Engineering Commons^™

Dendrite Tip Radii In Directionally Solidified Pb-8.4-Atmospheric-Percent-Au, Surendra N. Tewari

Chemical & Biomedical Engineering Faculty Publications

The cell/dendrite tip radii in directionally solidified Pb-8.4at.%Au have been investigated as a function of the growth speed and thermal gradient in the liquid at the tip. Dendrite growth models are not able to predict quantitatively the tip radii and tip compositions separately because of the occurrence of thermosolutal convection during growth. However, the relationship between the destabilizing solutal gradient, the stabilizing thermal gradient and the capillarity at the tip assumed using the ''marginal stability'' criterion is supported by the experimental data.

Evaluation Of Geocomposite Pavement Panel Drains Installed In A Sand Backfill Under Revised Installation Specification, L. John Fleckenstein, David L. Allen

Kentucky Transportation Center Research Report

Prior to 1989, highway edge drains were backfilled with the existing trench material and dynamically compacted with a tamping shoe. The net result was damage to the inner core of the edge drain.

In response to these problems the installation specification was revised in 1989 to insure the integrity of the drainage system. The revised method of installation consisted of moving the panel to the shoulder side of the trench and then flushing a sand slurry into the trench for backfill. Flushing the sand eliminates the need for mechanical compaction.

Since 1989, two projects have been completed using the revised …

Performance Evaluations Of Crushed Sandstone Aggregates In Bituminous Bases (Data Appendix To Report Ktc-90-26), David Q. Hunsucker, R. Clark Graves

Kentucky Transportation Center Research Report

The principal objective of the research effort was to develop historical performance data for bituminous sandstone pavements and bituminous limestone pavements relative to visual distress, pavement rutting characteristics, and structural condition using deflection measurements. Data relative to Road Rater deflections, pavement rutting, condition ratings based on subjective visual surveys and objective data such as skid resistance and rideability, were collected and analyzed during the course of the study and reported herein for the routes investigated.

It was concluded, based upon information gained during the evaluation period and presented in this report, that pavements constructed with bituminous sandstone bases do not …

A Multi-Scale Approach For Recognizing Complex Annotations In Engineering Documents., Andrew Francis Laine, William Ball, Arun Kumar

All Computer Science and Engineering Research

This paper describes a novel method of character recognition targeted for extracting complex annotations found in engineering documents. The results of this work will make it possible to capture the information contained in documents used to support facilities management and manufacturing. The recognition problem is made difficult in part because characters and text may be expressed in arbitrary fonts and orientations. Our approach includes a novel incremental strategy based on the multi-scale representation of wavelet decompositions. Our approach is motivated by biological mechanisms of the human visual systems. Using wavelets as a set of basis functions, we may decompose an …

Comparison Of Digital Controllers Used In Magnetic Suspension And Balance Systems, William A. Kilgore

Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering Faculty Publications

Dynamic systems that were once controlled by analog circuits are now controlled by digital computers. Presented is a comparison of the digital controllers presently used with magnetic suspension and balance systems. The overall responses of the systems are compared using a computer simulation of the magnetic suspension and balance system and the digital controllers. The comparisons include responses to both simulated force and position inputs. A preferred digital controller is determined from the simulated responses.

Lake Mead Nutrient Enhancement Project, Peter D. Vaux, Larry J. Paulson, Nevada Department Of Wildlife, National Oceanic And Atmospheric Administration

Publications (WR)

The Lake Mead Fertilization Project is a research program designed to investigate the potential for using large-scale artificial fertilization to enhance the game fisheries of this reservoir through an increase in the population of threadfin shad, the system's primary forage species. A substantial decline in the population of largemouth bass, together with poor condition of adult striped bass, are the two major issues affecting the Lake Mead game fisheries. Both issues have been hypothesized to be a result of an inadequate amount of forage in the reservoir. Previous studies have in turn suggested that a major factor limiting the shad …

Oscillation Frequency In High-Gain Lasers, Lee W. Casperson

Electrical and Computer Engineering Faculty Publications and Presentations

The calculation of the oscillation frequency of a single-mode laser oscillator is examined systematically. Mode-pulling formulas are developed for a variety of laser systems, and the limitations of a standard approximation are explored.

