Engineering Commons^™

Adaptive Optics Performance Over Long Horizontal Paths: Aperture Effects In Multi-Conjugate Adaptive Optical Systems, Miao Yu, Mikhail Vorontsov, Svetlana Lachinova, Jim F. Riker, Venkata S. Rao Gudimetla

Electrical and Computer Engineering Faculty Publications

We analyze various scenarios of the aperture effects in adaptive optical receiver-type systems when inhomogeneities of the wave propagation medium are distributed over long horizontal propagation path, or localized in a few thin layers remotely located from the receiver telescope pupil. Phase aberration compensation is performed using closed-loop control architectures based on phase conjugation and decoupled stochastic parallel gradient descent (DSPGD) control algorithms. Both receiver system aperture diffraction effects and the impact of wave-front corrector position on phase aberration compensation efficiency are analyzed for adaptive systems with single or multiple wave-front correctors.

An Investigation Of The Relationship Between Dermal Stresses And Foot Ground Stresses In Diabetic Patients, Zaid M. Hasasneh

ETD Archive

The number of people diagnosed with diabetes in the U.S. has been showing a large increase. It has more than doubled during the period of 1980 to 2002. Approximately 18 million Americans have diabetes today with more than 5.2 million undiagnosed cases. While diabetes is categorized as an endocrine system disorder, some of its known complications are associated to the science of biomechanics. Foot ulcers are caused by vascular deterioration due to diabetes, but also directly related to the natural mechanical forces and loads applied to the feet. Therefore, studying these forces, their locations, distribution and their stresses may be …

The Effects Of Charging By Ultraviolet Light On Granular Lunar Simulant In A Microgravity Environment, Sydney J. Chamberlin, Troy Munro, Sarah Isert, Tracy Garin Savage

Reports and Proposals

No abstract provided.

Simulation And Study Of The Stokes Vector In A Precipitating Atmosphere, Ian Adams

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Precipitation is a dominating quantity in microwave radiometry. The large emission and scattering signals of rain and ice, respectively, introduce large contributions to the measured brightness temperature. While this allows for accurate sensing of precipitation, it also results in degraded performance when retrieving other geophysical parameters, such as near-surface ocean winds. In particular, the retrieval of wind direction requires precise knowledge of polarization, and nonspherical particles can result in a change in the polarization of incident radiation. The aim of this dissertation is to investigate the polarizing effects of precipitation in the atmosphere, including the existence of a precipitation signal …

Assessment Of The Safety Benefits Of Vms And Vsl Using The Ucf Driving Simulator, Cristina Dos Santos

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Researchers at the University of Central Florida (UCF) have been working during the past few years on different strategies to improve freeway safety in real-time. An ongoing research at UCF has investigated crash patterns that occurred on a stretch of Interstate-4 located in Orlando, FL and created statistical models to predict in real-time the likelihood of a crash in terms of time and space. The models were then tested using PARAMICS micro-simulation and different strategies that would reduce the risk of crashes were suggested. One of the main recommended strategies was the use of Variable Speed Limits (VSL) which intervenes …

Learning Geometry-Free Face Re-Lighting, Thomas Brendan Moore

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The accurate modeling of the variability of illumination in a class of images is a fundamental problem that occurs in many areas of computer vision and graphics. For instance, in computer vision there is the problem of facial recognition. Simply, one would hope to be able to identify a known face under any illumination. On the other hand, in graphics one could imagine a system that, given an image, the illumination model could be identified and then used to create new images. In this thesis we describe a method for learning the illumination model for a class of images. Once …

Concepts For The Nanosat- 5 Satellite Design Competition, Sunil C. Aggarwal

Opportunities for Undergraduate Research Experience Program (OURE)

This paper presents feasible small space satellite missions which are of interest to the U.S. Air Force and can be used to get selected and win the NANOSAT-5 satellite design competition. Some thought on which of these missions can be used by the University of Missouri-Rolla to successfully take part in the competition have also been presented.

