Engineering Commons^™

Systematic Functional And Object-Oriented Product Design Frameworks, Jen-Chi Wu

Doctoral Dissertations

"The existing co-design methods of mechatronic products focus on co-design of mechanical and electronic components or co-design of computer hardware and software components. There exist no effective co-design methods for mechanical, electronic and software components at the concept design stage. The research objective of this dissertation work is to develop more effective systematic product design approaches for co-design of mechatronic products. Three innovative functional and object-oriented integrated design frameworks and one virtual prototyping application, which leverages on these three design frameworks, have been developed for co-design of mechatronic products. The three frameworks are: I) Hierarchical Object-Oriented Functional Modeling Framework, 2) …

Taproot™ Technology: Tree Coring For Fast, Noninvasive Plume Delineations, Joel Gerard Burken, Sallie Bailey, Matt Shurtliff, Jeff Mcdermott

Civil, Architectural and Environmental Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

In Efforts to Evaluate the Use of Plants as a Forensic Tool for Delineating Contaminated Soil and Groundwater, a Laboratory Experiment and a Field Sampling Effort Were Undertaken. Site Assessments Are Often Costly and Inaccurate, Requiring Multiple Mobilizations to Hone in on Source Areas and Getting Accurate Estimates of Contaminant Extent and Distribution. as These Extensive Site Delineations Take Place, Valuable Time and Resources Are Lost. the Findings of This Study Show that Plants Can Be Used as a Tool to Evaluate a Variety of Subsurface Contaminants, Either in the Vadose Zone or in the Saturated Zone. in the First …

A Computational Study On Novel Carbon-Based Lithium Materials For Hydrogen Storage And The Role Of Carbon In Destabilizing Complex Metal Hydrides, Mohammed Minhaj Ghouri

Doctoral Dissertations

One of the major impediments in the way of the realization of hydrogen economy is the storage of hydrogen gas. This involves both the storage for stationary applications as well as that of storage onboard vehicles for transportation applications. For obvious reasons, the system targets for the automotive applications are more stringent. There are many approaches which are still being researched for the storage of hydrogen for vehicular applications. Among them are the high pressure storage of hydrogen gas and the storing of liquid hydrogen in super insulated cryogenic cylinders. While both of them have been demonstrated practically, the high …

Magnitude And Variability In Emissions Savings In The Corn-Ethanol Life Cycle From Feeding Co-Products To Livestock, Virgil R. Bremer, Adam Liska, Terry J. Klopfenstein, Galen E. Erickson, Haishun Yang, Daniel T. Walters, Kenneth G. Cassman

Adam Liska Papers

Conclusions

• Co-product GHG emissions credit varied by >2-fold, from 11.5 to 28.3 gCO₂e per MJ of ethanol produced

• Co-product GHG emissions credit depend on
-types of co-products produced
-proportion fed to beef cattle vs. diary or swine
-location of corn production; the CP credit is highest in regions where GHG kg^-1grain are highest

• Depending on CP production types and feeding livestock classes, corn-ethanol net life cycle GHG intensity is 44-56 gCO₂e per MJ

• Midwest corn-ethanol reduces GHG emissions compared to gasoline by 47% on average, with co-products offsetting 23% of …

Differential Regulation Of Vitamin D Receptor (Vdr) By P53, P63 And P73, Ramakrishna Kommagani

Browse all Theses and Dissertations

The tumor suppressor p53 is the single most altered gene in human cancers. p53 homologues, p63 and p73 play a major role in development and in human cancer. Both p63and p73-null mice exhibit profound developmental abnormalities, suggesting a vital role for p63 and p73 in development. Although the role of p73 in human cancers is well established, the role of p63 still remains to be understood. While p63 plays a major role in development, p73 plays a major role in tumor suppression as well as in development. Although a functional co-operation is evident between each member of p53 family, additional …

Determining The Effect Of Speaker's Gender And Speech Synthesis On Callsign Acquisition Test (Cat) Results, Jasminkumar B. Soni

Browse all Theses and Dissertations

Effective and efficient speech communication is one of the leading factors for success of battlefield operation. With the increases in the levels of gender diversity in military services, it is important to assess the effectiveness of voice for both genders in communication systems. The purpose of this research study was to determine the effect of the speaker's voice (male and female) on the speech intelligibility (SI) performance of the Callsign Acquisition Test (CAT). In addition, the effects of synthesized speech were evaluated. The CAT test is a new SI test that has been developed for military use. A group of …

Low-Default Portfolio/One-Class Classification: A Literature Review, Kenneth Kennedy, Brian Mac Namee, Sarah Jane Delany

Reports

Consider a bank which wishes to decide whether a credit applicant will obtain credit or not. The bank has to assess if the applicant will be able to redeem the credit. This is done by estimating the probability that the applicant will default prior to the maturity of the credit. To estimate this probability of default it is first necessary to identify criteria which separate the "good" from the "bad" creditors, such as loan amount and age or factors concerning the income of the applicant. The question then arises of how a bank identifies a sufficient number of selective criteria …

Holiday Shores Stormwater Retrofitting Project, Stormwater Academy

BMP Trains Research and Publications

No abstract provided.

