Engineering Commons^™

Systems Analysis Of Resources Development - California State University, Sacramento, Kaveh Madani

All ECSTATIC Materials

The course presents a variety of systems analysis techniques that can be used for resource planning and management in the civil engineering field. Simulation and optimization techniques (or mathematical programming) are emphasized as they apply to civil engineering problem solving. Course taught at University of Central Florida.

Current Financial Crisis And Inadequate Uncertainty Processing: A Comment, Tanja Magoc, Vladik Kreinovich

Departmental Technical Reports (CS)

No abstract provided.

A Computing Approach Using Probabilistic Neural Networks For Instantaneous Appraisal Of Rear-End Crash Risk, Anurag Pande, Mohamed Abdel-Aty

Civil and Environmental Engineering

Computing and information technology has significantly increased the capabilities to collect, store, and analyze freeway traffic surveillance data. The most common forms of such data are collected using the underground loop detectors. In the recent past the potential of using these data for identification of crash-prone conditions has been explored. In the present work, application of probabilistic neural networks (PNN) is explored to identify conditions prone to rear-end crashes on the freeway. PNN is a neural network implementation of the well-documented Bayesian classifier. In this research the rear-end crashes observed on the Interstate-4 corridor in Orlando FL are divided into …

Agricultural Water Conservation And Efficiency In California - A Commentary, Charles M. Burt, Peter Canessa, Lawrence J. Schwankl, David F. Zoldoske

BioResource and Agricultural Engineering

This is a Commentary on some of the key points that are presented in “More with Less: Agricultural Water Conservation and Efficiency in California” by Cooley, ChristianSmith, and Gleick of the Pacific Institute, September 2008 (referred to as the “PacInst Paper” in the remainder of this discussion).

The authors of this Commentary have over 120 years combined of experience in agricultural and landscape irrigation. They have worked world-wide in design and installation of all types of irrigation systems (including automated drip systems from 1975 on), design and implementation of irrigation scheduling programs since 1977; design and implementation of water conservation …

Ole Miss Engineer 2008

Ole Miss Engineer

No abstract provided.

Santa Clara Magazine, Volume 50 Number 2, Fall 2008, Santa Clara University

Santa Clara Magazine

10 - MEET MOUNTAIN By Lisa Taggart. A Q&A with SCU women's basketball coach Jennifer Mountain.

12 - KATRINA AT THREE By Pat Semansky '06. A New Orleans photo essay.

16 - THE MEDDLING PRIEST FROM OZ By Emily Elrod '05. An interview with Australian Jesuit John Brennan, S.J.-lauded as a "national treasure" and an "ethical burr."

18 - 20/20 VISION By Robert M. Senkewicz. How has the presidency of Paul Locatelli, S.J., transformed the University-as a place-and as an idea?

28 - GO WITH YOUR HEART By Francisco Jimenez. An exclusive excerpt from his new memoir, Reaching Out.

32 …

Energy-Constrained Distortion Reduction Optimization For Wavelet-Based Coded Image Transmission In Wireless Sensor Networks, Wei Wang, Dongming Peng, Honggang Wang, Hamid Sharif, Hsiao-Hwa Chen

Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering: Faculty Publications (to 2015)

Image transmissions in Wireless Multimedia Sensor Networks (WMSNs) are often energy constrained. They also have requirement on distortion minimization, which may be achieved through Unequal Error Protection (UEP) based communication approaches. In related literature with regard to wireless multimedia transmissions, significantly different importance levels between image-pixel-position information and image-pixel-value information have not been fully exploited by existing UEP schemes. In this paper, we propose an innovative image-pixel-position information based resource allocation scheme to optimize image transmission quality with strict energy budget constraint for image applications in WMSNs, and it works by exploring these uniquely different importance levels among image data …

Imaging Of Buried Utilities By Ultra Wideband Sensory Systems, Arun Prakash Jaganathan

Doctoral Dissertations

Third-party damage to the buried infrastructure like natural gas pipelines, water distribution pipelines and fiber optic cables are estimated at $10 billion annually across the US. Also, the needed investment in upgrading our water and wastewater infrastructure over the next 20 years is estimated by Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) at $400 billion, however, non-destructive condition assessment technologies capable of providing quantifiable data regarding the structural integrity of our buried assets in a cost-effective manner are lacking. Both of these areas were recently identified several U.S. federal agencies as 'critical national need'. In this research ultra wideband (UWB) time-domain radar technology …

Real-World Industry Collaboration Within A Mechatronics Class, Vidya Nandikolla, Susan Shadle, Patricia Pyke, John Gardner, Robert Grover, Suhas Pharkute

