Engineering Commons^™

College Of Engineering Senior Design Competition Spring 2011, University Of Nevada, Las Vegas

Fred and Harriet Cox Senior Design Competition Projects

Part of every UNLV engineering student’s academic experience, the senior design project stimulates engineering innovation and entrepreneurship. Each student in their senior year chooses, plans, designs, and prototypes a product in this required element of the curriculum. A capstone to the student’s educational career, the senior design project encourages the student to use everything learned in the engineering program to create a practical, real world solution to an engineering challenge.

The senior design competition helps focus the senior students in increasing the quality and potential for commercial application for their design projects. Judges from local industry evaluate the projects on …

College Of Engineering Senior Design Competition Fall 2011, University Of Nevada, Las Vegas

Fred and Harriet Cox Senior Design Competition Projects

Part of every UNLV engineering student’s academic experience, the senior design project stimulates engineering innovation and entrepreneurship. Each student in their senior year chooses, plans, designs, and prototypes a product in this required element of the curriculum. A capstone to the student’s educational career, the senior design project encourages the student to use everything learned in the engineering program to create a practical, real world solution to an engineering challenge. The senior design competition helps focus the senior students in increasing the quality and potential for commercial application for their design projects. Judges from local industry evaluate the projects on …

Model-Guided Systems Metabolic Engineering Of Clostridium Thermocellum, Christopher Gowen

Theses and Dissertations

Metabolic engineering of microorganisms for chemical production involves the coordination of regulatory, kinetic, and thermodynamic parameters within the context of the entire network, as well as the careful allocation of energetic and structural resources such as ATP, redox potential, and amino acids. The exponential progression of “omics” technologies over the past few decades has transformed our ability to understand these network interactions by generating enormous amounts of data about cell behavior. The great challenge of the new biological era is in processing, integrating, and rationally interpreting all of this information, leading to testable hypotheses. In silico metabolic reconstructions are versatile …

Determination Of Selected Course Management Systems Advantages And Challenges: A Case Study, Dolruedee Suppacheewa

Morehead State Theses and Dissertations

A thesis presented to the faculty of the College of Science and Technology at Morehead State University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Degree of Master of Science by Dolruedee Suppacheewa on May 12, 2011

Evaluation Of Senior Project Group Processes Against Cmmi Standards, Jonathan Winstead

Honors Capstone Projects and Theses

No abstract provided.

Historical Legacies, Information And Contemporary Water Science And Management, Daniel J. Bain, Jennifer A. S. Arrigo, Mark B. Green, Brian A. Pellerin, Charles J. Vörösmarty

Advanced Science Research Center

Hydrologic science has largely built its understanding of the hydrologic cycle using contemporary data sources (i.e., last 100 years). However, as we try to meet water demand over the next 100 years at scales from local to global, we need to expand our scope and embrace other data that address human activities and the alteration of hydrologic systems. For example, the accumulation of human impacts on water systems requires exploration of incompletely documented eras. When examining these historical periods, basic questions relevant to modern systems arise: (1) How is better information incorporated into water management strategies? (2) Does any point …

New Construction Builders Challenge: Sealed Attic And High Efficiency Hvac In Central Florida: A Year In Review Monitored Prototypes - Springwater Homes, Florida Solar Energy Center, Carlos Colon

FSEC Energy Research Center®

In 2010 the Florida Solar Energy Center (FSEC), with funding from the Building America program, was involved with a new Builders Challenge builder located in Rockledge, Florida -- Springwater Homes (see figure 1). The newly constructed home in March 2010, features a sealed attic with R-27 roof deck insulation (shown in figure 2). Selection of the HVAC system, an important aspect to achieve high efficiency levels in buildings, ended with one of the highest residential equipment systems available in the U.S., the Nutone IQ Drive (SEER 21). The house was confirmed with a HERS index of 53 using the EnergyGauge …

Evaluation Of A Lagrangian Discrete Phase Modeling Approach For Application To Industrial Scale Bubbling Fluidized Beds, Schalk Cloete, Shahriar Amini, S.T. Johansen, M. Braun, B. Popoff

10th International Conference on Circulating Fluidized Beds and Fluidization Technology - CFB-10

Industrial scale bubbling fluidized bed simulations were carried out within the Kinetic Theory of Granular Flows (KTGF). The KTGF was applied within two different modelling frameworks, the traditional Two Fluid Model (TFM) and a new approach in the form of the Dense Discrete Phase Model (DDPM), in order to identify any differences in performance. Only the DDPM was able to attain fully grid independent results for industrial scale 2D simulations. In fact, the performance was sufficiently good to enable the completion of reasonably affordable full 3D simulations. These simulations revealed some differences between 2D and 3D, but the global system …

