Engineering Commons^™

A Novel Approach For Mri Image Classification And Image Retrieval, Ankit Vinod Master

Bioengineering Theses - Archive

OBJECTIVE: Classification of MRI image data based on its attribute characteristics is very important for storing the image data and its efficient retrieval. This project aims to find a solution to the problem of classification of the images that are stored on a hard drive and image retrieval from the image database with optimum automation in a user friendly way. METHOD: Matlab was used to create a software tool for image classification and, Java and SQL were used to create a software tool for image retrieval. RESULTS: Image classification tool could read multiple files, extract attribute values from the files …

Aperture Modeling Using A Hybrid Method For Rfi Analysis, Liehui Ren, Zhenwei Yu, Gang Feng, Francesco De Paulis, Yaojiang Zhang, Jun Fan, Xiaopeng Dong, Jason A. Mix, Daniel Hua, Kevin P. Slattery

Electrical and Computer Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

A hybrid method is proposed for radio frequency interference (RFI) prediction of a metal enclosure with an aperture on the top wall. The structure is divided into several segments. While the fields in rectangular segments are described by cavity model, the segments with apertures are modeled by the commercial finite element solver (HFSS). Tangential field continuities along the common boundaries of different segments are enforced by the voltages and currents of boundary ports. Good agreement has been achieved between the hybrid method and full wave simulation.

Dynamic Allocation Of Airline Check-In Counters: A Queueing Optimisation Approach, Mahmut Parlar, Sharafali Moosa

Research Collection Lee Kong Chian School Of Business

This paper was motivated by an observation in an international airport with regard to allocation of resources for check-in counters. In an exclusive check-in counter system, each flight has a dedicated number of counters that will be open until at least a half-hour before the scheduled departure of that flight. Currently, in many of the airports around the world, the decision to open or close check-in counters is done on an ad hoc basis by human schedulers. In doing so, the schedulers are almost always forced to perform a balancing act in meeting the quality of service stipulated by the …

Generalized Model Of Resonant Polymer-Coated Microcantilevers In Viscous Liquid Media, Russell Cox, Fabien Josse, Michael J. Wenzel, Stephen M. Heinrich, Isabelle Dufour

Civil and Environmental Engineering Faculty Research and Publications

Expressions describing the resonant frequency and quality factor of a dynamically driven, polymer-coated microcantilever in a viscous liquid medium have been obtained. These generalized formulas are used to describe the effects the operational medium and the viscoelastic coating have on the device sensitivity when used in liquid-phase chemical sensing applications. Shifts in the resonant frequency are normally assumed proportional to the mass of sorbed analyte in the sensing layer. However, the expression for the frequency shift derived in this work indicates that the frequency shift is also dependent on changes in the sensing layer’s loss and storage moduli, changes in …

Development Of A Slide-Rolling Contact Fatigue Tester, Gregory T. Dvorak

Theses and Dissertations

Contact fatigue failure is a common problem experienced in many applications such as bearings, gears and railway tracks. In recent years, research companies have developed finishing processes which aim to improve a component's contact fatigue life. One such process has been patented by REM Chemicals in Texas. Preliminary contact fatigue tests have shown that this superfinishing process could potentially improve a component’s contact fatigue life by 300%. Before this technology can move from the laboratory to an industrial platform, more tests are needed to verify the claim. To the best of the author’s knowledge, no standard process or test machine …

Maximum Likelihood Methods In Biology Revisited With Tools Of Computational Intelligence, John E. Seiffertt Iv, Andrew Vanbrunt, Donald C. Wunsch

Electrical and Computer Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

We investigate the problem of identification of genes correlated with the occurrence of diseases in a given population. The classical method of parametric linkage analysis is combined with newer tools and results are achieved on a model problem. This traditional method has advantages over non-parametric methods, but these advantages have been difficult to realize due to their high computational cost. We study a class of Evolutionary Algorithms from the Computational Intelligence literature which are designed to cut such costs considerably for optimization problems. We outline the details of this algorithm, called Particle Swarm Optimization, and present all the equations and …

Noise Coupling Between Power/Ground Nets Due To Differential Vias Transitions In A Multilayer Pcb, Matteo Cocchini, Jun Fan, Bruce Archambeault, James L. Knighten, Xin Chang, James L. Drewniak, Yaojiang Zhang, Samuel R. Connor

Electrical and Computer Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Due to the increase in board density, routing traces on different layers becomes a widely used strategy. Through-hole vias are often used to connect these traces. Those vias that penetrate power/ground plane pairs could cause noise coupling between signal and power/ground nets. At the same time, the need for clean signal transmitted to receivers results in a wide use of differential signals. This paper studies the noise coupling mechanism caused by a differential pair of vias penetrating power/ground plane pair using a physics-based via-plane model combined with transmission line models for traces. A 26-layer printed circuit board with a pair …

Orthogonal Loops Probe Design And Characterization For Near-Field Measurement, Tun Li, Yong Cheh Ho, David Pommerenke

Electrical and Computer Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Near-field probes are often used to measure the electric and magnetic fields above a printed circuit board in order to identify the sources and coupling paths of an electromagnetic interference (EMI) problem. It is the objective of this paper to propose a rapid E-, Hx- Hy- and circular H-fields measurement using an orthogonal loops probe design. The effects of this probe are analyzed using full-wave simulations and measurements.

