Engineering Commons^™

Computer-Aided Patient Specific Treatment Planning Of Cryosurgery For Breast Cancer, Junkyu Jung

Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Theses - Archive

Cryosurgery, which is to destroy tumors by use of localized freezing, is an emerging treatment modality for breast cancer as the size of detectable tumor becomes smaller due to more frequent use of various diagnostic imaging including MRI, CT and mammogram. Although general surgical guideline has been developed and its effectiveness has been demonstrated, cryosurgical protocol should be adjusted for a given patient to accommodate patient-specific variations including tumor size, location and geometry of patient's breast. In this study, a computerized treatment planning tool was developed to aid surgeons to determine surgical parameters considering patient specific diagnostic information. This tool …

Freezing-Induced Microstructural Changes Of Collagen Scaffolds, Jeffrey David Miller

Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Theses - Archive

Understanding the effects of freezing on the functional properties of tissues is critical to cryopreservation of native and artificial tissues, and prognosis after cryotherapies. Although investigations have been performed to correlate macroscopic properties such as mechanical properties with freezing parameters, the effects are typically tissue-type dependent and no physical understanding is available to explain these effects. Since the mechanical and optical properties of a tissue are based on the characteristics of its extracellular matrix (ECM), understanding and quantifying these changes could assist in predicting the response a tissue will have to freezing under different circumstances. In this study, the microstructural …

Micromechanical Analysis Of Yielding For Particulate Filled Composites, Chih-Ta Chen

Material Science and Engineering Theses - Archive

Particulate filled composites are hybrid materials which consist of particulates held together by a matrix. In this thesis, a simulation method to obtain overall failure criterion for particulate filled composites based on the computer software "MATHEMATICA" will be presented. The composite is assumed to fail at the matrix just outside the inclusion. By Self-Consistent Method, the composite can be imaged as an inclusion embedded within effective matrix. The Equivalent Inclusion method is then applied to stimulate the stress field within the inclusion. Stress just outside inclusion can be calculated because interfacial traction force on the boundary of inclusion is continuous. …

Experimental Investigation Of Shear Capacity Of Precast Reinforced Concrete Box Culverts, Jarrod Clinton Burns

Civil Engineering Theses - Archive

This study presents the experimental investigation of the shear capacity of four precast rinforced concrete box culverts. Each culvert was subjected to a monotomically increasing load through a 20-in x 10-in load plate, designed to simulate a standard HS 20-44 wheel footprint. Each box was instrumented with the following: strain gages, load cell, high-resolution laser sensor, data acquisition hardware and software, and laptop computer. The tests were conducted on 1.22 m x 1.22 m x 1.22 m (4 ft x 4 ft x 4 ft) box culverts, with load being applied at the free spigot end. The location of the …

Spectroscopic Characterization Of Biliary Tract Tissues In-Vivo To Assist Laparoscopic Cholecystectomy, Sarita Kommera

Bioengineering Theses - Archive

Laparoscopic Cholecystectomy is a surgical method for removal of gallbladder when it is diseased with gall stones. Almost 750,000 people are affected with this disease annually in USA. Gall bladder is removed by placing an incision on the cystic duct. This duct is totally embedded in fat (which is a few mm thick) in most of the cases and it becomes a huge problem decreasing the visual capability of the surgeon to distinctly locate the duct. Near Infrared Spectroscopy (NIRS) can solve the fuzziness as it penetrates in a few mm thick tissues. NIRS is one of the simplest techniques …

Novel Intraocular Drug Delivery System For The Prevention Of Posterior Capsule Opacification, Brett Thomes

Bioengineering Dissertations - Archive

Posterior capsule opacification (PCO) is a major complication associated with the implantation of intraocular lens (IOLs). Evidence suggests that PCO formation is caused by abnormal lens epithelial cell (LEC) migration/proliferation. We hypothesize that pharmacologic agents must target inflammatory cells in addition to LECs to inhibit PCO formation. To successfully target both inflammatory cells and LECs, a novel intraocular drug delivery system (DDS) was developed for implantation in the lens capsular bag. Such a system permits direct delivery of anti-inflammatory and anti-proliferative drugs in the lens capsule for extended periods of time resulting in reduced PCO formation. A lubricious polyurethane coating …

