Engineering Commons^™

Blood Pressure Signal Simulation In An Artificial Circulation System, Shaw-Jyh Shin

Theses

The major objective of this thesis is to produce a desired pressure waveform in an artifical circulation system by using a Z-80 microcomputer controlled stepper motor. This will simulate the desired blood pressure waveform in the human body and can be used for clinical application.

A microcomputer simulation was used for setting up an electrical circuit model to represent the artificial circulation system as well as for finding out the relationship between motor speed (piston displacement) and pressure waveform.

Using this techniques, a desired pressure waveform which represents the blood pressure waveform in the human body can be obtained.

Vlsi Multiple Microcomputer Technology Applied To Real-Time Simulators, David M. Kotick

Retrospective Theses and Dissertations

VLSI technology, embodied in state of the art microprocessors and microcomputers, has implied a computer system architecture that offers the possibility for extensive standardization, modularity, and performance improvements that can significantly impact and reduce the lifetime costs of real-time simulators. This report discusses one such system. Both the hardware and software aspects of the system are examined.

An Extension To The Best Numerical Integration Formula Development, Jorge Medina

Retrospective Theses and Dissertations

A mathematical analysis seeking an accurate measure of the worth of numerical integration techniques used for real-time digital flight simulation problems is presented. This investigation allows the subject of best integration methods to be pursued making emphasis on the choice of practical steps and the use of available mathematical techniques to illustrate and evaluate a potential root matching approach involving a selected first-order differential system. This study allows certain evaluation techniques to be developed. Notable among these are the schemes for comparing roots of sampled ideal integrators to roots of sampled approximated integrators, the development of an integration and of …

Laminar Film Condensation Heat Transfer Of Water Vapor-Air Mixture On A Vertical Flat Plate And Cylindrical Surface, Chick-Hong Ng

Retrospective Theses and Dissertations

This theoretical study has been undertaken in order to provide insights into the steady two-dimensional laminar film condensation heat transfer on an isothermal vertical flat wall and a cylindrical surface. Condensation is given to both the pure water vapor and water vapor-air mixture. Only the saturated state of the bulk vapor is considered.

The effects of liquid-vapor resistance, gas-solubility in the condensate, thermal diffusion and diffusion thermo are neglected. The presence of air as non-condensing gas has been fully accounted for in this study. The physical properties of the condensate liquid are taken to be those of saturated water at …

The Performance Of The 8089 Integrated I/O Processor In Iapx 86 Microcomputer Systems, Jeffrey A. Lohman

Retrospective Theses and Dissertations

This thesis examines the performance of the Intel 8089 integrated I/O processor through a predictive performance model for the I/O subsystem architectures available to the designer of an iAPX 86 system. The model provides system throughput estimates and is intended to be used prior to any detailed design. The derivation of the model is followed by a description of a prototype system which is used to provide actual throughput measurements. These measurements are compared with the model predictions to evaluate the model error and its utility. The model estimates are then combined with subsystem cost data to gauge the cost-effectiveness …

Design Methodology Of Very Large Scale Integration, Ankush D. Oberai

Retrospective Theses and Dissertations

Very Large Scale Integration (VLSI) deals with systems complexity rather than transistor size or circuit performance. VLSI design methodology is supported by Computer Aided Design (CAD) and Design Automation (DA) tools, which help VLSI designers to implement more complex and guaranteed designs. The increasing growth in VLSI complexity dictates a hierarchical design approach and the need for hardware DA tools.

This paper discusses the generalized Design Procedure for CAD circuit design; the commercial CADs offered by CALMA and the Caesar System, supported by the Berkeley design tools. A complete design of a Content Addressable Memory (CAM) cell, using the Caesar …

Forced Convective Critical Heat Flux Modeling For Tubes And Rod Bundles, Joseph E. Dahlquist

Retrospective Theses and Dissertations

This thesis presents a model for predicting the forced convective critical heat flux (CHF) for water over a wide range of thermal-hydraulic conditions which might be encountered during normal and accident operations of a light water nuclear reactor. The model is primarily composed from existing steady-state CHF correlations for tubes or tube and rod bundle geometries, and encompasses the following parametric ranges:

0.3 ≤ P (MPa) ≤ 16.0

6.0 ≤ D (mm) ≤ 30.0

100.0 ≤ G (kg/m²s) ≤ 8000.0

-0.30 ≤ X ≤ 1.0

The correlations used as the foundation of this model are the

1) Westinghouse-3 …

Granular Activated Carbon Pilot Plant For The Removal Of Color, Toc, And Thmfp, Jeffrey L. Herr

