Engineering Commons^™

Characterization Of Emissions Of Wax-Based Products During Combustion, Ben Albiston, Crystal Grasmick

College of Engineering Poster Presentations

Currently, over 40% of the global burden of disease is attributed to environmental factors; of this, 2.6% of disease is attributed to indoor pollutants. When considering that people currently spend about 85 percent of their time indoors, this is a concerning statistic. Environmental and health concerns have pushed scientists to develop new cleaner and greener burning wax-based products. E3 Fuels has developed an additive that is claimed to reduce the emissions, both particulate and gaseous, associated with the combustion of hydrocarbons in solid wax-based products. In this study, the aforementioned emissions were qualified and quantified in paraffin candles using various …

Compact Spiral Loaded Printed Monopole Antenna, Xiulong Bao, Max Ammann

Conference Papers

A novel miniaturized printed monopole structure is proposed. The antenna comprises a printed monopole strip which is loaded by a spiral located on the rearside connected by a via. The inductive loading provided by the spiral enables considerable miniaturization of antenna. A parametric study of key dimensional parameters and groundplane are discussed.

A Pattern Reconfigurable Slot Antenna With Hybrid Feed, Matthias John, Max Ammann

Conference Papers

In this paper we investigate the design and operating principle of a pattern reconfigurable multi-mode slot antenna with a hybrid feed. The slot antenna is excited by an orthogonal arrangement of a co-planar waveguide (CPW) fed circular disc and a microstrip fed square patch. The design objective is to be able to change the direction of the main lobe by feeding the two orthogonal elements with different phases.

Secret Key Establishment Using Wireless Channels As Common Randomness In Time-Variant Mimo Systems, Chan Chen

Theses and Dissertations

Encryption of confidential data with a secret key has become a widespread technique for securing wireless transmissions. However, existing key distribution methods that either deliver the secret key with a key distribution center or exchange the secret key using public-key cryptosystems are unable to establish perfect secret keys necessary for symmetric encryption techniques. This research considers secret key establishment, under the broad research area of information theoretic security, using the reciprocal wireless channel as common randomness for the extraction of perfect secret keys in multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO)communication systems. The presentation discusses the fundamental characteristics of the time-variant MIMO wireless channel …

Ceas E-News 04.06.2010, College Of Engineering And Applied Sciences

College of Engineering and Applied Sciences News

SEDP to showcase 73 engineering design projects on Tues., Apr. 20

Multidisciplinary Engineering Systems 2nd And 3rd Year College-Wide Courses, Kevin Craig, Mark L. Nagurka

Mechanical Engineering Faculty Research and Publications

Undergraduate engineering education today is ineffective in preparing students for multidisciplinary system integration and optimization - exactly what is needed by companies to become innovative and gain a competitive advantage in this global economy. While there is some movement in engineering education to change that, this change is not easy, as it involves a cultural change from the silo approach to a holistic approach. The ABET-required senior capstone multidisciplinary design course too often becomes a design-build-test exercise with the emphasis on just getting something done. Students rarely break out of their disciplinary comfort zone and thus fail to experience true …

Crosslinked Conventional Size And Nanoparticle Size Acrylic Latexes And Their Blends: Investigation Of The Effects Of Crosslinking, Particle Size And Distribution, Glass Transition Temperature And Blending On Film Formation, Properties And Morphology, Ravi Ghanshyambhai Joshi

Master's Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

Synthetic latexes have many product applications including functioning as a binder in paints and coatings. For many years, researchers in industry as well as in academe have been exploring various strategies to improve performance of acrylic latexes mainly to replace traditionally used solvent borne coatings due to increasing environmental concerns and strict governmental regulations. The main goal of the study is to investigate the effects of type (pre-coalescence or post-coalescence) and level of crosslinking, particle size (nano particle size ~ 20-25 nm vs. conventional particle size ~ 120-130 nm) and distribution, glass transition temperature (Tg), and blending on latex film …

Shape And Pose Recovery Of Novel Objects Using Three Images From A Monocular Camera In An Eye-In-Hand Configuration, Steven C. Colbert

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Knowing the shape and pose of objects of interest is critical information when planning robotic grasping and manipulation maneuvers. The ability to recover this information from objects for which the system has no prior knowledge is a valuable behavior for an autonomous or semiautonomous robot. This work develops and presents an algorithm for the shape and pose recovery of unknown objects using no a priori information. Using a monocular camera in an eye-in-hand configuration, three images of the object of interest are captured from three disparate viewing directions. Machine vision techniques are employed to process these images into silhouettes. The …

East Bay Energy Consortium Meeting Minutes, April 5, 2010, East Bay Energy Consortium

East Bay Energy Consortium Meeting Minutes

No abstract provided.