Electrical and Computer Engineering Faculty Publications and Presentations

This paper describes the implementation and assessment of an innovative senior/graduate level mechatronics (robotics) module that integrated structured and unstructured learning experiences, in collaboration with an industry partner. With real-world constraints and expectations, students designed and delivered a product as the final project. In fall 2007, the corporate partner provided state-of-the-art, programmable robotic kits with a user-friendly programming environment. The assigned project was to design a biomedical robot to work in a hospital intensive care unit (ICU) to perform tasks such as transporting supplies or delivering paperwork. Students with diverse skills and majors were grouped in ten teams, two to …

Prediction Of Effective Permittivity Of Diphasic Dielectrics Using An Equivalent Capacitance Model, Sandeep K. Patil, Marina Koledintseva, Robert W. Schwartz, Wayne Huebner

Electrical and Computer Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

An analytical model based on an equivalent capacitance circuit for expressing a static effective permittivity of a composite dielectric with complex-shaped inclusions is presented. The dielectric constant of 0-3 composites is investigated using this model. The geometry of the capacitor containing a composite dielectric is discretized into partial parallel-plate capacitor elements, and the effective permittivity of the composite is obtained from the equivalent capacitance of the structure. First, an individual cell diphasic dielectric (a high-permittivity spherical inclusion enclosed in a lower permittivity parallelepiped) is considered. The capacitance of this cell is modeled as a function of an inclusion radius/volume fraction. …

New Power Quality Index In A Distribution Power System By Using Rmp Model, Soon Lee, Jung-Wook Park, Ganesh K. Venayagamoorthy

Electrical and Computer Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

In this paper, a new power quality index (PQI), which is directly related to the generation of distortion power from nonlinear harmonic loads, is introduced to determine their harmonic pollution ranking in a distribution power system. The electric load composition rate (LCR) and the total harmonic distortion (THD) for the estimated currents on each harmonic load are used to define the proposed PQI. The reduced multivariate polynomial (RMP) model with one-shot training property is applied to realize the PQI. Then, the ranking of distortion power for each nonlinear load, which have adverse effect on the entire system, is determined. It …

Numerical Simulation Of Uva Ramjet/Scramjet Hypersonic Engine With Hydrogen-Air Combustion Using Wind-Us, Vishal Anand Bhagwandin

Master's Theses - Daytona Beach

The internal flowpath of University of Virginia's Mach 5, direct-connect, dual-mode scramjet engine was simulated using Wind-US, a density-based Reynolds-Averaged Navier-Stokes flow solver. Detailed flowfield simulation results are directly compared to experimental data to evaluate the accuracy of the numerical model and to provide insight into the flowfield behavior. Four hydrogen-air reaction mechanisms were initially assessed using the Burrows-Kurkov case. An Evans-Schexnayder, 7-specie, 8-reaction set with third body efficiencies was then selected for the scramjet simulations. The scramjet simulations included one fuel-off case and two reacting cases with different equivalence ratios, all with clean, non-vitiated air supply. The strong sensitivity …

Developing Effective, Sustainable, Mutually Beneficial International Collaborations In Engineering And Technology, Mike Murphy

Presentations

No abstract provided.

Inelastic Performance Of Welded Cfs Strap Braced Walls, Giles Comeau

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

No abstract provided.

Design And Numerical Evaluation Of A Counter- Rotating Compressor In The Absence Of Boundary Layer Control: Part I, Naiara Petralanda

Master's Theses - Daytona Beach

The purpose of this thesis was to design and evaluate a three stage counter-rotating compressor that employed well established design principles and technologies using a phased approach. The objective of the first phase was to generate the preliminary annulus shape and estimate the major parameters by modeling the flow as inviscid and time independent. The second and third phases refined the design approximating the flow using Euler's equations and the Navier-Stokes equations respectively.

The performance predictions decreased as the design move forward and more accurate flow and loss models were used. The final three dimensional analysis, which was limited to …

Engineering@Nebraska - Fall 2008

Engineering@Nebraska (Alumni Magazine)

Table of Contents:

Front & Center
A Welcome Home: Zero Net Energy Test House unites university and industry as students' learning is caught green-handed
Making their mark on mars: Huskers at Honeybee, a New York City robotics firm, work on Mars missions
Epigenetics: A dialogue between biologists and engineers: Joe Turner, professor and chair of the Department of Engineering Mechanics, collaborates with UNL plant scientist Sally McKenzie on nanoscale work with huge potential
Energy monitoring on the home front: Together with OPPD, Nebraska Engineering studies devices to promote efficiency
Wave of the future: Biological Systems Engineering professor Greg Bashford creates …

