Engineering Commons^™

Summer 1999, 90.9 Wmpg Fm

WMPG Program Guides

Newspaper format

Test 1895: Case Ih Cx 70/C 70 Diesel, Nebraska Tractor Test Lab

Nebraska Tractor Tests

No abstract provided.

Effects Of Casting Conditions And Annealing On Microstructures And Vickers Hardness Of Dendritic Pd-Cu-Ga Dental Alloys, William A. Brantley, Qiang Wu, Zhuo Cai, Stanley G. Vermilyea, John C. Mitchell, Michael C. Comerford

Cells and Materials

Three Pd-Cu-Ga alloys with as-cast dendritic microstructures and very similar compositions, two containing less than 1 wt% boron and the third boron-free, were cast with normal bench-cooling or rapid-quenching into water. Quenched specimens were also heat treated at temperatures of 1000°, 1200°, 1500° and 1800°F that span the firing cycles for dental porcelain. Similar values of Vickers hardness were observed for all three alloys, suggesting little effect from boron on yield strength. The hardness was relatively insensitive to the experimental conditions, except for heat treatment at 1500° and 1800°F where significant softening occurred with transformation of the microstructure to Pd …

Why Clustering In Function Approximation? Theoretical Explanation, Vladik Kreinovich, Yeung Yam

Departmental Technical Reports (CS)

Function approximation is a very important practical problem: in many practical applications, we know the exact form of the functional dependence y=f(x1,...,xn) between physical quantities, but this exact dependence is complicated, so we need a lot of computer space to store it, and a lot of time to process it, i.e., to predict y from the given xi. It is therefore necessary to find a simpler approximate expression g(x1,...,xn) for this same dependence. This problem has been analyzed in numerical mathematics for several centuries, and it is, therefore, one of the most thoroughly analyzed problems of applied mathematics. There are …

Beyond [0,1] To Intervals And Further: Do We Need All New Fuzzy Values?, Yeung Yam, Masao Mukaidono, Vladik Kreinovich

Departmental Technical Reports (CS)

In many practical applications of fuzzy methodology, it is desirable to go beyond the interval [0,1] and to consider more general fuzzy values: e.g., intervals, or real numbers outside the interval [0,1]. When we increase the set of possible fuzzy values, we thus increase the number of bits necessary to store each degree, and therefore, increase the computation time which is needed to process these degrees. Since in many applications, it is crucial to get the result on time, it is therefore desirable to make the smallest possible increase. In this paper, we describe such smallest possible increases.

Why Fundamental Physical Equations Are Of Second Order?, Takeshi Yamakawa, Vladik Kreinovich

Departmental Technical Reports (CS)

In this paper, we use a deep mathematical result (namely, a minor modification of Kolmogorov's solution to Hilbert's 13th problem) to explain why fundamental physical equations are of second order. This same result explain why all these fundamental equations naturally lead to non-smooth solutions like singularity.

Sonar Three-Dimensional Image Formation For Underwater Vehicular Collision Avoidance, Gary Robert Boucher

Doctoral Dissertations

The last ten years have shown a marked increase in research into Autonomous Underwater Vehicles. A key component of this research is the ability to “look” ahead of the vehicle's projected path and translate active sonar returns into three-dimensional (3-D) computer data structures used to navigate and avoid obstacles. This need to avoid obstacles is also common to other underwater vehicles including submersibles.

Of special interest to this research is the “Occupancy Grid Framework.” This technique divides the forward looking sonar field into cells. These cells can be maintained either in spherical or cartesian coordinate systems.

This research demonstrates a …

A Strategy For Extending The House Of Quality To Obtain Preliminary Design Specifications, Patricia Brackin, Jonathon Colton

Faculty Publications - Electrical and Computer Engineering

No abstract provided.

Behavior Of Melanoma Cells In Cell And Organ Cultures: Use Of Biomaterials To Activate Cells, J. L. Duval, N. Faucheux, R. Warocquier-Clérout, M. D. Nagel

Cells and Materials

It is well known that cell behaviors such as adhesion, proliferation and various synthesis are initiated from transmembrane signals. This study uses biomaterials as primary messengers of the cell activation pathways, and we have analyzed the effects of two biomaterials on highly metastatic tumor cells. B16F10 melanoma cells formed heterogeneous populations whose size varied with cell differentiation. In long-term organ cultures grown comparatively on AN 69 and Cuprophan (a biomembrane known to activate cells), we found that Cuprophan increased both adhesion and proliferation of small melanin-rich cells which represented differentiated melanocyte&. In dissociated cell cultures, the rate of early cell …

