Engineering Commons^™

Standard Test Method For Determining The Web Crippling Strength Of Cold-Formed Steel Members, R. M. Schuster, Roger A. Laboube

American Iron and Steel Institute (AISI) Specifications, Standards, Manuals and Research Reports (1946 - present)

No abstract provided.

Modeling Of Acoustic Emission Failure Mechanism Data From A Unidirectional Fiberglass/Epoxy Tensile Test Specimen, Daniel R. Lendzioszek

Master's Theses - Daytona Beach

The purpose of this work was to model the acoustic emission (AE) flaw growth data that resulted from the tensile test of a unidirectional fiberglass/epoxy specimen. The data collected and stored during the test were the six standard AE quantification parameters for each event. A classification neural network was used to sort the data into five failure mechanism clusters. The resulting frequency histograms of the sorted data were then mathematically modeled herein using the three types of Johnson distributions: bounded, lognormal, and unbounded. These provided a reasonably good fit for all six AE parameter distributions for each of the five …

The Effect Of Simulator Platform Motion On Pilot Training Transfer: A Meta-Analysis, Eric A. Vaden

Master's Theses - Daytona Beach

A meta-analytic (MA) approach was used to generate an estimate of true mean effect size (δ) for simulator motion with regard to pilot training transfer. The analysis was based on the techniques developed by Hunter and Schmidt (1990). A d statistic was used for effect size calculations based on information available in the included sources. Eleven studies were reviewed and considered for analysis, but only seven of these included the information necessary for calculating effect size and were included in the study. The result of the MA suggest a small, positive effect for motion, d = .16. No credibility interval …

Acuta Enews October 2002, Vol 31, No. 10

ACUTA Newsletters

In This Issue

Convergence on Sewanee Campus.................... Jeanne Jansenius, Univ. of the South

Tech Talk Free Space Optics............................ Kevin Tanzillo, Dux Public Relations

Cabling: Asset or Liability?................... Diane Santarelli, wireville.com

DC Update.............................. Whitney Johnson, Retired, Northern Michigan Univ.

Higher Ed's Contribution to Cyberspace Security................. Jeri Semer, CAE, Executive Director

Board Report................... John Bradley, Rensselaer Polytechnic lnstitute

Welcome New Members

Nebraska Blueprint – Fall 2002

Nebraska Blueprint (Student Publication)

Table of Contents:

From the Editor

You Never Know Where the Road Will Lead – Civil engineering graduate student takes research on the road.

Feel the POWER! – Quarter-scale tractor team strives for excellence in competition and continues to move up in the ranks.

Independent Study Team Goes Robotic – The story behind the making of a robot by an undergraduate independent study team.

A Fine-Tuned Balance – Biological systems engineering student balances school and musical interests.

100 Hundred Years of Nebraska Blueprint – Serving engineering students of NU for a century, the Nebraska Blueprint celebrates its 100th Anniversary with …

Pattern Recognition For Electric Power System Protection, Yong Sheng

Doctoral Dissertations

The objective of this research is to demonstrate pattern recognition tools such as decision trees (DTs) and neural networks that will improve and automate the design of relay protection functions in electric power systems. Protection functions that will benefit from the research include relay algorithms for high voltage transformer protection (TP) and for high impedance fault (HIF) detection. A methodology, which uses DTs and wavelet analysis to distinguish transformer internal faults from other conditions that are easily mistaken for internal faults, has been developed. Also, a DT based solution is proposed to discriminate HIFs from normal operations that may confuse …

Evaluation Of Distributed Effects In Field Effect Transistors For High Frequency Applications, Srinivas Rowjee Cuddapah

Electrical & Computer Engineering Theses & Dissertations

Metal Semiconductor Field Effect Transistors are at the heart of currently used microwave and millimeter-wave devices. CAD (Computer Aided Design) models for MESFET are used in the development and optimization of high-speed microwave devices. The increase in the chip density demands more accurate models. A distributed small signal model was developed for a GaAs MESFET account of the high frequency effects.

The lumped model of the MESFET is inadequate at frequencies where the wavelength of operation approaches device dimensions. This is because different regions in the device can experience different amplitudes and phases of the biasing signal. In this thesis, …

Study Of Transport Properties Of Inas Using Monte Carlo Simulation, Satyanadh Gundimada

Electrical & Computer Engineering Theses & Dissertations

The present research is aimed at ascertaining the usefulness of InAs semiconductor material for single photon avalanche photo detectors operating in the Geiger mode at 2 μm wavelengths. InAs is considered as the material suitable for the purpose because of its less bandgap and lower effective mass of the electrons when compared to other semiconductor materials presently in use. Hence, theoretically transient transport properties of bulk InAs are superior and the velocity overshoot phenomena stronger. InAs is a relatively less explored material when compared to other materials like GaAs. The choice of the material is justified with thorough exploration of …

