Engineering Commons^™

Process And Product Optimization Techniques - A Comparative Analysis Using Optimization Of Surface Roughness, Amol Suresh Sonje

Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering Theses & Dissertations

Robust design improves the fundamental function of the product or process considering noise factors in DOE. G. Taguchi has made significant advances in the use of experimental design. Taguchi methods are criticized on the basis of failure to deal with interactions, use of SIN ratio and lack of sequential nature of investigation. Response Surface Methodology deals with designing models that represents response in terms of various factors affecting it. Optimization of surface finish is achieved using both Taguchi Methods and Response Surface Methodology.

Dual response approach is a combination of Taguchi methods and RSM techniques in which primary response is …

Strategy For Product Reusability Based On Technical And Economic Model, Srikanth Uppuluri

Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering Theses & Dissertations

Reusing old components is considered the most profitable End-of-Life strategy in the modern day scenario of sustainable manufacturing. Though there is increasing pressure on the product designers worldwide to make reuse possible, the functionality of the products and the economic feasibility have been the main considerations for manufacturers in evaluating the reuse strategy. The quality level of the used product and mainly the economic aspect of disassembling the product have been the main uncertainties confronting the industries to move towards the product recovery strategies like reuse and disassembly. The profitability factor in designing and implementing the technology for disassembly of …

Contingency Planning And An Air Force Space Command Information System, Kaylin Freedman, Michael R. Grimaila

Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Managing The Integration Of Space And Information Operations, Daniel F. Gottrich, Michael R. Grimaila

Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Ignition Delay Of Oxygenated Fuel Droplets: Development Of A 1 Second Drop Tower And Initial 1-G Test Results, Matthew Hammill

Theses and Dissertations

United States' dependency on petroleum fuels, much of it imported, has remained at the same level even as alternative fuels become more readily available to the consumer market. One alternative to petroleum based fuel is biodiesel. Biodiesel has been shown to have lower carbon monoxide, hydrocarbon, and particulate matter emissions than standard fuels, but show an increase in the formation of nitrous oxide gases. It has been theorized that several of the physical properties, which are governed by the chemical makeup of the fuel, have an adverse affect on NO_x production. But until that time when a thorough chemical …

Afci Quarterly Input – Unlv January 1 Through March 31, 2006, Harry Reid Center For Environmental Studies. Nuclear Science And Technology Division

Transmutation Research Program Reports (TRP)

Quarterly report highlighting research projects, activities and objectives of the Transmutation Research Program at the Nuclear Science & Technology Division, Harry Reid Research Center.

The University of Nevada, Las Vegas supports the AFCI through research and development of technologies for economic and environmentally sound refinement of spent nuclear fuel. The UNLV program has four components: infrastructure, international collaboration, student-based research, and management and program support.

Theoretical Modeling Of Protective Oxide Layer Growth In Non-Isothermal Lead-Alloys Coolant Systems: Quarterly Progress Report (01/01/06- 03/31/06), Yitung Chen

Transmutation Sciences Materials (TRP)

Research highlights:

• A cellular automaton model using method of global restructuring on the growth and corrosion during the formation of the passive layer has been developed.

• A stochastic model, which combines the surface growth and internal oxidation, has been developed to explain the oxidation mechanism of steels in liquid lead alloys.

• Two conference papers have been accepted and will be presented in 2006 International Congress on the Advances in Nuclear Power Plants (ICAPP '06).

Development Of Integrated Process Simulation System Model For Spent Fuel Treatment Facility (Sftf) Design: Quarterly Progress Report January 1-March 31, 2006, Yitung Chen, Sean Hsieh

Separations Campaign (TRP)

The UNLV developed TRPSEMPro software package can access engineering modeling software, ASPEN Plus through its own interface. The new interface eliminates the user interaction with the complex ASPEN Plus package and also provides input and output results for analysis purpose. The current interface will keep improving on collecting multiple scenario runs and database population.

Two separation processes, acid and plutonium separations, are near completion. The unit operations were finished while some sensitive chemical data for certain species are unknown. Graduate student, Matthew Hodges, continues on finishing those processes using dummy values for those restricted variables. Once the processes complete, researchers …

Development Of A Gis Based Infrastructure Replacement Prioritization System; A Case Study, Brian D. Pickard

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Maintenance, repair, and replacement of transmission mains and distribution system piping is expected to cost approximately $75 billion over the next two decades to ensure that public water systems are capable of providing the United States with safe drinking water. However, there is a significant gap between the funds available and the projected costs of infrastructure replacement or rehabilitation. Infrastructure Management Systems (IMS) have been developed to assist utilities and decision-makers in determining how to allocate resources for infrastructure. This project utilizes theTampa Water Department (TWD) as a case study to develop a tool for prioritizing infrastructure replacement.