A Comprehensive Study Of The Effects Of Eeg Electrode Arrays On Mri Signal-To-Noise At 3t, Aman Ish Goyal

Bioengineering Theses - Archive

Simultaneous EEG-fMRI offers much potential for gaining complementary, noninvasive information about brain function. While much effort has been devoted to the compelling problem of removing ballistocardiogram and gradient artifacts from the EEG waveforms, less attention has been paid to the impact that increasing density of electrode arrays has on the MR images. Initial work reporting the effects of EEG caps and electrodes on the MR image has been site specific, using customized EEG equipment that those research groups built in-house. Therefore these results are hard to generalize to other laboratory environments. A monotonic decrease in SNR of the images has …

Localization Algorithms For Passive Targets In Radar Networks, Kartik Trasi

Electrical Engineering Theses - Archive

In this study, we propose an improved, robust algorithm for passive targets in radar networks. The main objective of this work is to improve the localization accuracy of the algorithm based on signal properties in combination with robust graphical techniques. We present a numerical approach and an experimental validation of the modified algorithm.

Observer Synthesis For Linear/Nonlinear Dynamical Systems Subject To Measurement Delays, Praveen C. Muralidhar

Electrical Engineering Theses - Archive

In this research, problems associated with communication delays on the stability of formation of a group of unmanned vehicles is examined and solution to this problem is proposed. Ideally, it is required that the information transfer between the vehicles participating in a cooperative task be available immediately. But, in reality, there is always a delay between the instants at which the information is transmitted by one vehicle and the instant at which it is received by the other vehicles in the formation. A state observer is used to estimate the time delayed signal. The observer consists of two dynamic systems …

Numerical Analysis Of Sandwiched Composite-Fss Structures, Qiang Rui, Chen Ji, Huang Jingyu, Maria Koledintseva, Richard E. Dubroff, James L. Drewniak, Yang Fan

Electrical and Computer Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

A numerical technique to analyze shielding effectiveness of sandwiched FSS-composite structures is proposed. This technique is based on using a dispersive FDTD method in conjuncture with a novel periodic boundary condition to model sandwiched FSS-composite elements. Results show that by inserting single or multilayered FSS elements into composite materials, better shielding effectiveness can be achieved. © 2006 IEEE.

Coupling Of Fluid & Solid Thermal Models To Correct Heat Flux Measurements Taken On Launch Vehicles, Danielle M. Ford

Master's Theses - Daytona Beach

Knowledge of aerothermally induced convective heat transfer and plume induced radiative heat transfer loads is essential to the design of thermal protection systems (TPS) for launch vehicles. These loads are measured via the cylindrical heat flux gauges that are flush mounted with the outer surface of a launch vehicle and are exposed to the in-flight external thermal and velocity boundary layers as well as thermal radiation. Typically, Schmidt-Boelter gauges measure the incident heat flux based on the one-Dimensional Fourier's law. This instrumentation, when surrounded by low-conductivity insulation, has an exposed surface temperature significantly lower than the insulation. A substantial disturbance …

Neural Network Burst Pressure Prediction In Composite Overwrapped Pressure Vessels From Acoustic Emission Data, Seth-Andrew T. Dion

Master's Theses - Daytona Beach

Composites have grown in importance in the aerospace industry where high specific strength is a priority. Weight reduction in space vehicles is critical because of the exorbitant cost associated with placing objects into space. Major weight savings have been obtained by switching from all metal pressure vessels to composite overwrapped pressure vessels (COPVs). Due to the nature of composites, current nondestructive analysis procedures for COPVs are not adequate for assessing structural integrity. As such, new methods must be developed. Presented herein is one such method.

