Engineering Commons^™

Selection Of Remedial Engineering Techniques For Dioxin-Contaminated Soil Sites ; Based On Site Geological Characteristics, Jeffrey John Lux

Masters Theses

"Specific geologic, hydrologic, and topographic characteristics influence the selection of technologies employed in the remediation of sites affected by dioxin-contaminated soil. These characteristics are significant in the selection of equipment and methods for excavation and materials processing.

The only currently sociologically acceptable method of treatment of dioxin-contaminated soils is incineration. As more is learned concerning the nature of dioxin sorption to soil particles and the mobility of dioxin in the environment, long-term storage in underground mines, and land burial appear to offer strong potential alternatives. Strong public sentiment against non-destructive remedial options would have to be overcome. There are also …

Site Characterization And Remedial Engineering Options At An Uncontrolled Hazardous Waste Site : Fulbright Landfill, City Of Springfield, Mo., Kathleen Carey Duckett

Masters Theses

"Fulbright Landfill is located approximately 3 miles north of the City of Springfield, Missouri along State Highway 13. Hazardous substances, including acids and cyanides, were disposed of regularly in the landfill for a period of about 7 years, from 1962 to 1969. Because of its disposal history, Fulbright Landfill was placed on the Interim National Priorities List in October of 1981. A full-scale remedial investigation and feasibility study is presently being conducted by SCS Engineers (Reston, VA).

The purpose of this thesis is to assess the nature and extent of the threat to the public or the environment based on …

A Study On The Behaviour Of Sandwich Beams Under Three Point Bending, Sherif Sami

Archived Theses and Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Kinetics Of The Oxidation Of Hydrazine By Iodine In Acidic Perchlorate Medium, Mohamed Ashraf Anis Onsy

Archived Theses and Dissertations

No abstract provided.

A Loran-C Antenna Coupling Unit., Timothy Andrew Reilly 1963-

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This project is the design of an antenna-coupling unit (ACU) that will operate with the Texas Instruments LORAN-C receiver and a 28-inch antenna. The height of the antenna used at the present is eight feet. Since the application of LORAN-C positioning is being expanded to vehicular location, an eight-foot antenna is not practical. The shorter antenna is necessary to prohibit striking trees, overpasses, etc. The newly designed ACU has more voltage gain to compensate for the attenuation of the incoming signal due to the shortening of the antenna. It also has a bandpass of 90 KHz-110 KHz with the center …

Career Counseling Practices In Abet-Accredited Engineering Cooperative Education Programs, Gary Richard Martin

University of the Pacific Theses and Dissertations

Purpose. The purpose of this study was to describe and evaluate the career counseling practices in all schools of engineering in the United States with ABET-accredited engineering Cooperative Education programs. Procedure. A thirty-two item questionnaire was developed and sent out to all ABET-accredited Cooperative Education offices. All the engineering coordinators in each office filled out the questionnaire. Eighty-six percent of the schools responded to the surveys. Findings. (1) Most engineering Co-op coordinators have educational backgrounds in engineering and have taken at least one class in career counseling. (2) Co-op coordinators tend to have caseloads and other responsibilities which restrict the …

Structural Design Of Coal-Fueled Power Plant Ductwork, Stanley Pearce Rader

Doctoral Dissertations

"An absence of a comprehensive procedure for design of coal-fueled power plant ductwork currently exists in the publicly available literature. This dissertation presents such a procedure.

An overview of the ductwork design environment, including major components of the air and flue gas flow paths, design loads and temperatures, corrosion considerations, and physical configurations, is given. Design criteria for materials, corrosion inhibition, minimum plate thicknesses, temperature effects, allowable stresses and deflections, and vibrations are proposed. A detailed design procedure based on the allowable stress design philosophy is presented, and computer programs implementing the design procedure are provided. An alternate design procedure …

Oxidation Kinetics Of Polycrystalline Srtio₃ And Lacro₃, Chi-Kung Jerry Yu

Doctoral Dissertations

"The oxidation kinetics of polycrystalline SrTiO₃ and LaCrO₃ were determined by measuring the time and temperature dependence of the weight and conductivity change of reduced samples. A region of fast diffusion followed by a reduced diffusion tail was observed in the TGA measurements. This observation can be interpreted as the initial diffusion along the boundaries and then spreading out into the lattice. The absence of the tail in the conductivity measurements is due to the high electron and hole mobility at the boundaries. The electrical conductivity and TGA results on Nb-doped LaCrO₃ show that at low oxygen …

Web Crippling Of High Strength Cold-Formed Steel Beams, Chiravut Santaputra

Doctoral Dissertations

"The structural behavior of high strength cold-formed steel beams subjected primarily to web crippling was investigated analytically and experimentally. In this study hat sections and I-beams, formed from five different types of high strength sheet steels commonly used in the automobile industry, were investigated under various loading conditions. The yield strengths of these sheet steels vary from 58 to 165 ksi.

