenneth D. Kangas

Opportunities for Undergraduate Research Experience Program (OURE)

The Texas Instruments Model 545 programmable logic controller is used to control the air pressure in a heating/ventilation simulator designed and built for a classroom experiment station. Through the use of the PLC's built-in PID algorithm, the pressure in the duct was controlled to within a 2% tolerance and over 72% of the sensor range for a load setting of 10%. The theory of PID controllers and their application to this problem are discussed. Also, the configuration of the simulator, and plans for future work are described.

Development Of An Experimental System For Steady And Unsteady Aerodynamic Testing, Jacopo Frigerio

Opportunities for Undergraduate Research Experience Program (OURE)

This paper discusses the design and development of a new experimental system designed to produce a variety of steady and unsteady flows. Accelerating, decelerating and oscillating flows over lifting surfaces are primary examples of the unsteady flow configurations that can be generated. Also this report presents details of preliminary tests performed to determine the performance of this system. These include quantitative and qualitative testing on two-dimensional and three-dimensional flow configurations.

Stimulation Of Amorphizing Reactions In Co-Si Multi-Layers, Jeanne K. Jackson

Opportunities for Undergraduate Research Experience Program (OURE)

Co-Si multi-layer specimens do not normally amorphize. To possibly stimulate amorphization, Ti was added by evaporation and the specimens were annealed at 300 and 400 degrees Celsius. The results showed that amorphization occurred at 400 degrees Celsius in the presence of Ti, but did not occur at 300 degrees Celsius. Further research would be necessary to conclude whether the amorphization was stimulated by the addition of Ti or the temperature increase.

Development Of Software For Detecting Certain Key Features In Skin Tumor Images, Dana M. Brewer

Opportunities for Undergraduate Research Experience Program (OURE)

The goal of Dermvis is to develop a microprocessor-based system that will economically and clearly identify a skin tumor area and type. Dermvis is subdivided into various segments. This segment includes developing software, digitizing images, and manually defining borders in images. Manually drawing borders for digitized images creates bit-maps for average color analysis. Software is developed for determining the average color of the tumor and the surrounding tissue. Batch processing allows images to be analyzed in mass.

Robotics Development And Design: Optical And Computer Controls, David E. Brown

Opportunities for Undergraduate Research Experience Program (OURE)

In industry today, the use of robotic systems is growing. They can be found in many diverse applications including washing dishes, assembling automobiles and carrying explosives. With such a wide range of applications, robotic systems are a very important division of engineering.

Designing such systems requires an interaction between different disciplines of engineering. In the work world, engineers are required to interrelate with other engineers of differing disciplines and backgrounds. This research was designed to implement this type of partnership and develop a project that required the knowledge of an electrical, a mechanical and a computer science engineer.

Using the …

Stiffness Change Effects On Structure Control Systems, R. J. Falkenrath

Opportunities for Undergraduate Research Experience Program (OURE)

This paper contains the results of a computer analysis performed on a two-dimensional model structure, in which the structure response was found under dynamic loading conditions. A structural dynamics program (BASIC) was modified to perform its analysis on a two-dimensional structure with a control system modelled into it. The modified program was then used to determine whether a change in the stiffness of the structure would cause the control algorithm to be ineffective for the structure. In light of the limited scope of the analysis (two-dimensional model with constant applied force on one story), the results indicate that a control …

Thermal Buckling Of Composite Tubes, S. Fulkerson

Opportunities for Undergraduate Research Experience Program (OURE)

The object was to design and initiate the use of a fixture capable of testing for pre-buckling deflections in a composite tube under thermal loading. The fixture is to be used on a continuing basis to test three types of composites: (1) glass/epoxy, (2) Kevlar/epoxy, and (3) graphite/epoxy. The course of action chosen was to adapt a fixture designed by Tim Streb and Steve Fulkerson in the spring of 1991. The fixture was completed, and one test was performed. An added responsibility was to initiate a course of action such that the volumetric percentage of fiber in the composite may …