Engineering Commons^™

Trust Evaluation Model With Regard To The Role Of Engineer In Public Construction Projects In Taiwan, Wen-Lin Tzeng, John Chien-Chung Li

Journal of Marine Science and Technology–Taiwan

In view of the client distrust in engineer, in the current context in Taiwan, it is uncommon to employ private engineers for public construction projects. In this study, which analyzed data of the period between 2003 and 2006, a questionnaire was administered to collate the viewpoints of clients, contractors, and architects/engineers (A/Es) involved in public construction projects that employed engineer. The opinions of participants regarding trust factors that influenced client evaluations of engineer were analyzed. Twenty-six trust factors were analyzed via interviews and a literature review. These factors were grouped using the principal component method and the varimax rotation approach. …

Security Monitoring System For A Bulk Foodstuff Transport Container, Christopher Dwight Thompson, Suraj M. Alexander, William L. Christ, Brian D. Luck, James Ryan Moore, Jonathan C. Paschal, Frederick Payne, Timothy S. Stombaugh, Nasrin Tabayehnejad, Phillip C. Womble

Biosystems and Agricultural Engineering Faculty Patents

A security monitoring system provides for the secure transport of a bulk foodstuff container. The system includes an electromechanical locking mechanism allowing access by only authorized persons, a positional locator for determining the geographical position of the bulk foodstuff transport container, and a controller associated with the transport container. The controller controls operation of the electromechanical locking mechanism, stores data received from the electromechanical locking mechanism and the positional locator, and communicates with a remote data processor in near real time. A handheld user interface device is configured to control operation of the controller, to process and store data received …

A Controllable Membrane-Type Humidifier For Fuel Cell Applications-Part Ii: Controller Design, Analysis And Implementation, Denise A. Mckay, Anna G. Stefanopoulou, Jeffrey Cook

Engineering: Faculty Publications

A membrane-based gas humidification apparatus was employed to actively manage the amount of water vapor entrained in the reactant gas supplied to a fuel cell stack. The humidification system utilizes a gas bypass and a series of heaters to achieve accurate and fast humidity and temperature control. A change in fuel cell load induces a reactant mass flow rate disturbance to this humidification system. If not well regulated, this disturbance creates undesirable condensation and evaporation dynamics, both to the humidification system and the fuel cell stack. Therefore, controllers were devised, tuned, and employed for temperature reference tracking and disturbance rejection. …

Due-Date Assignment And Optional Maintenance Activity Scheduling Problem With Linear Deterioreting Jobs, Chou-Jung Hsu, Suh-Jenq Yang, Dar-Li Yang

Journal of Marine Science and Technology–Taiwan

The focus of this work is to analyze linear deteriorating jobs in a single-machine scheduling problem with due-date assignment and maintenance activity. The linear deteriorating jobs means its processing time is an increasing function of their starting time. The objective is to minimize the total of earliness, tardiness and due-date cost. To solve the scheduling problem addressed in this work, we have to determine the job sequence, the common due-date, and the location of a maintenance activity. We show that the problem can be solved optimally in O(n2 log n) time.

Selection Of The Width Of A Caisson, Chi Chao David Tung, Jaw Guei Lin

Journal of Marine Science and Technology–Taiwan

This study is concerned with the selection of the width of a caisson. At present, the width is determined based on the consideration that, struck by a prescribed design impulsive breaking wave force, a caisson must remain stable against sliding and rocking. In this study, the problem is formulated in a different way. The equations of equilibrium of a caisson, together with the criteria for the caisson to remain at rest, are used to derive expressions for the selection of the width. The criteria of a rest mode are presented graphically using the applied force as the abscissa and the …

Behavior Of Cations In Mortar Under Accelerated Lithium Migration Technique Controlled By A Constant Voltage, Chih-Chien Liu, Wei-Chien Wang, Chau Lee

Journal of Marine Science and Technology–Taiwan

The Accelerated Lithium Migration Technique (ALMT) is an electrochemical method to remove Na+ and K+ from concrete, and simultaneously drive Li+ into concrete to inhibit alkali-silica reaction (ASR). This study investigates the relationship between the applied voltage and the migration behavior of cations related to ASR. The results show that after the completion of Na+ and K+ removal, migration of Li+ begins to enter a steady state. With the increase in applied voltage, the removal rate and removable amount of alkalis increases, the required time of alkalis removal and the time for Li+ to pass through the specimen decreases, and …

A Novel Particle Swarm Optimization Algorithm Solution Of Economic Dispatch With Valve Point Loading, Chun-Lung Chen, Rong-Mow Jan, Tsung-Ying Lee, Cheng-Hsiung Chen