In addition to the test data gathered in this phase of study, the experimental results obtained from the beam tests conducted at Inland Steel Company and Ford Motor Company were carefully evaluated. The evaluation indicated that the present available …

The Modeling And Analysis Of Multi-Component, Multivalent Biospecific Adsorption, Bo Henrik Arve

Doctoral Dissertations

"A general model is presented and used to predict the dynamic behavior of the adsorption, wash, and elution stages of biospecific adsorption (affinity chromatography) in finite bath and column operations. The model accounts for film and pore diffusional mass transfer resistances and the rates of interaction between adsorbates and ligands. For column operations the effect of axial dispersion in the flowing fluid stream is included. The model is applicable to single and multi-component biospecific as well as non-specific adsorption, and the adsorbates may be monovalent or multivalent. In the elution stage both non-selective and selective elution of monovalent adsorbates is …

Investigation Of Vscous/Inviscid Interaction In Transonic Flow Over Airfoils With Suction, Chadra S. Vemuru

Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering Theses & Dissertations

The viscous/inviscid interaction over transonic airfoils with and without suction is studied. The streamline angle at the edge of the boundary layer is used to couple the viscous and inviscid flows. The potential flow equations are solved for the inviscid flow field. In the shock region the Euler equations are solved using the method of integral relations. For this the potential flow solution is used as the initial and boundary conditions. An integral method is used to solve the laminar boundary-layer equations. Since both methods are integral methods, a continuous interaction is allowed between the outer inviscid flow region and …

Quadtree-Based Processing Of Digital Images, Ramin Naderi

Dissertations and Theses

Image representation plays an important role in image processing applications, which usually. contain a huge amount of data. An image is a two-dimensional array of points, and each point contains information (eg: color). A 1024 by 1024 pixel image occupies 1 mega byte of space in the main memory. In actual circumstances 2 to 3 mega bytes of space are needed to facilitate the various image processing tasks. Large amounts of secondary memory are also required to hold various data sets.

In this thesis, two different operations on the quadtree are presented.

There are, in general, two types of data …

Post-Buckled Performance Of Partially Restrained And Intermediately Supported Steel Angles, Perumal Radhakrishnan

Dissertations and Theses

The post-buckled performance of cross-braced single angles was experimentally determined. The results of this study will be used by the Bonneville Power Administration for the analysis of member performance in transmission towers.

Determination Of Trace Quantities Of Selenium And Arsenic In Canned Tuna Fish Using Electroanalytical Techniques, Ann Marie Higham

Theses

Toxic metals are present in the environment and are known to be present in food. Selenium, which is considered an essential micronutrient, is recognized as a toxic metal at slightly higher concentrations. Arsenic is also recognized as a toxic metal. Selenium and Arsenic tend to accumulate in food, specifically fish and seafood.

Fifteen brands and types of tuna fish were analyzed for selenium using differential pulse cathodic stripping voltammetry. The cans with the high and low concentrations of selenium were analyzed for arsenic using differential pulse polarography. Three samples with three percent recoveries and a blank were analyzed for each …

Microencapsulation As An Alternative To Emulsification For Preparing As A For Use In Papermaking, William J. Corriveau

Masters Theses

The sizing chemical ASA is emulsified to make i t compatible with the papermaking process. Unfortunately, emulsified ASA is chemically reactive with water at the elevated temperatures found in papermaking systems. As an alternative, encapsulated ASA was made and investigated for its stability towards water at elevated temperatures.

A handsheet procedure was developed to analyze emulsified and encapsulated ASA. It was concluded that the procedure gave statistically reproducible results. Investigations with the procedure revealed important variables concerning the laboratory and m ill application of ASA. Evidence indicated that retention of ASA was critical to sizing development.