Classification Of Marine Vessels In A Littoral Environment Using A Novel Training Database, Robert Andrew Lister

Master's Theses - Daytona Beach

Research into object classification has led to the creation of hundreds of databases for use as training sets in object classification algorithms. Datasets made up of thousands of cars, people, boats, faces and everyday objects exist for general classification techniques. However, no commercially available database exists for use with detailed classification and categorization of marine vessels commonly found in littoral environments. This research seeks to fill this void and is the combination of a multi-stage research endeavor designed to provide the missing marine vessel ontology. The first of the two stages performed to date introduces a novel training database called …

Determination Of Time-And Height-Resolved Volcanic Ash Emissions And Their Use For Quantitative Ash Dispersion Modeling: The 2010 Eyjafjallajökull Eruption, A. Stohl, A. J. Prata, S. Eckhardt, L. Clarisse, A. Durant, S. Henne, N. I. Kristiansen, A. Minikin, U. Schumann, P. Seibert, K. Stebel, H. E. Thomas, T. Thorsteinsson, K. Tørseth, B. Weinzierl

Michigan Tech Publications, Part 1

The Aprilg-May, 2010 volcanic eruptions of Eyjafjallajökull, Iceland caused significant economic and social disruption in Europe whilst state of the art measurements and ash dispersion forecasts were heavily criticized by the aviation industry. Here we demonstrate for the first time that large improvements can be made in quantitative predictions of the fate of volcanic ash emissions, by using an inversion scheme that couples a priori source information and the output of a Lagrangian dispersion model with satellite data to estimate the volcanic ash source strength as a function of altitude and time. From the inversion, we obtain a total fine …

The Presentation And Perception Of Virtual Textures Through A Haptic Matrix Display Device, Patrick Headley

Theses and Dissertations

Dynamic, refreshable tactile displays offer a method of displaying graphical information to people who are blind or visually impaired. Texture, which is already used as an effective method to present graphical information in physical tactile diagrams, conceivably constitutes the best way to present graphics through a tactile display. This thesis presents the design of a new low-cost haptic matrix display device capable of displaying graphical information through virtual textures. The perception of virtual textures through the display is examined through three main experiments. The first two experiments examine the perception of square wave gratings through the device. The final experiment …

A Discussion Of Anti-Islanding Protection Schemes Incorporated In A Inverter Based Dg, Mohamed Moin Hanif, Malabika Basu, Kevin Gaughan

Conference papers

The discussion in this paper is about the local anti-islanding protection techniques that are incorporated in a inverter based DG. The most widely used passive and active techniques along with their suitability to reduce the Non-detection zone (NDZ) are explained here. The most recent work using wavelet transform which actually reduces the NDZ to zero is also introduced in the last section of the paper.

A Parametric Analysis Of Domestic Electricity Consumption Patterns In Ireland, Fintan Mcloughlin, Aidan Duffy, Michael Conlon

Conference Papers

This paper reports findings from a study of electrical load profiles obtained from a survey of a representative cross section of approximately 4,000 Irish dwellings. Electricity demand was recorded at half-hourly intervals for each dwelling over a six month period from 1st July 2009 to 31st December 2009. Descriptive statistics are shown for each electrical parameter such as mean, maximum demand, load factor and time of use (ToU) of electricity consumption. The mean power demand and daily mean load factor of the sample was 0.512kW and 23.43% respectively for all dwellings over the monitoring period. A mean daily maximum demand …

Passive Matrix Electro-Luminescent Display System, Michael E. Miller, John F. Hamilton Jr., Andrew D. Arnold

AFIT Patents

A passive matrix, electro-luminescent display system has a passive matrix, electro-luminescent display having an orthogonally oriented array of column and row electrodes and an electro-luminescent layer located between the electrodes at the intersection of each column and row electrode forming an individual light-emitting element. Drivers provide separate signals at different times to different groups of row electrodes within the array of row electrodes; wherein the row electrodes of each group simultaneously receive at least two different level signals. A display driver receives and processes the input image signal to provide a presharpened image control signal. Column drivers respond to the …

How Much Do U.S. University Students Know, And Want To Know, About Sustainability And Green Building? The Findings Of A Survey, And Possible Implications For General Elective Curricula., Jeremy R. Farner

Purdue Polytechnic Masters Theses

Using the survey approach, this investigation examined the attitudes and interest of college students at two universities in different geographic locations within the United States.  Approximately 24,000 students from all disciplines and majors at Weber State University (WSU) in Utah, and 4,000 at Purdue University in Indiana, were invited to participate in a study to determine current knowledge, familiarity, and interest in topics within the sustainability and Green Building educational arena. The goal of this study was to determine what students already know, would like to know, and how much interest there would be in developing …