Presence-Dependent Performance Differences Between Virtual Simulations And Miniature Worlds, Andre Huthmann

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of simulation is to avoid reality-based constraints by the implemen-tation of a synthetic model. Based on this advantage, interactive simulations have conquered all areas of applications from acquisition, and training, to research. Simulation results are transferred in many ways into reality and conclusions are drawn from the simulation to the application. Many anecdotal observations on human-in-the-loop simulations have shown a significant difference in actor behavior between simulations and reality-based applications. It seems that the factors that makes simulation so attractive, namely the absence of constraints and especially of imminent danger for persons and equipment, influence the behavior and …

Numerical Study Of Encapsulated Phase Change Material (Epcm) Slurry Flow In Microchannels, Sarada Kuravi

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Heat transfer and flow characteristics of phase change material slurry flow in microchannels with constant heat flux at the base were investigated. The phase change process was included in the energy equation using the effective specific heat method. A parametric study was conducted numerically by varying the base fluid type, particle concentration, particle size, channel dimensions, inlet temperature, base heat flux and melting range of PCM. The particle distribution inside the microchannels was simulated using the diffusive flux model and its effect on the overall thermal performance of microchannels was investigated. Experimental investigation was conducted in microchannels of 101 [micro]m …

Falconet: Force-Feedback Approach For Learning From Coaching And Observation Using Natural And Experiential Training, Gary Stein

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Building an intelligent agent model from scratch is a difficult task. Thus, it would be preferable to have an automated process perform this task. There have been many manual and automatic techniques, however, each of these has various issues with obtaining, organizing, or making use of the data. Additionally, it can be difficult to get perfect data or, once the data is obtained, impractical to get a human subject to explain why some action was performed. Because of these problems, machine learning from observation emerged to produce agent models based on observational data. Learning from observation uses unobtrusive and purely …

Phase-Field Simulation Of Microstructural Development Induced By Interdiffusion Fluxes Under Multiple Gradients, Rashmi Mohanty

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The diffuse-interface phase-field model is a powerful method to simulate and predict mesoscale microstructure evolution in materials using fundamental properties of thermodynamics and kinetics. The objective of this dissertation is to develop phase-field model for simulation and prediction of interdiffusion behavior and evolution of microstructure in multiphase binary and ternary systems under composition and/or temperature gradients. Simulations were carried out with emphasis on multicomponent diffusional interactions in single-phase system, and microstructure evolution in multiphase systems using thermodynamics and kinetics of real systems such as Ni-Al and Ni-Cr-Al. In addition, selected experimental studies were carried out to examine interdiffusion and microstructure …

Estuarine Influence On Tidally Driven Circulation In The South Atlantic Bight, Peter Bacopoulos

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

A high-resolution, finite element-based, shallow water equation model is developed to simulate the tides in the South Atlantic Bight. The model is constructed to include all of the estuarine features along the southeastern United States seaboard: coastal inlets, rivers and tidal creeks, sounds and lagoons, intertidal zones including salt marshes and mangrove swamps, and the Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway. The estuaries are represented in the finite element mesh using triangular elements with side lengths on the order of tens of meters. Also incorporated into the model is a spatially distributed bottom friction parameterization, based on the various landcover and benthic characteristics …

Flexural Mechanical Durability Of Concrete Beams Strengthened By Externally Bonded Carbon Fiber Reinforced Polymer Sheets, Michael Olka

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

About 77,600 bridges throughout the United States in the Federal Highway Association (FHWA) bridge database are listed as structurally deficient. This has created a need to either replace or strengthen bridges quickly and efficiently. Due to high costs for total replacement of deficient bridges, strengthening of existing bridges is a more economical alternative. A technique that has been developing over the past two decades is the strengthening of bridges using carbon fiber reinforced polymer (CFRP) sheets. The CFRP sheets are attached to the bottom of the bridge girders using structural adhesives so that the CFRP becomes an integral part of …

