Engineering Commons^™

Asce 7–05 Design Rule For Relative Strength In A Tall Buckling-Restrained Braced Frame Dual System, Lisa J. Aukeman

Master's Theses

In mid- to high-rise structures, dual systems (DS) enable a structural designer to satisfy the stringent drift limitations of current codes without compromising ductility. Currently, ASCE 7-05 permits a variety of structural systems to be used in combination as a dual system yet the design requirements are limited to the following statement: Moment frames must be capable of resisting 25% of the seismic forces while the moment frames and braced frames or shear walls must be capable of resisting the entire seismic forces in proportion to their relative rigidities.

This thesis assesses the significance of the 25% design requirement for …

Optimization Of Point-Of-Use Water Treatment Device For Disaster Relief, Margaret June Herzog

Master's Theses

Point-of-use (POU) drinking water treatment is a common method of providing drinking water in disaster relief situations when critical water infrastructure is damaged. In these cases, POU treatment devices can be used to treat local water until relief organizations set up more permanent water provision methods. One such POU technology is PŪR^® Purifier of Water, a combined coagulation/flocculation and disinfection chemical treatment sachet produced by Procter & Gamble. PŪR^® has been shown to treat contaminated water to meet water quality standards and guidelines set by the U.S. EPA for water purifiers and by the World Health Organization and …

Water And Air Quality Performance Of A Reciprocating Biofilter Treating Dairy Wastewater, Seppi Matthew Henneman

Master's Theses

ABSTRACT

Water and Air Quality Performance of a Reciprocating

Biofilter Treating Dairy Wastewater

Seppi Matthew Henneman

Agricultural non-point source pollution is the leading water quality problem in surface water and the second leading problem in ground water in the US.  Among the contaminants, nutrients (such as nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium) can be transported from agricultural fields when cropland is not managed properly.  In California, dairy manure application to cropland has become tightly regulated with the goal of decreasing such nutrient pollution.  Dairies unable to balance their manure nutrient supply with cropland application area may benefit from a nitrogen removal technology.  One …

An Investigative Study Of Gurney Flaps On A Naca 0036 Airfoil, Gregory F. Altmann

Master's Theses

This project examined the effect of Gurney flaps on a 2D, 2-ft chord NACA 0036 airfoil in the Cal Poly 3’x4’ low speed wind tunnel at 25 m/s.  It also covered the numerical simulation of the experiment in computational fluid dynamics (CFD).  During the study, problems with the wind tunnel data were seen.  After a careful diagnosis, the problem was traced to dirty flow conditioners which were subsequently replaced.

Five Gurney flaps at 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5% of the chord were tested.  The Gurney flaps had the effect of eliminating the lift reversal effect and lowering the profile …

A Study Into The Use Of Microprocessor Relays For Motor Operated Valve (Mov) Electrical Protection In Nuclear Power Plants, James Andrew Tuccillo

Master's Theses

Motor Operated Valves (MOVs) are electro-mechanical components used to isolate, divert, or introduce fluid flow. The use of microprocessor relays for actuator motor electrical protection within nuclear power plants is the focus of this thesis and is implemented by providing a new and enhanced protection scheme that provides the adequate conservatism necessary to ensure valve operation while still maintaining electrical safety and continued operational availability. The comprehensive protection scheme is designed around an advanced microprocessor relay that has the ability to simulate the thermal overload conditions of a motor operating into a destructive thermal region. Through laboratory testing, the validity …

A Petri Net Simulation Model For Virtual Construction Of Earthmoving Operations, F. F. Cheng, Y. W. Wang, Yong Bai

Civil and Environmental Engineering Faculty Research and Publications

A common and extended Petri net simulation framework for virtual construction of earthmoving operations is developed to simulate dynamic changes of workflow and information flow in the earthmoving construction process and illustrate the constraint relationship between various operational equipment and construction restrictions. The proposed framework considers factors that influence earthmoving operations including randomness of construction activities, individual preference of equipment scheduling, and constraint relationship between equipment and construction environment. With the given equipment availability and project indirect cost, the framework can predict construction situation, equipment utilization rate, estimated duration and cost to achieve visualized and intelligent scheduling of virtual construction …