Reconstruction Of Dispersive Dielectric Properties For Pcb Substrates Using A Genetic Algorithm, Jianmin Zhang, Marina Koledintseva, James L. Drewniak, David Pommerenke, Richard E. Dubroff, Zhiping Yang, Wheling Cheng, Konstantin Rozanov, Antonio Orlandi, Giulio Antonini

Electrical and Computer Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

An effective method for extracting parameters of a Debye or a Lorentzian dispersive medium over a wideband frequency range using a genetic algorithm (GA) and a transmission-line model is presented. Scattering parameters (S-parameters) of the transmission-line sections, including a parallel plate, microstrip, and stripline, are measured. Wave equations for TEM/quasi-TEM mode with a complex propagation constant and a frequency-dependent wave impedance are used to evaluate the corresponding S-parameters in an analytical model. The discrepancy between the modeled and measured S-parameters is defined as the objective function in the GA. The GA is used for search of the dispersive-medium parameters by …

Labevolution: What's The Next Mutation?, James D. Sterling

Business and Information Technology Faculty Research & Creative Works

No abstract provided.

Emi Analysis Methods For Synchronous Buck Converter Emi Root Cause Analysis, David Pommerenke, Robert Steinfeld, Keong W. Kam, Cheung-Wei Lam

Electrical and Computer Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

DC/DC synchronous buck converters cause broadband emissions. A variety of methods are applied to analyze the root cause of the EMI. Time-domain voltage measurement and joint-time-frequency analysis allows to determine the location of the noise source. The near field scan reveals the current paths, and impedance measurement and 3D modeling can be used for further analysis of the noise source. A dual port TEM cell allows to distinguish E from H field coupling, This paper shows the application of those methods to a synchronous buck converter and reveals the sources of EMI leading to advice on the optimal PCB design. …

Differential Vias Transition Modeling In A Multilayer Printed Circuit Board, Matteo Cocchini, Wheling Cheng, Jianmin Zhang, John Fisher, Jun Fan, James L. Drewniak, Yaojiang Zhang

Electrical and Computer Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

A 26-layer printed circuit board including several test sites has been analyzed. All the sites have a transition from coupled microstrips to coupled striplines through signal vias. Differential measurements have been performed on some of these test sites to estimate the effect on S-parameters and eye diagrams due to via and antipad radius variation, and different lengths of via stub. The focus of this paper is on a test site with a transition from top to the sixth layer. At the same time, a physics based circuit model has been assembled in a spice-based simulation tool and a full-wave model …

Nanoparticulate Composites Of Melt Textured Yba2cu3o7−X Superconductors, Oratai Jongprateep, Fatih Dogan

Materials Science and Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

It has been shown that Nd1+xBa_2−xCu₃O_7−x could exhibit a pronounced Jc(H) peak effect, which results in an enhancement of the critical current density under the medium range magnetic field. Additions of small quantities of Nd₂O₃ into Pt-doped YBa₂Cu₃O_7−x (Y123) resulted in the formation of nanosized (30–60 nm) secondary phases which are expected to have a significant effect on superconducting properties of melt textured Y123 single crystals. By considering of solidification kinetics, effect of neodymium oxide and platinum addition on processing parameters of melt textured Y123 superconductors are …

Real-Time Arterial Traffic Signal Performance Measures, Christopher M. Day, Edward J. Smaglik, Darcy M. Bullock, James R. Sturdevant

JTRP Technical Reports

Increasing demand for highway system capacity compels transportation agencies to extract as much capacity as possible from existing systems. Traffic signals represent a major component of highway systems. Improvement of traffic signal operation requires accurate performance measures. Despite recent improvements in computing technology, traffic signal controllers are currently not able to capture useful performance measures on a cycle-by-cycle basis. This report presents a set of performance measures that could be collected on a cycle-by-cycle basis by a traffic signal controller given the capability to log phase indications and detector actuations. The performance measures investigated here include the volume-to-capacity ratio and …

Implementing Scc Technology In Nebraska—All About Working Together, Mark D. Lafferty

Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering: Faculty Publications

In October 2001, Concrete Industries, Inc. (CI) was working with its admixture supplier to improve our form finish for precast concrete products. They brought us a new product and before long the concrete slump became a 26‐in. (660‐mm) diameter circle. Obviously, this generated a lot of excitement with our production personnel, but we also had to consider what it would take to get architects and engineers comfortable with using it.

