Engineering Commons^™

Dynamic Interactions For Network Visualization And Simulation, Cigdem Yetisti

Theses and Dissertations

Most network visualization suites do not interact with a simulator, as it executes. Nor do they provide an effective user interface that includes multiple visualization functions. The subject of this research is to improve the network visualization presented in the previous research [5] adding these capabilities to the framework. The previous network visualization did not have the capability of altering specific visualization characteristics, especially when detailed observations needed to be made for a small part of a large network. Searching for a network event in this topology might cause large delays leading to lower quality user interface. In addition to …

Using Predictive Rendering As A Vision-Aided Technique For Autonomous Aerial Refueling, Adam D. Weaver

Theses and Dissertations

This research effort seeks to characterize a vision-aided approach for an Unmanned Aerial System (UAS) to autonomously determine relative position to another aircraft in a formation, specifically to address the autonomous aerial refueling problem. A system consisting of a monocular digital camera coupled with inertial sensors onboard the UAS is analyzed for feasibility of using this vision-aided approach. A three-dimensional rendering of the tanker aircraft is used to generate predicted images of the tanker as seen by the receiver aircraft. A rigorous error model is developed to model the relative dynamics between an INS-equipped receiver and the tanker aircraft. A …

Tools For The Conceptual Design And Engineering Analysis Of Micro Air Vehicles, Mustafa Turan

Theses and Dissertations

Micro Air Vehicles (MAV) are a subset of Unmanned Aircraft (UAS) that are up to two orders of magnitude smaller than manned systems. Near-Earth environments, such as forests, caves, tunnels and urban structures make reconnaissance, surveillance and search-and-rescue missions difficult and dangerous to accomplish. Therefore, MAVs are considered ideal for these types of missions. However, the data using full size aircraft is inadequate to characterize miniature aircraft parameters due to the lower Reynolds numbers and low aspect ratio (LAR) wings and impact of wing-propeller interactions. The main objectives of this research were to: collect and synthesize the available data/tools; create …

Optimized Robust Adaptive Networks In Supervisory Control And Data Acquisition Systems, Luis A. Oquendo Class

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis investigates the application of a Exponential Weighted Moving Average (EWMA) to be used as a memory buffer in conjunction with Special Protection Schemes (SPS) using the Electric Power and Communication Synchronizing Simulator (EPOCHS). It is proposed that using an SPS incorporating EWMA can compensate for the network layer lack of guarantee of packet delivery and provide for the stability and integrity of the power grid under a catastrophic event. The performance of the proposed SPS is evaluated using a discrete event computer simulation developed using the NS2 network simulator and the Power System Simulator for Engineering (PSS/E) power …

Stochastic Estimation And Control Of Queues Within A Computer Network, Mingook Kim

Theses and Dissertations

Captain Nathan C. Stuckey implemented the idea of the stochastic estimation and control for network in OPNET simulator. He used extended Kalman filter to estimate packet size and packet arrival rate of network queue to regulate queue size. To validate stochastic theory, network estimator and controller is designed by OPNET model. These models validated the transient queue behavior in OPNET and work of Kalman filter by predicting the queue size and arrival rate. However, it was not enough to verify a theory by experiment. So, it needed to validate the stochastic control theory with other tools to get high validity. …

A Feasibility Study Of A Persistent Monitoring System For The Flight Deck Of U.S. Navy Aircraft Carriers, Jeffrey S. Johnston

Theses and Dissertations

This research analyzes the use of modern Real Time Locating Systems (RTLS), such as the Global Positioning System (GPS), to improve the safety of aircraft, equipment, and personnel onboard a United States Navy (USN) aircraft carrier. The results of a detailed analysis of USN safety records since 1980 show that mishaps which could potentially be prevented by a persistent monitoring system result in the death of a sailor nearly every other year and account for at least $92,486,469, or 5.55% of the total cost of all flight deck and hangar bay related mishaps. A system to continually monitor flight deck …

Average Time Extraction Circuit For Eliminating Clock Screw, Vladimir I. Prodanov, Mihai Banu

Electrical Engineering

The method involves detecting a first signal characterized by a periodically occurring first event, detecting a second signal characterized by a periodically occurring second event, and based on both the detected first and second signals, generating a third signal characterized by a periodically occurring third event. The method also involves automatically adjusting the phase of the third signal so that the periodically occurring third event occurs at a predetermined location between the first and second events of the first and second signals.