The Waveform Relaxation Method For Systems Of Differential/Algebraic Equations, Marija D. Ilić, Mariesa Crow

Electrical and Computer Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

An extension of the waveform relaxation (WR) algorithm to systems of differential/algebraic equations (DAE) is presented. Although this type of application has been explored earlier in relation to VLSI circuits, the algorithm has not been generalized to include the vast array of DAE system structures. The solvability and convergence requirements of the WR algorithm for higher-index systems are established. Many systems in robotics and control applications are modeled with DAE systems having an index greater than two. Computer simulation of these systems has been hampered by numerical integration methods which perform poorly and must be explicitly tailored to the system. …

Microwave Nondestructive Detection And Evaluation Of Disbonding And Delamination In Layered-Dielectric Slabs, R. Zoughi, Sasan Bakhtiari

Electrical and Computer Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

A microwave nondestructive technique for detection and evaluation of disbonding and delamination in layered-dielectric-slabs backed by a conducting plate is discussed. The theoretical development begins by considering an incident wave illuminating such a medium and then formulating the characteristics of the wave reflected by the metal plate. An effective reflection coefficient is determined in this way whose phase characteristics are used in the detection and evaluation of delaminations in the media. The characteristics of this phase as a function of several parameters such as delamination dielectric constant and thickness, slab dielectric constant, and thickness and the frequency of operation are …

Characterization Of Sige/Si Heterostructures Formed By Ge+ And C+ Implantation, Akira Fukami, Ken-Ichi Shoji, Takahiro Nagano, Cary Y. Yang

Electrical and Computer Engineering

Formation of SiGe/Si heterostructures by germanium ion implantation was investigated. A germanium‐implanted layer was grown epitaxially in the solid phase by thermal annealing. Two kinds of crystalline defects were observed. One is a misfit dislocation, and the other is a residual dislocation caused by ion bombardment. The p‐n junction formed in the SiGe layer has a leakage current three orders of magnitude larger than that of a pure Si p‐n junction fabricated with an identical process except for the Ge+ implantation. Carbon doping in the SiGe layer improves its crystalline quality and the junction characteristics.

Radon Pressure Differential Project; Phase Ii Infiltration, Florida Solar Energy Center, James Cummings

FSEC Energy Research Center®

Testing has been done on 50 central Florida homes to assess and characterize house infiltration rates in new (age five years or less) Florida homes. These 50 were drawn randomly from a sample of 70 homes which had been previously tested to determine house airtightness, air distribution system leakage, and pressure differentials. The 50 homes had an average airtightness of 7.31 air changes per hour at 50 Pascals (ACH50). Significant leaks were found in the ductwork in a majority of homes tested, both on the supply and return sides of the air handler. When the air distribution system was sealed …

Radon Pressure Differential Project, Phase I, Florida Solar Energy Center, James Cummings

FSEC Energy Research Center®

Testing has been done on 70 central Florida homes to assess and characterize pressure differentials in new (age five years or less) Florida homes. Blower door testing was done to determine house airtightness and air distribution system leakage. The 70 homes had an average airtightness of 7.23 air changes per hour at 50 Pascals (ACH50). Significant leaks were found in the ductwork in a majority of homes tested, both on the supply and return sides of the air handler. When the air distribution system was sealed off, house ACH50 decreased to 6.42, indicating that 11.2% of the house leak area …

Segment Streaming For Efficient Pipelined Televisualization, Fengmin Gong

All Computer Science and Engineering Research

The importance of scientific visualization for both science and engineering endeavors has been well recognized. Televisualization becomes necessary because of the physical distribution of data, computation resources, and users involved in the visualization process. However, televisualization poses a number of challenges to the designers of communication protocols. A pipelined televisualization (PTV) model is proposed for efficient implementation of a class of visualization applications. Central to the proposed research is the development of a segment of streaming IPC (interprocess communication) mechanism in support of efficient pipelining across very high speed internetworks. This requires exploration of special issues arising from extending a …

Advanced Space Design Program, William W. Durgin, Francis C. Lutz

Office of the Provost Scholarship

Worcester Polytechnic Institute's Advanced Space Design (ASD) Program provides project-based design experiences that combine a highly motivating, need-to-know experience with an integrative capstone design that draws on the know-how of practitioners in the profession. Mechanical engineering students work with their counterparts in electrical, chemical, and civil engineering to develop integrated packages of experiments to be conducted in the micro-gravity environment of space.