TWD is …

Association Of Sound To Motion In Video Using Perceptual Organization, Sunil Babu Ravulapalli

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Technological developments and innovations of the first forty years of the digital era have primarily addressed either the audio or the visual senses. Consequently, designers have primarily focused on the audio or the visual aspects of design. In the perspective of video surveillance, the data under consideration has always been visual. However, in light of the new behavioral and physiological studies which established a proof of cross modality in human perception i.e. humans do not process audio and visual stimulus separately, but percieve a scene based on all stimulus available, similar cues are being used to develop a surveillance system …

Frequency-Selective Power Transducers "Hexagonal Ferrite Resonator-Semiconductor Element", Marina Koledintseva

Electrical and Computer Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

The transducers studied herein allow for frequency-selective measurement of mm-wave power parameters. Frequency selectivity is assured by a monocrystalline hexagonal ferrite resonator (HFR). The HFR is in direct contact with a semiconductor element (SE)—an unpackaged Hall-element, or a chip transistor (or diode). Power absorbed by the HFR at the ferromagnetic resonance converts to heat, and the heat flux penetrates through the current-carrying SE. A number of thermo/electro/magnetic phenomena accompany the Hall-effect in a semiconductor and cause a voltage in addition to the Hall-effect voltage. The conversion coefficient of a transducer is analyzed using the power balance equation. Some experimental results …

Assessing The Economic Impacts Of Transportation Improvement Projects, Andrew L. Stewart

Theses and Dissertations

In that a transportation system can influence an economy for good or bad a system that enhances economic vitality becomes a crucial element in maintaining or developing economic prosperity. To provide a methodology to include economic development impacts of transportation improvement projects in the decision making process and the tools and alternatives available are here explored. Primary contributions of this document are results of a literature review, transportation professional and decision maker survey, economic modeling tool evaluation, and development of approach alternatives. The following thesis introduces the purpose and need for the given research, the procedure that was followed, the …

A Benefit-Cost Analysis Of A State Freeway Service Patrol: A Florida Case Study, Harkanwal Nain Singh

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The Road Ranger program is a freeway service patrol (FSP) designed to assist disabled vehicles along congested freeway segments and relieve peak period non-recurring congestion through quick detection, verification and removal of freeway incidents in Florida. It consists of approximately 88 vehicles in fleet and provides free service to about 918 centerline miles. The program is funded by the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) and its partners, and is bid out to private contractors. The objective of this study is to examine and evaluate the benefits of the Road Ranger service against their operating costs in five of the seven …

Detection Of Cracks In Single-Crystalline Silicon Wafers Using Impact Testing, Christina Hilmersson

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This thesis is about detection of cracks in single-crystalline silicon wafers by using a vibration method in the form of an impact test. The goal to detect cracks from vibration measurements introduced by striking the silicon wafer with an impact hammer. Such a method would reduce costs in the production of solar cells. It is an inexpensive, relatively simple method which if commercialized could be used as an efficient in-line production quality test.

A hammer is used as the actuator and a microphone as the response sensor. A signal analyzer is used to collect the data and to compute frequency …

System And Method For An If-Sampling Transceiver, Jack P. Glas, Vladimir I. Prodanov

Electrical Engineering

The present invention is directed toward a radio, and method for receiving radio frequency signals. The radio comprises an input signal at a first intermediate frequency, an intermediate sampling architecture, a quantizer and a baseband converter. The intermediate frequency sampling architecture comprises receiving the input signal, passing the first intermediate frequency signal through a first filter characterized by steep selectivity and narrow bandpass, converting the filtered signal to a second intermediate frequency and passing the second intermediate frequency signal through a second filter having a bandpass characteristic, but without the steep selectivity characterizing the first filter. The radio further comprises …

A Damage Assessment And Wind Loading Analysis Of Residential Structures Built Post-1996 In Punta Gorda In The Wake Of Hurricane Charley, James Newberry