Retrospective Theses and Dissertations

As part of an Environmental Protection Agency grant to reduce the trihalomethane concentration in the Melbourne, Florida drinking water, a granular activated carbon (GAC) plant was operated for approximately 1 year. Four GAC pilot plant systems were operated in parallel each treating a different influent. Raw water, coagulated, settled and filtered water, filtered water with ozone pretreatment, and filtered water with chlorine dioxide pretreatment were pumped through the individual systems. Influent and effluent concentrations of various pollutants were monitored regularly throughout the study. The raw water GAC system showed rapid breakthrough for color, total organic carbon (TOC) and trihalomethanes (THM's). …

The Effect Of Selected Alloying Elements On The Hardness And Microstructure Of Ductile Cast Iron, Chi-Hua Edward Tseng

Masters Theses

The effects of cooling rate and alloying element on the matrix structure, nodule count and hardness have been studied in this investigation.

Recommendations for producing ferritic ductile iron have been made and the relationship between hardness and pearlite percentage has been obtained in this study.

Mathematical Model For Estimating Transient Pressure Surges In Cryogenic Liquid-Vapor Systems, Philippe Pfister

Retrospective Theses and Dissertations

Numerical treatments have become the most accurate methods for transient liquid flows analysis. Based on a computer code provided by NASA/KSC, this paper presents two simulations of cryogenic transfer systems. Experimental data originated from the Space Shuttle Liquid Oxygen Servicing were obtained during drain flows. Two sets of data (pressure at various locations versus time) corresponding to a drain stop and a drain initiation were used for a comparison with the predicted pressures. The first test case was a single-phase flow whereas the second one was associated with liquid-column separation and vapor cavity collapse. Major modifications were made to the …

The Simulation And Water Quality Characterization Of A Coal Slurry Involving Eastern Coal, Michael R. Todd

Retrospective Theses and Dissertations

The water quality characteristics of a coal slurry were found to vary widely, depending upon the coal used and the use of a corrosion inhibitor. The coal-water interactions were evaluated in a pilot-plant closed-loop coal slurry pipeline. Pulverized coal from eastern Kentucky and tap water were slurred and pumped through a 40 foot (12.2 m) pipe loop for ten days. Slurry samples were collected at 3 hours, 7 hours, 1 day, 2 days, 4 days, 7 days and 10 days from the start of a run. The samples were filtered and analyzed for 29 water quality parameters, including 15 metals. …

Low Cost Neutron Detector, Sebastian K. Namukolo

Retrospective Theses and Dissertations

Neutron bombardment of bipolar transistors creates cluster defects in semiconductor material. The clusters are small volumes of semiconductor material containing several hundred atoms displaced from their proper lattice sites owing to collision processes. They act as recombination centers in transistor bases, reducing minority carrier lifetime and consequently reducing transistor current gain. The damage is permanent to the semiconductor device and can only be corrected by thermally annealing the transistor. Copious test data available on bipolar transistors d.c. gain (h_FE) response to incident fast neutron fluences confirm their mathematically derivable functional relationships. This report develops a neutron fluence detector …

Modal Analysis By State Space Approach In Frequency Domain, Feliciano Feijo

Retrospective Theses and Dissertations

This report tests a new procedure to identify the eigenvalue problem matrix "A" by utilizing the frequency response of a system in state-space for a given sinusoidal forcing input. Two sample identification tests are performed and a detailed explanation of both cases is presented. The method proved to be correct and the results obtained were accurate in both cases. A random error was then added to both sample tests in order to simulate real measuring conditions. Results indicate that it is more difficult to identify the "A" matrix of an undamped system. The error in the system must be very …

Simulation Of Naval Student Flow Using Pipeline Management Model, Mary L. Sankey

Retrospective Theses and Dissertations

The U.S. Navy's training system is an extensive, complex system of interrelated and interacting components. This paper presents the results of several approaches to the problem of modeling this system and developing computer programs to simulate and analyze its operation. Two programs using special-purpose simulation languages, SLAM and GASP, are described briefly. The PMM inter-active system is described and analyzed in the greatest detail. Possible future utilization of this PMM system for experimentation and forecasting is also briefly discussed.