Acuta Enews November 1990, Vol. 19, No. 11

ACUTA Newsletters

In This Issue

Election of Directors

ICA backs universities

Vendor Liaison

An end to phone tag

Party Line

Hawaii air fares locked in

Design Of Automotive Structural Components Using High Strength Sheet Steels Structural Strength Of Cold-Formed Steel Members Under Dynamic Loads, Chi-Ling Pan, Wei-Wen Yu

CCFSS Library (1939 - present)

INTRODUCTION During recent years, more economic and lighter vehicles have been produced by automotive manufacturers because of the high cost of fuel. High strength sheet steels have been favorably used to accomplish the construction of such automobiles. One source of the design information for using sheet steels is provided in the AISI Automotive Steel Design Manual 1. In view of the fact that material properties and stress-strain relationships of sheet steels can be influenced by the strain rate, the material properties of three different sheet steels (35XF, 50XF, and 100XF) have been studied at University of Missouri-Rolla. This study involved …

The Calendar - November 1990, Nova University

The Calendar

No abstract provided.

Elliptical Combing Motion For Harvesting Bell Peppers, J. H. Wilhoit, George A. Duncan, Larry G. Wells

Biosystems and Agricultural Engineering Faculty Publications

A new concept for mechanically harvesting bell peppers, intended specifically for multiple-pass harvesting, utilized spaced horizontal fingers combing vertically upward through plant foliage in an elliptical path alternating from both sides of the row. An apparatus based on this concept was designed and built, and harvest tests were conducted to determine the effect of two main machine operating parameters, vertical picking speed and disk angle. Harvesting performance was evaluated in terms of harvest efficiency, fruit damage, and plant damage as it related to multiple-pass harvesting. Fruit removal, both harvestable size and immature, increased significantly as vertical picking speed increased. Branch …

Hydraulic Characteristics Of Rills, John E. Gilley, E. R. Kottwitz, J. R. Simanton

Department of Agricultural and Biological Systems Engineering: Faculty Publications

Rill density and rill flow rates were determined during rainfall simulation tests conducted at 11 sites located throughout the eastern United States. A mean rill density of 1.0 rills/m was found for the study locations. From measurements of the relative distribution of flow rates, a procedure is identified for partitioning flow between individual rills.

Regression equations were developed for relating rill width and hydraulic roughness coefficients to flow rate. Equations were also derived for predicting mean flow velocity from visually determined measurements of advance velocity. Information reported in this study can be used to estimate hydraulic characteristics of rills.

Ridge Plant Systems: Fertility, Richard B. Ferguson, Charles A. Shapiro, Elbert C. Dickey, Gary W. Hergert

Department of Agricultural and Biological Systems Engineering: Faculty Publications

The Soil Sample

The starting point for any fertilizer program, regardless of the tillage system, is obtaining a representative soil sample. Without knowing which nutrients are needed, the questions of what fertilizer and how much to apply become irrelevant. Two types of soil samples should be obtained: the traditional, zero to 8-inch sample for general fertility (pH, phosphorus, potassium, organic matter, etc.) and deep, subsoil samples for nitrate. Subsoil samples for nitrate should be taken to a depth of at least 3 feet.

The problem of how to obtain a representative soil sample is particularly relevant in ridge-tilled fields. On …

Fracture Toughening Of High Pressure Sintered Diamond And Carbide Ceramics, P. D. Ownby

Materials Science and Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

High pressure sintered bodies of polycrystalline diamond or carbide ceramics are rendered more resistant to cracking by establishing dispersed, localized "stress centers" of submicron size particles of lonsdaleite, diamond, or other form of metastable, high density carbon which has the capability of transforming crystallographically to graphite in situ in the body. When an incipient crack in the body approaches entrapped metastable particles along its path, the crack promotes or permits transformation of the metastable particles to graphite particles, with concomitant increase in their size, thereby resisting further propagation of the crack.