Stochastic Event Reconstruction Of Atmospheric Contaminant Dispersion Using Bayesian Inference, Inanc Senocak, Nicolas W. Hengartner, Margaret B. Short, W. Brent Daniel

Mechanical and Biomedical Engineering Faculty Publications and Presentations

Environmental sensors have been deployed in various cities for early detection of contaminant releases into the atmosphere. Event reconstruction and improved dispersion modeling capabilities are needed to estimate the extent of contamination, which is required to implement effective strategies in emergency management. To this end, a stochastic event reconstruction capability that can process information from an environmental sensor network is developed. A probability model is proposed to take into account both zero and non-zero concentration measurements that can be available from a sensor network because of a sensor’s specified limit of detection. The inference is based on the Bayesian paradigm …

Complexity Of Some Geometric Problems, Marcus Schaefer

Technical Reports

We show that recognizing intersection graphs of convex sets has the same complexity as deciding truth in the existential first-order theory of the reals. Comparing this to similar results on the rectilinear crossing number and intersection graphs of line segments, we argue that there is a need to recognize this level of complexity as its own class.

Real Time Implementation Of An Artificial Immune System Based Controller For A Dstatcom In An Electric Ship Power System, Pinaki Mitra, Ganesh K. Venayagamoorthy

Electrical and Computer Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

A new adaptive control strategy based on artificial immune system (AIS) for a DSTATCOM in an electric ship power system is presented in this paper. DSTATCOM is a shunt compensation device, which can be used to improve the power quality during the pulse power requirements in a naval shipboard system. The role of DSTATCOM controller is very important to meet this objective. In this paper, the DSTATCOM controller parameters are first tuned by particle swarm optimization (PSO) technique, so that it can provide innate immunity to common system disturbances. Then, these optimum parameters are modified online by an artificial immune …

Work In Progress -- Instrumentation On A Truss Adapted For Pre-College Outreach, Amy K. Perrey, Steve Eugene Watkins, Ralph E. Flori, Theresa M. Swift

Electrical and Computer Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Engineering content is a valuable addition to pre-college instruction in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) since it applies scientific concepts, illustrates scientific relevance and technology, and provides measurement opportunities. Also, complex systems and interactions can be shown. This work describes outreach resources using a seven-member instrumented truss apparatus. This aluminum bench-top model is scaled to support up to fifty pounds. Electrical resistance gauges are installed on several members for strain measurement. The resource set includes the truss apparatus, instrumentation, a PowerPoint presentation, and a background document. The pre-college objective is a set of demonstration resources for middle or high …

Adaptive Control Of Freeze-Form Extrusion Fabrication Processes, Xiyue Zhao, Robert G. Landers, Ming-Chuan Leu

Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Freeze-form Extrusion Fabrication (FEF) is an additive manufacturing process that extrudes high solids loading aqueous ceramic pastes in a layer-by-layer fashion below the paste freezing temperature for component fabrication. Due to effects such as the air bubble release, agglomerate breakdown, change in paste properties during extrusion as a result of liquid phase migration, etc., the extrusion force is difficult to control. In this paper, an adaptive controller is proposed to regulate the extrusion force. Recursive Least Squares is used to estimate extrusion force model parameters during fabrication and a low-order control scheme capable of tracking general reference trajectories is designed …

Decision Theory On Dynamic Domains Nabla Derivatives And The Hamilton-Jacobi-Bellman Equation, John E. Seiffertt Iv, Donald C. Wunsch, Suman Sanyal

Electrical and Computer Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

The time scales calculus, which includes the study of the nabla derivatives, is an emerging key topic due to many multidisciplinary applications. We extend this calculus to Approximate Dynamic Programming. In particular, we investigate application of the nabla derivative, one of the fundamental dynamic derivatives of time scales. We present a nabla-derivative based derivation and proof of the Hamilton-Jacobi-Bellman equation, the solution of which is the fundamental problem in the field of dynamic programming. By drawing together the calculus of time scales and the applied area of stochastic control via Approximate Dynamic Programming, we connect two major fields of research.

Annual Update Of Data For Estimating Esal, Clark Graves, Jerry G. Pigman, Brad Rister, David Cain, Neil Tollner

Kentucky Transportation Center Research Report

No abstract provided.

Study Of The Influence Of Nacelle And Pylon On Aerodynamics Of A New Vu Design, Romain Larose

Master's Theses - Daytona Beach

The purpose of this thesis was to illustrate the influence of the nacelle and pylon on aerodynamics of a new Very Light Jet design, using Computational Fluid Dynamics.