Visual Traffic Movement Counts At Intersection For Origin-Destination (O-D) Trip Table Estimation, S. Lee, Hojong Baik, J. Park

Civil, Architectural and Environmental Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Origin-destination (O-D) trip table is necessary information for transportation planning and traffic impact study. However, current O-D estimations rely on estimated directional traffic counts at intersections, which obviously diminish reliability in the table. A video-based vehicle tracking system that utilizes wide view-angle lenses has been studied [26] to provide accurate direction traffic counts. The system expands the area covered by a single camera and uses a particle filtering method to handle environmental changes as well as geometric distortion caused by those lenses. This paper shows tracking capability of the system and also shows how to incorporate the directional traffic counts …

Effect Of Polarisation-Dependent Loss On The Performance Accuracy Of A Ratiometric Wavelength Measurement System, Ginu Rajan, Qian Wang, Yuliya Semenova, Gerald Farrell, Pengfei Wang

Articles

The polarisation-dependent loss (PDL) of a ratiometric wavelength measurement system and its influence on system's accuracy are investigated theoretically and experimentally. The PDL of a ratiometric system and the corresponding power ratio fluctuation is modelled, from which the accuracy of the measured wavelength can be estimated. An all-fibre wavelength measurement system is built to allow comparison of modelled and actual results. The measured ratio variation lies within the estimated limits. The measured wavelength error reaches about 1.41 plusmn 0.09 nm at 1550 nm in the demonstrated example (with an edge filter of average slope 0.22 dB/nm), which indicates the significant …

Quantum Dot Energy Relaxation Mediated By Plasmon Emission In Doped Covalent Semiconductor Heterostructures, A. V. Fedorov, Anna Baranov, I. D. Rukhlenko, T. S. Perova, Kevin Berwick

Articles

The interaction between interface plasmons within a doped substrate and quantum dot electrons or holes has been theoretically studied in double heterostructures based on covalent semiconductors. The interface plasmon modes, the corresponding dispersion relationship, and the intraband carrier relaxation rate in quantum dots are reported. We find the critical points in the interface plasmon density of states for multilayered structures results in enhanced quantum dot intraband carrier relaxation when compared to that for a single heterostructure. A detailed discussion is made of the relaxation rate and the spectral position dependencies on the quantum dot layer thickness as well as on …

Small Patch/Slot Antenna With 53% Input Impedance Bandwidth, Xiulong Bao, Max Ammann

Articles

A small microstrip patch/slot antenna, which achieves a very large bandwidth on a relatively thin substrate (about 0.01lambda0), is presented. The performance is achieved by employing a combination of annular-ring loading on the patch radiator and the use of a crossed-slot for miniaturisation. An additional ring-slot in the ground plane is used to produce the wideband characteristics of the antenna. Simulated and measured results indicate that a 53% fractional impedance bandwidth is achieved with respect to the centre frequency of 1.409 GHz and the size of the antenna is reduced by 50% compared to the conventional circular patch antenna with …

Investigation On Magnetorheological Elastomers Based On Natural Rubber, Lin Chen

Articles

Magnetorheological Elastomers (MR Elastomers or MREs) are a kind of novel smart material, whose mechanical, electrical, magnetic properties are controllable under applied magnetic fields. They have attracted increasing attentions and broad application prospects. But conventional MREs are limited to wide applications because their MR effects and mechanical performances are not high enough. This paper aims to optimize the fabrication method and to fabricate good natural rubber based MREs with high modulus by investigating the influences of a variety of fabrication conditions on the MREs performances, such as matrix type, external magnetic flux density, and temperature, plasticizer and iron particles. Among …

A Multisite Case Study Of Faculty And Teacher Perceptions Of Ncete Professional Development Workshops On Engineering Design Content, Paul A. Asunda

Reports of Center Studies

The purpose of this study was to describe a process of preparing technology education teachers to teach engineering design concepts in the context of technology education. This process was identified through a study of professional development activities that were organized and conducted by technology teacher education partner universities of the National Center for Engineering and Technology Education (NCETE) to prepare middle school and high school technology teachers to infuse engineering design, problem solving, content, and analytical skills into the K-12 curriculum. A collective multisite case study formed the methodology for this study. Data were collected through individual interview sessions that …