Mullin, Marsha A. (Sc 2238), Manuscripts & Folklife Archives

Manuscript Collection Finding Aids

Finding aid and scan (Click on "Additional Files" below) for Manuscripts Small Collection 2238. Historic American Engineering Record (HAER No. KY-18) for Mammoth Cave Saltpetre Works, Edmonson County, Kentucky. Marsha A. Mullin, Project Historian. Includes historical narrative, bibliography, and diagrams.

Programs With Rockets, Robert J. Twiggs

Robert "Bob" Twiggs STEM Education Collection

A PowerPoint presentation created by Professor Bob Twiggs on "Programs with Rockets" from April 5, 2010.

Signal Processing Methods For Ultra-High Resolution Scatterometry, Brent A. Williams

Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation approaches high resolution scatterometry from a new perspective. Three related general topics are addressed: high resolution σ^0 imaging, wind estimation from high resolution σ^0 images over the ocean, and high resolution wind estimation directly from the scatterometer measurements. Theories of each topic are developed, and previous approaches are generalized and formalized. Improved processing algorithms for these theories are developed, implemented for particular scatterometers, and analyzed. Specific results and contributions are noted below. The σ^0 imaging problem is approached as the inversion of a noisy aperture-filtered sampling operation-extending the current theory to deal explicitly with noise. A maximum aposteriori …

Denoising Of X-Ray Imagery With Spatially-Varying Estimates Of Noise Variance, Samuel Peter Kozaitis

Electrical Engineering and Computer Science Faculty Publications

We described a way to use a block-matching 3-D denoising algorithm to reduce noise in x-ray imagery. We first filtered an image multiple times using different estimates of the noise variance. From a simple estimate of the denoised image, we then estimated the noise variance at each pixel of the image. Using this approach, we obtained improved results when compared to using a single value of estimate for the noise variance. Even a small number of quantization levels of the estimates of the noise showed improved results.

Sdm Propagation Model For Multiple Channels Using Electromagnetic Theory And Vortex Analysis, Syed H. Murshid, Ebad Zahir, Raka Biswas, Abhijit Chakravarty

Electrical Engineering and Computer Science Faculty Publications

Spatial Domain Multiplexing (SDM) is a novel technique in optical fiber communications. Single mode fibers are used to launch Gaussian beams of the same wavelength into a multimode step index fiber at specific angles. Based on the launch angle, the channel follows a helical path. The helical trajectory is explained with the help of vortex theory. The electromagnetic wave based vortex formation and propagation is mathematically modeled for multiple channels and the results are compared against experimental and simulated data. The modeled output intensity is analyzed to show a relationship between launch angle and the electric field intensity.

Comparison Of Experimental And Mathematical Models Of Attenuation And Dispersion For Co-Propagating Helical Channels Of Same Wavelength In Optical Fibers, Syed H. Murshid, Abhijit Chakravarty

Electrical Engineering and Computer Science Faculty Publications

Spatial reuse of optical frequencies in optical fibers is possible through a novel Spatial Domain Multiplexing (SDM) technique that enables simultaneous propagation of two or more spatially multiplexed channels of exactly the same wavelength by confining them to unique spatial locations inside the fiber. Spatial filtering techniques are employed at the output end to separate the individual optical channels. The SDM channels follow helical path inside the carrier fiber and do not interfere with each other. This paper presents electromagnetic wave based model to analyze two such co-propagating SDM channels and then compares the model predictions to experimental data. The …

Influence Of Cu Diffusion Conditions On The Switching Of Cu-Sio2-Based Resistive Memory Devices, S.C. Puthen Thermadam, S. K. Bhagat, T. L. Alford, Y. Sakaguchi, M. N. Kozicki, Maria Mitkova

