Engineering Commons^™

The Design And Validation Of A Novel Computational Simulation Of The Leg For The Investigation Of Injury, Disease, And Surgical Treatment, Joseph Iaquinto

Theses and Dissertations

Computational modeling of joints and their function, a developing field, is becoming a significant health and wellness tool of our modern age. Due to familiarity of prior research focused on the lower extremity, a foot and ankle 3D computational model was created to explore the potential for these computational methods. The method of isolating CT scanned tissue and rendering a patient specific anatomy in the digital domain was accomplished by the use of MIMICS™ , SolidWorks™, and COSMOSMotion™ – all available in the commercial domain. The kinematics of the joints are driven solely by anatomically modeled soft tissue applied to …

Structural Damage Detection Robust Against Time Synchronization Errors, Guirong Yan, Shirley J. Dyke

Civil, Architectural and Environmental Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Structural Damage Detection based on Wireless Sensor Networks Can Be Affected Significantly by Time Synchronization Errors among Sensors. Precise Time Synchronization of Sensor Nodes Has Been Viewed as Crucial for Addressing This Issue. However, Precise Time Synchronization over a Long Period of Time is Often Impractical in Large Wireless Sensor Networks Due to Two Inherent Challenges. First, Time Synchronization Needs to Be Performed Periodically, Requiring Frequent Wireless Communication among Sensors at Significant Energy Cost. Second, Significant Time Synchronization Errors May Result from Node Failures Which Are Likely to Occur during Long-Term Deployment over Civil Infrastructures. in This Paper, a Damage …

Sensitivity Analysis Of B-Factor In Microwave Emission Model For Soil Moisture Retrieval: A Case Study For Smap Mission, Dugwon Seo, Tarendra Lakhankar, Reza Khanbilvardi

Publications and Research

Sensitivity analysis is critically needed to better understand the microwave emission model for soil moisture retrieval using passive microwave remote sensing data. The vegetation b-factor along with vegetation water content and surface characteristics has significant impact in model prediction. This study evaluates the sensitivity of the b-factor, which is function of vegetation type. The analysis is carried out using Passive and Active L and S-band airborne sensor (PALS) and measured field soil moisture from Southern Great Plains experiment (SGP99). The results show that the relative sensitivity of the b-factor is 86% in wet soil condition and 88% in high vegetated …

East Bay Energy Consortium Meeting Agenda, May 3, 2010, East Bay Energy Consortium

East Bay Energy Consortium Meeting Agenda

No abstract provided.

Increased Performance Of Fpga- Based Color Classification System, Junguk Cho, Bridget Benson, Sunsern Cheamanukul, Ryan Kastner

Electrical Engineering

This paper presents a hardware architecture for increased performance of color classification. In our architecture, color classification, based on an AdaBoost algorithm, identifies a pixel as having the color of interest or not. We designed the proposed architecture using Verilog HDL and implemented the design in a Xilinx Virtex-5 FPGA. The architecture for color classification can have 598 times performance improvement over an equivalent software solution and 1.9 times performance improvement over the leading hardware color classifier.

Computation Intelligence Method To Find Generic Non-Coding Rna Search Models, Jennifer A. Smith

Electrical and Computer Engineering Faculty Publications and Presentations

Fairly effective methods exist for finding new noncoding RNA genes using search models based on known families of ncRNA genes (for example covariance models). However, these models only find new members of the existing families and are not useful in finding potential members of novel ncRNA families. Other problems with family-specific search include large processing requirements, ambiguity in defining which sequences form a family and lack of sufficient numbers of known sequences to properly estimate model parameters. An ncRNA search model is proposed which includes a collection of non-overlapping RNA hairpin structure covariance models. The hairpin models are chosen from …

Developing A Baccalaureate Digital Forensics Major, John H. Riley

Annual ADFSL Conference on Digital Forensics, Security and Law

As colleges and universities consider instituting a bachelor’s degree in digital forensics or computer forensics, there are numerous questions to be addressed. While some of these normally occur in the development of any new major, there are aspects of digital forensics which do not often (if ever) occur in other majors. We discuss the issues that should be resolved in the development of a baccalaureate degree program in digital forensics.