A method for burst pressure prediction using parametric filtering of acoustic emission (AE) data along …

Optimization Of The Tool Path In A Robotic Environment, Mukund Venkatachari Narasimhan

Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Dissertations - Archive

The rising costs and demand coupled with shrinking energy generating resources has triggered the need for optimum use of energy resources, minimizing the overhead costs and maximizing the profits. Robots have been long touted as a fit replacement of human labor force in manufacturing sectors. Slowly there is increased presence of robots in automobile and electronic industries. Typically they are used for welding, painting, ironing, assembly, pick and place, inspection, and testing. Mass production, fulfilling the ever increasing demand, can be accomplished by robots because of their precision, speed of operation and high endurance capabilities. This dissertation comprises of two …

Analysis Of Hat Sectioned Reinforced Composite Beams Including Thermal Effects, Kashif Ali Nayyer Syed

Civil Engineering Dissertations - Archive

A simple analytical method for analyzing fiber reinforced polymeric composite beams with hat cross-section is presented. The method includes development of closed-form expression of the axial, bending and their coupling stiffness matrices for the composite beams. The stiffness matrices are obtained by transforming the actual geometrical cross-section of the beam into an equivalent plate using transformation matrices and Parallel Axis theorem. Ply stresses due to mechanical as well as thermal load can easily be obtained at any given location of the beam section. In this approach, the effect of induced in-plane deformation due to bending for an unsymmetrical cross-section is …

Generation Planning And Market Operation Strategies In The Southwest Power Pool Energy Imbalance Service Market, Kittipong Methaprayoon

Electrical Engineering Dissertations - Archive

The transition of the Southwest Power Pool (SPP) from its traditional operation under tariff towards the new market environment has significant impact on the utilities in the SPP footprint, both in terms of planning and operations. The new market regulation creates the need for the utilities to reassess their planning strategy, primarily to ensure that operational decisions conform to the new market rules while remain profitable under the new operating regime. The utilities are referred to as Market Participants (MP) under the new market scheme. The new market environment will expose the MPs to a large amount of information with …

Fiber Optic Scanner Using Electromagnetic Actuation With Different Ferromagnetic Materials, Pratibha C. Phuyal

Electrical Engineering Theses - Archive

A fiber optic scanner capable of scanning medical imaging actuated by an external magnetic field is designed and characterized using different magnetized and non magnetized ferromagnetic materials. Cobalt, Iron, Nickel, and Samarium Cobalt powders were used before and after magnetization to perform the actuation. Plastic optical fiber and a silica optical fiber are coated with 70 % enamel paint with 30 % different ferromagnetic materials mixed using brush. Due the low Young's Modulus, the plastic optical fiber could not actuate like silica optical fiber. Therefore, the silica fiber was used to conduct the experiments. The static and dynamic measurements were …

Miniature Optical Coherence Tomography Probe, Asif Rizwan

Bioengineering Theses - Archive

A piezo based optical scanner for high speed optical coherence tomography (OCT) has been developed. Design of the miniature probe has been optimized to take advantages of the high speed depth scanning that can be achieved with spectral domain OCT (SD-OCT) systems. Three prototype scanning probes were constructed and tested for OCT imaging. Movies and images of tissues are presented which were taken at frame rates ranging from 50~100fps. Data were acquired at 18000 A-lines per second at an effective integration time of 55us.

Optical Coherence Tomography Of Oral Mucosa, Nidhi Bharatbhai Mehta

Bioengineering Theses - Archive

Oral cancer causes 120000* deaths annually around the world and 280000* new cases are diagnosed every year. Technology has developed and the death rate of oral cancer has improved over the last few decades; hence to improve the survival rate, development of a technique able to diagnose carcinomas in its early stages is very important. OCT is a non invasive imaging technique capable to provide high resolution microstructure images of tissue. A development of in vivo OCT; capable to image tissue with micrometer resolution and able to identify pre cancerous morphological changes non invasively could improve survival rate in cancer …