High Strength E-Glass/Cnf Fibers Nanocomposite, Esam Abu-Zahra

ETD Archive

Glass fibers are among the most versatile industrial materials known today, where 4 billion pounds of glass are used every year. They are readily produced from raw materials, which are available in virtually unlimited supply. To compensate for its low tensile strength, glass is usually mixed with other materials such as nanofibers and nanospheres, to form what is called "glass nanocomposites". Nevertheless, glass composites still suffer from different weaknesses such as: poor dispersion, poor alignment and orientation of reinforcing materials (due to their short lengths relative to the defect sizes in the composite matrices), in addition to the difficulties associated …

Robust And Decentralized Control Of Web Winding Systems, Wankun Zhou

ETD Archive

This research addresses the velocity and tension regulation problems in web handling, including those found in the single element of an accumulator and those in the large-scale system settings. A continuous web winding system is a complex large-scale interconnected dynamics system with numerous tension zones to transport the web while processing it. A major challenge in controlling such systems is the unexpected disturbances that propagate through the system and affect both tension and velocity loops along the way. To solve this problem, a unique active disturbance rejection control (ADRC) strategy is proposed. Simulation results show remarkable disturbance rejection capability of …

Stirling Convertor Control For A Lunar Concept Rover, Gina Blaze

ETD Archive

NASA Glenn Research Center is developing various circuits for a lunar concept rover powered by both a stirling convertor and lithium ion batteries. To begin, a survey of six analog, non-power factor correcting controllers was done for an Advanced Stirling Convertor (ASC) design one was selected to control the stirling convertor. Next, a constant power circuit and lithium ion battery charger was designed, built and tested based on simulation in PSpice. The constant power circuit enables the stirling convertor to maintain a constant power when additional power is required from the batteries

Treatment Of Wastewater Containing Phenol And Heavy Metals Using Natural Zeolite And Bioaugmentation, Patrick Brian Jameson

ETD Archive

No abstract provided.

Development And Control Of A Solar Array Switching Module, Joseph E. Rymut

ETD Archive

This research focuses on the development and control of a solar array switching module (SASM). The objective of studying this problem was to develop the SASM hardware and design a controller for the SASM which would effectively deal with the wide ranging dynamics of the system and limit oscillations in the steady state. Initially an intuitive controller was designed to control the SASM. Following this an analysis of the SASM was preformed to create a model which described the SASMs operation. Using the system model, an analysis of a PI and a PII controller was completed which found that both …

Mathematical Model Of Ethanol Metabolism In Liver, Parag Pande

ETD Archive

A lumped mathematical model of liver metabolism is presented to analyze the effect of ethanol on metabolic processes of 24 hr fasted rats. The model is developed in two parts. In the first part individual kinetic models for important regulatory steps in the liver metabolic pathways are developed and in second part transport and mass balance equations in the two well mixed domains: tissue and blood, are developed to calculate intermediate metabolite concentrations and fluxes in response to the changes in ethanol and lactate concentrations in the perfusion medium. Part of the model without ethanol metabolism has been validated and …

Studying The Interaction Of Antifreeze Proteins (Type I And Type Iii) With The Phospholipid Monolayers At Air/Water Interface, Suresh Essampally

ETD Archive

Heart transplantation is a successful therapeutic procedure for the patients with end stage heart disease. Various preservative techniques have been developed to increase the shelf life of organs, but still there can be tissue damage during cold storage. One mechanism leading to damage is disruption of cell plasma membranes as they pass through temperature induced phase transitions. The addition of antifreeze protein (AFP) or glycoprotein (AFGP) to storage solutions has been hypothesized to reduce the leakiness of lipid membranes. From studies using liposomes it has been shown that AFPs can prevent leakage through lipid membranes, although the mechanism of interaction …

Development And Modeling Of High Temperature Polymeric Heater, Maziyar Bolourchi

ETD Archive

Polymers are generally known for their excellent insulative properties. The addition of carbonaceous fillers such as carbon black and graphite within a polymer matrix can impart electrical and thermal properties making them good conductors. The resulting composites can be used in applications requiring and/or ranging from electromagnetic and radio frequency interference (EMI/RFI) shielding, electrostatic discharge (ESD) and heaters/heating elements to which metals have been the materials of choice. The advantages of using such composites include cost reduction, part consolidation, chemical resistance, lighter weight, and ability to easily design into complex three dimensional shapes via injection molding. For this work, various …

