Engineering Commons^™

An Algorithm For Predicting Attitudes Of Floating Bodies With Arbitrary Configurations In Liquids, Jiann-Lin Chen, Chun-I Chen, Li-Ming Chu

Journal of Marine Science and Technology–Taiwan

A robust and efficient algorithm is proposed to quasiunsteadily predict attitudes of floating bodies with arbitrary configurations. Numerical techniques for accuracy and computing time saving are addressed. A floating cylinder was modeled as a benchmark, by theoretical and experimental approaches, to validate the developed program. Attitudes of two kinds of floating bodies, which are a body composed of multiple objects and a submarine-like submersible, were simulated to show the feasibility of the present algorithm. Interestingly, the simulated results of a slender body, such as a cylinder or a submersible, show that the attitude variation is very sensitive to the longitudinal …

Fast Block Motion Estimation With Edge Alignment On H.264 Video Coding, Chi-Han Chuang, Chien-Hua Su, Shyi-Chyi Cheng

Journal of Marine Science and Technology–Taiwan

This paper presents a novel block matching scheme with edge alignment strategy on H.264 video coding, which uses multiple references and multiple block sizes for motion estimation in order to improve the rate-distortion performance. In H.264, the computational complexity is linearly dependent on the number of allowed reference frames and block sizes using the full exhaustive search. Many fast block-matching algorithms reduce the computational complexity of motion estimation by carefully designing the search patterns with different shapes or sizes which have significant impact on the search speed and distortion performance. However, the search speed and the distortion performance conflict often …

Investigation On Vibration Energy Flow Characteristics In Coupled Plates By Visualizaiton Techniques, Kai Li, Sheng Li, De-You Zhao

Journal of Marine Science and Technology–Taiwan

The transmission and distribution of vibration energy flow in coupled plates are studied by the vibration intensity method together with visualization technique. Formulations for vibration intensity calculations and streamline representation, and the equations for energy flow are presented. The intensity vector, streamline map and energy distribution of coupled plates subject to a point force excitation are calculated and visualized to predict vibration energy transmission. The vibrational energy flows are very complex and dependent on the excitation frequencies, junction forms and boundaries. The energy sources, sinks, transmission paths and vortex fields are clearly shown with visualization technique. It is shown that …

Cooperation-Competition Model Of Transportation Construction Project From The Viewpoint Of Budget Allocation, Maw-Cherng Lin, Edward Ming-Yang Wu, Junn-Yuan Teng, Wen-Chih Huang

Journal of Marine Science and Technology–Taiwan

Department of Marine Engineering, National Taiwan Ocean University, Keelung 202, Taiwan.

Testing Embedded System Applications, Tingting Yu

School of Computing: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Embedded systems are becoming increasingly ubiquitous, controlling a wide variety of popular and safety-critical devices. Testing is the most commonly used method for validating software systems, and effective testing techniques could be helpful for improving the dependability of these systems. However, there are challenges involved in developing such techniques. Embedded systems consist of layers of software – application layers utilize services provided by underlying system service and hardware support layers. A typical embedded application consists of multiple user tasks. Interactions between application layers and lower layers, and interactions between the various user tasks that are initiated by the application layer, …

Incorporating Feedback From Multiple Sensory Modalities Enhances Brain–Machine Interface Control, Aaron J. Suminski, Dennis C. Tkach, Andrew H. Fagg, Nicholas G. Hatsopoulos

Biomedical Engineering Faculty Research and Publications

The brain typically uses a rich supply of feedback from multiple sensory modalities to control movement in healthy individuals. In many individuals, these afferent pathways, as well as their efferent counterparts, are compromised by disease or injury resulting in significant impairments and reduced quality of life. Brain–machine interfaces (BMIs) offer the promise of recovered functionality to these individuals by allowing them to control a device using their thoughts. Most current BMI implementations use visual feedback for closed-loop control; however, it has been suggested that the inclusion of additional feedback modalities may lead to improvements in control. We demonstrate for the …

Purification Of Synthetic Oligomers, Shiyue Fang

Michigan Tech Patents

This invention provides a novel method for purifying synthetic oligomers comprising capping, polymerizing and separating any failure sequences produced during oligomer synthesis. Either the failure sequence or the full-length oligomer may be polymerized. Optionally, small molecule impurities may also be incorporated into the polymerized material. The invention provides novel capping agents having a polymerizable functional group. The invention also provides kits comprising at least one composition of the present invention.