Finite Element Modeling Of Carbon Nanotube Reinforced Polymer Composites And Evaluating Its Thermal Conductivities, Raghuram Basavanahalli

Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Theses - Archive

High thermal conductivity of carbon nanotubes has motivated us to study and understand the thermal mechanisms in nanocomposites. Though several theoretical models predict a high thermal conductivity for CNT reinforced polymer composites, the experimental validation are not so encouraging. A finite element model of MWNT reinforced nanocomposite is developed based on continuum mechanics approach. The finite element model is a representative volume element (RVE) with single MWNT inclusion. The inclusion is modeled based on the continuum model of MWNT as effective solid fiber [22].The interface resistance between the nanotube and the matrix material is modeled using thermal contact elements. The …

Structural Analysis Of Fiber Reinforced Composite Materials, Cesar Augusto Rojas

Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Theses - Archive

A study of fiber reinforced composite structures is conducted .This study includes laminate analysis, analysis of laminated composite beams and parametric study of composite beams. Finite element analysis for each beam model is conducted to verify the results obtained by analytical model. The analysis of the laminated beams in this study covers: 1. beam with a solid rectangular cross-section subjected to a transverse load 2. beam with a I-section under bending 3. beam with a squared tubular section under bending 4. beam with truss section under bending One of the principal purposes of this thesis is to create a user …

Investigation On The Mechanism Of Interface Electromigration (Em) In Copper (Cu) Thin Films, Jee Yong Kim

Material Science and Engineering Dissertations - Archive

This study concerns the mechanism of the interface electromigration (EM) in copper (Cu) thin films. While EM in Cu is one of the most concerned reliability failure phenomena in Cu interconnects used microelectronic devices, its mechanism is not well understood yet. In order for better understanding of the EM mechanism, this study attempt to investigate the interface EM mechanism by examining the passivation effects on Cu EM using a cross-strip structure where Cu lines are cross-stripped with different passivation layers. From the observation of the marker polarity (hillocks and voids), the interface EM mechanism is determined whether the passivation layer …

Trends Of Vehicular Emissions Due To The Effect Of Ethos® Fr As Fuel Additive, Shruthi Satyanarayan

Civil Engineering Theses - Archive

The main objective of this research was to observe if the addition of the fuel additive Ethos Fuel Reformulator significantly reduced the emissions of CO, CO2, HC and NOX from a light duty vehicle. Data collection was carried out before and after the application of Ethos FR for both Peak and Off-peak traffic conditions, on highway as well as arterial test track. The OBS-1300 analyzed second by second concentrations of the tailpipe emissions. Data analysis was conducted and the following results were observed. 1. There was a significant reduction in NOx Emissions, with the maximum of 45% in the Arterial …

Titanium Alloyed With Boron, Seshacharyulu Tamirisakandala, Daniel B. Miracle, Raghavan Srinivasan, Jay S. Gunasekera

Mechanical and Materials Engineering Faculty Publications

Small additions of boron to conventional titanium alloys have been found to produce significant changes to the microstructures and associated properties. Grain refinement and improved strength and stiffness are first-order effects, which lead to possibilities for developing novel and affordable processing methodologies and to enhance performance over conventional titanium alloys. In this article, we introduce this new class of titanium alloys and describe unique formability benefits achieved via engineering microstructures.

An Experimental Comparison Of Dimensional And Strength Characteristics Of American And Chinese Manufactured Fasteners, Michael Bailey Stroup

All-Inclusive List of Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This research investigated the quality and strength characteristics ofboth American and Chinese manufactured fasteners. The purpose of this research was to determine if there is a significant statistical difference between both manufacturers dimensional and tensile strength characteristics as to the American National Standards Institute's specified tolerances. The researcher selected the independent samples t-test to analyze the raw data collected from the experiment. SPSS 13.0 statistical analysis software was used to determine the degree of correlation between the independent variables: fastener dimensions, and ultimate tensile strengths. The researcher involved utilizing a calibrated micrometer that was capable to producing measurements to the …

