Engineering Commons^™

The Heterogeneous Catalytic Decomposition Of Isopropyl Alcohol Over 0.5% Platinum On 4-8 Mesh Charcoal Catalyst Support, Thomas Michael Kudenchak

Theses

The heterogeneous catalytic decomposition of isopropyl alcohol vapor over 0.5% platinum on (4-8 mesh) charcoal support catalyst was studied at bench-top in a fixed-bed tubular micro-reactor of about 1 cm ID, six inches long containing one or two grams of catalyst. Reactor feed and exit gas analysis was obtained by gas chromatography.

Experimental runs aimed at determining the Arrhenius parameters and the reaction order (assuming the applicability of a simple power law model) were performed with 1 and 2 grams of catalyst at various residence times ranging from 0.24 to 2.3 seconds and temperatures of 150°, 175°, 200°, 225°, and …

A Purely Chemical Nitrogen Dioxide Laser, Conrado Mendoza Malalis

Theses

Purely chemical lasers promise to provide future high-power lasers for remote installations, airplanes, ships and in space without the necessity of external electric power, sources.

This study is about the design and construction of a new, gas phase purely chemical NO₂ laser, based on the reaction of NO + O₃ + NO≠₂ + O₂. The vibrationally excited NO≠₂ species at 1-40 mm Hg total pressure is the source of energy (photons) for the laser. A series of computer program calculations on the reaction kinetics and relaxational processes involved have also been made, …

Synthesis And Evaluation Od Ashless Polymeric Lube Oil Addtives Containing Phosphorus, Sulphur And Nitrogen, Salwa Salah Nasr

Archived Theses and Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Mining The Deep Seabed Implications For International Law And American Foreign Policy, Steven H. Fitzgerald

Graduate Program in International Studies Theses & Dissertations

Whether or not the United States may someday face a mineral shortage, the need for a coherent, unified minerals policy is critical to national objectives and national security. Deep-sea mining may be the answer to American (and world) mineral needs in the twenty-first century. However, there are numerous problems which must be dealt with and resolved in the near future, in order to enable the U.S. (and the world community) to take advantage of vast undersea resources. Deep-sea mining requires the development of technology, tremendous capital investments, and years of labor before production can begin. U.S. policy makers must decide …

Simulated Use Of The Exponential Polynomial/Maximum Likelihood Technique In Developing Suitability Of Use Functions For Fish Habitat, Kenneth A. Voos

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The purpose of this paper is to present a new methodology for producing fish habitat suitability at use functions. The suitability functions are relative measures of the voluntary or involuntary preference for combinations of the values of environmental attributes by a fish species and age class. This suitability function is used to determine the relative usability of a physical stream environment as fish habitat.

A generalized function form, exponential polynomials, was selected for the development of these suitability of use functions. The maximum likelihood technique was used for function parameter solution. Derivation of the suitability functions was simulated for several …

A Model For Assessing The Economic And Energy Savings Implications Of Cogeneration With Steam Turbines In Citrus Processing Plants, Harold L. Carpenter

Retrospective Theses and Dissertations

A cogeneration system using a noncondensing steam turbine to simultaneously provide electricity and process steam to a citrus plant was modeled in order to assess the source energy savings and the economic implications with the employment of this type system under conditions of time varying plant energy demand. Average monthly energy demand data from on citrus plant was analyzed. It was determined that the important parameter, in addition to a minimum demand level, for assessing economic acceptability is the demand thermal to electric ratio. One set of steam conditions will not necessarily provide the maximum source energy savings and at …

Comparative Study Of Inflation Techniques Currently Used In Engineering Economy Studies, Thinh P. Dong

Retrospective Theses and Dissertations

Recent increases in inflation rates make it essential that inflation be considered and properly treated in engineering economic studies. This research report presents a survey to determine how practitioners of engineering economics are accounting for inflation in their studies. After looking at inflation in general, and defining it, this report identifies the major existing techniques of handling inflation. It then discusses each in terms of advantages and disadvantage in evaluating investment projects. Finally, the report recommends an appropriate technique, and presents a computer program which calculates the present worth based on this technique which permits the user to analyze the …

Project Network Scheduling With Limited Resources Using Heuristic Solution Techniques, Enrique J. Daboin Rojas

