Engineering Commons^™

Development Of A Structured Concrete Thermocline Thermal Energy Storage System, Bradley M. Brown

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The past couple of decades have shown a concern when considering the way the world obtains its power. The focus has been switching from fossil fuels that have been used for hundreds of years to renewable energy sources, such as the sun. Solar energy is readily and infinitely available for harnessing. One problem with solar energy, though, is its inability to be used during the night time and during cloud covered weather. A solution to this problem is the use of energy storage mechanisms. For solar plants that use solar thermal energy (concentrating solar power plants), thermal energy storage (TES) …

Removal Of Disinfection By-Product Precursors Using Magnetic Ion Exchange (Miex(R)): The Effects Of Ph And Source Water Variability, Sarah Cousins

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Disinfection by-products (DBPs) form as an unintended result of drinking water disinfection, from chemical reactions between disinfectants (e.g., free chlorine) and naturally occurring dissolved organic matter (DOM). At present, 11 DBPs are regulated in treated drinking waters due to potential adverse health effects, including four trihalomethanes (THMs). Despite nearly 40 years of DBP research, compliance with DBP regulations remains a challenge for many drinking water treatment plants (DWTPs), including the four DWTPs located on the Beaver Lake Reservoir in Northwest Arkansas. Due to the high net negative surface charge on DOM, anion exchange is one potentially viable method for removing …

A General Attack Method For Steganography Removal Using Pseudo-Cfa Re-Interpolation, Pradhumna Shrestha, Michael Hempel, Tao Ma, Dongming Peng, Hamid Sharif

Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering: Faculty Publications (to 2015)

Watermarking and steganography are two of the most researched topics in multimedia forensics. However, easy availability of tools and technology has made their misuse a serious concern. To counteract this development some effective tools are necessary to remove malicious steganography. In this work, we introduce a novel watermark attack method which can destroy hidden information embedded in images based on the principle of re-interpolation of Color Filter Array (CFA) artifacts. In digital cameras and scanners, CFA filters are used to acquire low-resolution physical color channel information and produce a high-quality image by subsequent interpolation. We propose to emulate a similar …

Ethnic Difference In Healthcare Delivery, Benny Mathew Varghese

Department of Industrial and Management Systems Engineering: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Quality in healthcare is a very important aspect; this is obtained when there is proper care provided to the patients without any discrimination. The healthcare system in the US can be improved in the fields of patient’s care, the amount of money spent and proper advice, if proper responsibilities are taken. Quality has been improving over the years, but the median by which there is an increase is too small. The other main factor is access to the healthcare system, which has over the year, has not progressed. Studies in healthcare quality should be conducted on a regular base, so …

A Quantitative Performance Analysis Of 2.5 Ghz And 3.65 Ghz Mobile Wimax, Pradhumna L. Shrestha

Department of Computer Electronics and Engineering: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Mobile WiMAX has emerged as a prime contender for the de-facto ITU’s 4G standard. It provides high data rate with large coverage and vehicular mobility support. It has been, and is being, widely deployed in diverse applications like video streaming, broadcasting and data service. The FCC (Federal Communications Commission) issues licenses to operate Mobile WiMAX services in several spectrums, among which 2.5 GHz and 3.65 GHz are the most common. Because the 2.5 GHz spectrum suffers the least propagation losses, it has been widely applied commercially. For this reason, academic and industrial researchers have given it particular attention. However, in …

Using Gis-Based, Hitchcock Algorithm To Optimize Parking Allocations For Special Events, Wayne A. Sarasua, Prashant Malisetty, Mashrur Chowdhury

Publications

Clemson, a small college town in South Carolina, deals with a massive over-saturation of its transportation system during special events, especially during home football games, resulting in total system failure. This research has developed a methodology to optimize parking, using a Geographic Information System (GIS)-based transshipment algorithm, and it has produced great time savings compared with the individual, “manual” efforts of thousands of drivers attempting to find spaces where available. As such, this research constitutes an effective implementation of the Hitchcock Transportation Algorithm for solving a transshipment problem applied to parking lot distribution. Because the Hitchcock Algorithm considers the network …

Value Capture In Global Production Networks: Evidence From The Taiwanese Electronics Industry, Namchul Shin, Alan Eisner

Cornerstone 3 Reports : Interdisciplinary Informatics

No abstract provided.