Effects Of Tethering A Multistate Folding Protein To A Surface, Shuai Wei, Thomas A. Knotts Iv

Faculty Publications

Protein/surface interactions are important in a variety of fields and devices, yet fundamental understanding of the relevant phenomena remains fragmented due to resolution limitations of experimental techniques. Molecular simulation has provided useful answers, but such studies have focused on proteins that fold through a two-state process. This study uses simulation to show how surfaces can affect proteins which fold through a multistate process by investigating the folding mechanism of lysozyme (PDB ID: 7LZM). The results demonstrate that in the bulk 7LZM folds through a process with four stable states: the folded state, the unfolded state, and two stable intermediates. The …

Investigation Of Vertical Handoff Techniques In Integrated Wlan/Cellular Networks And Performance Analysis Of Horizon Handoff In Wimax Networks, Elaheh Arabmakki

Morehead State Theses and Dissertations

A thesis presented to the faculty of the College of Science and Technology at Morehead State University in partial fulfillment of the requirement for the Degree of Master of Science by Elaheh Arabmakki May 9, 2011.

Capillary Climb Dynamics In The Limits Of Prevailing Capillary And Gravity Force, B. Bijeljic, B. Markicevic, Homayun K. Navaz

Mechanical Engineering Publications

The dynamics of capillary climb of a wetting liquid into a porous medium that is opposed by gravity force is studied numerically. We use the capillary network model, in which an actual porous medium is represented as a network of pores and throats, each following a predefined size distribution function. The liquid potential in the pores along the liquid interface within the network is calculated as a result of capillary and gravity forces. The solution is general, and accounts for changes in the climbing height and climbing velocity. The numerical results for the capillary climb reveal that there are at …

Hydrodynamic Modeling Of Surface Plasmon Enhanced Photon Induced Current In A Gold Grating, Alex English, Cheng-Wen Cheng, Lloyd Lowe Ii, Min-Hsiung Shih, Wan Kuang

Electrical and Computer Engineering Faculty Publications and Presentations

The current induced by incident photons on an gold grating slab is investigated numerically and experimentally. A semi-classical electrodynamic model is developed under the weak nonlinearity approximation. Electrons in the conduction band are treated as an electron gas in the presence of a self-consistent electromagnetic field. The model is solved by the finite element method and compared with measurements. The calculated current density as a function of incident angle and wavelength is found to be in qualitative agreement with the experimental measurements. The results show that increasing surface plasmon spatial variation enhances photon induced current.

Development Of Physiologic Contact Models For Articular Surfaces, John Owen

Theses and Dissertations

The superficial tangential zone (STZ) plays a significant role in normal articular cartilage’s ability to support loads and retain fluids. To date, tissue engineering efforts have not replicated normal STZ function in cartilage repairs. Finite element models were developed to examine the STZ’s role in normal and repaired articular surfaces under different contact conditions. Models were developed by incrementally adding improvements which culminated in contact loading of curved models by permeable and impermeable rigid surfaces and a normal cartilage layer. In the normal STZ, permeability was strain-dependent on volumetric strain; tension-compression nonlinearity modeled collagen behavior. Nonlinear geometry accounted for finite …

Development Of A Phase Separation Model For A Biodiesel Reactor, Lu Han

Honors Scholar Theses

The goal of this work is to establish a phase separation model for a biodiesel system, for the purpose of modeling a continuous flow multiphase biodiesel reactor. The Cahn-Hilliard theory is applied for a ternary system of two immiscible components and a third partially miscible component. The results of this work shows that phase field theory can be applied in phase modeling of a biodiesel system, and further investigations are required to develop a comprehensive biodiesel reactor model.

Near Infrared Imaging System, Barbara Adu-Baffour

Honors Scholar Theses

This senior project is to design and fabricate a near infrared imaging system using laser diodes for imaging biological tissues. The device will have three major sections comprising the signal source, detection and data analysis sections.

In the source signal section, a circuit would be designed and built which will contain two laser diodes with different wavelengths (780nm and 830nm). Each of the two laser diodes will modulated at different frequencies to enable a spatial coding system. The detection section of the device will have an optical detector channel which will be designed to detect signals from all the laser …

Dynamics Of A Partially Fluid-Filled Sphere, Jeff Hendricks, Taylor W. Killian, Robert A. Klaus, Nick Smith, Tadd T. Truscott

Faculty Publications

We introduce a study on the slosh dynamics of a partially filled elastic sphere. Currently the physical design of fluid-filled containers utilizes clever construction and machinery to mitigate sloshing motions. There are numerous cases that have been observed but we focus on the impact of a sphere under free fall with an initially undisturbed free surface. The study focuses on measurement and simulation of the force distribution between the fluid and the sphere through the use of high-speed imaging and finite element analysis. Using the cavity shape data, a potential flow numerical model is developed that predicts the unsteady forces. …