The Technical And Economic Feasibility Of Producing Methane From Biomass Using A Leaching-Bed/Packed-Bed Conversion Process, Steven W. Hinton

Retrospective Theses and Dissertations

The economic feasibility and energy effectiveness of producing pipeline quality methane gas from biomass was assessed for a new and totally unproven process. The biomass feedstock considered was the common aquatic weed water hyacinth and a novel active boom-winch harvesting system is proposed for its collection. The conversion process analyzed is a two stage biological process which utilizes a leaching-bed for the production of volatile acids and a packed-bed for the production of methane gas. In order to determine the feasibility of the proposed process equipment requirements, capital costs and operating/maintenance costs were developed for three system sizes. This data …

Digital Communications System Evaluation: Design Developments In Pseudorandom Sequence Usage, Signal Conditioning And Timing Regeneration, Barry Lane

Retrospective Theses and Dissertations

The aim of this paper is to develop a series of designs which allow evaluation of several digital communication system design concepts. Circuits were developed and tested which deal with three central areas of concern in digital communication networks. They include random signal generation and detection, signal conditioning, and digital timing extraction. A pseudorandom sequence generator and correlator design form the basic digital channel. Bi-phase transmission coding and digital timing regeneration were later added to the initial channel. System performance was confirmed by inserting errors and measuring error rate.

A Study Of Single Angle Compression Members, James Robert Callaway

Dissertations and Theses

A study was undertaken to investigate the compressive capacity of a specific group of single angle members.

A review of existing literature and techniques was presented. Laboratory compression tests were performed on 22 angle members of four different sizes and two different lengths. Additional tests were performed to determine the yield strength of the material. The results, normalized with respect to the yield stress, were tabulated and discussed.

Two existing analytic models were used to attempt to predict the ultimate capacity of the test members. The first, an elastic method, was based upon the AISC combined stress equation. The second, …

Secondary Stresses In Bowstring Timber Trusses, John F. Bradford

Dissertations and Theses

This study was undertaken in order to determine analytically the magnitude of the secondary (i.e., joint deflection induced) moments in the continuous glued-laminated chords of bowstring timber trusses. Traditionally, these moments have been assumed to be small and therefore neglected. The American Institute of Timber Construction makes no mention of these moments in their recommended design procedure.

Computer Usage In The Construction Industry And Construction Education, Stephen Douglas Stulken

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

The rapid growth of computer usage in American society, and in the construction industry in particular, has important implications for construction education programs. There is a lack of current information about computer usage in the construction industry. Without this information, construction educators are less likely to provide students with relevant computer competencies that relate to the needs of the construction industry.

The objective of this study was to determine to what extent construction education programs provide the necessary computer competencies for their students. This was accomplished by comparing the current status of computer usage in the construction industry with computer-related …

Spacially Sampled Multi-Aperture Optical System For Robot Vision, Ali R. Baradar

Retrospective Theses and Dissertations

One of the solutions to the world's industrial and economic recovery and survivability is "Flexible Automation," wherein vision is the key to its cost-effective flexibility. Vision gives the robot a measure of environmental intelligence. The majority of present vision systems are patterned after the human eye, but this is not a requirement. It has been shown that the multi-aperture insect eye cannot image an object. The physiology of an insect eye is fundamentally different than that of the human eye in that it is not binocular by multioccular in nature. In order to study multi-aperture optics and indirectly the functioning …

Relationships Between Selected Features Of Helical Or Spur Gears And Size Distortions Due To Heat Treatment, Abolghassem Tolu Honary

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

The purpose of this study was to determine the relationships between selected gear features and distortions due to heat treatment. An extensive review of the literature indicated that studies on gear distortions were mainly metallurgically oriented, and the relationships between gear geometrical features and dimensional distortions due to heat treatment had not been investigated.

This investigation obtained data from actual gear size adjustments that had been collected from many years of experimentations at the John Deere Component Works (JDCW), Waterloo, Iowa. Gear data were converted to uniform files and were classified, retrieved, and analyzed by computerized systems. Two groups of …

Investigation Of Important Surface Characteristics Of A Finned Tube Heat Exchanger, Bobby Dale Stafford

Masters Theses

"Surface characteristics of a finned tube heat exchanger were examined to help predict the contact geometry between metal surfaces. These characteristics were the surface roughness and waviness and the material hardness. A scanning electron microscope was used to observe the surface topography of the fins as well as examining the contact between the aluminum fin and the copper tube.