Hydraulic Conductivity Of Cement-Treated Soils And Aggregates After Freezing, Michael Scott Shea

Theses and Dissertations

Improvements in the strength and durability of frost-susceptible soils and aggregates can be achieved through chemical stabilization using portland cement, where the efficacy of cement stabilization for improving durability depends on the degree to which hydraulic conductivity is reduced. Hydraulic conductivity is commonly estimated from basic soil properties using Moulton's empirical equation. However, the hydraulic conductivity estimation does not consider the detrimental effects of freezing or the benefits of cement stabilization. The purpose of this research was to derive new equations relating hydraulic conductivity after freezing to specific material properties of cement-treated soils and aggregates stabilized with different concentrations of …

Optimization Strategy For Resonant Mass Sensor Design In The Presence Of Squeeze Film Damping, Chengzhang Li, Michele H. Miller

Michigan Tech Publications, Part 1

This paper investigates the design optimization of an electrostatically actuated microcantilever resonator that operates in air. The nonlinear effects of electrostatic actuation and air damping make the structural dynamics modeling more complex. There is a need for an efficient way to simulate the system behavior so that the design can be more readily optimized. This paper describes an efficient analytical approach for determining the optimum design for a microcantilever resonant mass sensor. One simple case is described. The sensor design is a square plate that is coated with a functional polymer and attached to the substrate with folded leg springs. …

Design Of S-Band Transition Based On Microstrip Quarter-Wave Transformers, Bashir Souid, Josh Merchant, Michael Rice, Mahmoud El Sabbagh

Electrical Engineering and Computer Science - All Scholarship

In this technical report, the design of a high-frequency matching circuit is presented. This circuit is a transformer comprising a cascade of multisections of quarter-wavelength transmission lines. The transformer, also referred to as matching circuit, is implemented based on microstrip technology. The matching circuit is required to perform as a transition from a 10-Ω load to a 50-Ω source. Moreover, this transition is specified to have a return loss more than 20 dB over the entire S-band from 2 GHz to 4 GHz. Analytical model developed and verified by full-wave simulation results indicates that the design of a quarter-wavelength transformer …

The Effects Of Electricity Pring On Phev Competitiveness, Shisheng Huang, Bri-Mathias S. Hodge, Farzad Taheripour, Joseph F. Pekny, Gintaras V. Reklaitis, Wallace E. Tyner

PPRI Digital Library

Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicles (PHEVs) will soon start to be introduced into the transportation sector, thereby raising a host of issues related to their use, adoption and effects on the electricity sector. Their introduction has the potential to significantly reduce carbon emissions from the transportation sector, which has led to government policies aimed at easing their introduction. If their wide-spread adoption is set as a target it is imperative to consider the effects of existing policies that may increase or decrease their adoption rate. In this study, we present a micro level electricity demand model that can gauge the effects …

2d Motion Detection Bounded Hand 3d Trajectory Tracking And Gesture Recognition Under Complex Background, Shuangqing Wu, Yin Zhang, Sanyuan Zhang, Xiuzi Ye, Yiyu Cai, Jianmin Zheng, Soumita Ghosh, Wenyu Chen, Jane Zhang

Electrical Engineering

In this paper, a 2D motion detection bounded hand 3D trajectory tracking and gesture recognition system is proposed for virtual reality interactions. First, the Bayes decision rule for classification of background and foreground is utilized to automatically locate the hand that bounded within a rectangle, and then the trajectory of the hand in 3D space is tracked by mean shift particle filter and stereo imaging. The skin color feature is exploited for image matting that effectively segment the hand contour in video sequence automatically. Finally the hand gesture is recognized by the connected component analysis and line approximation.

Real-Time 3d Markerless Multiple Hand Detection And Tracking For Human Computer Interaction Applications, Soumita Ghosh, Jianmin Zheng, Wenyu Chen, Jane Zhang, Yiyu Cai

Electrical Engineering

In this paper we present a purely vision based implementation of markerless hand detection and tracking system which effectively detects and tracks the hand positions irrespective of hand orientation. A shape based detection algorithm using a new line approximation technique followed by an adaptive minimum distance classifier based tracking technique is implemented. The technique is very generic and can be practically used in all types of immersive and semi-immersive environments like simulations, three-dimensional (3D) games, visually assisted medical surgery and other humancomputer interactive applications.