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

One of the communities in the path of Hurricane Charley as it came ashore

August 13, 2004, was Punta Gorda, recording gusts up to 145 mph. This project

utilizes aerial photos taken approximately 10 days after the storm battered the

area, using a digital photography program. Focusing on the one-story residential

structures (houses) of the Punta Gorda area, a damage assessment could be

made of the area’s homes, and how they stood up to the storm. This study

focused further on homes built after major changes to the local/state building

codes went into effect (starting in 1996) after the devastation …

A Platform For Research On Localization And Tracking Using Wireless Sensor Networks, Sai Kiran Rupanagudi

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This research proposed the integration of wireless sensor networks, a mobile platform and a fixed station for the development of a test bed system to conduct research on localization, tracking, navigation and network mapping. The overall integrated system acts as a basis for future research on localization of wireless nodes in an indoor environment. The system enables the transfer of information from the sensor node on the platform to a distant computer through wireless communication. In addition, a robotic platform is proposed that uses the developed integrated system as well as other potential applications. The user interface to the system …

Full Scale Static Lateral Load Test Of A 9 Pile Group In Sand, Dustin Shaun Christensen

Theses and Dissertations

Much research has been done to study the effects of spacing in laterally loaded pile groups and how the pile spacing affects lateral resistance of the piles. In this test a 9-pile group of steel piles was installed in a 3x3 configuration in sand. The piles were spaced from center-to-center at a distance of 5.65 pile diameters in the direction of the load. The pile group was laterally loaded and instrumented to collect deflection, load, and strain data. A separate single pile was similarly instrumented and tested for comparison to the pile group. The soil profile consisted of a top …

2006 Directory Of Indiana State, County, City And Town Officials Responsible For Road And Street Work, Indiana Ltap

Indiana Local Technical Assistance Program (LTAP) Directory

Contact information for agency officials and employees responsible for Indiana’s local road infrastructure.

Post Register Allocation Spill Code Optimization, Christopher Lupo, Kent Wilken

Computer Science and Software Engineering

A highly optimized register allocator should provide an efficient placement of save/restore code for procedures that contain calls. This paper presents a new approach to placing callee-saved save and restore instructions that generalizes Chow's shrink-wrapping technique (Chow 1988). An efficient, profile-guided, hierarchical spill code placement algorithm is used to analyze the structure of a procedure to calculate the minimum dynamic execution count locations to place callee-saved save and restore code. The algorithm is implemented in the Gnu Compiler Collection and has been tested on the SPEC CPU2000 Integer Benchmark suite. Results show that the technique reduces the number of dynamic …

Reliability Of Systems Using Event Occurrence Networks, Gregory M. Steeger

Theses and Dissertations

The study of a system's reliability has played a crucial role in business and industry since the dawn of modern technology. Current graphical models utilized in reliability theory are limited in that no one model or technique allows for a thorough analysis of system reliability. This research introduces a new graphical model and methodology to be used in the field of reliability that addresses this concern. Event Occurrence Networks (EONs) and their solution methodologies provide an all-inclusive graphical model that allows for the manipulation of several important reliability measures. An EON is a probabilistic network that represents the superposition of …

Use Of A Modified Zirconia Support In The Separation Of Immunoproteins, Anuradha Subramanian, Sabyasachi Sarkar

Papers in Biotechnology

Zirconia beads (25–38 μm in diameter) were modified with N,N,N′,N′-ethylenediaminetetramethylenephosphonic acid to generate a zirconia based pseudoaffinity support, further referred to as r_PEZ. The influence of pH, salt concentration and temperature on the binding of human immunoglobulin G (hIgG) to r_PEZ was studied. Temperature had no significant impact on the maximum binding capacity (Qmax), and the equilibrium-binding constant (Kd), whereas pH and the salt concentration had a noticeable impact on both Qmax and Kd. The Qmax value of 55 mg hIgG/ml of bead was obtained at a pH of 5.5 and found to decrease with an increase of pH. The …

Full-Scale-Lateral-Load Test Of A 1.2 M Diameter Drilled Shaft In Sand, Amy Jean Taylor Mccall

Theses and Dissertations

The soil-structure interaction models associated with laterally loaded deep foundations have typically been based on load tests involving relatively small diameter foundations. The lateral soil resistance for larger diameter foundations has been assumed to increase linearly with diameter; however, few, if any load tests have been performed to confirm this relationship. To better understand the lateral resistance of large diameter deep foundations in sand, a series of full scale, cyclic, lateral load tests were performed on two 1.2 m diameter drilled shafts and a 0.324 m diameter steel pipe pile in sand. Although the tests involve two different foundation types, …

Space For Project Based Learning Programs, Robert J. Twiggs

Robert "Bob" Twiggs STEM Education Collection

A PowerPoint Presentation created by Professor Bob Twiggs titled "Space for Project Based Learning Programs" from March 24, 2006.