Yet Another Algorithm For Pitch Tracking (Yaapt), Kavita Kasi

Electrical & Computer Engineering Theses & Dissertations

This thesis presents a pitch detection algorithm that is extremely robust for both high quality and telephone speech. The kernel method for this algorithm is the Normalized Cross Correlation (NCCF) reported by David Talkin [16]. Major innovations include: processing of the original acoustic signal and a nonlinearly processed version of the signal to partially restore very weak F0 components; intelligent peak picking to select multiple F0 candidates and assign merit factors; and, incorporation of highly robust pitch contours obtained from smoothed versions of low frequency portions of spectrograms. Dynamic programming is used to find the ''best" pitch track among all …

A Multilevel Neural Network Architecture For Digital Implementation Of A Face Recognition System Based On Eigenface Approach, Linda Rajan

Electrical & Computer Engineering Theses & Dissertations

The design and development of the digital implementation of a multilevel feed forward neural network architecture for face recognition based on statistical features representing Eigenfaces is presented in this thesis. The architecture is divided into three parts: feature extractor, classifier and identifier, The Eigenface extractor architecture is developed based on an efficient design strategy in which all the M weight values corresponding to the Eigenfaces are generated simultaneously from M images representing the Eigen vectors and the test input image. The multilayer neural network classifier is trained using error backpropagation algorithm. A novel multilevel digital architecture is developed for the …

Recurrent Neural Networks And Algorithms For Reconstruction Of Images From Noisy And/Or Partial Data, Ming-Jung Seow

Electrical & Computer Engineering Theses & Dissertations

In this thesis, modular architectures and neighborhood-distance based learning algorithms for fast and effective convergence with increased storage capacity of Hopfield neural networks are presented. The main objective of this research work is to better understand the function of recurrent neural networks and the influence of modularity within a network, and to design, implement, and test the performance of modular Hopfield neural networks for pattern association. Mathematical analysis and results are provided to show that the speed, storage capacity, and generalization capability of the recurrent networks are improved significantly by incorporating the modular architectures and learning algorithms. A new ratio …

Recurring Beams In Hollow Metal Waveguides: Paraxial Approximation, Lee W. Casperson

Electrical and Computer Engineering Faculty Publications and Presentations

For optical and near-optical applications in electromagnetics, the directed propagation of waves in free space and in lenslike media is often in the Cartesian form of Gaussian or more general Hermite-sinusoidal-Gaussian beams. It has been shown that recurring (rather than continuing) forms of such beams are possible in the paraxial approximation for certain hollow metal waveguides, in which multiple reflections from the waveguide walls may occur. Limitations on this recurrence behavior implicit in use of the paraxial approximation are considered here, and estimates are obtained for the maximum propagation distance before the onset of significant distortion of the recurring beams.

Range-Dependent Seabed Characterization By Inversion Of Acoustic Data From A Towed Receiver Array, Martin Siderius, Peter L. Nielsen, Peter Gerstoft

Electrical and Computer Engineering Faculty Publications and Presentations

The MAPEX2000 experiments were conducted in the Mediterranean Sea in March, 2000 to determine seabed properties using a towed acoustic source and receiver array. Towed systems are advantageous because they are easy to deploy from a ship and the moving platform offers the possibility for estimating spatially variable (range-dependent) seabed properties. In this paper, seabed parameters are determined using a matched-field geoacoustic inversion approach with measured, towed array data. Previous research has successfully applied matched-field geoacoustic inversion techniques to measured acoustic data. However, in nearly all cases the inverted data were collected on moored, vertical receiver arrays. Results here show …

Evaluation Of Kentucky’S You Drink And Drive. You Lose”, Kenneth R. Agent, Eric R. Green, Ronald E. Langley

Kentucky Transportation Center Research Report

Alcohol and drug related crashes continue to be one of the highest priority problem identification areas and considerable emphasis is being placed on programs to impact those types of crashes. Various types of campaigns have been used over the years in an attempt to reduce the number of alcohol-related crashes. Kentucky was selected within the Southeast Region of the United States by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration to conduct a comprehensive impaired driving campaign entitled “You Drink & Drive. You Lose”. The campaign was conducted around the 2002 Labor Day holiday. The objective of this report was to document …

Nato Code Of Best Practice For C2 Assessment, Dave Alberts, Tim Bailey, Paul Choinard, Andreas Tolk, Gary Wheatley, John Wilder

Computational Modeling & Simulation Engineering Books

This major revision to the Code of Best Practice (COBP) for C² Assessment is the product of a NATO Research and Technology Organisation (RTO) sponsored Research Group (SAS-026). It represents over a decade of work by many of the best analysts from the NATO countries. A symposium (SAS-039) was hosted by the NATO Consultation Command Control Agency (NC3A) that provided the venue for a rigorous peer review of the code. This new version of the COBP for C² assessment builds upon the initial version of the COBP produced by SAS-002. The earlier version focused on the analysis of …