Fundamental Understanding Of Soot Induced Wear Mechanism Of Diesel Engines, Mihir Patel

Material Science and Engineering Dissertations - Archive

Emission of Oxides of nitrogen and particulates matters from diesel engines have been reduced by implementing exhaust gas recirculation (EGR) protocols but at the expense of increased wear of engine components. This problem is aggravated by Environment Protection Agency (EPA) regulation such as API CJ 4 and SAPS where chemical limits have been places on the amount of phosphorous, sulfur and sulfated ash in lubrication oil. Several studies have examined the role played by diesel soot on enhanced wear but none have provided comprehensive mechanism. This would allow the possibility to comprehend fundamental understanding of soot induced wear mechanism of …

Templated Synthesis And Characterizations Of High Moment Magnetic Nanoparticles For Bioapplications, Punnapob Punnakitikashem

Material Science and Engineering Dissertations - Archive

Magnetic nanoparticles have been widely used for biomedical applications such as drug and gene delivery, hyperthermia treatment of cancer, MRI contrast enhancement, cell labeling and magnetic separation. We present two new types of magnetic nanoparticles for bioapplications; granular superparamagnetic gold nanoparticles and multilayered nanodisks. Granular superparamagnetic gold nanoparticles consist of superparamagnetic islands embedded in a gold matrix. Multilayered nanodisks consist of two magnetic layers separated by a non-magnetic layer with two capping layers. Capping layers such as gold provide functionalization sites for biomolecule attachment. These nanoparticles possess two key magnetic requirements for bioapplications, a high saturation magnetic moment and a …

An Innovative Epitaxial Growth Method For Minimizing Dislocations In Thin-Film Quantum-Dot Optoelectronic And Photovoltaic Device Applications, Jateen Gandhi

Material Science and Engineering Dissertations - Archive

A new buffer layer method for epitaxial growth of lattice-mismatched semiconductor quantum-dots based p-i-n structures is presented. To our knowledge this is the first instance of a dislocation-reduction approach that has shown reduced dark current behavior in a quantumdot device compared to its counterpart homojunction p-n device consisted of the barrier material. The present work compared a lattice misfit strain build-up behavior between an In0.15Ga0.85As (p) / InAs (i) / In0.15Ga0.85As (n) (QD) device to an In0.15Ga0.85As (p) / In0.15Ga0.85As (n) (HOM) device, as both were grown on an un-doped gallium arsenide (GaAs) (100) substrate. The intrinsic region of QD …

Electrochemical N-Type Doping In Metal Oxides And Its Application In Photovoltaics, Xiaofei Han

Material Science and Engineering Dissertations - Archive

Electrodeposition has the advantages of low-cost, high-throughput and large-area processing which is particularly suitable for solar cells fabrication. Two common metal oxides prepared by electrodeposition are discussed here, ZnO and Cu2O. ZnO is largely used in the solar cells as the window and transparent contact material. Cu2O is potential absorption material for next generation solar cell. n-type doping of these metal oxides was revealed during electrochemical deposition. For naturally n-type ZnO, n-type doping is achieved by substituting the cation (Zn) with a group III element (Al, Ga and Y) and for naturally p-type Cu2O, n-type doping is realized by substituting …

Requirements Specification For Dsic: Distribution System For Information And Collaboration, Alex Abrahamian

Computer Science and Software Engineering

There seems to exist an invisible barrier between people that should be connected but for whatever reasons (don't hang out in the same circles, don't go to the same meetings, or are geographically separated) haven't met each other yet.

Normally these people will only meet when others bring them together or they are thrown together on a project. DSIC aims to preempt the person discovery process by allowing a way for people to post ideas, events, and other collaborations in a single place that can then be searched by other users.

The system utilizes postings, user profiles, and a tagging …

Evaluation Of The In-Service Safety Performance Of Safety-Shape And Vertical Concrete Barriers, Francisco Daniel Benicio De Albuquerque, Dean L. Sicking

Nebraska Department of Transportation: Research Reports

No abstract provided.

Empirical Analysis Of The Relay Network Design Problem, Sergio Maldonado Soria Galvarro

Industrial Engineering Undergraduate Honors Theses

Definition and optimization of alternative methods for truckloads routing.