On The Nature Of The Flow In A Separated Annular Diffuser, Jason Dunn

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The combustor-diffuser system remains one of the most studied sections of the turbomachine. Most of these investigations are due to the fact that quite a bit of flow diffusion is required in this section as the high speed flow exits the compressor and must be slowed down to enter the combustor. Like any diffusion process there is the chance for the development of an unfavorable adverse pressure gradient that can lead to flow separation; a cause of drastic losses within a turbine. There are two diffusion processes in the combustor-diffuser system: The flow first exits the compressor into a pre-diffuser, …

Multifunctional Nanocomposites For High Damping Performance, Lee Algozzini

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Composite structures for aerospace and wind turbine applications are subjected to high acoustic and vibrational loading and exhibit very high amplitude displacements and thus premature failure. Materials with high damping or absorbing properties are crucially important to extend the life of structures. Traditional damping treatments are based on the combinations of viscoelastic, elastomeric, magnetic, and piezoelectric materials. In this work, the use of carbon nanofibers (CNFs) in the form of interconnected self-supportive paper as reinforcement can significantly improve damping performance. The interfacial friction is the primary source of energy dissipation in CNF paper based nanocomposites. The approach entailed making CNF …

Sensitivity Analysis Framework For Large And Complex Simulation Models, Ghaith Rabadi, Shannon Bowling, Charles Keating, Resit Unal

Engineering Management & Systems Engineering Faculty Publications

In this paper, a framework for conducting Sensitivity Analysis (SA) on large and complex simulation models is introduced. The framework consists of components that are designed to make the SA a systematic process that is easy to manage and follow by simulation analysts and practitioners. Unlike local SA (one-variable-at-a-time SA), the method presented here is variance-based and it is rooted in the field of Design of Experiments (DoE) where Input Variables are varied and Output Variables are measured. Based on the DoE results, a risk scoring system is developed to identify the sensitivity of the Input Variables, and as a …

Non-Linear Finite Element Dynamic Analysis Of The Effect Of Compaction On Underground Conduits, Anupong Kararam

Civil Engineering Dissertations - Archive

Construction loads are an important but often overlooked factor in underground pipe design and installation. Common compaction equipments used in pipeline construction can be a major contributor to pipe damage. To reduce load concentrations in excess of the design loads, construction equipment should be kept at a safe distance above the pipe location.This study investigates the behavior of a reinforced concrete pipeline system under a compaction process. The full-scale experimental test was conducted using a Type-2 standard trench installations soil and minimum compaction requirement. Using a compaction machine "hoe pack" and including the weight of a backhoe, a maximum dynamic …

Kentucky Traffic Collision Facts 2009 Report, Kentucky Transportation Center, Kentucky State Police

Kentucky Transportation Center Research Report

KENTUCKY’S TRAFFIC COLLISION FACTS report for 2009 is based on collision reports submitted to the Kentucky State Police Records Branch. As required by Kentucky Revised Statutes 189.635, “every law enforcement agency whose officers investigate a vehicle accident of which a report must be made...shall file a report of the accident...within ten days after investigation of the accident upon forms supplied by the bureau.” The stated purpose of this requirement is to utilize data on traffic collisions for such purposes as will improve the traffic safety program in the Commonwealth. Data contained in this report are based solely on the observations …

Firearm Forensics Based On Ballistics Cartridge Case Image Segmentation Using Colour Invariants, Dongguang Li

Australian Security and Intelligence Conference

Ballistics firearm identification based on image processing is of paramount importance in criminal investigation. The efficiency of traditional ballistics imaging system is heavily dependent upon the expertise and experience of end-user. An intelligent ballistics imaging system is highly demanded to address this issues. The segmentation of cartridge case object from the original image is a key step to subsequent process. It is very difficult to segment cartridge case from the original image using traditional threshold based methods due to the shadows or unlimited environments to acquire image. In this paper, we proposed a novel approach based upon the colour invariant …

Structural Behaviour And Analysis Of A Steel-Concrete Balcony Bracket, Sean Carroll

Theses

For commonly used moment connections, such as the various types of beam to column endplates, a large amount of information in relation to testing data and suggested design methods exist. Engineers can use this information to safely design such connections. When developing new and unique types of connections however, usually no prior testing information is available to engineers due to the unique design. At the present time, the most effective method of designing and developing any structural element or connection is through testing. Testing and detailed analysis of the results gives factual information on the behaviour of the structure, which …

The Development Of A Prototype Robotic Platform On Which Awareness Strategies Can Be Implemented, Sean Kinsella

Theses

This thesis describes the design and development of the hardware and software for a prototype robotic platform on which awareness strategies can be developed. The mobile prototype platform designed over the course of work is capable of operating as a distributed or centralised system.