Phonon Dispersion Measurements Of Yba2cu3o6.15 And Yba2cu3o6.95 By Time-Of-Flight Neutron Spectroscopy, J-H Chung, T. Egami, R. J. Mcqueeney, M. Yethiraj, M. Arai, T. Yokoo, Herbert A. Mook, Y. Endoh, S. Tajima, C. Frost, Fatih Dogan

Materials Science and Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

We measured the phonon dispersions of YBa₂Cu₃O_6.15 and YBa₂Cu₃O_6.95 by time-of-flight inelastic neutron scattering. The in-plane bond-stretching modes in the metallic phase showed a distinct a-b plane an isotropy beyond what is expected for structural origin. Such an isotropy in the longitudinal optical modes, which is absent in the TO, suggests strong in-plane anisotropy in the underlying electronic structure. Apical oxygen bond-stretching modes showed a large frequency change between the insulating and the metallic phases. This large softening also is beyond structural origin, and suggests the effect of local electronic …

An Intelligent System For Monitoring The Microgravity Environment Quality On-Board The International Space Station, Paul P. Lin, Kenol Jules

Mechanical Engineering Faculty Publications

An intelligent system for monitoring the microgravity environment quality on-board the International Space Station is presented. The monitoring system uses a new approach combining Kohonen's self-organizing feature map, learning vector quantization, and a back propagation neural network to recognize and classify the known and unknown patterns. Finally, fuzzy logic is used to assess the level of confidence associated with each vibrating source activation detected by the system.

Seat Belt Use Compliance In Kansas, Deogratias Eustace, Teresa M. C. Bartel

Civil and Environmental Engineering and Engineering Mechanics Faculty Publications

Passenger vehicle occupant restraints are regarded as the easiest and the most effective way of reducing the number of highway fatalities. Strong vehicle occupant protection enforcement laws are regarded as the most effective way to increase seat belt use. The increase in restraint use in the United States and other countries has been largely attributed to mandatory seat belt use legislation. Many fatalities and injuries in motor vehicle crashes could be avoided if more passengers used their seat belts. Studies have shown that primary laws have been more effective in seat belt use compliance than secondary laws. Also, legislation has …

Application Of Maxwell Solvers To Pd Propagation. I. Concepts And Codes, David Pommerenke, S. Sakaguchi

Electrical and Computer Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

This article reviews the basic approaches to solving electromagnetic propagation in the context of PD detection. It also investigates available commercial software, introduces the steps required to obtain trustworthy computational results, and gives an example of detailed analysis of PD propagation.

Bs News

Building Services Engineering

No abstract provided.

Experimental Maintenance Painting Of I-65 In Louisville (Fr 108), Rick Younce, Theodore Hopwood Ii, Sudhir Palle

Kentucky Transportation Center Research Report

I-65 project in downtown Louisville consisted of 27 bridges having approximately 1,493,100 ft2 of steel. The structures had existing coatings that contained lead. The project posed significant operational and public safety and operational constraints due to close proximity of the structures with residences and businesses along the entire route. In 2000, the Central Office Project Design Team developed experimental specifications to abrasive blast and re-paint the bridges. Surface preparation procedures included solvent cleaning, pack rust removal and abrasive blast cleaning. Containment enclosures were employed throughout the project, air monitoring was performed to assure satisfactory containment, and hazardous wastes were collected …

Metrics-Based Framework For Decision Making In Cots-Based Software Systems, Sahra Sedigh, Arif Ghafoor, Raymond A. Paul

Electrical and Computer Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

The growing reliance on Commercial-Off-The-Shelf (COTS) components for developing large-scale projects introduces a new paradigm in software Engineering; which requires the design of new software development and business processes. Large scale component reuse leads to savings in development resources, enabling these resources to be applied to areas such as quality improvement. These savings come at the price of integration difficulties, performance constraints, and incompatibility of components from multiple vendors. Relying on COTS components also increases the system's vulnerability to risks arising from third-party development, which can negatively affect the quality of the system, as well as causing expenses not incurred …

Support For Statistical Analysis Of The Configurable Port Simulation (Cports), Saurav Mazumdar

Electrical & Computer Engineering Theses & Dissertations

The primary objective of this thesis is to provide support for statistical analysis of CPortS: a transportation logistics simulation, which models the movement of military traffic through seaports and the interaction of the traffic with port infrastructure. By any standards, CPortS is a very large, data intensive simulation. It provides capabilities for analyzing many important issues such as port clearance and throughput. CPortS was classically run in single run mode. Only a single replication of the simulation was performed and conclusions were drawn from the results obtained. Users and analysts of CPortS performed multiple runs only to see the effect …