Uncertainty Propagation In Geotechnical Earthquake Engineering, Robb E.S. Moss

Civil and Environmental Engineering

This paper describes recent advances in evaluating, quantifying, and propagating various forms of uncertainty in geotechnical earthquake engineering problems. Important developments in the fields of liquefaction engineering, dynamic slope stability, engineering seismology, and lifeline engineering are discussed. The benefits gained through proper treatment of uncertainty include; a well defined measure of the most likely engineering results, a well defined estimate of extreme results, a probability of likelihood ascribed to different realizations, and a mathematical format that lends to performance-based engineering assessment. This paper is by no means comprehensive but highlights some recent studies that contribute to improved probabilistic methodology in …

Cubesats, Any Applications?, Robert J. Twiggs

Robert "Bob" Twiggs STEM Education Collection

A PowerPoint presentation created by Professor Bob Twiggs titled "CubeSats, Any Applications?" from March 3, 2009.

Poster Session, Kentucky Water Resources Research Institute, University Of Kentucky

Kentucky Water Resources Annual Symposium

• Kentucky Agriculture Water Quality Act Web Tool, Amanda Gumbert, UK Cooperative Extension Service
• Cane Run Watershed Council – An Adventure in Watershed Involvement, Amanda Gumbert, UK Cooperative Extension Service
• Preliminary Comparison of Nutrient and Total Suspended Sediment Data on Water Samples Collected using Teledyne Portable Autosampler and EPA Field Methods for Wadeable Streams, Susan Brown, April Haight and others, Institute for Regional Analysis and Public Policy, Morehead State University
• Groundwater Protection Plans, Patricia Keefe, Kentucky Division of Water
• Use of Geophysical Techniques to Locate a Karst Conduit in the Cane Run – Royal Spring Basin, Kentucky …

Session 2d, Kentucky Water Resources Research Institute, University Of Kentucky

Kentucky Water Resources Annual Symposium

• The Warren County Blueways Initiative, Steve Spencer, Kevin Cary, and Tammy Stenger-Ramsey, Western Kentucky University
• The Big Sandy “Big Dip”: Effectiveness of a Community-Oriented and Geographically Intensive Approach to Assessing Small Headwater Stream Health, Reagan Weaver and Alice Jones, Environmental Research Institute, EKU
• Sanitation District Management of Replaced/Repaired Individual and Clustered Wastewater Treatment Systems in Olympia, Kentucky, Celia Barker, Bath County Health Dept, Jeffrey Brittingham and Barry Tonning, Tetra Tech
• Assessment of Combined Sewer Overflows, Elizabeth Coyle, Kentucky Water Resources Research Institute, UK

Session 2c, Kentucky Water Resources Research Institute, University Of Kentucky

Kentucky Water Resources Annual Symposium

• Western Kentucky Deep Saline Reservoir CO₂ Storage Test, David Williams and J. Richard Bowersox, Kentucky Geological Survey, UK
• Western Kentucky Deep Saline Reservoir CO₂ Storage Test: Preliminary Environmental Assessments and Monitoring, E. Glynn Beck, Thomas Parris, and David Williams, Kentucky Geological Survey, UK
• Arsenite Oxidation by a Chemostat Culture of Thiomonas Arsenivorans Strain B6, Aniruddha Dastidar and Yi-Tin Wang, Dept Civil Engineering, UK
• Biological Control of Manganese in Water Supplies – A New Mn(II)-Oxidizing Bacteria Isolate, Michael Snyder and Y.T. Wang, Dept Civil Engineering, UK

Session 2b, Kentucky Water Resources Research Institute, University Of Kentucky

Kentucky Water Resources Annual Symposium

• Watershed Based Planning in the Upper East Fork of Clarks River, Maggie Morgan, Four Rivers Basin Team, Paul Maron, Strand Associates, Inc
• Kentucky Institute for Watershed Management Support, Alanna Storey, Jana Fattic, and Andrew Ernest, Center for Water Resource Studies, WKU
• Overview of TMDL Development for Panther Creek and Long Falls Watersheds in Daviess and McLean Counties, Kentucky, Josh Brewer, Center for Water Resource Studies, WKU
• Nitrogen Isotopes to Study the Variability of Sediment Transported from a Lowland Watershed in the Bluegrass, Jimmy Fox and others, Dept Civil Engineering, UK

Session 2a, Kentucky Water Resources Research Institute, University Of Kentucky

Kentucky Water Resources Annual Symposium

• Results of a Kentucky Stormwater Survey in MS4 Phase II Regions, Yvonne Meichtry and Julie Gee, Kentucky Transportation Cabinet
• The Bluegrass Rain Garden Alliance: An Approach to Improving Stormwater Quality for MS4 Communities in Central Kentucky, Brittany Zwicker and Amy Sohner, Bluegrass Rain Garden Alliance
• Give Your Brain to Science: Resource Materials for Teachers, Dan Carey, Kentucky Geological Survey, UK
• Integrating Environmental Education in the Curriculum, Kazi Javed and others, Kentucky State University