There is no singular definition of awareness for a robotic system and the development of awareness strategies is complex and requires expertise in many scientific disciplines. This paper describes the different types of awareness associated with robotic systems and the technology required to implement this awareness. A review of sensors critical to the development of awareness …

Automated Network Planning For Industrial Ethernet Networks, Holger Machens

Theses

Engineers usually use computer aided methods to ease the increasingly complex planning task of automation plants. One such computer aided method for automated planning of Industrial Ethernet networks under given network QoS requirements is presented in this thesis. The method is based on partitioning the given set of network nodes according to specified communication relationships between the nodes, thereby creating subsets of nodes which are joined using given networking algorithms. Several networking algorithms may be applicable for each subset of nodes and any complete solution is a combination of several partial solutions, one for each subset of nodes. Enumeration through …

Optimisation Of Heat Sink Design, Kevin Moore

Theses

In the field of electronics cooling and more specifically processor cooling, the ability to cool a micro-chip is becoming a major issue. Power dissipation in home and office computers has risen from 30W to over 120W in the past 10 years, forcing heat sink designers to search for new ideas in the design of their heat spreaders.

This thesis studies in detail the fundamental technical designs used for modern day processor cooling. Using Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD), various different pin/fin shapes were analysed to determine which yielded maximum heat transfer and contact area with forced air flow. Elliptical and teardrop …

A Middleware For True Mobile Agents In Wireless Sensor Networks, Ciarán Lynch

Theses

The application space of wireless sensor networks has evolved considerably from their initial role as an efficient data gathering system. Modern wireless sensor networks are expected to be dynamic, powerful. reliable and flexible, while continuing to operate efficiently and autonomously. The supporting software' systems have not kept pace with this development, and currently limits the deployment of complex and robust applications. Mobile software agents present a powerful approach to application design, however no existing middleware for wireless sensor networks supports native mobile software agents.

The main contribution of the work presented in this thesis is the development and evaluation of …

Smart Heating Systems For Green Homes, Cheryl Carmody

Theses

The focus of this research is to design an improved heating control system for a class of older energy inefficient dwelling to produce an improved living environment. Prerequisites for such control are sensors and models. Commercial sensor nodes enabled a multi-zone heating system to be considered. While the accompanying sensor node software was functional, it was not suitable for real-time control and was modified to achieve same. Once a prototype was developed and tested in the laboratory, it was deployed to a two-story residential dwelling in Cork city.

The requisite mathematical models describe the heat transfer characteristics for a particular …

Predicting Gas Mileage Using The T-Method, Parthiv Shah, Elizabeth A. Cudney, Vivek Jikar

Engineering Management and Systems Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

The T-method is a technique developed by Genichi Taguchi to calculate an overall prediction based on the signal-to-noise ratio without the use of Gram-Schmidt orthogonalization. the Taguchi methods, also known as Robust Design principles, are used for optimization through planning, conducting, and evaluating the results of experiments to determine the best levels of control factors. the primary goal of Robust Design is to minimize variance in the presence of noise factors to achieve a robust process. This paper outlines the T-method steps using a forecasting case study to calculate miles per gallon for vehicles with a univariate response to illustrate …

Fast 3-D Thermal Analysis Of Complex Interconnect Structures Using Electrical Modeling And Simulation Methodologies, Chuan Xu, Lijun Jiang, Seshadri K. Kolluri, Barry J. Rubin, Alina Deutsch, Howard Smith, Kaustav Banerjee

Electrical and Computer Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Accurate and fast estimation of VLSI interconnect thermal profiles has become critically important to estimate their impact on circuit/ system performance and reliability, which is necessary for reducing product development time and achieving first-pass silicon success. Present commercial thermal analysis tools are incapable of simulating complex structures, particularly in the 3-D domain and are also difficult to integrate with existing design tools. Existing analytical thermal models are not perfect either: they are either not accurate enough or oversimplified. This paper uses a methodology, which exploits existing electrical resistance solvers for thermal simulation, to allow fast acquisition of thermal profiles of …

Optical Intensity-Based Long-Period Fiber Grating Biosensors And Biomedical Applications, Zhiyong Wang, Hai Xiao

Electrical and Computer Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

No abstract provided.

New Techniques For Measuring Impedance Characteristics Of Three-Phase Ac Power Systems, Yakov A. Familiant, Keith Corzine

Electrical and Computer Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Naval ships as well as aerospace power systems are incorporating an increasing amount of power electronic switching sources and loads. Although these power-electronics-Based components provide exceptional performance, they are prone to instability due to their constant power characteristics that lead to negative impedance. When designing these systems, integrators must consider the impedance versus frequency at a power system interface (which designates source and load). Stability criteria have been developed in terms of source and load impedance for both dc and ac power systems, and it is often helpful to have techniques for impedance measurement. for dc power systems, the measurement …