Rate-Dependent Behavior Of Clay, Harry F. Martindale Iv

Master's Theses

This thesis presents a strain-rate dependent two-surface plasticity constitutive model for clays based on the critical-state soil mechanics.  The model reproduces the mechanical response of clays under multi-axial loading conditions and predicts both drained and undrained behaviors at small and large strains.  Model parameter values are determined for Boston Blue Clay, London Clay and Kaolin Clay.  The performance of the model in simulating the mechanical response of clays is demonstrated for a variety of strain rates. Sensitivity of each model parameter is checked for ±5, ±10 and ±20% of the deterministic values. Probabilistic analysis using Monte Carlo simulations were done …

Noninvasive Assessment Of Joint Motion Over Long Durations: System Evaluation And Data Analysis Methods, Maria J. Qadri

Master's Theses

The development, progression, and treatment of degenerative musculoskeletal diseases, such as carpal tunnel and shoulder impingement syndromes, may be better characterized when joint motions are assessed over long durations outside clinical, laboratory, or rehabilitation settings that involve standardized assessment, exercise protocols, and/or regimented movements. Assessment methods for human movement capture beyond laboratory or clinical experiments are typically limited to short capture times of less than one hour. Noninvasive, long-duration measurements of joint motion in occupational settings provides more insight into movement patterns and quantitative assessments regarding joint usage, which lead to a better understanding of the cumulative effects associated with …

Finite Element Analysis Of The Effect Of Low-Speed Rear End Collisions On The Medial Meniscus, Daniel J. Tichon

Master's Theses

Low-speed, rear end vehicle collisions can inflict soft tissue damage to the passenger’s knees, especially the medial meniscus, which has been previously unexplained in published literature.  It is difficult to determine if factors such as age or other injury was the primary cause of the injury or if the accident acutely caused the meniscal tear.  Rear end collisions may produce a combination of compressive loading and torque about the knee that will injure the medial meniscus during the initial impact and the rebound phase.  The purpose of this study is to determine if it is possible for rear end low-speed …

Public Transit Accessibility And Need Indices: Approaches For Measuring Service Gap, Sha Mamun

Master's Theses

The integration of transit needs into transit accessibility indexing is important for the evaluation of existing transportation systems and, service gaps, and for the identification of priority areas for future investments in transportation infrastructure. This thesis details an accessibility-based transit need indexing model that focuses on the necessity of evaluating transit needs and transit accessibility simultaneously. A need index is developed to identify areas in high need of public transit services using economic and socio-demographic information and a composite accessibility index is developed to identify levels of access to transit services and shortcomings in service provision. The need for transit …

Public Perception Of Public Transportation And Its Built Environment In The New Haven - Springfield Corridor, Garrett S. Bolella

Master's Theses

Studying and quantifying public perception of public transportation and the built environment in which it operates is crucial to understanding the symbiotic relationship between transportation and land use. This paper presents a choice experiment which places respondents into personalized hypothetical scenarios and examines their preferences for new transit service and the environment in which it operates. The choice experiment survey instrument investigates public response to hypothetical bond referenda to fund new transit projects with particular service and built environment attributes. Service options are characterized by six attributes: service type, service reliability, comfort, stop environment, parking availability at final destination, and …

Development & Application Of The Transportation Index For Sustainable Places (Tisp), Jason Zheng

Master's Theses

The purpose of transportation systems go beyond the movement of people and goods. These systems shape the natural and built environment which subsequently affects social and economic interactions. However, conventional metrics typically only address the mobility aspect of transportation via measures such as level of service and congestion. Metrics are needed to evaluate the broader impacts of transportation.

This work describes the Transportation Index for Sustainable Places (TISP), a performance metric designed to assess the sustainability of transportation systems with respect to environmental, social, and economic outcomes. The development of the TISP was guided through literature review focused on understanding …

The Impacts Of Road Capacity Removal, Jason E. Billings

Master's Theses

The road infrastructure of North America is aging, and many governments are faced with a critical decision:  do we repair or remove freeways from our urban centers?  Freeway repair is exceptionally expensive, but removing a freeway is widely seen as a risky venture which may result in negative traffic effects.  Therefore, it is necessary to gain a clearer understanding of how removing road capacity effects traffic distribution.  Three freeway segments were ultimately selected for case study analysis: two in San Francisco and one in Milwaukee.  This analysis consisted of identifying changes in the traffic volumes and volume-capacity (V/C) ratios in …