Phase-Sensitive Detection Electronics For Wavelength Modulation Spectroscopy Experiments, Tyrone Pate

Electrical & Computer Engineering Theses & Dissertations

Wavelength modulation spectroscopy (WMS) is a non-intrusive detection technique, which enables the measurement of several parameters such as pressure, concentration, and temperature of a species of interest by analyzing the latter's absorption lineshape profile. The method employs a synchronous modulation and detection apparatus to increase the signal to noise ratio and hence the sensitivity of the measurement. Phase-sensitive detection and demodulation of the signal is performed at the modulation frequency and its harmonics. Research at ODU demonstrates that each particular measurement can be performed optimally at an appropriate harmonic of the modulation frequency. The most suitable harmonic depends on many …

2002 (Fall) Ensi Informer Magazine, Morehead State University. Engineering Sciences Department

ENSI Informer Magazine Archive

The ENSI Informer Magazine published in the fall of 2002.

Rectangular Bursting Energy Absorber, John D. Reid, John R. Rohde, Dean L. Sicking

Department of Mechanical and Materials Engineering: Faculty Publications

A bursting energy absorber System having an impact head, and energy absorption mechanism. The energy absorbing mechanism has a generally rectangular mandrel for rupturing cooperating thin-walled generally rectangular tubes in a controlled rupture to absorb impact forces for a colliding vehicle. A frame may be used to mount the System to a truck, trailer, guardrail, median barrier end treatment, or a crash cushion. Stress concetrators such as saw cuts or scoring may be incorporated into the absorption tubes to selectively control rupturing and energy dissipation. The mandrels may be tapered, rectangulary shaped with beveled edges to reduce frictional forces along …

Training Radial Basis Neural Networks With The Extended Kalman Filter, Daniel J. Simon

Electrical and Computer Engineering Faculty Publications

Radial basis function (RBF) neural networks provide attractive possibilities for solving signal processing and pattern classification problems. Several algorithms have been proposed for choosing the RBF prototypes and training the network. The selection of the RBF prototypes and the network weights can be viewed as a system identification problem. As such, this paper proposes the use of the extended Kalman filter for the learning procedure. After the user chooses how many prototypes to include in the network, the Kalman filter simultaneously solves for the prototype vectors and the weight matrix. A decoupled extended Kalman filter is then proposed in order …

The Effects Of An Induced Negative Mood State On Ground- Based Learning In Student Pilots, Angela Sophia Wendell

Master's Theses - Daytona Beach

The United States Department of Transportation and the Federal Aviation Administration's Aviation Instructors Handbook (D.O.T.) (1999) emphasizes that aviation students must maintain a healthy and positive state of mind in order to succeed at learning. Factors such as worry, lack of interest, physical discomfort, and anxiety are all listed as obstacles to a student's ability to learn successfully during flight instruction. In addition, numerous studies support the idea that a negative mood state will have a detrimental effect on learning. This study attempts to investigate the effects of an induced negative mood state on ground- based learning in student pilots.

Analysis Of The Aboriculture Industry Safety Culture From The Standpoint Of Injures, Illnesses, Employee Response, And Industry Standards, Joshua T. Mcclenahan

Doctoral Dissertations and Master's Theses

The author researched 215 recorded injuries and illnesses to all field employees between January 1, 1991 and July 1, 2002 at an arboricultural company in California. Detailed interviews were conducted with each of the 38 field employees to determine employee perceptions of safety training, management, communication, and personal discomfort to provide a clearer picture of the company safety program. This information was correlated with the tree worker claims and industry standards to determine the effectiveness of the safety program based on employee discomforts and claim related descriptive statistics. The claims' tabulations show that back strains are the most prominent injuries …

Evaluation Of 70/30 D,L-Pla For Use As A Resorbable Interbody Fusion Cage, Jeffrey M. Toth, Mei Wang, Jeffrey L. Scifert, G. Bryan Cornwall, Bradley T. Estes, Howard Seim, Simon Turner

Biomedical Engineering Faculty Research and Publications

Titanium lumbar interbody spinal fusion devices are reported to be 90% effective for single-level lumbar interbody fusion, although radiographic determination of fusion has been debated. Using blinded radiographic, biomechanic, histologic, and statistical measures, researchers in the present study evaluated a radiolucent 70/30 poly(L-lactide-co-D,L-lactide) (70/30 D,L-PLa) interbody fusion device packed with autograft or rhBMP-2 on a collagen sponge in 25 sheep at 3, 6, 12, 18, and 24 months. A trend of increased fusion stiffness, radiographic fusion, and histologic fusion was demonstrated from 3 months to 24 months. Device degradation was associated with a mild to moderate chronic inflammatory response at …