Keywords: Digital forensics major. Computer forensics major.

Delamination Of Sandwich Composites, Richard Anthony Davis

Aerospace Engineering

The use of shear keys to help stop or inhibit the face-sheet core delamination of sandwich composite beams under monotonic loading was analyzed in Cal Poly’s structural design lab. The composite beams were treated with the same boundary conditions as the ASTM D5528 double cantilever beam bending in which both faces of the beam remain free; one of the faces would have a debonded side and the other would not. An aluminum tab is attached to the top of the specimens and the load is applied there. Each specimen has piezoelectric sensors that are utilized in the detection of delamination …

Acuta Enews May 2010, Vol 39, No. 5

ACUTA Newsletters

ln This lssue

Report from Annual Conference in San Antonio

From ACUTA Headquarters: Expanded ACUTA Benefits Jeri A. Semer, CAE, Executive Dir.

Hurricane Preparedness Checklist

Tech Talk: A Different Way of Measuring Value of Unified Communications....... Kevin Tonzillo, Dux PR

See the Conference on Your Desktop

DC Update ................Dove Ostrom, Washington State Univ. (retired)

ACUTA Alert: Write Your Senators to Urge Passage of IRS/Cell Phone Legislation

Dues lnvoices Mailed May 1

Washington Update Newsletter

lnfo Links ............ Randy Hayes, Univ. of Northern lowa

Another Great Conference, More Terrific Prizes!

Board Report ......... George Denbow, Univ. of Texas, Austin

New Members …

Detection And Filtering Of Landmark Occlusions Using Terrain Spatiograms, Damian M. Lyons

Faculty Publications

A team of robots cooperating to quickly produce a map needs to share landmark information between members so that the local maps can be accurately merged. However, the appearance of landmarks as seen by members of the team can change dramatically due to the phenomenon of occlusion.

We have previously presented an approach to landmark representation using Terrain Spatiograms – an extension to image spatiograms in which the spatial information relates to the scene rather than the image. Because this representation preserves depth structure, it is possible to identify and filter potential occlusions.

We present an approach to identifying and …

A Visual Imagination Approach To Cognitive Robotics, Damian M. Lyons, Sirhan Chaudhry, D. Paul Benjamin

Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

How To Relate Fuzzy And Owa Estimates, Tanja Magoc, Vladik Kreinovich

Departmental Technical Reports (CS)

In many practical situations, we have several estimates x1, ..., xn of the same quantity x, i.e., estimates for which x1 ~ x, x2 ~ x, ..., and xn ~ x. It is desirable to combine (fuse) these estimates into a single estimate for x. From the fuzzy viewpoint, a natural way to combine these estimates is: (1) to describe, for each x and for each i, the degree mu(xi - x) to which x is close to xi, (2) to use a t-norm ("and"-operation) to combine these degrees into a degree to which x is consistent with all n …

Efficient Algorithms For Heavy-Tail Analysis Under Interval Uncertainty, Vladik Kreinovich, Monchaya Chiangpradit, Wararit Panichkitkosolkul

Departmental Technical Reports (CS)

Most applications of statistics to science and engineering are based on the assumption that the corresponding random variables are normally distributed, i.e., distributed according to Gaussian law in which the probability density function d(x) exponentially decreases with x: d(x) ~ exp(-k * x^2). Normal distributions indeed frequently occur in practice. However, there are also many practical situations, including situations from mathematical finance, in which we encounter heavy-tailed distributions, i.e., distributions in which d(x) decreases as d(x) ~ x^(-a). To properly take this uncertainty into account when making decisions, it is necessary to estimate the parameters of such distributions based on …

Metrization Theorem For Space-Times: From Urysohn's Problem Towards Physically Useful Constructive Mathematics, Vladik Kreinovich

Departmental Technical Reports (CS)

In the early 1920s, Pavel Urysohn proved his famous lemma (sometimes referred to as "first non-trivial result of point set topology"). Among other applications, this lemma was instrumental in proving that under reasonable conditions, every topological space can be metrized.