Retrospective Theses and Dissertations

Traditional critical path methods imply the assumption of unlimited availability of resources. Mathematical models and heuristic techniques are two alternatives that consider resource limitation to sequence the activities of a project. This research explores the consideration of project scheduling under resource constraints for the specific case of single resource, single project scheduling. A computer model called GENRES-II search model is developed using a modification of Brooks' algorithm to develop project schedules. The criteria used are various weighted combinations of ACTIM, ACTRES and ACTFOL. An improvement of GENRES-II solutions is obtained when the best set of GEN-II values is input to …

Industrial Engineering Applications Using Microcomputers, Farid Guediri

Retrospective Theses and Dissertations

Five computer have been developed for practical use by Industrial Engineers in a production environment. The programs cover the areas of, forecasting, learning efficiency, production control, network analysis and optimum equipment replacement policies. Theory, complete program documentation and case example, for each program, are presented. Programs are written in an interactive Basic mode and have been tested on the Radio Shack TRS-8-0 and Apple II Plus systems.

An Experimental Comparison Of Cross Correlator Performances Based Upon Signal-To-Noise Ratios, Sunder G. Gopani

Retrospective Theses and Dissertations

Three commonly employed types of cross correlators were designed using standardized components which closely simulate idealized elements in an effort to experimentally verify the theoretical analysis. These cross correlators are (1) the standard analog cross correlator which consists of bandpass filters, a multiplier and a postmultiplier lowpass filter, (2) the polarity coincidence correlator (PCC) which utilizes a hard clipper in each input channel, and (3) a modified type of PCC which features a hard clipper in only one of the input channels. Two different types of filters viz. (1) the seventh-order Butterworth lowpass filter, and (2) the five-pole Chebyshev lowpass …

Analysis Of A Solar Collector In An Absorption Cycle Including A Pump Operated By Thermoelectric Cells, Stuart Jee-Fong Chen

Retrospective Theses and Dissertations

A mathematical computer model has been developed for the prediction of the thermal performance of a flat-plate solar collector used as the generator for an absorption cycle cooling system. The system employs thermoelectric cells to power its pump. The exponential relationship between the auxiliary energy and the collector area is used to optimize the system. It is predicted that the system will become feasible when the fuel price is raised to four times the current value.

Ground Access To The Orlando International Airport: Design And Evaluation Of Various Mass Transportation Alternatives, George S. Fan

Retrospective Theses and Dissertations

This research presents designs and evaluations of various mass transportation alternatives for reducing the problem of the ground access congestion in the Orlando International Airport. The alternatives considered in this research are conventional bus service, minibus service, express bus service, light rail transit service, rail rapid transit service, and monorail service. Details of the origin-destination studies for the present traffic are given. A discussion of the various mass transportation alternatives is provided, with provisions for future systems expansion. Three economic evaluation methods were used in this research for evaluation of various alternatives. According to the results of the economic analysis, …

Digital Acoustic Tracking Analysis Program, George H. Ford

Retrospective Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this report is to investigate the processing of tracking data for acoustic targets. The programs developed for two- and three- dimensional space calculate the target's position via "hyperbolic-fix" navigation (geometric) considerations using the Newton-Raphson algorithm. The computer programs and the tracking solution approach contained herein is based on knowledge of only the sensors' locations and the relative time-difference at which a target's referenced, singular, acoustic pressure wavefronts are received at the sensors. Omnidirectional sensors are found to be sufficient for the two-dimensional space tracking problem. However, it is found that the three-space problem required usage of directional …

Testing The Radio Shack Random Number Generator To Produce Uniform And Non-Uniform Random Numbers, Enrique Menendez

Retrospective Theses and Dissertations

Random numbers are a basic part in a Simulation Model, and they are also used in random sampling. These techniques are employed by quality engineers in the successful execution of their jobs. The every-day use of random numbers, however, often leads to a sense of complacency in he mind of engineers toward the exacting requirements that should be satisfied by the random number process to generate a genuine random number. Microcomputers have become a common and powerful tool that helps managers and engineers in their simulation experiments by providing sequences of random numbers. This research presents a sequence of eight …

Economics Of Residential Heat Recovery Units, Muhammad N. Redhwi

Retrospective Theses and Dissertations

Determining residential airconditioning waste heat recovery system costs and savings is achieved using a computer program. A worksheet is designed to accept consumer data as an input to the program. The program features load and waste heat recovery calculations on a monthly basis. Economic criteria, including rate of return, present worth, and payback period are computed. Sensitivity of these criteria to fuel escalation and consumer discount rate is demonstrated. the program provides the user with both thermal analysis and economic analysis summary reports.