Comparisons of the surface roughness were then made between heat exchangers having different fin numbers (20, 14, and 6) with the result that as the fin number decreased, the roughness also decreased. For a given fin number, it was discovered that …

Development Of Glass Microspheres For Radiotherapeutic Applications, Thomas A. Wetteroth

Masters Theses

"Oxide glasses make excellent candidates for radiotherapeutic microspheres used in liver cancer treatment because of their generally high chemical durability and safety of manufacture. From the compositions containing ~5 wt% P₂O₅ studied, magnesium alumino silicate glass microspheres and magnesium alkali silicate glass microspheres with 4 wt% ZrO₂ had acceptably low releases of both elemental phosphorus in deionized water at 50°C, and radioactive ³²P in human blood plasma at 37°C. The relative ranking of glass compositions in the elemental phosphorus leach test shows good agreement with the rankings of compositions in the radioactive ³²P leach …

Mechanical Properties Of High Strength Sheet Steels, M. Brad Parks

Masters Theses

"In recent years fuel economy has become one of the major criteria for the design of automobiles. In order to improve the efficiency of their vehicles many automotive designers are substituting high strength sheet steels for traditional materials of lower strength. This thesis discusses experimental work which was done to determine the representative mechanical properties and stress-strain relationships of a select group of high strength sheet steels with nominal yield strengths ranging from 80 to 140 ksi. The results show that high strength sheet steels are quite anisotropic with the variation in measured properties depending on the type of sheet …

Contouring And Analysis Of Rock Hardness And Point Load Strength Index Values For The Bethany Falls, Winterset, And Argentine Limestones In The Greater Kansas City Area, John Robert Cramer

Masters Theses

"A field study was conducted to evaluate the variations in selected physical properties of the Bethany Falls, Winterset and Argentine Limestones in the Greater Kansas City Area. On-site and laboratory testings of these rocks for hardness and strength were made. Data from the different sites were contoured to graphically illustrate changes in the rock properties geographically. Results of this study are presented with the hope that they may be useful preliminary information for rock excavation engineers working in the area.

The area covered by the study included Platte, Clay, Johnson, and Cass counties in Missouri, and Leavenworth, Wyandotte and Johnson …

Control Of Rock Fragmentation Through Explosive Coupling, Timothy Wayne Warden

Masters Theses

"Both detonation pressure and borehole pressure, resulting from an explosion within blastholes in rock, perform specific functions in the fragmentation of the rock and the generation of ground vibrations. The results of previous investigations would suggest that control of these pressures in the borehole would, to some extent, control the size distribution of the blasted particles. One method of influencing detonation and borehole pressures is by varying the hole diameter in relation to a constant charge diameter, called decoupling, and by varying the medium between the explosive charge and the rock.

This investigation examined the effects of geometric coupling, which …

Defect Chemistry Of La-Doped Strontium Titanate, Brian Keith Flandermeyer

Masters Theses

"Thermogravimetric measurements as a function of oxygen activity were performed in the temperature range of 1200°C to 1400°C on a series of La-doped SrTiO₃ compounds. A model postulating the crystallographic accommodation of ionic defects induced by the donor under oxidizing conditions is assumed. Thermodynamic calculations were performed to compare this model to the experimental results with reasonable success"--Abstract, page iii.

Microcomputer Control Of A Model Robot System Using Programmable Pulse Width Modulation, Richard Eugene Wainwright

Masters Theses

"The hardware design of a model robot system for experimentation in microcomputer control is presented. A special interface board is designed to allow an Apple II Plus microcomputer to control a model robot system which consists of a three-jointed robot with an electromagnet end effector and a conveyor belt, with an optional vision system. A programmable pulse-width modulator is designed to drive the DC motors which operate the robot and conveyor belt. Improvements and additional uses for the model system are discussed"--Abstract, page ii.

Mechanical Properties Of Alumina For Orthopedic Implant Use, Ho Tong Fang

Masters Theses

"The static fatigue, flexural strength and chemical corrosion of three commercially prepared, polycrystalline aluminas, two of orthopedic implant grade, were measured in demineralized water at 37°C and 70°C. The dissolution of a Ca-rich impurity phase, probably a glass, segregated at the grain boundaries and external surface, appears at least partially responsible for the significant difference in static fatigue of these three aluminas. The present results indicate that the minimum static fatigue in demineralized water, and the highest flexural strength in demineralized water and HF solution are both achieved by the alumina characterized by a low concentration of Ca at the …

Unifac Parameters For Maleic Anhydride And 2-Methyl Furan In P-Dioxane System, Kow-Jen Daumn

Masters Theses

"The purpose of this work was to develop a method for calculating equilibrium concentrations for reversible liquid phase reactions from a minimum of experimental data. The example reaction studied was the Diels Alder reaction between 2-methyl furan and maleic anhydride. Specifically, interaction parameters of the UNIFAC model for groups in the compounds 2-methyl furan, maleic anhydride and the solvent, p-dioxane, were determined. The activity coefficient of each substance was then predicted by the UNIFAC method. Equilibrium constants at 45°C for the Diels Alder reaction between 2-methyl furan and maleic anhydride were then calculated from these activity coefficients and two previously …