Session 1d, Kentucky Water Resources Research Institute, University Of Kentucky

Kentucky Water Resources Annual Symposium

• Water/Wastewater Technician Training Institute: The First Year Retrospective, Christal Wade and Andrew Ernest, Center for Water Resource Studies, WKU
• Water Analysis, Training, Education and Research Services: A ‘Farmer’s Cooperative’ Model for Capacity Development, Andrew Ernest and Jana Fattic, Center for Water Resource Studies, WKU
• Utilizing a Content Management System for an Emergency Response Network for Water and Wastewater Districts, Karla Andrew, Center for Water Resource Studies, WKU
• Water Resource Management Capacity Development: A Small Systems Technology Transfer Model, Andrew Ernest, Center for Water Resource Studies, WKU

Session 1c, Kentucky Water Resources Research Institute, University Of Kentucky

Kentucky Water Resources Annual Symposium

• Suspended Sediment in the Dry Creek Watershed, Rowan County, Kentucky, Samuel Williams, Steven Reid, and Christine McMichael, Morehead State University
• Influence of Eastern Hemlock (Tsuga canadensis) on the Aquatic Biodiversity in Eastern Kentucky, Aric Payne and Sherry Harrel, Dept Biological Sciences, EKU
• Identification of Human and Animal Fecal Sources in Central Kentucky Watersheds by PCR of 16sDNA Markers from Host-Specific Fecal Anaerobes, Tricia Coakley and others, Environmental Research Training Laboratories (ERTL), UK
• Investigation of Land-Use Change and Hydrologic Forcing upon Streambank Erosion and In-Stream Sediment Processes Using a Watershed Model and Sediment Tracers, Joseph Russo and …

Session 1b, Kentucky Water Resources Research Institute, University Of Kentucky

Kentucky Water Resources Annual Symposium

• Kohonen Self Organizing Map for Analyzing Rainfall and Inflow Patterns with Indiana Reservoir Sites, Chandra Viswanathan and Nimisha Gupta, Dept Civil Engineering, Purdue University Calumet, Hammond, IN
• Watershed Clustering Based on Geomorphic and Human Induced Landscape Modifications: A Central Kentucky Example, Brian Lee, Angela Schörgendorfer, and Collin Linebach, College of Agriculture, UK
• “True Relief”? Asynchronous Topographic Change Detection and Concomitant Land Cover and Hydrologic Implications, Demetrio Zourarakis, Kentucky Division of Geographic Information
• Cumulative Impacts Assessments for 404 Mining Permits, A Watershed Approach, J. Steven Gardner, Engineering Consulting Services, Inc., Lexington, KY

Session 1a, Kentucky Water Resources Research Institute, University Of Kentucky

Kentucky Water Resources Annual Symposium

• Integrated Surface and Groundwater Quality Assessments in Karst Regions of Kentucky, Robert Blair and Peter Goodmann, Kentucky Division of Water
• The Karst Potential Index for Kentucky, Progress Report, James Currens, Randall Paylor, and Matthew Crawford, Kentucky Geological Survey, UK
• DNA Analysis of Fecal Bacteria to Trace Transport of Agricultural Pathogens at Crump’s Cave, KY, Rick Fowler, WATERS Laboratory, WKU
• Process Water Management (PWM) for Achieving Water Conservation Management (WCM), Cam Metcalf and Tom Wright, Kentucky Pollution Prevention Center, U of L Shelby Campus

Proceedings Of 2009 Kentucky Water Resources Annual Symposium, Kentucky Water Resources Research Institute, University Of Kentucky

Kentucky Water Resources Annual Symposium

This conference was planned and conducted as part of the state water resources research annual program with the support and collaboration of the Department of the Interior, U.S. Geological Survey and the University of Kentucky Research Foundation, under Grant Agreement Number 06HQGR0087.

The views and conclusions contained in this document and presented at the symposium are those of the abstract authors and presenters and should not be interpreted as necessarily representing the official policies, either expressed or implied, of the U.S. Government or other symposium organizers and sponsors.