Comment On ‘‘Destructive Effect Of Disorder And Bias Voltage On Interface Resonance Transmission In Symmetric Tunnel Junctions’’, Julian P. Velev, Kirill D. Belashchenko, Evgeny Y. Tsymbal

Nebraska Center for Materials and Nanoscience: Faculty Publications

In a recent Letter Tusche et al. [1] showed that a complete and coherent FeO layer forms on both interfaces of a FejMgOjFe|001| magnetic tunnel junction (MTJ) when using oxygen-assisted growth. Their ab initio model for these MTJs predicted tunneling magnetoresistance (TMR) of several thousand percent due to the contribution from interface resonances (IRs) perfectly matched at the two interfaces. In this Comment, we show that in practice the predicted giant TMR is unfeasible because the IRs are mismatched by structural disorder and/or by applied bias voltage resulting in a moderate TMR.

Numerical Investigation Of Cavity-Vane Interactions Within The Ultra Compact Combustor, Jonathan F. Anisko

Theses and Dissertations

A numerical analysis and design optimization of the Ultra Compact Combustor (UCC) has been conducted. The UCC is a combustor designed to incorporate high-g loadings to increase flame propagation speed while reducing flame length, thereby helping to significantly reduce the size of a combustor. A commercial CFD package with a k-Ⲉ turbulence model has been used to develop design rules for the construction of future UCCs. There have been several versions of UCC that have been designed, built and tested by AFRL/PRTC. Since real experimental tests are expensive and construction time is prohibitive to test many different design configurations, CFD …

Adaptive Illumination Patterns For Radar Applications, Phillip M. Corbell

Theses and Dissertations

The fundamental goal of Fully Adaptive Radar (FAR) involves full exploitation of the joint, synergistic adaptivity of the radar's transmitter and receiver. Little work has been done to exploit the joint space time Degrees-of-Freedom (DOF) available via an Active Electronically Steered Array (AESA) during the radar's transmit illumination cycle. This research introduces Adaptive Illumination Patterns (AIP) as a means for exploiting this previously untapped transmit DOF. This research investigates ways to mitigate clutter interference effects by adapting the illumination pattern on transmit. Two types of illumination pattern adaptivity were explored, termed Space Time Illumination Patterns (STIP) and Scene Adaptive Illumination …

Uncertainty Estimation For Target Detection System Discrimination And Confidence Performance Metrics, David R. Parker

Theses and Dissertations

This research uses a Bayesian framework to develop probability densities for target detection system performance metrics. The metrics include the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve and the confidence error generation (CEG) curve. The ROC curve is a discrimination metric that quantifies how well a detection system separates targets and non-targets, and the CEG curve indicates how well the detection system estimates its own confidence. The degree of uncertainty in these metrics is a concern that previous research has not adequately addressed. This research formulates probability densities of the metrics and characterizes their uncertainty using confidence bands. Additional statistics are obtained …

The Storage Of Parametric Data In Product Lifecycle Management Systems, Jonathan Gary Lund

Theses and Dissertations

Product development companies are continually seeking methods to increase efficiency while maintaining quality. Distributed development is also more important than ever before as industries globalize. These forces have driven firms to adopt formal data management practices that allow groups and individuals to work from singular, centralized data source that are secure, reliable, and support collaboration. This thesis proposes a methodology to leverage globalized infrastructures for the efficient storage of product variations. The methodology is proved through a working prototype using the market leader in Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) systems, Teamcenter Engineering. First, paradigms are set forth for the storage of …

Development Of A Strain Energy Storage Mechanism Using Tension Elements To Enhance Golf Club Performance, Marc A. Whitezell

Theses and Dissertations

The development of current golf club designs has followed an evolutionary process starting with the original wooden heads of a hundred years ago, to the thin-walled, hollow body titanium heads of today. Current designs utilize what has become known as the trampoline effect to increase the efficiency of the ball-club impact, which has a number of limiting factors that restrict clubhead performance. These limitations provided the motivation for this research to explore new mechanisms by which the efficiency of the ball club impact could be increased. In particular this research focuses on the development of compliant mechanisms to increase club …