A Design Aid For Determining Width Of Filter Strips, Michael G. Dosskey, M. J. Helmers, Dean E. Eisenhauer

Department of Agricultural and Biological Systems Engineering: Faculty Publications

Watershed planners need a tool for determining width of filter strips that is accurate enough for developing cost-effective site designs and easy enough to use for making quick determinations on a large number and variety of sites. This study employed the process-based Vegetative Filter Strip Model to evaluate the relationship between filter strip width and trap¬ping efficiency for sediment and water and to produce a design aid for use where specific water quality targets must be met. Model simulations illustrate that relatively narrow filter strips can have high impact in some situations, while in others even a modest impact cannot …

A New Approach To The Design, Fabrication, And Testing Of Chalcogenide-Based Multi-State Phase-Change Nonvolatile Memory, H. K. Ande, P. Busa, M. Balasubramanian, Kristy A. Campbell, R. Jacob Baker

Electrical and Computer Engineering Faculty Publications and Presentations

A new approach to developing, fabricating, and testing chalcogenide-based multi-state phase-change nonvolatile memory (NVM) is presented. A test chip is fabricated through the MOSIS service. Then post processing, in the Boise State University lab, is performed on the chip to add the chalcogenide material that forms the NVM. Each memory bit consists of an NMOS access transistor and the chalcogenide material placed between the metal3 of the test chip, connected to the access device, and a common, to all memory bits, electrode. This paper describes the design of the memory bit and of the test structures used for reliability and …

Architecture For Intelligent Power Systems Management, Optimization, And Storage., J. Chris Foreman

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The management of power and the optimization of systems generating and using power are critical technologies. A new architecture is developed to advance the current state of the art by providing an intelligent and autonomous solution for power systems management. The architecture is two-layered and implements a decentralized approach by defining software objects, similar to software agents, which provide for local optimization of power devices such as power generating, storage, and load devices. These software device objects also provide an interface to a higher level of optimization. This higher level of optimization implements the second layer in a centralized approach …

Material Flow Control In A Sequence Dependent Job Shop Via Order Release And Dispatching Mechanisms, Francesco Gentile

Industrial, Manufacturing, and Systems Engineering Dissertations - Archive

Material flow control on the shop floor involves the release and dispatching of orders to meet customer due dates, while minimizing operating costs. The early release of orders to the shop floor does not necessarily ensure delivery performance and often results in unnecessary shop congestion and excessive cost. Thus, determining when order release should occur and how dispatching should be accomplished is critical to the success of a manufacturing organization. Although there has been a significant amount of research in the material flow control literature regarding the job shop environment, there exists a significant void with respect to order release …

The Role Of Silicon Content On Environmental Degradations Of T91 Steels, Ajit K. Roy, D. Maitra, Pankaj Kumar

Mechanical Engineering Faculty Research

T91 grade steels showed a gradual enhancement in tensile ductility at ambient temperature due to an increase in Si content from 0.5 to 2.0 weight percent (wt.%). However, the ultimate tensile strength was reduced only above 1.5 wt.% Si. The corrosion potential became more active in an acidic solution with increasing temperature. The cracking susceptibility in a similar environment under a slow-strain-rate (SSR) condition was enhanced at higher temperatures showing reduced ductility, time to failure, and true failure stress. Cathodic potentials applied to the test specimens in SSR testing caused an enhanced cracking tendency at 30 and 60°C, suggesting hydrogen …

Tensile Deformation Of A Nickel-Base Alloy At Elevated Temperatures, Ajit K. Roy, Anand Venkatesh, Vikram Marthandam

Mechanical Engineering Faculty Research

The results of tensile testing involving Waspaloy indicate that the failure strain was gradually reduced at temperatures ranging between ambient and 300 °C. Further, serrations were observed in the engineering stress versus strain diagrams in the temperature range of 300-600 °C. The reduced failure strain and the formation of serrations in these temperature regimes could be the result of dynamic strain aging of this alloy. The extent of work hardening due to plastic deformation was reduced at temperatures above 300 °C. A combination of ductile and intergranular brittle failures was seen at temperatures above 600 °C. γ′ was detected at …

Effect Of Testing Conditions In The Standard Astm C 1567 Test Procedure On Evaluation Of Asr Mitigation Potential Of Fly Ashes, Pavan Seemakurty