Case Study Evaluation Of Dynamic Traffic Assignment Tools, John Gliebe, Åsa Bergman

Urban Studies and Planning Faculty Publications and Presentations

A case study was undertaken in order to evaluate the potential use of dynamic traffic assignment (DTA) tools by Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT) and its partner agencies. The objectives of this study were to provide insight into the nature of DTA models, to inform the program selection process, and to develop realistic expectations for potential DTA work plans. The overarching goal of this report is to describe the process followed and experiences of the study team in developing and testing DTA network models. Two available DTA programs were selected for in-depth analysis from a preliminary screening of available programs: …

Causes And Countermeasures Related To Motorcycle Crashes, Kenneth R. Agent, Jerry G. Pigman

Kentucky Transportation Center Research Report

The number of motorcycle crashes (especially fatal crashes) has increased substantially in Kentucky in the past several years. A detailed analysis of crashes involving motorcycles could provide insight into the characteristics and causes of these crashes and identify potential countermeasures for addressing the problem. The objectives of this study were to: a) evaluate and analyze motorcycle crashes and b) identify the causes and potential countermeasures to reduce the number and severity of the crashes.

The literature was reviewed to determine the state-of-the-art related to motorcycle crash research. An analysis of traffic crashes involving motorcycles was conducted using several years of …

Rough Consensus And Running Code: Integrating Engineering Principles Into Internet Policy Debates, Christopher S. Yoo

Federal Communications Law Journal

Symposium: Rough Consensus and Running Code: Integrating Engineering Principles into Internet Policy Debates, held at the University of Pennsylvania's Center for Technology Innovation and Competition on May 6-7, 2010.

The End-To-End Argument And Application Design: The Role Of Trust, David D. Clark, Marjory S. Blumenthal

Federal Communications Law Journal

Symposium: Rough Consensus and Running Code: Integrating Engineering Principles into Internet Policy Debates, held at the University of Pennsylvania's Center for Technology Innovation and Competition on May 6-7, 2010.

Policy debates about the evolution of the Internet show varying degrees of understanding about the underlying technology. A fundamental principle of the design of the Internet, from the early 1980s, is the so-called "end-to-end argument" articulated in a seminal technical paper. Intended to provide guidance for what kind of capability is built into a network as opposed to the devices that use the network, the end-to-end argument has been invoked in …

Analysis Of Heat Effects On Marine Corps Am2 Mat Mechanical Properties, V. Vega, U. N. Huynh, J. Holmes, J. Dechellis, P. Stoyanov, D. Piatkowski, E. W. Lee, J. Ogren, N. Drusina, Omar S. Es-Said

Mechanical Engineering Faculty Works

Navy AM2 mats are used as portable aircraft landing platforms for the Short Take-off/Vertical Landing (STOVL) aircraft operations. This investigation presents the study performed to determine whether the surface discoloration is a precursor to degradation in the mechanical property of the AM2 mat material. The red discoloration on the mat surfaces had a clear correlation with the decrease in yield strength, ultimate strength, and hardness properties.

An Augmented Electric Field Integral Equation For Layered Medium Green's Function, Yongpin P. Chen, Lijun Jiang, Zhi Guo Qian, Weng Cho Chew

Electrical and Computer Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

This paper proposes an augmented electric field integral equation (A-EFIE) for layered medium Green's function. The newly developed matrix-friendly formulation of layered medium Green's function is applied in this method. By separating charge as extra unknown list, and enforcing the current continuity equation, the traditional EFIE can be cast into a generalized saddle-point system. Frequency scaling for the matrix-friendly formulation is analyzed when frequency tends to zero. Rank deficiency and the charge neutrality enforcement of the A-EFIE for layered medium Green's function is discussed in detail. The electrostatic limit of the A-EFIE is also analyzed. Without any topological loop-searching algorithm, …

Oversampled Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing In Doubly Selective Fading Channels, Jingxian Wu, Yahong Rosa Zheng