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An Airline Ab Initio Flight Training Program In The United Arab Emirates (Uae): An Analytical Approach Toward Emiratization, Shareef A. K. Al-Romaithi

Master's Theses - Daytona Beach

The continuous establishment and expansion of UAE airlines has led to a demand for qualified pilots in the region of the Persian Gulf. The shortage of UAE national pilots has compelled the local airlines to employ pilots with foreign nationalities. Though the UAE government has implemented a program within the Emirates to increase the number of nationals in the work force (referred to as Emiratization), there has been little headway within the aviation sector. As a result, this thesis was undertaken to develop an ab initio training program that would increase the percentage of UAE nationals among the UAE airline …

Effect Of Decarburization On Microstructure Of Dc-Plasma Nitrided H 13 Tool Steel, P Visuttipitukul, C Paa-Rai, K Hideyuki

Journal of Metals, Materials and Minerals

Decarburization may occur during heat treatment of H13 steel resulting in carbon deficiency near the specimen surface. Microstructures and properties of H13 tool steel after surface treatment such as plasma nitriding can be affected by decarburization. This study is focused on the microstructure of plasma nitrided H13 steel. Decarburized and non-decarburized H13 steel was plasma nitrided for 36-72 ks at temperatures varying from 773 to 823 K. The microstructure of the plasma nitrided layer was analyzed by an optical microscope and Electron Probe Micro Analysis (EPMA). The thickness of the nitriding layer is measured. The microstructures of the decarburized and …

Techniques To Improve Coating Adhesion Of Superhard Coatings, N Panich, P Wangyao, N Vattanaprateep, S Yong

Journal of Metals, Materials and Minerals

This work addresses the development of different techniques in fabricating TiB2 coatings with increased adhesion to the substrate and with retained high hardness. Titanium diboride (TiB2) coatings were deposited on high-speed steel substrates by magnetron sputtering of a TiB2 target. Attempts to enhance the coating adhesion to the substrate of the TiB2 coatings by controlling the deposition conditions and parameters are presented, such as effect of substrate rotation; annealing temperature; using deposited Cr as an interlayer material and Ti/TiB2 multilayer system. The structure of the coatings was examined by X-ray diffraction, field-emission scanning electron microscopy, and atomic force microscopy. The …

Transparent Coating Materials Based On Inorganic/Organic Composites, K Srikulkit, N Rojtinnakorn, R Charoensak

Journal of Metals, Materials and Minerals

A siloxyl group functionalized copolymer of low molecular weight was synthesized, aiming at preparing transparent inorganic/organic coating composites. Two types of coating systems were investigated: two-component system (based on functionalized copolymer-HMMM) a three-component system (based on functionalized copolymer-HMMM-TEOS). Their properties were investigated and compared. Coating films obtained from these systems exhibited good optical clarity, which was largely dependent on the content of indicated Materials. For instance, to prevent phase separation in the 3- component system, TEOS was "effectively" linked to pendent siloxyl groups on the organic moiety Hence, coating formulations containing a high degree of pendent siloxyl groups exhibited better …

Ph Dependant Coating For Microfluidics Devices, L Limsavarn, C Panithipongwut, P Thongkorn, S T. Dubas

Journal of Metals, Materials and Minerals

The layer-by-layer technique was used to coat the channels of PDMS microfluidics devices. The coating was based on the sequential deposition of polydiallyldimethylammonium chloride (PDADMAC) with a copolymer of polystyrene sulfonate and maleic acid (CoPSS-Maleic) into polyelectrolyte multilayer (PEM). The possible deposition of PEM coating on PDMS was confirm by contact angle which showed the clear transformation of the PDMS surface from hydrophobic to hydrophilic. The later deposition of the PEM coating inside the micro-channels was confirmed by change in electroosmotic flow direction (EOF) and intensity as a function of the number of deposited layers. The EOF measurements revealed that …