A few years before that, in 1919, a complex mathematical theory was experimentally proven to be extremely useful in the description of real world phenomena: namely, during a solar eclipse, General Relativity theory -- that uses pseudo-Riemann spaces to describe space-time -- has been (spectacularly) experimentally confirmed. Motivated by this success, Urysohn started working on an extension of his lemma …

Simplified Procedure For Seismic Evaluation Of Piles With Partial-Moment Connection To The Deck In Marine Oil Terminals, Rakesh K. Goel

Civil and Environmental Engineering

This paper presents development of a simplified procedure for seismic evaluation of piles with partial-moment connection typically used in marine oil terminals. The current seismic evaluation procedure of the piles in marine oil terminals includes monitoring material strains specified in the Marine Oil Terminal Engineering and Maintenance Standard (MOTEMS) during the nonlinear static pushover analysis to estimate the displacement capacity of piles. This investigation developed closed-form formulas for estimating the displacement capacity of piles by using a simple pile-deck connection system. The displacement capacity estimated from these formulas ensures that the material stain limits specified in the MOTEMS is not …

Flexural Cracks In Fiber-Reinforced Concrete Beams With Fiber-Reinforced Polymer Reinforcing Bars, Won K. Lee, Daniel C. Jansen, Kenneth B. Berlin, Ian E. Cohen

Civil and Environmental Engineering

Fiber-reinforced polymer (FRP) reinforcing bars have attracted considerable attention for applications where corrosion of steel reinforcement is problematic. Due to the generally low elastic modulus and poor bond characteristics of FRP as compared to steel reinforcing bars, the use of FRP results in larger crack widths under service loads. Fiber-reinforced concrete (FRC) is proposed for use with FRP to reduce crack widths. The work presented herein includes the results from 16 beams tested under four-point bending with either Grade 420 (Grade 60) steel or FRP reinforcing bars, and either plain concrete or FRC. A modified Gergely-Lutz model was applied to …

Validation Of A Simulation Model For A Combined Otto And Stirling Cycle Power Plant, Jim Mcgovern, Barry Cullen, Michel Feidt, Stoian Petrescu

Conference Papers

A project has been underway at the Technological University Dublin (DIT) to investigate the feasibility of a combined Otto and Stirling cycle power plant in which a Stirling cycle engine would serve as a bottoming cycle for a stationary Otto cycle engine. This type of combined cycle plant is considered to have good potential for industrial use. This paper describes work by DIT and collaborators to validate a computer simulation model of the combined cycle plant. In investigating the feasibility of the type of combined cycle that is proposed there are a range of practical realities to be faced and …

Gate 3 Grid Connection Group Processing Approach:An Analysis, John Leahy

Msc. in Energy Management

The aim of this project is to analyse the Group Processing Approach (the “GPA”) to renewable generator grid connections, and in particular the Gate 3 process which is the latest round of the GPA that is currently being implemented in the Republic of Ireland, to determine if it is the most effective approach for connecting new renewable generation. Gate 3 is the third series of the GPA for connecting renewable generation to the Irish Electricity grid where applications are processed in groups or batches. The size of the Gate 3 has bee capped at 3,900MW with applicants being selected based …

An Investigation Into The Retrofitting Of Air Source Heat Pumps Into Fabric Improved, Detached, Oil Centrally Heated Dwellings In Rural Ireland, Ciara Ahern