Electrical and Computer Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

A new oversampled orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OOFDM) scheme is proposed for doubly selective fading environment. the proposed OOFDM scheme employs oversampling in the time domain and linear processing in the frequency domain, both at the receiver without changing the structure of conventional orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) transmitters. the time-frequency processing enables a two-dimensional Doppler-frequency grid of the fading channel, such that each data symbol is modeled equivalently as being transmitted at multiple subcarriers and various Doppler spreads simultaneously, while retaining the same spectral efficiency as conventional OFDM systems. Optimum combining ensures coherent combining of the data samples spread …

A Peridynamic Formulation For Transient Heat Conduction In Bodies With Evolving Discontinuities, Monchai Duangpanya

Department of Engineering Mechanics: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Modeling heat flow in bodies with discontinuities, such as cracks, or with inclusions that have different thermal properties has been a very challenging problem. Classical models lead to infinite heat fluxes at the tip of a crack and convergence of numerical methods that approximate solutions to such models have convergence and mesh dependency issues. To remove the difficulties faced by the classical models a novel nonlocal theory is formulated.
The new theory starts from the conservation of energy principle and uses the idea of nonlocal heat-transfer between material points. This idea leads to a transient heat transfer model that does …

Deterministic Integrated Tuning Of Multicavity Resonances And Phase For Slow-Light In Coupled Photonic Crystal Cavities, T. Gu, S. Kocaman, Xiaodong Yang, J. F. Mcmillan, M. B. Yu, G.-Q. Lo, D.-L. Kwong, C. W. Wong

Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

We present the integrated chip-scale tuning of multiple photonic crystal cavities. The optimized implementation allows effective and precise tuning of multiple cavity resonances (up to ~1.60 nm/mW) and intercavity phase (~0.038 π/mW) by direct local temperature tuning on suspended silicon nanomembranes. Through designing the serpentine metal electrodes and careful electron-beam alignment to avoid cavity mode overlap, the coupled photonic crystal L3 cavities preserve their high quality factors. The deterministic resonance and phase control enables switching between the all-optical analog of electromagnetically-induced-transparency to flat-top filter lineshapes, with future applications of trapping photons and optoelectronic modulators.

Synthesis Of Latex Based Antibacterial Acrylate Polymer/Nanosilver Via In Situ Miniemulsion Polymerization, Mostafa Yazdi Mamaghani, Malihe Pishvaei, Babak Kaffashi

Chemical and Biochemical Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Silver nanoparticles were incorporated into poly-{methyl methacrylate-butyl acrylate-acrylic acid} using two different approaches. The first approach was based on dispersing the nano silver particles in acrylic latex (previously synthesized by the emulsion polymerization) and the second is the in-situ polymerization of acrylate monomers in the presence of silver nanoparticles by Mini emulsion polymerization. Mini emulsion polymerization can yield a better dispersion of nano silver in the polymeric particles because organic particles can be dispersed directly in the monomer droplets becoming encapsulated upon polymerization. Morphological investigations were performed using SEM and TEM. FTIR and thermal analyses revealed the silver nanoparticles to …

Postearthquake Recovery Of A Water Distribution System: Discrete Event Simulation Using Colored Petri Nets, Ronaldo Luna, Nandini Balakrishnan, Cihan H. Dagli

Civil, Architectural and Environmental Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Planning and preparedness is essential for any resilient infrastructure system. Modeling and simulation give engineers and planners a better understanding of the system and help them make better decisions. the objective of this study is to demonstrate an improved model for the disaster restoration process by using a discrete event simulation approach. the study also aims to help improve the post-earthquake restoration process by simulating restoration curves. in this paper, colored Petri nets are used to model the system and to simulate its behavior. the resource allocation after a rare event such as an earthquake differs from the resource allocation …

Particle Swarm Optimization In Wireless-Sensor Networks: A Brief Survey, Raghavendra V. Kulkarni, Ganesh K. Venayagamoorthy