Accelerated Fatigue Crack Growth Simulation In A Bimaterial Interface, R. Moslemian, Anette M. Karlsson, C. Berggreen

Mechanical Engineering Faculty Publications

A method for accelerated simulation of fatigue crack growth in a bimaterial interface (e.g. in a face/core sandwich interface) is proposed. To simulate fatigue crack growth, a routine is incorporated in the commercial finite element program ANSYS and a method to accelerate the simulation is implemented. The proposed method (the cycle jump technique) is based on conducting finite element analysis for a set of cycles to establish a trend line, extrapolating the trend line spanning many cycles, and use the extrapolated state as initial state for additional finite element simulations. A control criterion is utilized to ensure the accuracy of …

Visual, Spectrophotometric, And Colorimetric Measurement Of Red Wine And Wine Blends, Zachary Fricke

Chemical Engineering Undergraduate Honors Theses

Partially due to prevalence and popularity around the world, much research has been done in the field of enology and wine analysis. The visual aspect of wine is one of the key features of wine. This research focused on how blending and storage affected the color and composition of wine. Visual, sensory, color, and composition data were collected. Three primary red wine varietals (Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and Zinfandel) and seven blends were analyzed for color, acidity, polymeric color, and optical density. The ten wine treatments were composed based on a mixture design model. The color and composition results were compared …

Office Hour Scheduling Tool, Tyler Dunlap

Industrial Engineering Undergraduate Honors Theses

When an instructor (with or without student input) specifies her office hours for the semester, the informal process used often results in students experiencing conflicts with other lectures, labs, drills, or office hours. The result of this conflict is the student either scheduling individual meetings with teachers outside of their office hours or students missing the opportunity to get assistance from the instructor all together. Either outcome is undesirable, as it either takes additional faculty time from their other responsibilities or jeopardizes the performance of a student in their classes. One valid approach to solving this problem is through the …

A Comparison And Evaluation Of Three Different Pose Estimation Algorithms In Detecting Low Texture Manufactured Objects, Robert Kriener

All Theses

This thesis examines the problem of pose estimation, which is the problem of determining the pose of an object in some coordinate system. Pose refers to the object's position and orientation in the coordinate system. In particular, this thesis examines pose estimation techniques using either monocular or binocular vision systems.
Generally, when trying to find the pose of an object the objective is to generate a set of matching features, which may be points or lines, between a model of the object and the current image of the object. These matches can then be used to determine the pose of …

Evaluation Of Bioaugmentation Strategies To Treat High Concentrations Of Chloroform And Carbon Tetrachloride, Han Wang

All Theses

Halogenated methanes, including carbon tetrachloride (CT) and chloroform (CF), are significant groundwater contaminants. Options for bioremediation of high concentrations are limited. Previous studies have shown that an enrichment culture (designated DHM-1) that grows on corn syrup has the potential for use in bioaugmentation. DHM-1 cometabolically biotransforms high concentrations of CT and CF to nontoxic end products (mainly CO, CO2, and organic acids) in the presence of vitamin B12 (approximately 3% of chlorinated methanes on a molar basis). Sulfide is also required by this culture to function properly. However, insufficient data are available on its performance under field conditions. Also, it …

Going Green, Dermot Kehily

Articles

No abstract provided.

Laminar Flame Speed Estimation From Experimental Data Using A Quasi-Dimensional Turbulent Flame Entrainment Combustion Simulation For Spark Ignition Engines, Akash Desai

All Theses

The goal of this research is to develop a thermodynamic simulation of spark-ignition engine combustion that uses a predictive burn-rate model. Previously done thermodynamic engine simulations in MATLAB are based on a specified burn rate model. Also, the effect of turbulence parameters on the rate of mass burn up is not considered. A predictive burn rate model is necessary to study the effect of different fuels on spark ignition engine combustion. The effect of laminar flame speed and turbulent intensity on combustion is difficult to assess experimental due to the difficulty in the measurement of these two variables. Thus, the …

Product And Process Based Assembly Time Estimation In Engineering Design, Michael Miller

All Theses

This thesis presents the research and development of two assembly time estimation techniques for the automotive industry. Both of these techniques are capable of being implemented early in the product life-cycle of a vehicle and require information available in this phase. Currently, assembly time estimation is performed after production has begun and is a tedious manual process requiring hours of motion-time method studies for each assembly activity. The techniques proposed in this thesis can both be performed prior to the start of production and are capable of being performed automatically after the initial mapping.
The first assembly time estimation technique …

Management Theories In Manufacturing, James Nathan Webster

Graduate Research Papers

The principles and ideology of management have been around for thousands of years. "Before industrialization, organizations were primarily the household, the tribe, the church, the military, and government" (Wren, 1987, p. 13). It was very rare for people to gather and organize outside of these structures prior to the industrial revolution. As mankind and civilization have progressed, the power of organizations has shifted throughout time. In the time of Confucius, government positions were of the utmost respect, and Confucius taught that positions of power "should go to men of proven merit and ability" (Wren, 1987, p. 14). The ancient Egyptians …