Effects Of Multiple Scattering And Surface Albedo On The Photochemistry Of The Troposphere, Tommy Reinhold Robert Augustsson

Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering Theses & Dissertations

A one-dimensional photochemical model of the troposphere containing the species of the nitrogen, oxygen, carbon, hydrogen, and sulfur families has been developed and used to investigate the vertical profiles and the natural (including atmospheric chemical reactions) and anthropogenic sources and sinks of these species. The species continuity equations are solved numerically applying prescribed boundary conditions. The vertical flux is simulated by use of the parameterized eddy diffusion coefficients. Heterogeneous losses (e.g. rainout, gas-to-particle chemistry, and dry deposition), are parameterized to make calculated profiles consistent with measurements. The photochemical model is coupled to a radiative transfer model that calculates the radiation …

Sound Absorption In N2-H2o Gas Mixtures At Room Temperature And Low Frequency/Pressure Ratios, William Axam Griffin

Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering Theses & Dissertations

This study was motivated by a need to obtain standard values of nitrogen's contribution to sound absorption in the Earth's atmosphere. Specific goals included accurate measurements of sound absorption in nitrogen - water vapor mixtures at room temperature and low frequency/pressure ratios, the determination of the N₂ vibrational relaxation peak location, (f/P)_max, on the f/P axis as a function of humidity, h, and critical evaluation of all results.

The free decay technique was used in a resonance tube to obtain ten sets of sound absorption data in N₂-H₂O gas mixtures and requisite companion …

Usage And Limitations Of Characteristic Vector Analysis Of Remote Sensing Multispectral Data For The Identification And Quantification Of Water Quality Parameters, Theodore A. Talay

Civil & Environmental Engineering Theses & Dissertations

Recent applications of the technique of characteristic vector analysis to remote-sensing water color data has met with varying degrees of success. It is apparent from these experiments that a more thorough understanding of the informational capability of characteristic vector analysis is needed.

A Method Of Modeling Multirate Two-Dimensional Recursive Digital Filters Author, Albert P. Gerheim

Electrical & Computer Engineering Theses & Dissertations

This dissertation presents a method of modeling two dimensional sampled data systems with two sampling rates in each dimension. This methodology is applied to the problem of synthesizing two dimensional velocity filters using one dimensional prototypes and multirate concepts.

The modeling method includes the replacement of scalar z-transforms of signals by vectors of polynomials, and the replacement of scalar z-transforms of impulse responses by matrices of polynomials.

The synthesis of velocity filters is accomplished through the use of coordinate transformations in the z-transform domain which skew the ω₁ -ω₂ axes on the unit bidisc. The filters synthesized using …

Recycling Of Aluminium, Nayera Abdel Mossawer Shahin

Archived Theses and Dissertations

No abstract provided.

The Development, Implementation, And Evaluation Of Depletion Perturbation Theory In A Light Water Reactor Nodal Code, Stephen M. Bowman

Masters Theses

A generalized depletion perturbation (DPT) theory formulation for light water reactor (LWR) depletion problems is developed and implemented into the three-dimensional LWR nodal code SIMULATE. This development applies the principles of the original derivation by M. L. Williams to the nodal equations solved by SIMULATE. The present formulation is first described in detail, and the nodal coupling methodology in SIMULATE is used to determine partial derivatives of the coupling coefficients. The modifications to the original code and the new DPT options available to the user are discussed. Finally, the accuracy and the applicability of the new DPT capability to LWR …

A General Solution For Wind Tunnel Boundary-Induced Interference In Two-Dimensional Subsonic Flow, Werner Johann Anton Dahm

Masters Theses

A general solution is presented for determination of wind tunnel boundary-induced interference in two-dimensional subsonic flow. The solution requires no a priori knowledge of the model geometry or tunnel wall characteristics, and instead, relates the interference to velocity measurements at a selected control surface within the tunnel. The solutions for the tunnel, free-air and interference fields are obtained using linearized subsonic theory with the Fourier transform technique. An analytical example dealing with the case of the wavy wall in the presence of a generalized tunnel wall boundary condition demonstrates the validity of the solutions in closed form. Numerical examples dealing …

The Influence Of Halloysite Content On The Shear Strength Of Kaolinite, Reka Katalin Gabor

Dissertations and Theses

The objective of this thesis is to determine the relative shear strengths of halloysite, kaolinite, synthetic mixtures, and local soils, to investigate the influence of halloysite content on the shear strength of kaolinite, and to explore the possibility that the strength properties of soil clays might be controlled by the relative content of their component minerals.