An Assessment Of Just-In-Time Manufacturing, Ronald E. O'Meara

Graduate Research Papers

Manufacturing of materials into useable products has changed dramatically since the Industrial Revolution. The United States dominated the manufacturing arena until the early 1970s. After that period, efforts of global competitors in such areas as quality control and productivity, started to surpass the efforts made by the United Stated in these same areas. For the first time, U.S. manufacturers started sensing the pressure of competition. The United Stated is using its competitive advantage over other nations in the manufacturing segment. Part of this loss is a result of the way the U.S. manufacturers are conducting their business. A larger part …

1990scholars And Artists Bibliography, Michael Schwartz Library, Cleveland State University, Friends Of The Michael Schwartz Library

Scholars and Artists Bibliographies

This bibliography was created for the annual Friends of the Michael Schwartz Library Scholars and Artists Reception, recognizing scholarly and creative achievements of Cleveland State University faculty, staff and emeriti

Acuta Enews October 1990, Vol. 19, No. 10

ACUTA Newsletters

In This Issue

Early warning of PVC fires

President's column

Attendant quiets complaints

Party Line

ISDN personalized

What do you charge?

The Calendar - October 1990, Nova University

The Calendar

No abstract provided.

Ground Modification Systems (Stone Columns And Wick Drains In Jefferson County), Bobby W. Meade, David L. Allen

Kentucky Transportation Center Research Report

The purpose of this study was to document construction procedures, monitor field performance, and make recommendations as to the effectiveness and future use of stone column and wick drains for ground modification purposes. This project involved the use of wick drains to accelerate consolidation in bridge approach foundations and stone columns to improve foundation support for reinforced soil walls supporting bridge abutments.

This effort was executed by use of field inspections, photologs, and instrumentation to monitor field response. Instrumentation included earth pressure meters, multipoint settlement gages, slope inclinometers, settlement platforms, and piezometers. Wick drain performance was satisfactory. One reinforced soil …

Safety Belt Usage Before And After Enactment Of A Mandatory Usage Ordinance (Lexington-Fayette County, Kentucky), Kenneth R. Agent

Kentucky Transportation Center Research Report

No abstract provided.

Highly Concurrent Logically Synchronous Multicast, Kenneth J. Goldman

All Computer Science and Engineering Research

We define the logically synchronous multicast problem, which imposes a natural and useful structure on message delivery order in an asynchronous system. In this problem, a computation proceeds by a sequence of multicasts, in which a process sends a message to some arbitrary subset of the processes, including itself. A logically synchronously multicast protocol must make it appear to every process as if each multicast occurs simultaneously at all participants of that multicast (sender plus receivers). Furthermore, if a process continually wishes to sends a message, it must eventually be permitted to do so. We present a highly concurrent solution …

Space Structures: Issues In Dynamics And Control, H. Benaroya, Mark L. Nagurka

Mechanical Engineering Faculty Research and Publications

A selective technical overview is presented on the vibration and control of large space structures, the analysis, design, and construction of which will require major technical contributions from the civil/structural, mechanical, and extended engineering communities. The immediacy of the U.S. space station makes the particular emphasis placed on large space structures and their control appropriate. The space station is but one part of the space program, and includes the lunar base, which the space station is to service. This paper attempts to summarize some of the key technical issues and hence provide a starting point for further involvement. The first …

Pc-Based Ft/Icr System, Shenheng Guan, Patrick R. Jones

Pacific Patents

An apparatus for conducting FT/ICR experimentation and acquiring data using a personal computer and a fast buffer board. The apparatus has the capability of generating an ion excitation signal and acquiring results from the FT/ICR experiment. Those results are then digitized and stored in memory on the fast buffer board. Once the results have been stored in the fast buffer board memory, they are transferred to the personal computer where they can be processed and interpreted by the user.