Electrical and Computer Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Wireless-sensor networks (WSNs) are networks of autonomous nodes used for monitoring an environment. Developers of WSNs face challenges that arise from communication link failures, memory and computational constraints, and limited energy. Many issues in WSNs are formulated as multidimensional optimization problems and approached through bioinspired techniques. Particle swarm optimization (PSO) is a simple, effective, and computationally efficient optimization algorithm. It has been applied to address WSN issues such as optimal deployment, node localization, clustering, and data aggregation. This paper outlines issues in WSNs, introduces PSO, and discusses its suitability for WSN applications. It also presents a brief survey of how …

Off-Grid Photovoltaic System Design Project, Brian Duffy

Electrical Engineering

This project uses the BP SX 150S solar panel to charge a 12 V battery. This battery powers an AIMS 400 W Modified Sine Wave Inverter to provide 120 V RMS AC power to a load of up to 40 W. Inverter efficiency was measured at different load conditions. A control circuit was implemented to prevent overcharging or over-discharging of the battery, by disconnecting it from the panel or the load, respectively. The control circuit turn-on and cutoff voltages were measured versus battery voltage, and the on-resistance of the MOSFET switches was measured for various load currents. A table of …

A Study Of Osteocyte Apoptosis By Region And Quadrant In Murine Cortical Bone, Jessica Kristen Chan

Master's Theses

ABSTRACT

A Study of Osteocyte Apoptosis by Region and Quadrant in Murine Cortical Bone

Jessica Kristen Chan

Osteocytes undergo apoptosis to spatially and temporally initiate bone remodeling.  This study investigates the distribution of apoptotic osteocytes within different quadrants and regions of cortical bone and compares the frequency of osteocyte apoptosis to regional factors associated with bone remodeling.  Specifically, the quantity of apoptosis was compared to levels of the bone morphagenic protein antagonists noggin and gremlin.  Samples of unloaded right tibial bone obtained from C57/Bl/6 mice underwent TUNEL staining for apoptotic osteocytes and were counterstained with methyl green to detect osteocyte …

Universal Engineering Programmer – An In-House Development Tool For Developing And Testing Implantable Medical Devices In St. Jude Medical, Khoa Tat Do

Master's Theses

During development and testing of the functionality of the pacemaker and defibrillator device, engineers in the St. Jude Medical Cardiac Rhythm Management Division use an in-house development tool called Universal Engineering Programmer (UEP) to ensure the device functions as expected, before it can be used to test on an animal or a human during the implantation process.  In addition, some applications of UEP are incorporated into the official releases of the device product.  UEP has been developed and used by engineers across departments in the St. Jude Medical Cardiac Rhythm Management Division (CRMD).  This thesis covers the flexible and reusable …

Ambulatory Healthcare Utilization In The United States: A System Dynamics Approach, Rafael Diaz, Joshua G. Behr, Mandar Tulpule

VMASC Publications

Ambulatory health care needs within the United States are served by a wide range of hospitals, clinics, and private practices. The Emergency Department (ED) functions as an important point of supply for ambulatory healthcare services. Growth in our aging populations as well as changes stemming from broader healthcare reform are expected to continue trend in congestion and increasing demand for ED services. While congestion is, in part, a manifestation of unmatched demand, the state of the alignment between the demand for, and supply of, emergency department services affects quality of care and profitability. The central focus of this research is …

Estimating Cargo Airdrop Collateral Damage Risk, Vincent R. Cammarano

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this research is to determine an appropriate method for estimating cargo airdrop collateral damage risk. Specifically, this thesis answers the question: How can mission planners accurately predict airdrop collateral damage risk? The question is answered through a literature review and a thorough examination of a data set of real world airdrop scoring data. The data were examined to determine critical factors that affect airdrop error risks as well as to determine the characteristics of airdrop error patterns. Through this research it was determined that bivariate normal distributions with parameters pairs determined by empirical data are appropriate for …

Analysis Of Interband, Intraband, And Plasmon Polariton Transitions In Silver Nanoparticle Films Via In Situ Real-Time Spectroscopic Ellipsometry, S. A. Little, R. W. Collins, S. Marsillac

Electrical & Computer Engineering Faculty Publications

The dielectric function of Ag nanoparticle films, deduced from an analysis of in situ real-time spectroscopic ellipsometry (RTSE) measurements, is found to evolve with time during deposition in close consistency with the film structure, deduced in the same RTSE analysis. In the nucleation regime, the intraband dielectric function component is absent and plasmon polariton behavior dominates. Only at nuclei contact, does the intraband amplitude appear, increasing above zero. Both intraband and plasmon amplitudes coexist during surface smoothening associated with coalescence. The intraband relaxation time increases rapidly after surface smoothening is complete, also in consistency with the thin film structural evolution.