Performance Characteristics Of An Innovative Wind Power System, David James Kerze

ETD Archive

This project entails a study of a wind energy recovery system that utilizes a unique three-dimensional spiral structure to amplify wind speed and direct it toward pluralities of turbines. The system is comprised of an outer spiral shell, internal support structure, turbines, and mechanisms for positioning the turbines to face the prevailing wind. Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) analyses were conducted to determine the wind speed amplification factors as a result of a simulated wind flow around the spiral structure. To ensure accuracy of the results, state of the art CFD techniques were applied using Gambit 2.2.30 and Fluent 6.2.16. Specifically, …

Flow Of Sub-Cooled Cryogens Through A Joule-Thomson Device: Investigation Of Metastability Conditions, John M. Jurns

ETD Archive

Cryogenic fluid systems are fundamental to space flight architecture. Due to the unique properties of cryogenic fluids and the environments in which they operate for space flight, cryogenic fluid management systems must be developed to maintain these fluids at conditions in which they can be utilized. Liquid oxygen boils at 90 K, and liquid hydrogen boils at 20 K. Significant care must be taken to provide a thermal management system that prevents heat entering these fluids with consequential adverse effects on the performance of the cryogenic fluid systems. One critical component of a cryogenic thermal management system is a Joule-Thomson …

Report To Dot/Phmsa Steering Committee On Collaborative Demonstration Of Guided Wave Ultrasonics, Daphne D'Zurko

United States Department of Transportation: Publications

NYSEARCH/NGA and DOT/PHMSA have an existing R & D contract, DTRS56-05-T-0002, in place to enhance and validate the TWI/FBS Teletest™ Long Range Guided Wave Ultrasonic Testing System. During 2006, the second year of this contract, several controlled tests were performed at the NYSEARCH/NGA test bed and several are also being done on live jobs at NYSEARCH member companies. Through this process, NYSEARCH has amassed the experience and facilities to test and evaluate various guided wave systems.

At the request of DOT/PHMSA, in June 2006, a task was added to the R & D contract, to conduct a collaborative demonstration of …

U.S. Army Corps Of Engineers Omaha District Monthly Drought Report, April 2007

United States Army Corps of Engineers, Omaha District

Current Conditions

Drought Outlook

Missouri River Region Mountain Snowpack Report

Ft. Peck, Montana

Reservoir Elevation Overview

Water Intake Overview

Access Overview

Noxious Weeds Overview

Cultural Resources Overview

Garrison, North Dakota

Reservoir Elevation Overview

Water Intake Overview

Access Overview

Boat Ramp Information

Noxious Weeds Overview

Cultural Resources Overview

Other Areas of Interest/Concern

Oahe, South Dakota

Reservoir Elevation Overview

Water Intake Overview

Access Overview

Noxious Weeds Overview

Cultural Resources Overview

Mainstem Reservoir Information, Weekly Elevation Comparison 5 MAR 2007 through 26 MAR 2007

Mainstem Reservoir Storage Comparison Water Years 2004, 2005, 2006

Ft. Peck, MT

Garrison, ND

Oahe, SD

U.S. Army Corps Of Engineers Omaha District Monthly Drought Report, July 2007

United States Army Corps of Engineers, Omaha District

Current Conditions

Drought Outlook

Missouri River Region Mountain Snowpack Report

Ft. Peck, Montana

Reservoir Elevation Overview

Water Intake Overview

Access Overview

Noxious Weeds Overview

Cultural Resources Overview

Garrison, North Dakota

Reservoir Elevation Overview

Water Intake Overview

Access Overview

Boat Ramp Information

Noxious Weeds Overview

Cultural Resources Overview

Other Areas of Interest/Concern

Oahe, South Dakota

Reservoir Elevation Overview

Water Intake Overview

Access Overview

Noxious Weeds Overview

Cultural Resources Overview

Mainstem Reservoir Information, Weekly Elevation Comparison 4 JUNE 2007 through 25 JUNE 2007