Encapsulated ASA made for …

Computerised Selection Of Materials And Reliability, Nabil Ibrahim Mikhail

Archived Theses and Dissertations

No abstract provided.

An Assessment Of The Possible Use Of Air Cushion Systems To Assist The Development Of Egyptian Deserts, Baha Elsayed Attia Abulnaga

Archived Theses and Dissertations

No abstract provided.

An Industrial Ethanol Azeotropic Distillation Process : Modeling, Analysis, And Simulation, Harpreet Singh Chawla

Dissertations

A steady state process simulator with extensive capabilities was developed for the simulation of process plants involving non-ideal multicomponent systems. A comprehensive stand alone program was developed to represent process systems encountering three phases. A computer program was also developed to handle simultaneous regression of vapor-liquid and liquid-liquid equilibria data to estimate the liquid phase activity coefficients via a global set of parameters for the ethanol azeotropic distillation process, using benzene as the entrainer.

An industrial ethanol azeotropic distillation process has been simulated using the developed process simulator (PROSIM). A study of the azeotropic column's aqueous ethanol feed composition reveals …

Forecasting For Local Water Management, Douglas Alan Putnam

Dissertations and Theses

Forecast models are investigated and developed for use in local water management to aid in determining short term water requirements and availability. The forecast models include precipitation occurrence and depth using a Markov chain model, temperature and solar radiation with a multivariate autoregressive model, and streamflow with autoregressive-moving average models. The precipitation, temperature, and solar radiation forecasts are used with a soil moisture model to determine water demands. A state space approach to the Muskingum-Cunge streamflow routing technique is developed. The forecast water demands and streamflow forecasts are used as inputs to this routing model. Forecast model errors and propagation …

Eigenvalue And Eigenvector Design Sensitivity Analysis For Nonlinear Beam Vibrations, Jian-Zhong Yuan

Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering Theses & Dissertations

A beam with immovable ends under large amplitude oscillations is axially subjected to an amplitude-dependent stretching force which is induced by the geometrical nonlinearity. The design sensitivity analysis for such a beam is investigated in this study.

Two variational formulations based on different approximations of nonlinear stretching force are studied firstly. The analytical equations of design sensitivity analysis for these nonlinear eigenproblems are then derived. Finally, a computational scheme using finite element method is developed to calculate the design sensitivity derivatives of the eigenvalue and eigenvector numerically. Numerical examples associated with the nonlinear eigenvalue and eigenvector analysis, as well as …

Design Of A Modulation System Simulator, Vincent Carl Dale

Computational Modeling & Simulation Engineering Theses & Dissertations

The development of a Modulation System Simulator is described. The Modulation System Simulator is used to investigate the performance, in the presence of noise, of various analog and digital modulation systems. The methods of modulation studied using this simulator are amplitude modulation, frequency modulation, pulse amplitude modulation, pulse code modulation, amplitude shift keying modulation, and frequency shift keying modulation. For each of these modulation systems a mathematical model is devised and then analyzed to predict the performance of each modulation system in the presence of noise. The results of this theoretical analysis are then compared with the experimental results obtained …

Solar-Assisted Heat Pumps For Low-Temperature Industrial Process Heat Applications, Kamran Fouladi-Semnani

Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering Theses & Dissertations

In recent years, solar energy has been investigated as an alternative to· the fossil fuel based systems for industrial process heat (IPH) applications. Published results in literature indicate that roughly seven percent of total U.S. IPH requirement is in the temperature range of 40-90 °C. The present study, sponsored by Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA), examines the potential of series solar-assisted heat pumps (SAHP) for low-temperature IPH spectrum in the TVA region.