Electrical and Computer Engineering Faculty Publications and Presentations

This paper presents a study of Cu diffusion at various temperatures in thin SiO₂ films. Film composition and diffusion products were analyzed using Secondary Ion Mass Spectroscopy, Rutherford Backscattering Spectrometry, X-ray Diffraction and Raman Spectroscopy methods. We found a strong dependence of the diffused Cu concentration, which varied between 0.8 at.% and 10^-3 at.%, on the annealing temperature. X-ray diffraction and Raman studies revealed that Cu does not react with the SiO2 network and remains in elemental form after diffusion. Programmable Metallization Cell (PMC) resistive memory cells were fabricated with these Cu-diffused SiO₂ films as the active …

Effect Of Surface Freezing On Meniscus Relaxation In Side Chain Comb Polymers, Shishir Prasad, Zhang Jiang, Michael Sprung, Sunil K. Sinha, Ali Dhinojwala

College of Polymer Science and Polymer Engineering

We have observed a sharp slowing down of the relaxation of the liquid meniscus for polydn-alkyl acrylate) at temperatures where there are no abrupt changes in bulk viscosity or surface tension. This slowing down is due to the formation of a surface-ordered monolayer above the bulk melting temperatures. X-ray photon correlation spectroscopy measurements reveal that the surface capillary fluctuations are also significantly slower due to the formation of the ordered monolayer for film thicknesses comparable to that of the precursor films. The slowing down of the precursor film dynamics is responsible for slower meniscus relaxation below the surface ordering transition …

Composite Kernel Feature Analysis For Cancer Classification, Sindhu Myla

Theses and Dissertations

Computed tomographic (CT) colonography, or virtual colonoscopy, is a promising technique for screening colorectal cancers by use of CT scans of the colon. Current CT technology allows a single image set of the colon to be acquired in 10-20 seconds, which translates into an easier, more comfortable examination than is available with other screening tests. Currently, however, interpretation of an entire CT colonography examination is time-consuming, and the reader performance for polyp detection varies substantially. To overcome these difficulties while providing a high detection performance of polyps, researchers are developing computer-aided detection (CAD) schemes that automatically detect suspicious lesions in …

Polarization Of Galvanic Point Anodes For Corrosion Prevention In Reinforced Concrete, Margareth Dugarte

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The polarization performance of two types of commercial galvanic point anodes for protection of reinforced steel around patch repairs was investigated. Experiments included measurement of the polarization history of the anode under constant current impressed by galvanostatic circuits and in reinforced concrete slabs. The tests revealed, for both types of anodes, a potential-current function (PF) indicating relatively little anodic polarization from an open circuit potential at low current levels, followed by an abrupt increase in potential as the current approached an apparent terminal value. Aging of the anodes was manifested by a continually decreasing current output in the concrete tests, …

Experimental Development Of Compressor And Turbine Performance Maps For Turbomachinery, Michael W. Green

Aerospace Engineering

Turbomachinery performance maps are used to reveal the on and off design performance of compressors and turbines. These maps plot the component’s pressure ratio versus the corrected flow rate for multiple engine rotor speeds. In this experiment, a Boeing T50-BO-8A converted turbojet engine was operated at a wide variety of rotor speeds with orifice plates of different sizes to vary the flow rate. The corrected flow rate through the turbojet ranged from 1.32 to 2.55 lb/s. The pressure ratios for the compressor and turbine ranged from 2.0 to 4.3 and from 1.7 to 4.3, respectively. The resulting performance maps showed …

Micropatterning Of Poly (N-Isopropylacrylamide) (Pnipaam) Hydrogels: Effects On Thermosensitivity And Cell Release Behavior, Huijie Hou, Yaping Hou, Melissa A. Grunlan, Dany J. Munoz Pinto, Mariah S. Hahn, Arum Han

Engineering Faculty Research

The thermally driven, reversible change in the surface properties of poly (N-isopropylacrylamide) (PNIPAAm) hydrogels from a hydrophilic (water-swollen) state to a hydrophobic (deswollen) state when heated above the volume phase transition temperature (VPTT, ~35 ^oC) makes them useful in inducing controlled cell release. To improve the kinetics of swelling and deswelling, we have prepared microstructured (i.e., micropillared) thermoresponsive surfaces comprising pure PNIPAAm hydrogel and nanocomposite PNIPAAm hydrogel embedded with polysiloxane colloidal nanoparticles (~220 nm diameter, 1 wt%) via photopolymerization. The thermosensitivity (i.e., degree and rate of swelling/deswelling) of these surfaces and how it can be regulated using …