On The Accuracy Of Classical And Long Wavelength Approximations For Phonon Transport In Graphene, Dhruv Singh, Jayathi Murthy, Timothy S. Fisher

Birck and NCN Publications

This paper presents a critical evaluation of the approximations usually made in thermal conductivity modeling applied to graphene. The baseline for comparison is thermal conductivity computations performed using a rigorous calculation of three-phonon scattering events and accounting for the anharmonicity of interatomic forces. Three central assumptions that underlie published theories are evaluated and shown to compromise the accuracy of thermal conductivity predictions. It is shown that the use of classical phonon occupation statistics in place of the Bose-Einstein distribution causes the overprediction of specific heat and the underprediction of phonon relaxation time; for ZA phonons, the classical approximation can underpredict …

City Of Industry: Los Efectos Concretos En El Condado De Los Angeles En La Economía, El Medio Ambiente Y La Salud Pública, Christina Andrea Hernandez

World Languages and Cultures

This project attempts to document the development of the City of Industry, located in eastern Los Angeles County, and to examine the environmental as well as socio-economic effects this industrial hub maintains on its surrounding neighborhoods. City of Industry, since its incorporation in 1957, has established an alarming precedent as a privatized city that has informed concrete changes in the local economy, the environment, and the public health of the surrounding communities that are predominantly Latina(o).

The research undertaken for this project represents an interdisciplinary intersection of a special topic in the study of Industrial Engineering: the global logistics industry, …

Simulation-Based Optimisation Model For The Lean Assessment In Sme: A Case Study, Amr Arisha, Amr Mahfouz, John Shea

Conference papers

Due to their space limitation and small production scale, small and medium enterprises (SME) are vulner-able to rapid changes. Lean principles are considered as effective improvement approach to eliminate sys-tem’s waste and inefficiencies. Although much of the academic materials have addressed the lean practic-es into large, global companies, they can still be adjusted to SMEs. Risks are usually associated with lean implementation process due to the drastic required changes in business policies and operations. Simulation can be successfully used to predict the impact of the proposed changes ahead of the implementation which helps to mitigate risks. Integrating simulation with optimization …

Raytheon Uav Launcher, Chad Amonn, Spencer Chin, Alexander (Alex) Deuitch, Mark Jastrzebski

Mechanical Engineering

No abstract provided.

Cplop - Cal Poly's Library Of Pyroprints, Kevin Webb

Computer Engineering

California Polytechnic Library of Pyroprints, CPLOP, is a web driven data-base application that stores data from the biology’s departments E. coli Pyrosequencing project. Some of this data was stored in Excel datasheets, while data from the pyrosequencing machines was stored as just a list of random .xml files. There was no useful way to organize and store the massive amounts of data from multiple file sources in one location, nor to perform the complicated searches and comparisons that the project requires. CPLOP’s primary goal is to store such data in three organized tables that relate to one another. It was …

Development And Application Of A Three-Dimensional Probabilistic Wind-Borne Debris Trajectory Model, James Grayson

All Theses

This research presents a probabilistic debris trajectory model adapted from current 6-degree-of-freedom (6-DoF) deterministic models, in which the aleatoric (inherent) uncertainty is explicitly considered in the proposed probabilistic model. While the inherent randomness in the debris flight trajectory is irreducible due to the wind turbulence, variation in wind direction, gustiness of the wind event and so forth, the proposed probabilistic model seeks to address these uncertainties through Monte Carlo simulations with the appropriate statistical distributions applied to the governing equations of motion of the debris. Verification of the probabilistic debris trajectory model is performed through an analytical and visual comparison …

An Investigation Into Temperature Trending In Railroad Tapered Roller Bearings Through Vibration Monitoring Techniques, Rafael Kristian Maldonado

Theses and Dissertations - UTB/UTPA

A series of laboratory experiments have been conducted at The University of Texas-Pan American to investigate the cause of bearing “temperature trending.” A combination of theoretical and experimental studies has identified potential sources for the abrupt changes in temperature often seen in railroad bearings. Previous studies suggest the possibility of vibration induced roller misalignment as the root cause for temperature trending. Subsequent research conducted by the UTPA team was designed to provide evidence through vibration monitoring techniques for the proposed hypothesis. To that end, a dynamic bearing tester was used to run four bearings at various speeds and loads experienced …