Fatigue Behavior Of A Sic/Sic Composite At 1000⁰C In Air And In Steam, Michael W. Knauf

Theses and Dissertations

Tension-tension fatigue behavior of a prototype Silicon Carbide/Silicon Carbide (SiC/SiC) ceramic matrix composite (CMC) material was investigated at 1000°C in laboratory air and in steam environments. The material consists of a SiC matrix reinforced with CG NICALON™ fibers woven in an eight harness satin weave (8HSW) and coated with a BN/SiC dual-layer interphase. The composite was manufactured by a Polymer Infiltration and Pyrolysis (PIP) process. A seal coat of SiC and elemental boron was applied to the test specimens after machining. The tensile stress-strain behavior was investigated and the tensile properties were measured at 1000°C. Tension-tension fatigue behavior was studied …

Flow Control Application On A Submerged Inlet Characterized By Three-Component Ldv, Tina H. Reynolds

Theses and Dissertations

A submerged inlet investigation, using flow control in the form of discrete blowing, examined proximity and jet directionality to improve compressor face uniformity. The flow control locations were at the head of the ramp and part way down the ramp, providing four configurations under examination. Laser Doppler velocimetry (LDV)measurements at the throat determined the effect of the flow control based on the statistical velocity measurements. Blowing at closer proximity to the throat and targeting the largest velocity deficit region provided the best results. The airspeed and inlet velocity simulated takeoff and landing conditions; velocities ranged from Mach 0.1-0.3 at the …

Performance Characterization Of A Three-Axis Hall Effect Thruster, Spencer E. Temkin

Theses and Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Effects Of Prior Aging At 274⁰C In Argon On Inelastic Deformation Behavior Of Pmr-15 Polymer At 288⁰C: Experiment And Modeling, Joseph A. Wahlquist

Theses and Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Network Security Toolkit Including Heuristic Solutions For Trust System Placement And Network Obfuscation, Gabriel H. Greve

Theses and Dissertations

For Part I, a supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA) network consists of a group stations and substations in a portion of the power grid. The use of Internet technology in SCADA communications as well as other factors has caused vulnerabilities. One idea to help mitigate this risk is to strategically place trust nodes to compartmentalize and secure the SCADA systems without disturbing its finely honed processes. The trust nodes combine firewall and intrusion detection technology to provide more secure communication. An optimal solution to this problem has already been developed using a mixed-integer linear programming model. Because the problem …

Navigation With Limited Prior Information Using Time Difference Of Arrival Measurements From Signals Of Opportunity, Christopher M. Rondeau

Theses and Dissertations

The Global Positioning System (GPS) provides world-wide availability to high-accuracy navigation and positioning information. However, the threats to GPS are increasing, and many limitations of GPS are being encountered. Simultaneously, systems previously considered as viable backups or supplements to GPS are being shut down. This creates the need for system alternatives. Navigation using signals of opportunity (SoOP) exploits any signal that is available in a given area, regardless of whether or not the original intent of the signal was for navigation. Common techniques to compute a position estimate using SoOP include received signal strength, angle of arrival, time of arrival, …

A Linear Combination Of Heuristics Approach To Spatial Sampling Hyperspectral Data For Target Tracking, Barry R. Secrest

Theses and Dissertations

Persistent surveillance of the battlespace results in better battlespace awareness which aids in obtaining air superiority, winning battles, and saving friendly lives. Although hyperspectral imagery (HSI) data has proven useful for discriminating targets, it presents many challenges as a useful tool in persistent surveillance. A new sensor under development has the potential of overcoming these challenges and transforming our persistent surveillance capability by providing HSI data for a limited number of pixels and grayscale video for the remainder. The challenge of exploiting this new sensor is determining where the HSI data in the sensor's field of view will be the …

A Space Acquisition Leading Indicator Based On System Interoperation Maturity, Jason T. Shibata

Theses and Dissertations

The Department of Defense‘s space acquisition enterprise has experienced numerous challenges since the advent of space power. Space borne capabilities are needed more than ever, but space acquisition frequently fails to meet its goals. The decades of space acquisition experience form a rich history that can be used to build a leading indicator of success to enable effective program execution. First, the space acquisition areas of greatest concern were determined to be cost, schedule and requirements. These areas are considered as systems composed of the people, processes and products that execute the program. Second, the vital interoperation characteristics, or attributes …

Modeling Heat Transfer During Cooling Of Ready-To-Eat Meat And Poultry Products Using Three-Dimensional Finite Element Analysis And Web-Based Simulation, Jihan F. Cepeda Jimenez

Department of Agricultural and Biological Systems Engineering: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

The meat industry is required to comply with processing performance standards for preventing the growth of foodborne pathogens in products. These performance standards, established by the United States Department of Agriculture - Food Safety and Inspection Service (USDA-FSIS) require a reduction of Salmonella spp (lethality standard) and limit the growth of sporeforming bacteria (stabilization standard) in certain processed meat products. In general, strategies used to comply with these standards are associated with thermal processing. Meat processors have difficulties complying with these performance standards. Moreover, thermal processing deviations are an issue in the meat industry that generate uncertainty regarding the safety …

Conceptual Design And Analysis Of Service Oriented Architecture (Soa) For Command And Control Of Space Assets, Eric B. Snyder