Integrating Perception And Problem Solving To Predict Complex Object Behaviors, Damian M. Lyons, Sirhan Chaudhry, Marius Agica, John Vincent Monaco

Faculty Publications

One of the objectives of Cognitive Robotics is to construct robot systems that can be directed to achieve realworld goals by high-level directions rather than complex, low-level robot programming. Such a system must have the ability to represent, problem-solve and learn about its environment as well as communicate with other agents. In previous work, we have proposed ADAPT, a Cognitive Architecture that views perception as top-down and goaloriented and part of the problem solving process.

Our approach is linked to a SOAR-based problem-solving and learning framework. In this paper, we present an architecture for the perceptive and world modelling components …

Basin-Scale Water System Operations With Uncertain Future Climate Conditions: Methodology And Case Studies, Sebastian Vicuna, John A. Dracup, Jay R. Lund, Larry L. Dale, Edwin P. Maurer

Civil, Environmental and Sustainable Engineering

The old and useful paradigm used by water resource engineers, that hydrology in a given place is stationary, and hence it is sufficient to look into the past to plan for the future, does not hold anymore, according to climate change projections. This becomes especially true in snow-dominated regions like California, where not only the magnitude but also the timing of streamflow could be affected by changes in precipitation and temperature. To plan and operate water resources systems at the basin scale, it is necessary to develop new tools that are suited for this nonstationary world. In this paper we …

Visual Aid Tray, Caitlyn Campbell, Jock Macgregor, Nicole Leraas, Jakob Morrison

Service-Learning Program

Project Purpose: Trisha Jernigan, Arantza’s teacher, asked us to design a system to hold her learning aid, so that it is easier for her to see and allow her to be more self-sufficient.

Communication Device, Sandy Ferguson, Marina Vasilchenko, Quinn Anderson

Service-Learning Program

The purpose of our project was to provide Charlie with a device that he could talk with others. Because we felt like there was little engineering in this, we decided to provide an arm attachment to hold the device so that Charlie would be able to use the device without having to have help. We needed to design an arm that would attach to the wheel chair in a way that it would be secure and also not be in the way of his wheels, armrest, or the chairs controls. We were able to find a device that would be …

Kendall’S Cup Holder, Dan Leavitt, Josh Mann, Ian Van Tassel, Corbin Vanleeuwen

Service-Learning Program

Kendall uses both of her hands to operate her manual wheelchair. She would like to have a way to hold a drink and still allow her to use both hands to operate her wheelchair.

Team Maddie: Educational Assistant, Zach Miller, Clint Cartwrigh, Aaron Cox, James Norwood, Ram Luitel

Service-Learning Program

Service project purpose : to develop creativity, critical thinking and problem solving skills by identifying and analyzing real world problems and solving those problems through engineering concepts on multi-disciplinary teams .

History Of Petroleum Engineering At Montana Tech, Leo Heath, Debbie Todd

Petroleum Engineering

In January, 2010, the Petroleum Engineering department at Montana Tech moved into a new building, the Natural Resources Building, to start a new chapter in the history of the program on campus. Occupying a new building is a positive event, and it coincides with a surge of student enrollment which is prompted by industry needs and world energy demand. This time of new facilities and growing student numbers leads to the question of what the future has in store for the department. It also leads to reflection about where the department has been in the past. This history is a …

Section Abstracts: Aeronautical And Aerospace Sciences

Virginia Journal of Science

Abstracts of the Aeronautical and Aerospace Science Section for the 88th Annual Meeting of the Virginia Academy of Science, May 20-21, 2010, James Madison University, Harrisonburg, VA.

Sustainable Portland: Implementation Series 3, New England Environmental Finance Center

Climate Change

This report is the third in a series of efforts by students at the Muskie School of Public Service, Community Planning and Development Master’s program, in a core class called “Sustainable Communities.” In this course students seek to understand principles of sustainability and how efforts to implement Sustainability programs can become more successful. The report assembles term papers students completed on particular efforts by municipalities, universities, and other groups to achieve sustainability goals. Students worked on each project in a service learning format with real world clients. They were asked to fashion their papers around lessons learned by other organizations …