Plastic Deformation And Fracture Of Two-Phase Alloys Under Compressive Loading, Abla Mahmoud Zayed

Archived Theses and Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Structure And Properties Of Neodymium Chromite, David Charles Hitchcock

Masters Theses

"Pure, accepton and Al doped NdCrO₃ were prepared by an organo-metallic process.

The crystal structure and lattice parameters were determined by x-ray diffraction. All compositions were orthorhombic Pbnm.

Pellets were pressed from powders of each composition and sintered to high density in a reducing atmosphere. When a small amount of Fe was substituted for Cr, the powder could be sintered in air.

Electrical conductivity for acceptor doped NdCrO₃ varied from about 1 (ohm cm)^-1 at room temperature to about 10 (ohm cm)^-1 at 900°C, about two orders of magnitude higher than the electrical conductivity of the …

The Effect Of Air Turbulence On The Rate Of Frost Growth On A Horizontal Flat Plate, Dennis Wayne Schulte

Masters Theses

“One factor currently affecting the efficient performance of finned refrigeration coils is frosting. This investigation determined the effect of air turbulence intensity on the growth rate of frost on a chilled flat plate in an effort to reduce the frosting problem.

Air turbulence intensities ranging from 1 to 22 percent were used with an air velocity of 590 fpm, and an air condition of 45°F and 0.0051 lb/lb humidity ratio, for the six hour tests. Additional tests at 7-8 percent air turbulence intensity were made for other air and velocity conditions.

The results showed that the effect of air turbulence …

Probable Causes Of Cracking In A Series Of Reinforced Concrete Box Girder Bridges, Steven Milton Bjordahl

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This thesis is the result of a study undertaken at the request of the South Dakota Department of Transportation (SDDOT) to determine the probable cause of a specific type of cracking that was observed in a series of reinforced concrete box girder bridges. The cracking consists of horizontal cracks through the end diaphragms of the girder and horizontal cracking over the interior bents. Typical crack patterns obtained from information supplied by the SDDOT are shown in Figure 1.

A Mini-Computer Based General Purpose Interactive Computer Graphics Software System, Victor M. Haddock

Retrospective Theses and Dissertations

This research paper presents the description of a Mini-Computer Based General Purpose Interactive Computer Graphics Software System; which has been installed at the University of Central Florida, College of Engineering PDP 11/34 computer system. This system is a simplified version of MOVIE.BYU. MOVIE.BYU is a General Purpose Interactive Computer Graphics Software System that requires a computer with a word length of at least 32-bits. The MOVIE.BYU system was developed at the Brigham Young University, Utah. Extensive modification was required in order to satisfy the PDP 11/34 FORTRAN IV compiler. In addition, the program routines have been overlayed in order to …

A Feasibility Study Of A System For Computer-Aided Selection Of Materials For Industrial Production, Seth Pardee Bates

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

This study was a comparative analysis of two methods of selecting materials for industrial production. The specific objectives were to find out if (a) a computer-aided materials selection system would select materials which were not significantly different from materials chosen by practicing professional engineers; and (b) the time required by the computer system to select materials would be significantly less than the time required by the engineers.

The criterion measures were (a) the closeness of fit of properties to design specifications for each material selected; and (b) the amount of time consumed by each subject in the selection of each …

A Study Of Industrial Arts Teachers' Opinions Of Gifted And Talented Students In Black Hawk County, Iowa, James Robert Wrona

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

While the handicapped and disadvantaged have enjoyed the benefit of some unique industrial arts educational programming, relatively little has been done to provide for the special educational needs of gifted and talented students. This may be partially a result of little research completed associating the gifted and talented student with industrial arts. Additionally, legislative support for gifted and talented students has been lacking. It was not until 1978, with the passage of Public Law 95-561, that programs for gifted and talented students have been granted some funding on the federal level. Although this public law can authorize up to $35 …