In Vitro Comparative Biocompatibility Testing Of Carbofilm Coated And Uncoated Polyetherimide For Cardiovascular Application, M. Bosetti, S. Mazzarelli, L. Nicolais, L. Ambrosio, M. Cannas

Cells and Materials

When blood contacts the surface of a material, several processes take place including the activation of coagulation and immune systems. The aim of this work is to study in vitro the biological reactions seen from the point of view of hemocompatibility and cytocompatibility of a new polymer suggested as an artificial surface for cardiovascular applications: Carbofilm® coated polyetherimide (C®PEI) in comparison to polyetherimide (PEI), the uncoated form. PEI and C®PEI showed no signs of acute cytotoxicity although following long term incubation with PEI cytotoxicity was somewhat increased; both materials supported good endothelial cell adhesion with a higher level of cell …

Spatial And Temporal Factors In Estimating The Potential Of Ride-Sharing For Demand Reduction, H.-S. Jacob Tsao, Da-Jie Lin

Faculty Publications

Traffic congestion has been a pervasive problem in many urban areas of this country. This paper studies the potential of carpooling among unrelated partners (i.e., inter-household carpooling) for demand reduction during peak commute hours. Basic questions about this potential include the following. Can the current population density, origin-destination distribution, tolerable pick-up and drop-off delays, departure time distribution, and the tolerance for deviation from preferred departure time support a sizable carpooling population that can make a significant contribution to traffic demand reduction? Could the proportion of long trips that are likely candidates for carpooling (e.g., those long trips with same O-D) …

Evaluation Of Subsurface Drip Irrigation On Peppers, Stuart W. Styles, Charles M. Burt

BioResource and Agricultural Engineering

This paper is a summary of two farms that utilized the California Energy Commission's low-interest loan program to facilitate their entry into drip irrigation. One farm is located near Oxnard, California, USA and the other is located near Gilroy, California, USA. Both of these growers farm about 162 hectares (400 acres) in their overall operations and used the loans to purchase subsurface drip irrigation systems for Peppers. Over $4 million in low-interest loans have been made available to California growers from the California Energy Commission (CEC) since 1986. The CEC initiated the loan program for growers to help implement energy …

Winter/Spring 1999, 90.9 Wmpg Fm

WMPG Program Guides

Newspaper format.

Location Effects Of Passive Damping Material In Cross-Ply Laminates On Natural Frequency And Mode Shape, E. I. Elghandour, F. A. Kolkailah

Aerospace Engineering

This study presents an experimental investigation of the free vibration of cantilevered composite laminated plates with embedded passive damping material at different stages. A total of five composite laminated plates are considered. The lay-up sequences for the five composite laminated plates with and without two embedded layers of passive damping material are [90°/0°/90°/0°]_s, [90°/0°/90°/0°/d]_s, [90°/0°/90°/d/0°]_s, [90°/0°/d/90°/0°]_s, and [90°/d/0°/90°/0°]_s. The passive damping material employed is a 3M material, SJ-2015 ISD 112, with peak damping properties in the ambient temperature range of 32°F to 140°F. The composite material used is a carbon …

Irrigation Sagacity: A Measure Of Prudent Water Use, Kenneth H. Solomon, Charles M. Burt

BioResource and Agricultural Engineering

Within the western United States, water rights are granted for reasonable and beneficial water use, and a measure of irrigation performance that embodies this standard is needed. A new performance parameter, irrigation sagacity (IS), is recommended for this purpose. The term `sagacity' comes from `sagacious', meaning wise or prudent. IS is more closely tied to the water rights granted, and to the potential for water conservation and reallocation than is the traditional irrigation efficiency, which considers only beneficial uses. Sagacious uses are either beneficial, or non-beneficial but reasonable. Reasonable uses are those that, while not directly benefiting agronomic production within …

Quantifying The Surface Geometry Of Titanium Implant Material By Different Methods Of Analysis, Clara Pimienta, Rashad Tawashi

Cells and Materials

Biomaterial implant manufacturers have used rough surfaces to ensure better biocompatibility, less rejection and better adaptation of implants in the body. Proper characterization of biological interactions and biocompatibility of biomaterials requires a thorough understanding of surface complexity. Surface roughness has often been shown to be important in influencing biological reactions with the surface. Previous communications from our laboratory have described a dynamic active vision system (MVS camera) capable of measuring three-dimensional coordinates of titanium implant material surfaces. Fractal analysis, due to its straightforward relationship to texture, is used to characterize the degree of irregularity of a surface and is expressed …

