Open Access. Powered by Scholars. Published by Universities.®

Engineering Commons

Open Access. Powered by Scholars. Published by Universities.®

Articles 1 - 8 of 8

Full-Text Articles in Engineering

Optimizing Combat Capabilities By Modeling Combat As A Complex Adaptive System, Steven Mains Jan 2004

Optimizing Combat Capabilities By Modeling Combat As A Complex Adaptive System, Steven Mains

Dissertations, Theses, and Masters Projects

Procuring combat systems in the Department of Defense is a balancing act where many variables, only some under control of the department, shift simultaneously. Technology changes non-linearly, providing new opportunities and new challenges to the existing and potential force. Money available changes year over year to fit into the overall US Government budget. Numbers of employees change through political demands rather than by cost-effectiveness considerations. The intent is to provide the best mix of equipment to field the best force against an expected enemy while maintaining adequate capability against the unexpected. Confounding this desire is the inability of current simulations …


Ultrasonic Guided Wave Tomography Of Pipes: A Development Of New Techniques For The Nondestructive Evaluation Of Cylindrical Geometries And Guided Wave Multi-Mode Analysis, Kevin Raymond Leonard Jan 2004

Ultrasonic Guided Wave Tomography Of Pipes: A Development Of New Techniques For The Nondestructive Evaluation Of Cylindrical Geometries And Guided Wave Multi-Mode Analysis, Kevin Raymond Leonard

Dissertations, Theses, and Masters Projects

This dissertation concentrates on the development of two new tomographic techniques that enable wide-area inspection of pipe-like structures. By envisioning a pipe as a plate wrapped around upon itself, the previous Lamb Wave Tomography (LWT) techniques are adapted to cylindrical structures. Helical Ultrasound Tomography (HUT) uses Lamb-like guided wave modes transmitted and received by two circumferential arrays in a single crosshole geometry. Meridional Ultrasound Tomography (MUT) creates the same crosshole geometry with a linear array of transducers along the axis of the cylinder. However, even though these new scanning geometries are similar to plates, additional complexities arise because they are …


Ultrasonic Signal Detection And Recognition Using Dynamic Wavelet Fingerprints, Jidong Hou Jan 2004

Ultrasonic Signal Detection And Recognition Using Dynamic Wavelet Fingerprints, Jidong Hou

Dissertations, Theses, and Masters Projects

A novel ultrasonic signal detection and characterization technique is presented in this dissertation. The basic tool is a simplified time-frequency (scale) projection which is called a dynamic wavelet fingerprint. Take advantage of the matched filter and adaptive time-frequency analysis properties of the wavelet transform, the dynamic wavelet fingerprint is a coupled approach of detection and recognition. Different from traditional value-based approaches, the dynamic wavelet fingerprint based technique is pattern or knowledge based. It is intuitive and self-explanatory, which enables the direct observation of the variation of non-stationary ultrasonic signals, even in complex environments. Due to this transparent property, efficient detection …


Lookahead Scheduling In A Real-Time Context: Models, Algorithms, And Analysis, Benjamin J. Coleman Jan 2004

Lookahead Scheduling In A Real-Time Context: Models, Algorithms, And Analysis, Benjamin J. Coleman

Dissertations, Theses, and Masters Projects

Our research considers job scheduling, a special type of resource assignment problem. For example, at a cross-docking facility trucks must be assigned to doors where they will be unloaded. The cargo on each truck has various destinations within the facility, and the unloading time for a truck is dependent on the distance from the assigned door to these destinations. The goal is to assign the trucks to doors while minimizing the amount of time to unload all trucks.;We study scheduling algorithms for problems like the cross-docking example that are different from traditional algorithms in two ways. First, we utilize real-time, …


Evaluating Restored Oyster Reefs In Chesapeake Bay: How Habitat Structure Influences Ecological Function, Janet A. Nestlerode Jan 2004

Evaluating Restored Oyster Reefs In Chesapeake Bay: How Habitat Structure Influences Ecological Function, Janet A. Nestlerode

Dissertations, Theses, and Masters Projects

A shortage of shell resources for restoring reefs of the Eastern oyster, Crassostrea virginica, has led to widespread use of substitute materials. The effectiveness of such alternative substrates as habitat for reef-associated fauna other than oysters is largely unresolved. I investigated the habitat value of oyster shell, surf clam (Spisula solidissima) shell, and pelletized coal ash reefs for benthic and nektonic communities. Oyster recruitment, survival, and growth were monitored on reefs of oyster and surf clam shell near the mouth of Chesapeake Bay and York River, USA. Oyster shell supported greater oyster growth and survival and offered the highest degree …


Solid State Nmr Characterization Of Conductive Polyanilines, Yanina Anatolievna Goddard Jan 2004

Solid State Nmr Characterization Of Conductive Polyanilines, Yanina Anatolievna Goddard

Dissertations, Theses, and Masters Projects

Different forms of ring deuterated polyaniline with different conductivity have been characterized by solid state deuteron nuclear magnetic resonance.;Quadrupole echo (QE) spectra of all forms of polyaniline consist of a superposition of lineshapes for nearly rigid aromatic rings and a small fraction of rings which undergo fast 180?? flips. The intensity of the fast flipping component is temperature dependent and different for conductive emeraldine salt (ES) and non-conductive emeraldine base (EB). This is a manifestation of the different structure and morphology of these polymers.;Simultaneous measurements of QE lineshapes and the relaxation time anisotropies allowed an accurate description of motion in …


Dual Energy Scanning Beam X -Radiography, Randolph Frank Wojcik Jan 2004

Dual Energy Scanning Beam X -Radiography, Randolph Frank Wojcik

Dissertations, Theses, and Masters Projects

Dual energy X-radiography is a method first developed in the mid-1970's by which one uses the information contained in the energy spectrum of the transmitted X-ray flux through an object. With this information one can distinguish the types of materials present in a radiograph and thus allow a computer to subtract them from the image enhancing the contrast of the remaining materials. Using this method, one can see details, which would have been hidden by overlying structures of other materials such as seen in radiographs of parts, made up of mixtures of metals and composites. There is also great interest …


Synthesis And Characterization Of Polyimide Residuum, Friable Balloons, Microspheres And Foams, Erik Saul Weiser Jan 2004

Synthesis And Characterization Of Polyimide Residuum, Friable Balloons, Microspheres And Foams, Erik Saul Weiser

Dissertations, Theses, and Masters Projects

In order to meet requirements of future NASA systems for advanced polymeric cellular materials, research was undertaken to develop the next generation of polyimide foams which could be utilized as a reusable structural insulation on future Reusable Launch Vehicle (RLV) Programs. This research activity focused on developing polyimide foam and foam structures which were made using monomeric solutions or salt solutions formed from the reaction of a dianhydride and diamine dissolved in a mixture of foaming agents and alkyl alcohols. This process produced a precursor solid residuum which could then be manufactured into foams, friable balloons and microspheres. Polyimide foams …