The objective of the first phase was to repair the existing CATIA model in order to facilitate the meshing process.

The second and third phase was to create two meshes: a mesh for the complete model (aircraft with nacelle and pylon), and a second for the aircraft alone.

The two problems have been solved at cruise conditions using Navier-Stokes equations with a second order accuracy.

The model complying with theory, the results …

Extension Of Viscoplasticity Based On Overstress To Capture The Effects Of Prior Aging On The Time Dependent Deformation Behavior Of A High-Temperature Polymer: Experiments And Modeling, Amber J. W. Mcclung

Theses and Dissertations

The inelastic deformation behavior of PMR-15 neat resin, a high-temperature thermoset polymer, was investigated at 288 degrees C. The experimental program was designed to explore the influence of strain rate on tensile loading, unloading, and strain recovery behaviors. In addition, the effect of the prior strain rate on the relaxation response of the material, as well as on the creep behavior following strain controlled loading were examined. The experimental data were modeled with the Viscoplasticity Based on Overstress (VBO) theory. A systematic procedure for determining model parameters was developed and the model was employed to predict the response of the …

Modeling And Stability Analysis Of Nonlinear Sampled-Data Systems With Embedded Recovery Algorithms, Heber Herencia-Zapana

Electrical & Computer Engineering Theses & Dissertations

Computer control systems for safety critical systems are designed to be fault tolerant and reliable, however, soft errors triggered by harsh environments can affect the performance of these control systems. The soft errors of interest which occur randomly, are nondestructive and introduce a failure that lasts a random duration. To minimize the effect of these errors, safety critical systems with error recovery mechanisms are being investigated. The main goals of this dissertation are to develop modeling and analysis tools for sampled-data control systems that are implemented with such error recovery mechanisms. First, the mathematical model and the well-posedness of the …

Surface Pre-Treatments And Fabrication Of Highly Ordered Anodic Aluminum Oxide Nanopores At Room Temperature, Sampath Chennuri

Electrical & Computer Engineering Theses & Dissertations

The object of this work is to develop a novel approach to fabricate model membranes of well-defined and well aligned nanostructured materials in a robust environment. The main focus is on electrochemical synthesis, involving anodic oxidation of high purity aluminum sheets to form porous oxide films. Alumina films were prepared by anodizing highly pure aluminum (99.999%) in acidic electrolytes. Anodization parameters (current density, temperature, applied voltage, anodization time and electrolyte concentration) were selected with respect to the electrolyte used.

The primary challenge in nanotechnology is the creation of nanometer-scaled objects with as narrow a size distribution as possible for a …

Biomarker Identification For Prostate Cancer Using An Efficient Feature Selection Algorithm, Vamsi Krishnam Raju Mantena

Electrical & Computer Engineering Theses & Dissertations

In recent years, there has been an increased interest in using protein mass spectrometry to identify biomarkers that discriminate diseased from healthy individuals. A biomarker is a characteristic that is objectively measured and evaluated as an indicator of normal biological processes, pathological processes, or pharmacological responses to a therapeutic intervention. Identifying biomarkers will be an important step towards disease characterization and patient management. One challenge of biomarker identification is how to handle the high dimensional mass spectral data. In this thesis, we applied an efficient feature selection algorithm to mass spectrometry data obtained from prostate tissue samples to identify prostate …

Geo-Rectification Of Aerial Images For Detecting Changes In Terrain, Diana Vincent

Electrical & Computer Engineering Theses & Dissertations

With increasing terrorist attacks around the world, detection of hidden bombs like IEDs (Improvised Explosive devices) has become very important. The main aim of this thesis is to develop an automatic change detection system to detect changes in terrain. It is mainly used in military applications for protection of military convoys. In order to detect the presence of IED's, an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) is flown over a proposed convoy route to develop a baseline scene. Prior to the launch of the convoy the UA V is flown again over the same route to detect any significant scene changes that …

Simulation Based Six-Sigma Design For Service Industry, Shantanu Dhananjay Ghate

Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering Theses & Dissertations

The main purpose of this thesis was to develop the dental clinic design using six-sigma principles. Simulation software called Process Model^TM was used to build a primary layout of the clinic. Once the basic design was built, statistical analysis method like D.O.E (design of experiment) was used to generate the data based on different combinations of design parameters viz. number of hygienists, number of x-ray machines and waiting room capacity. These data were further analyzed using Contrast-Effect method, ANOVA and Regression Analysis. In order to incorporate the impact of random factors, Taguchi's methodology was applied. This lead to the …