All Theses

Alkali Silica Reaction (ASR) is a widespread durability problem not only in the United States, but also in many countries across the world. ASR distress in concrete drastically reduces the service life of a structure and as such, there are no effective rehabilitation measures. As a result, the primary strategy to deal with ASR distress has been one of prevention/mitigation in new construction. Various mitigation measures are widely used to reduce the effects of ASR in concrete. Among these measures, the use of supplementary cementing materials (SCMs) is the most commonly employed method. SCMs are believed to mitigate expansions induced …

Supporting Collaboration In Mobile Environments, Rohan Sen

All Computer Science and Engineering Research

Continued rapid improvements in the hardware capabilities of mobile computing devices is driving a parallel need for a paradigm shift in software design for such devices with the aim of ushering in new classes of software applications for devices of the future. One such class of software application is collaborative applications that seem to reduce the burden and overhead of collaborations on human users by providing automated computational support for the more mundane and mechanical aspects of a cooperative effort. This dissertation addresses the research and software engineering questions associated with building a workflow-based collaboration system that can operate across …

Fiber Bragg Grating (Fbg) Based Chemical Sensor, Gopakumar Sethuraman

Theses and Dissertations

In this work, reagentless fiber optic-based chemical sensors for water quality testing were fabricated by coating fiber Bragg gratings with the glassy polymer cellulose acetate. With this polymeric matrix capable of localizing or concentrating chemical constituents within its structure, immersion of the coated grating in various chemical solutions causes the rigid polymer to expand and mechanically strain the glass fiber. The corresponding changes in the periodicity of the grating subsequently result in altered Bragg-reflected responses. A high-resolution tunable fiber ring laser interrogator is used to obtain room temperature reflectance spectrograms from two fiber gratings at 1550 nm and 1540 nm …

Book Review: Tourists In Space: A Practical Guide, T. D. Oswalt

Publications

This document is Dr. Oswalt’s review of Tourists in Space : a Practical Guide by Erik Seedhouse. Springer/Praxis, 2008 314p, 9780387746432 $34.95

Aerobatic Maneuvering Of Miniature Air Vehicles Using Attitude Trajectories, James K. Hall, Timothy W. Mclain

Faculty Publications

We develop aerobatic maneuvering for miniature air vehicles (MAVs) using time-parameterized attitude trajectory generation and an associated attitude tracking control law. We develop two methodologies, polynomial or trigonometric, for creating smooth functions that specify pitch and roll angle trajectories. For both approaches, the functions are constrained by the maneuver boundary conditions for aircraft position and velocity. We develop a feedback control law to regulate aircraft orientation throughout the maneuvers. The performance of our trajectory generation algorithm and our attitude tracking control law is demonstrated through simulated and actual flight tests of aerobatic maneuvers.

Distributed Object Tracking Using A Cluster-Based Kalman Filter In Wireless Camera Networks, Henry Medeiros, Johnny Park, Avinash Kak

Electrical and Computer Engineering Faculty Research and Publications

Local data aggregation is an effective means to save sensor node energy and prolong the lifespan of wireless sensor networks. However, when a sensor network is used to track moving objects, the task of local data aggregation in the network presents a new set of challenges, such as the necessity to estimate, usually in real time, the constantly changing state of the target based on information acquired by the nodes at different time instants. To address these issues, we propose a distributed object tracking system which employs a cluster-based Kalman filter in a network of wireless cameras. When a target …

Zeolite-Based Nanosized Ti02 Photocatalytic Paper For Antimicrobial Barrier And Toxin Passivation In Packaging: Design, Synthesis And Characterization, Seonghyuk Ko

Dissertations

This dissertation describes comprehensive studies, including design, preparation, characterization and evaluation, to develop an innovative zeolite-based nanosized TiO2photocatalytic paper for disinfection and disintegration of organic toxins.

A novel paper with high photocatalytic performance was successfully prepared using natural zeolite (clinoptilolite)-based nanosized TiO2 photocatalyst in a microparticle retention papermaking system. Photocatalytic material, from its sol-gel derived TiO2 colloids to its anchoring onto zeolite, has been designed, prepared and characterized. Prior to photocatalytic papermaking, the characteristics of sol-gel synthesized TiO2 nanoparticles from colloidal to nanopowder were investigated with various initial sizes of colloidal nanoparticles synthesized in the range of 2.5±0.1 nm and …

A New Rough Wall Layer Modeling For Turbulent Flows Using The Brinkman Equation, Meng-Huang Lu

Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Design Of A Temperature Profiling System For Use In Thermal Processing Of Food Products, Linda Tarantino

Biological and Agricultural Engineering Undergraduate Honors Theses

The purpose of this study was to develop a thermal inspection system on a full scale meat and poultry product line. The system must withstand the production and sanitation environments and adapt to the many different products and conditions present on a common product line. By using this device, food processors will be able to measure the internal temperature of the product during its entire cooking process. This will provide certainty to food processors if the product reached the required internal temperature by USDA standards as well as proof of their processes.