Image Analysis And The Effect Of Molecular Orientation On Degrading Lactide Polymer Films, K. J. L. Burg, M. Laberge, D. L. Powers, S. W. Shalaby

Cells and Materials

Absorbable polylactide films were studied in order to observe the effect of orientation on the resulting hydrolytic degradation pattern. Two types of polylactide films with two levels of molecular orientation were studied, during a nine month exposure to a phosphate buffered solution at 37°C. The films were sectioned and quantified as to void area, birefringence area, and intensity of birefringence using a microscope and an image analysis software package. The results, obtained using an analysis of variance, showed that the orientation played a significant role in the degradation pattern of the polylactide films, either decreasing or causing no change in …

Biomimetic Habitats For Cells: Ordered Matrix Deposition And Differentiation In Gingival Fibroblasts Cultured On Hydroxyapatite Coated With A Collagen Analogue, Rajendra S. Bhatnagar, Jing Jing Qian, Anna Wedrychowska, Eric Dixon, Nancy Smith

Cells and Materials

In tissues, cells attach and migrate on collagen. Interaction with collagen modulates cell proliferation and differentiation. We propose that similar environments may be constructed by immobilizing collagen-derived cell-binding peptides in a three-dimensional (3-D) template. We identified a cell binding domain of type I collagen and showed that a 15-residue synthetic analogue (P-15) binds cells with high affinity. In the present study, we compared the behavior of human gingival fibroblasts (HGF) in culture on hydroxyapatite (HA) and on HA-P-15. HGF cultured on HA formed sparse monolayers with little order and deposited a scant matrix. HGF on HA-P-15 formed highly oriented 3-D …

Biological Fixed-Film Systems, Mark W. Fitch, Jeffrey B. Murphy, Stephen S. Sowell

Civil, Architectural and Environmental Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

The Microbiological Degradation of Wastewater and its Application using a Fixed-Film Reactor is Reviewed. the Technical and Technological Characteristics, as Well as the Efficiency of Nitrification and Denitrification Processes Were Taken into Consideration. the Review Elucidated the Experimental Measurements of Effective Diffusive Permeabilities and Effective Diffusion Coefficients of Biofilms.

Derivation Of Equations Of Motion For A Four Link Robotic Leg For A Walking Vehicle, Andrew B. Wright

Journal of the Arkansas Academy of Science

A four degree of freedom leg for a walking robot has been modeled using Newton's method. Unlike robot manipulators, which have a fixed base, a leg model must include inertial forces due to base motion. These forces have been included in the formulation. These equations can be used for design, simulation, and control. The inverse kinematics for this leg are also presented. This allows the joint angles to be computed from a desired foot-hold position.

Nuclear Fuel Pellet Inspection Using Artificial Neural Networks, Shahla Keyvan, Xiaolong Song, Mark Kelly

Nuclear Engineering and Radiation Science Faculty Research & Creative Works

Nuclear fuel must be of high quality before being placed into service in a reactor. Fuel vendors currently use manual inspection for quality control of fabricated nuclear fuel pellets. In order to reduce workers' exposure to radiation and increase the inspection accuracy and speed, the feasibility of automation of fuel pellet inspection using artificial neural networks (ANNs) is studied in this paper. Three kinds of neural network architectures are examined for evaluation of the ANN performance in proper classification of good versus bad pellets. Two supervised neural networks, back-propagation and fuzzy ARTMAP, and one unsupervised neural network called ART2-A are …

Square Planar Monopole Antenna, Max Ammann

Conference papers

A planar monopole may be realised by replacing the wire element of a conventional monopole with a planar element. In this case, the planar element which is square, is located above a groundplane and fed using an SMA connector as illustrated. The square monopole has a simple geometry and a smaller bandwidth compared to the circular-disc monopole. However, it is still a broadband antenna with a typical impedance bandwidth of 75 % at S band. This broadband antenna shows a constant radiation pattern over the impedance bandwidth. A simple formula for the frequency corresponding to the lower edge of the …

Production Of Biogenic Mn Oxides By Leptothrix Discophora Ss-1 In A Chemically Defined Growth Medium And Evaluation Of Their Pb Adsorption Characteristics, Yarrow M. Nelson, Leonard W. Lion, William C. Ghiorse, Michael L. Shuler