A design method based on utilizability technique is employed to determine the long-term thermal performance of the SAHP system. The transient simulation methodology is also employed to determine the …

An Investigation To Improve Linear Predictive Vocoder Pulse/Noise Excitation Models, Elizabeth Annella Martina Effer

Electrical & Computer Engineering Theses & Dissertations

The quality of synthetic speech from Linear Predictive (LP) vocoders is known to be degraded due to the lack of detail in the commonly used pulse/noise excitation model. In this investigation, it was hypothesized that this degradation is due to the lack of precise timing information in the pulses and to the constraint that each short-time segment of excitation be either an impulse train or white noise. Accordingly, more complex excitation models were implemented using precise timing from peaks in the residual and a mixture of pulses and noise. Since the LP residual is known to be the perfect excitation …

High Performance Switching Circuits For Vlsi, Ali Reza Feizi

Electrical & Computer Engineering Theses & Dissertations

Interconnection topology and device performance are of major concern in the design of LSI/VLSI systems, Pass networks are very suitable in this regard because of low power consumption, high density, and simple interconnection topology. A special type of pass networks called Binary Tree Structured (BTS) pass networks uses almost minimum number of transistors for the design of switching circuits. An algorithmic procedure is developed here for BTS pass networks which is very efficient in terms of both execution time and memory space. Based on these networks, the necessary and sufficient conditions are derived for the design of multiple-output pass networks. …

Design Of Multivariable Feedback Control Systems Via Spectral Assignment, Mohsen Marefat

Electrical & Computer Engineering Theses & Dissertations

During the past 15 year s significant advances have been made towards developing viable synthesis- techniques for multivariable feedback control systems. The entire aggregate of this theoretical work has been reviewed and consolidated. Diverse notations have been standardized into a single system. A two-step design philosophy for spectral assignment has been developed which first meets stability and time response requirements by assigning eigenvalues and eigenvector s and then provides for attainment of secondary objectives without significant deviation from the initial assignment. Finally, a computer-aided design package has been created to streamline the process of mathematical calculation and to allow users …

Identification Of Linear System With Feedback Input, Jyh Yang

Theses

A new procedure with feedback input is presented for identification of continuous-time systems. Using Lyapunov's direct method to prove it asymptotic stability. For the procedure to be applicable, it's assumed that all the state variables of the plant are accessible and that there is no measurement noise so the model reference scheme can be used to identify the parameters of the plant.

The procedure results in the convergence of every parameter of a model to the corresponding one of the system as the time approaching to infinite i.e. t→∞. Digital computer simulations are provided to demonstrate the feasibility of the …

A Survey Of The Literature On Moisture In Building Construction, Lawrence Charles Tiboldo

Theses

The aim of this thesis was to evaluate the literature on moisture in buildings for its usefulness in the understanding of the theory involved in moisture transfer in buildings. Because analysis of the effects of moisture migration and development of condensation control strategies in structures depends on the knowledge of heat and moisture transfer theory as well as on the documented data on building material properties, evaluation of the usefulness of the reference material will serve as an indication of the availability of pertinent information.

To fulfill this objective, the literature listed as references to Chapter 21 of the 1985 …

Robot Manipulators And Control, Theresa Wu

Theses

This paper on Robot Manipulators brings together theories from three fields : computer graphics, kinematic equations and microprocessor based control.

There are four chapters in this paper, chapter one is the conceptual development on homogeneous transformations, express the position and orientation of the transposition of an object in Cartisian coordinates. Chapter two develops the method of obtaining the Cartisian coordinate position and orientation of the end effector for a manipulator, give the joint coordinate as input and use the homogeneous transformation to express the position and orientation. Chapter 3 is a very difficult one; it solves the parameters for the …

Spectrum Analysis And Real-Time Analysis Of Electroencephalograms, Suzanne Hesook Won

Theses

The analysis of the EEG background waveform is studied by two techniques, spectrum analysis and real-time analysis. The spectrum analysis is performed by using Fast Fourier Transformation (FFT) on a segment of the signal. The resulting signal is classified into different band types such as delta, theta, alpha and beta, to see the power in each band, and the magnitude of the power on the left and right side if the brain is evaluated for asymmetry. The mean power frequency shows the frequency where the maxinum power exists in each band type. This type of analysis provides overall information of …

An Investigation Of The Application Of Utility Theory To Determine The Value Of Time: The Demand For Interactive Information Systems In Student Markets, Gordon S. Kalley

Theses

The economic rational of many contemporary businesses is the provision of services or labor saving equipment which their customers' pay for in order• to save themselves time. A major decision such an enterprise must make prior to entry into the market i=_ whether enough of a market exists to make its entry worthwhile. Such firms would be able to make better resource allocation decisions if they could have a quantitative measure of the relationship of their consumer's valuation of time vis a vi money. This study proposes such a measure.

Interactive information systems, whose viability depends to a large degree …