Other resources

In Ireland the predominant house type is detached housing which constitutes 43 % of entire stock. 72% of the detached housing stock is rurally located and 68% is heated by fuel oil. 82% of houses in Ireland have a radiator heating system. Detached housing, due to larger size and high surface area to volume ratio, has a greater heat loss per m² than all other house types of the same construction period. It follows that, if a heat pump can be successfully deployed in a house of this type it can be successfully deployed in almost all other house …

Teaching Sustainability Analysis In Electrical Engineering Lab Courses, David Braun

Electrical Engineering

Laboratory courses represent an incompletely tapped opportunity to teach sustainability concepts. This work introduces and evaluates a simple strategy used to teach sustainability concepts in electrical engineering laboratory courses. The technique would readily adapt to other disciplines. The paper presents assessment data and a wiki containing student sustainability analyses.

Implications Of Climate-Driven Variability And Trends For The Hydrologic Assessment Of The Reynolds Creek Experimental Watershed, Idaho, V. Sridhar, Anurag Nayak

Civil Engineering Faculty Publications and Presentations

The Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) model was used to assess the implications of long-term climate trends for the hydroclimatology of the Reynolds Creek Experimental Watershed (RCEW) in the Owyhee Mountains, Idaho of the Intermountain West over a 40- year period (1967-2006). Calibration and validation of the macroscale hydrology model in this highly monitored watershed is key to address the watershed processes that are vulnerable to both natural climate variability and climate change and . The model was calibrated using the streamflow data collected between 1997 and 2006 from the three nested weirs, the Reynolds Mountain East (RME) , …

A Novel Telescopic Boom Deployment System For Use In Upper Atmosphere Research, Mark Wylie, Paul Duffy, Dinesh Vather, Johnalan Keegan, Stephen Curran

Conference Papers

Typical measurement probe deployment systems on sounding rockets employ hinged booms which extend the probes away from the rocket. This configuration often has a significant mass and may require a considerable amount of the rocket’s valuable payload volume. In an effort to reduce both mass and volume, the DIT Space Research Group have designed a light weight carbon fibre telescopic boom system, compatible with measurement probes commonly used in upper atmosphere research. Our design has been selected to be tested on a suborbital space flight onboard the REXUS 9 sounding rocket in March 2011. The purpose of this test is …

Acceleration Of Spiking Neural Networks On Single-Gpu And Multi-Gpu Systems, Venkittaraman Vivek Pallipuram Krishnamani

All Theses

There has been a strong interest in modeling a mammalian brain in order to study the architectural and functional principles of the brain and offer tools to neuroscientists and medical researchers for related studies. Artificial Neural Networks (ANNs) are compute models that try to simulate the structure and/or the functional behavior of neurons and process information using the connectionist approach to computation. Hence, the ANNs are the viable options for such studies.
Of many classes of ANNs, Spiking Neuron Network models (SNNs) have been employed to simulate mammalian brain, capturing its functionality and inference capabilities. In this class of neuron …

The Effects Of Temperature And Humidity On Cushioning Properties Of Expanded Polylactic Acid Foam, Jason Szymanski

All Theses

This research studied expanded polylactic acid cushioning foam and the effect the conditioning environment had on its shock absorbing properties. Polylactic acid, as a polymer, has been available since the 1960s. Only recently has the polymer been adapted to allow expanded foaming. This material's significance to industry lies in its sustainability. With global awareness at all-time highs, the push for sustainable materials is rising. The adaptation of PLA to EPLA is a result of that push. This research represents the first of its kind, by characterizing EPLA for cushioning and also to study the effects temperature and humidity on the …

Turbine House: A Net-Zero Energy House, Karen E. Hernandez

Renée Crown University Honors Thesis Projects - All

Current use of fossil fuels has raised adverse problems in today’s society. The biggest one of them is the climate change caused by emissions of greenhouse gases. For this reason, renewable energies, or energy flows which are replenished at the same rate as they are used, are needed to reduce carbon emissions in the range of 60-80% by the end of the twenty-first century. [1] Energy used in houses nationwide contributes to 16% of generated greenhouse gas emissions. [3] This large percentage of greenhouse emissions could be reduced by designing and developing energy efficient houses, or net-zero energy houses, such …