Theses and Dissertations

The mission-unique model that has dominated the DoD satellite Command and Control community is costly and inefficient. It requires repeatedly “reinventing” established common C2 components for each program, unnecessarily inflating budgets and delivery schedules. The effective utilization of standards is scarce, and proprietary, non-open solutions are commonplace. IT professionals have trumpeted Service Oriented Architectures (SOAs) as the solution to large enterprise situations where multiple, functionally redundant but non-compatible information systems create large recurring development, test, maintenance, and tech refresh costs. This thesis describes the current state of Service Oriented Architectures as related to satellite operations and presents a functional analysis …

Moving Ground Target Tracking In Urban Terrain Using Air/Ground Vehicles, Timothy Mclain, Randal W. Beard, Mark Owen, Huili Yu

Faculty Publications

In this paper, we present a framework for tracking a moving target in urban environments using UAVs in cooperation with UGVs. The framework takes into account occlusions between the sensor and the target. The target state is modeled using the dynamic occupancy grid and the target motion model is built using a second-order Markov chain. Based on the target occupancy grid, we design the path planning algorithm to maneuver the UAV and the UGV to configurations where they can detect the target with high probability. Simulation results show the framework is successful in solving the target tracking problem in urban …

4-D Modeling Of Displacement Vector Fields For Improved Radiation Therapy, Elizabeth Zachariah

Theses and Dissertations

In radiation therapy, it is imperative to deliver high doses of radiation to the tumor while reducing radiation to the healthy tissue. Respiratory motion is the most significant source of errors during treatment. Therefore, it is essential to accurately model respiratory motion for precise and effective radiation delivery. Many approaches exist to account for respiratory motion, such as controlled breath hold and respiratory gating, and they have been relatively successful. They still present many drawbacks. Thus, research has been expanded to tumor tracking. This paper presents a spatio-temporal model for four dimensional CT reconstruction. The method begins with a set …

Automatic Media Segmentation Within Ieee 1599–2008, Antonello D'Aguanno, Luca A. Ludovico, Davide Andrea Mauro

Computer Sciences and Electrical Engineering Faculty Research

This paper deals with the automatic extraction of synchronization data from IEEE 1599-2008, an XML-based standard aiming at a comprehensive description of music. Within such format, audio tracks and video contents related to the same music piece can be referred to the occurrence of symbolic music events. In this way, digital objects are mutually synchronized, too. The goal is to show how timing information can be easily extracted from an IEEE 1599-2008 file, converted into a suitable format, and finally employed in a multimedia editing environment in order to produce an automatic segmentation of media objects.

Space Science Program: Spotlight Presentation To The Msu Board Of Regents, Robert J. Twiggs

Robert "Bob" Twiggs STEM Education Collection

A PowerPoint Presentation created by Professor Bob Twiggs titled "Space Science Program: Spotlight Presentation to the MSU Board of Regents" from December 9, 2010.

The Weather Forecast Fortoday In Space!Exploring Our Space Environment & Satellite Orbits, Robert J. Twiggs

Robert "Bob" Twiggs STEM Education Collection

A PowerPoint Presentation created by Professor Bob Twiggs titled "The Weather Forecast forToday in Space!Exploring our space environment & satellite orbits" from December 9, 2010.

Design Of A Near-Constant Force Spring For Orthopedic Implants, Christopher Hartman, Paul Rotarius

Honors Theses

The design and testing of a spring assembly for the attachment of an orthopedic implant is presented. The assembly is intended to supply a constant compressive force of approximately 800 lb. at the bone-implant interface, while exhibiting insensitivity to changes in the displacement of the clamping device. This near-constant force will aid in-growth of bone tissue at the implant surface. This constant compressive force was ultimately not attained due to the packaging dimensions and materials available. However, significant improvement was made upon the current design in use by lowering the spring constant around 800 lb.

The final assembly fits in …

Identifying Potential Applications For Lamina Emergent Mechanisms And Evaluating Their Suitability For Credit-Card-Sized Products, Nathan Bryce Albrechtsen

Theses and Dissertations

Lamina emergent mechanisms (LEMs) are a maturing technology that is prepared for commercial implementation into new products. LEMs are defined by three functional characteristics; they (1) are compliant, (2) are fabricated from planar materials, and (3) emerge from a flat initial state. Advantages, design challenges, and design tools are described for each of the functional characteristics. Opportunities for LEMs are discussed, namely disposable LEMs, novel arrays of LEMs, scaled LEMs, LEMs with surprising motion, shock absorbing LEMs, and deployable LEMs. Technology push product development processes were employed to select applications for LEMs. LEM technology was characterized. In a LEM workshop, …