Civil and Environmental Engineering

Biogenic Mn oxides were produced by the bacterium Leptothrix discophora SS-1 (= ATCC 3182) in a chemically defined mineral salts medium, and the Pb binding and specific surface area of these oxides were characterized. Growth of SS-1 in the defined medium with pyruvate as a carbon and energy source required the addition of vitamin B₁₂. Complete oxidation of Mn(II) within 60 h required the addition of ≥0.1 μM FeSO₄. Pb adsorption isotherms were determined for the biogenic Mn oxides (and associated cells with their extracellular polymer) and compared to the Pb adsorption isotherms of cells and …

Problems Of Irrigation In Developing Countries, Phillip Z. Kirpich, Dorota Z. Haman, Stuart W. Styles

BioResource and Agricultural Engineering

This paper describes the crucial importance of irrigated agriculture to developing countries and to the world as a whole. This is followed by a summary of key problems that restrict and diminish the benefits of irrigated agriculture. Solution of these problems will above all require a holistic approach and will require changes in the institutions involved. These institutions include those of the developing countries, of the developed countries that provide aid, and of the international financing and technical-assistance agencies. Engineers in the developed countries have had, and will continue to have, a leading role but will need some redirection. ASCE …

District Application Of Hand Held Data Recorder Technology, Stuart Styles, Charles M. Burt

BioResource and Agricultural Engineering

A hand held data recorder (HHDR) enables a district to collect field data in a quick and virtually error-free manner. These units can be used to scan bar code location/equipment identifiers or the operator can manually key in this information followed by the current data. Some HHDRs can be programmed with error checking routines that prompt the operator when an entry is inconsistent with regards to the previous reading from that location. Each entry includes a time and date stamp. When the operator has collected all of the data for the day or for a route, the data is downloaded …

Simple, Portable Water Level Monitoring Package, Charles M. Burt, Stuart Styles

BioResource and Agricultural Engineering

Electronic water level sensing equipment is becoming increasingly important for the implementation of water conservation programs in irrigation districts. A need has risen for information on costs, advantages/disadvantages, required support equipment, and required maintenance for the various options. For this reason, the Water Conservation Office of the Mid-Pacific Region of the USBR contracted with the Cal Poly ITRC to conduct a study on water level sensors and dataloggers and to produce a report.

One application covered in the water level sensor and datalogger report is the need to have a simple, portable water level monitoring package. This paper supplements the …

Test 1894: Case Ih Cx 60/ C 60 Diesel, Nebraska Tractor Test Lab

Nebraska Tractor Tests

No abstract provided.

Optimized Calibration For Unsteady Flow Modeling Using A Genetic Algorithm, Daniel Sanchez, Jerome A. Westphal

Civil, Architectural and Environmental Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

The calibration of an unsteady flow model generally relies on the estimation of roughness coefficients, which act as descriptors of friction resistance along the channel. Here an optimized procedure is implemented by incorporating a genetic algorithm (GA) to automate the process. This approach is suitable because discrete parameters are considered. The target is a one-dimensional unsteady flow model in which the roughness coefficient is allowed to vary not only along the river axis, but also dynamically with discharge. The objective function is the root mean square of the difference between measured and computed water levels at a given cross section. …

Effects Of Dissolved Organic Matter And Ph On Heavy Metal Uptake By Sludge Particulates Exemplified By Copper(Ii) And Nickel(Ii): Three-Variable Model, Jianmin Wang, C. P. Huang, Herbert E. Allen, Ira Poesponegoro, Haryanto Poesponegoro, Luis R. Takiyama

Civil, Architectural and Environmental Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Dissolved organic matter (DOM) and pH are important factors affecting heavy metal uptake by sludge particulates. Copper(II) and Nickel(II) uptake behavior by primary and secondary sludge particulates was studied under various pH and DOM conditions. A three-variable model, incorporating effects of pH and DOM, was developed to describe heavy metal uptake. Results show that heavy metal uptake by sludge particulates can be better described by the three-variable model than by the modified Langmuir model in a wide pH range.

Santa Clara Magazine, Volume 41 Number 3, Winter 1999, Santa Clara University

Santa Clara Magazine

8 - NOT WITH MY DAUGHTER, YOU DON'T! By Susan Fry. An SCU psychologist explores the correlation between dating and self-esteem for adolescent girls.

12 - COMMON GROUND FOUND By Tamara Straus. SCU has a new partner: the Smithsonian Center for Mate rials Research and Education. Together they are pursuing what a top-notch 21st-century education will require.

16 - THE NEW VOICES OF SANTA CLARA By Nichole Pichel, Miguel Legarreta, Charlene Abalos, Audrey Bilczo, and Jennifer Farris. Five incoming students share their experience of building values in a world of uneven prosperity, opportunity, and choice.