Extending Maximum Entropy Techniques To Entropy Constraints, Gang Xiang, Vladik Kreinovich

Departmental Technical Reports (CS)

In many practical situations, we have only partial information about the probabilities. In some cases, we have {\em crisp} (interval) bounds on the probabilities and/or on the related statistical characteristics. In other situations, we have {\em fuzzy} bounds, i.e., different interval bounds with different degrees of certainty.

In a situation with uncertainty, we do not know the exact value of the desired characteristic. In such situations, it is desirable to find its worst possible value, its best possible value, and its "typical" value -- corresponding to the "most probable" probability distribution. Usually, as such a "typical" distribution, we select the …

Rapid Diagnosis Of Tuberculosis In A Peripheral Setting, Elsje Pienaar

Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Tuberculosis is an ancient and worldwide epidemic affecting millions of people in mainly the developing world, killing almost 2 million people in 2008. Current diagnostic techniques are outdated and have proven insufficient to control the disease. Smear microscopy has poor sensitivity and culture is slow to yield results. Modern diagnostic techniques are making great strides in shortening time to result but are restricted by two qualities: 1) prohibitively high costs prevent implementation in resource poor areas, and 2) equipment and technician requirements limit application to centralized laboratories. There exists a divide between new technologies and the people that need them …

Liquid-Liquid Equilibrium For Iodine-Hydroiodic Acid-Water Mixtures At Elevated Temperatures And Pressures For The Sulfur-Iodine Cycle, Sarah Mena

All Theses

An alternative scenario to the overdependence on fossil fuels is the use of thermochemical cycles to split water into hydrogen and oxygen. The Sulfur-Iodine (SI) cycle, developed at General Atomics in the mid 1970s, is a leading candidate of international interest for the centralized production of hydrogen from nuclear and/or solar power. For a comprehensive assessment of the SI cycle, thermodynamic data for I2-HI-H2O mixtures at elevated temperatures and pressures have been identified as a basic research need.

The focus of this study was liquid-liquid equilibrium (LLE) measurements for the above system. To carry out the measurements, a continuous-flow apparatus …

Sensitivity Constrained Pmu Placement Utilizing Multiple Methods, Zheng Zhao

All Theses

Phasor Measurement Unit (PMU), which is based on the GPS technique, is able to provide power engineers with immediate and precise measurements. By utilizing PMUs, the reliability and stability in power system are expected to be improved. Conventionally, an optimal PMU placement is considered to use the least number of units to make the entire system completely observable. In this thesis, it is recommended to not only optimize the number of PMUs but also install the majority of PMUs on the most sensitive buses in a power system. Thus a bus sensitivity analysis based on Decoupled Power Flow method is …

Equilibrium Studies And Kinetics Mechanism For The Removal Of Basic And Reactive Dyes In Both Single And Binary Systems Using Edta Modified Rice Husk, Siew-Teng Ong, Weng-Nam Lee, Pei-Sin Keng, Yung-Tse Hung, Sie-Tiong Ha

Civil and Environmental Engineering Faculty Publications

The potential of using ethylenediamine tetraacetic acid modified rice husk (ERH) to remove different types of dyes, namely basic and reactive dyes were studied. Sorption characteristic of ERH showed that it was pH dependent. The kinetics of sorption for both dyes was rapid within the first 60 min regardless of its initial concentration. Using the pseudo-second order kinetics model, the predicted uptakes of Methylene Blue (MB) and Reactive Orange 16 (RO16) agreed closely with experimental values obtained. Three isotherm models were used to fit with equilibrium data, namely Langmuir, Freundlich and BET models. It was found that the equilibrium fitted …