Two Element Linear Strength Vortex Panel Method, Clifton A. Cox

Aerospace Engineering

A linear strength vortex panel method was developed to predict the C_p and C_l for a lifting two element airfoil. The linear strength vortex panel method was first validated against thin airfoil theory and experimental data for a single NACA 2412 airfoil. At 2 degrees angle of attack, the linear strength vortex panel method predicted a C_l of about 0.49. Experimental data and thin airfoil theory gave C_l estimations of 0.45 and 0.22 respectively. The Matlab code was then modified to accept a two element airfoil. The two key modifications were the separation of the two …

The Biomechanics Of Varied Proximal Locking Screw Configurations In A Synthetic Model Of Proximal Third Tibial Fracture Fixation, Philip R. Wolinsky, Douglas Dennis, Brett D. Crist, Shane Curtiss, Scott J. Hazelwood

Biomedical Engineering

Objective: To determine if 1) angularly stable devices created by compressing (‘‘locking’’) proximal locking screws to intramedullary nails using end caps or compression screws or 2) increasing the number of proximal screws from two to three increases the stiffness of intramedullary constructs that stabilize proximal third tibia fractures in a nonosteopenic bone model.

Methods: Four proximal locking screw configurations were examined in a synthetic composite tibia model with a 2-cm gap simulating a comminuted proximal third tibia fracture with no bony contact: 1) two proximal screws not compressed to the nail; 2) one of two proximal screws compressed to …

The Fresh Express Lean Changeover Project, Mario Borbas

Industrial Technology and Packaging

In the current economic turmoil, industry leaders across the globe are resorting to means of increasing efficiency without having a large initial investment.  Lean manufacturing principles have been adopted by companies because of its ability to increase throughput, lower overhead, reduce waste, and increase the overall quality of products.  The value of lean manufacturing solutions has been increasing in the past decade and continues to increase into 2011.

This project is centered on a current situation regarding a changeover process that has recently been made more efficient. The goal is to create new ways to make this same process even …

Material Reduction In Corrugated Containers For The Fresh Produce Industry, Justin Patterson

Industrial Technology and Packaging

In the fresh produce industry, corrugated containers must be made to provide adequate protection throughout the product life cycle. In response to increasing materials costs in the corrugated industry, companies are focusing upon developing more efficient packaging designs.  The scope of this project focuses on presenting alternative corrugated packaging designs for the fresh produce industry.  Included are one piece designs, three piece bliss designs and alternative material exploration.  This project presents the performance of new solutions by exploring their compressive strength before and after exposure to humidity.

Corrosion-Resistant Glasses For Steel Enamels, Richard K. Brow, Signo Tadeu Dos Reis, Michael L. Koenigstein, Genda Chen

Materials Science and Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

A cementitious composite material wherein glass-coated steel rods are positioned in a cementitious matrix. The glass composition for coating the steel reinforcing rods includes between about 33-45 weight percent SiO₂, 13.5-19.5 weight percent B₂O₃, 3.5-4.6 weight percent Al₂O₃, 4.0-13.5 weight percent K₂O, 5.5-15.5 weight percent ZrO₂, 8.6-15.9 weight percent Na₂O, 4.6-5.1 weight percent CaO, 0.6-0.7 weight percent MnO₂, 1.0-1.0 weight percent NiO, and 1.0-1.1 weight percent CoO. The glass composition is typically in compression on the rods at ambient temperatures, has a …

2011 Directory Of Indiana State, County, City And Town Officials Responsible For Road And Street Work, Indiana Ltap

Indiana Local Technical Assistance Program (LTAP) Directory

Contact information for local agency officials and employees responsible for Indiana’s local road infrastructure.