A Neutral Network Based Vehicle Classification System For Pervasive Smart Road Security, Naixue Xiong, Jing (Selena) He, Jong Hyuk Park, Donald Cooley

Faculty Articles

Pervasive smart computing environments make people get accustomed to convenient and secure services. The overall goal of this research is to classify vehicles along the I215 freeway in Salt Lake City, USA. This information will be used to predict future roadway needs and the expected life of a roadway. The classification of vehicles will be performed by a synthesis of multiple sets of features. All feature sets have not yet been determined; however, one such set will be the reduced wavelet transform of the image of a vehicle. In order to use such a feature, it is necessary that the …

Real-Time Wind Estimation And Video Compression Onboard Miniature Aerial Vehicles, Andres Felipe Rodriguez Perez

Theses and Dissertations

Autonomous miniature air vehicles (MAVs) are becoming increasingly popular platforms for the collection of data about an area of interest for military and commercial applications. Two challenges that often present themselves in the process of collecting this data. First, winds can be a significant percentage of the MAV's airspeed and can affect the analysis of collected data if ignored. Second, the majority of MAV's video is transmitted using RF analog transmitters instead of the more desirable digital video due to the computational intensive compression requirements of digital video. This two-part thesis addresses these two challenges. First, this thesis presents an …

Section Properties For Cellular Decks Subjected To Negative Bending, American Iron And Steel Institute

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

No abstract provided.

Direct Strength Design Of Cold-Formed Steel Members With Perforations, American Iron And Steel Institute

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

No abstract provided.

Sharing And Fusing Landmark Information In A Team Of Autonomous Robots, Damian M. Lyons

Faculty Publications

A team of robots working to explore and map a space may need to share information about landmarks so as register local maps and to plan effective exploration strategies. In this paper we investigate the use of spatial histograms (spatiograms) as a common representation for exchanging landmark information between robots. Each robot can use sonar, stereo, laser and image information to identify potential landmarks. The sonar, laser and stereo information provide the spatial dimension of the spatiogram in a landmark-centered coordinate frame while video provides the image information. We call the result a terrain spatiogram. This representation can be shared …

Choose Wisely: Static Or Kinetic Friction—The Power Of Dimensionless Plots, Daniel O. Ludwigsen, Kathryn A. Svinarich

Physics Publications

Consider a problem of sliding blocks, one stacked atop the other, resting on a friction-less table. If the bottom block is pulled horizontally, nature makes a choice: if the applied force is small, static friction between the blocks accelerates the blocks together, but with a large force the blocks slide apart. In that case, kinetic friction still forces the upper block forward but with less acceleration than the lower block. The choice, then, lies in the relative terms—what is meant by small and large? After a confusing experience during a recent exam, we’ve found a demonstration and graphical presentation that …

Empirical Formulas For Economic Fluctuations: Towards A New Justification, Tanja Magoc, Vladik Kreinovich

Departmental Technical Reports (CS)

To avoid crisis developments, it is important to make financial decisions based on the models which correct predict the probabilities of large-scale economic fluctuations. At present, however, most financial decisions are based on Gaussian random-walk models, models which are known to underestimate the probability of such fluctuations. There exist better empirical models for describing these probabilities, but economists are reluctant to use them since these empirical models lack convincing theoretical explanations. To enhance financial stability and avoid crisis situations, it is therefore important to provide theoretical justification for these (more) accurate empirical models. Such a justification is provided in this …

Guesstimation: A New Justification Of The Geometric Mean Heuristic, Olga Kosheleva, Vladik Kreinovich

Departmental Technical Reports (CS)

In many practical situations in which the only information we have about the quantity x is that its value is within an interval [x,X], a reasonable estimate for this quantity is the geometric mean of the bounds, i.e., the square root of the product x*X. In this paper, we provide a new justification for this geometric mean heuristic.

Stochastic Volatility Models And Financial Risk Measures: Towards New Justifications, Hung T. Nguyen, Vladik Kreinovich, Songsak Sriboonchitta

Departmental Technical Reports (CS)

We provide theoretical justifications for the empirical successes of (1) the asymmetric heteroskedasticity models of stochastic volatility in mathematical finance and (2) Wang's distorted probability risk measures in actuarial and investment sciences, using a unified framework of symmetry groups.

The Importance Of Being Neural-Symbolic - A Wilde Position, Pascal Hitzler, Kai-Uwe Kuhnberger

Computer Science and Engineering Faculty Publications

We argue that Neural-Symbolic Integration is a topic of central importance for the advancement of Artificial General Intelligence.

Mobility Handling In Mac For Wireless Ad Hoc Networks, Anjali Raja, Xiao Su

Faculty Publications

Wireless Sensor Networks (WSNs) are becoming popular in a wide variety of applications. In a WSN, sensor nodes can be static or mobile, depending on applications. Handling mobility in a sensor network can pose interesting challenges in sensor protocol design, and special algorithms are needed to adapt to mobility in the network. In this paper, we survey the current state of art in handling mobility in sensor networks. We first study how mobility affects the design of different layers in the sensor network architecture, and then take a closer look at mobility handling in the MAC layer. We also describe …