Mainstem Reservoir Storage Comparison Water Years 2004, 2005, 2006

Ft. Peck, MT

Garrison, ND

Oahe, SD

U.S. Army Corps Of Engineers Omaha District Monthly Drought Report, March 2007

United States Army Corps of Engineers, Omaha District

Current Conditions

Drought Outlook

Missouri River Region Mountain Snowpack Report

Ft. Peck, Montana

Reservoir Elevation Overview

Water Intake Overview

Access Overview

Noxious Weeds Overview

Cultural Resources Overview

Garrison, North Dakota

Reservoir Elevation Overview

Water Intake Overview

Access Overview

Boat Ramp Information

Noxious Weeds Overview

Cultural Resources Overview

Other Areas of Interest/Concern

Oahe, South Dakota

Reservoir Elevation Overview

Water Intake Overview

Access Overview

Noxious Weeds Overview

Cultural Resources Overview

Mainstem Reservoir Information, Weekly Elevation Comparison 5 FEB 2007 through 26 FEB 2007

Mainstem Reservoir Storage Comparison Water Years 2004, 2005, 2006

Ft. Peck, MT

Garrison, ND

Oahe, SD

U.S. Army Corps Of Engineers Omaha District Monthly Drought Report, September 2007

United States Army Corps of Engineers, Omaha District

Current Conditions

Drought Outlook

Ft. Peck, Montana

Reservoir Elevation Overview

Water Intake Overview

Access Overview

Noxious Weeds Overview

Cultural Resources Overview

Garrison, North Dakota

Reservoir Elevation Overview

Water Intake Overview

Access Overview

Boat Ramp Information

Noxious Weeds Overview

Cultural Resources Overview

Other Areas of Interest/Concern

Oahe, South Dakota

Reservoir Elevation Overview

Water Intake Overview

Access Overview

Noxious Weeds Overview

Cultural Resources Overview

Mainstem Reservoir Information, Weekly Elevation Comparison 6 AUGUST 2007 through 27 AUGUST 2007

Mainstem Reservoir Storage Comparison Water Years 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007

Ft. Peck, MT

Garrison, ND

Oahe, SD

Army Research Needs For Automated Neuropsychological Tests: Monitoring Soldier Health And Performance Status, Karl E. Friedl, Stephen J. Grate, Susan P. Proctor, James W. Ness, Brian J. Lukey, Robert L. Kane

United States Army: Publications

Information on the mental status of soldiers operating at the limits of human tolerance will be vital to their management in future deployments; it may also allow earlier intervention for conditions such as undiagnosed Gulf War illnesses and Parkinson’s Disease. The Army needs a parsimonious set of neuropsychological tests that reliably identify subtle changes for: (1) early detection of individual health and military performance impairments and (2) management of occupational and deployment health risks. Testing must characterize cognitive lapses in healthy individuals faced with relevant operational stressors (i.e., anxiety, information overload, thermal strain, hypoxia, fatigue, head impact, chemical or radiation …

Thermally Driven Assembly Of Nanoparticles In Polymer Matrices, Philip J. Costanzo, Frederick L. Beyer

United States Army: Publications

Thermally responsive bulk polymer films utilizing reversible Diels-Alder chemistry have been developed. Gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) were passivated with thiol-terminated poly(styrene)-b-poly(ethylene glycol) (PS-b-PEG) copolymer ligand, where the PS and PEG blocks are joined via a Diels-Alder (DA) linkage. The ligand-functionalized nanoparticles were dispersed within a microphase-separated PS-b-poly(methyl methacrylate) (PS-b-PMMA) block copolymer. Nanoparticle location was dictated by the compatibility of the external shell with the block copolymer matrix. As cast, the PEG shell compatibilized the nanoparticles with the PMMA domains. Subsequent thermal treatment caused the Diels-Alder linkages between the polymer blocks to dissociate, leaving the AuNPs functionalized by PS ligands. Immiscibility within …