Journal of Marine Science and Technology–Taiwan

It is widely recognized that a proper schedule of available generating units may save utilities millions of dollars per year in production costs. A novel particle swarm optimization (PSO) combined with the direct search method (DSM) is developed in this paper for the solution of economic dispatch (ED) problem with valve-point effect. A new inertia weight mechanism is incorporated into PSO to enhance its search capacity that leads to a higher probability of obtaining the global optimal solution. The main attractive feature of the proposed inertia weight mechanism is to monitor the weights of particles, which were linearly decreased in …

Strategies In Using Numerical Wave Models In Ocean/Coastal Applications, Eugen Rusu

Journal of Marine Science and Technology–Taiwan

The objective of the present work is to illustrate the performances of the numerical wave models in ocean and coastal environment. Third generation wave models are considered nowadays the most appropriate for such task. These are full spectral models based on the integration on the wave energy (or alternatively wave action) balance equation. In order to cover more aspects related with the modelling process hindcast, nowcast and forecast schemes are discussed and illustrated along six case studies. The major model used was SWAN (acronym for Simulating Waves Nearshore) which is a very flexible model that can be applied in a …

Numerical Solutions Of Differential-Algebraic Equations And Its Applications In Solving Tppc Problems, He-Sheng Wang, Wei-Lun Jhu, Chee-Fai Yung, Ping-Feng Wang

Journal of Marine Science and Technology–Taiwan

In this paper, we present a numerical method for solving nonlinear differential algebraic equations (DAE’s) based on the backward differential formulas (BDF) and the Pade series. Usefulness of the method is then illustrated by a numerical example, which is concerned with the derivation of the optimal guidance law for spacecraft. This kind of problems is called trajectory-prescribed path control (TPPC) in the literature. We reformulate the problem as a Hamiltonian DAE system (usually with a higher index). After establishing the system of spacecraft dynamics, we can derive the optimal guidance law of the system by the proposed numerical method.

An Experimental Study On Hydrodynamic Characteristics Of Gliding-Hydrofoil Craft, Shu Ling Chen, Song Lin Yang, Qingwei Ma

Journal of Marine Science and Technology–Taiwan

The Gliding-Hydrofoil Craft (GHC) has been recently proposed by the authors from JUST, which is partially similar to a planing craft but has a hydrofoil installed in the front part of the ship. To study its hydrodynamic characteristics, model tests are carried out in a towing tank, and the total resistance, trim angle and wetted area of the craft in the cases with different Froude numbers are measured. This paper presents analysis on the experimental data and discusses the effects of the submerged depth and initial attack angle of the hydrofoil.

Computing Multiscale Entropy With Orthogonal Range Search, Yu-Hsiang Pan, Wei-Yen Lin, Yung-Hung Wang, Kuo-Tien Lee

Journal of Marine Science and Technology–Taiwan

Multi-scale entropy (MSE) is a measurement of a system's complexity. It has received a great deal of attention in recent years, and its effectiveness has been verified, and applied in a number of different fields. However, the algorithms proposed in past studies required O(N2 ), which represented a degree of execution time insufficient for on-line applications, or for applications with long-term correlations. In this study, we showed that the probability function in the entropy term could be transformed into an orthogonal range search in the field of computational geometry. We then developed an efficient new algorithm for computing multi-scale entropy. …

Sensitivity Of High-Speed Lightwave System Receivers Using Inalas Avalanche Photodiodes, Daniel S.G. Ong, Majeed M. Hayat, John P.R. David, Jo Shien Ng

Electrical and Computer Engineering Faculty Research and Publications

Calculations based on a rigorous analytical model are carried out to compare the sensitivity of optical receivers that use InP and In_0.52Al_0.48As avalanche photodiodes (APDs). The model includes the effects of intersymbol interference, tunneling current, avalanche noise and its correlation with the stochastic avalanche duration, dead space, and transimpedance amplifier noise. For a 10-Gb/s system with a bit-error rate of 10^-12, the optimum receiver sensitivity predicted for In_0.52Al_0.48As and InP APDs is -28.6 and -28.1 dBm, respectively, corresponding to a reduction of 11% in optical signal power for receivers using …

On Reducing Communication Energy Using Cross-Sensor Coding Technique, Kien Nguyen, Thinh Nguyen, Sen-Ching Cheung

Electrical and Computer Engineering Faculty Publications

This paper addresses the uneven communication energy problem in data gathering sensor networks where the nodes closer to the sink tend to consume more energy than those of the farther nodes. Consequently, the lifetime of a network is significantly shortened. We propose a cross-sensor coding technique using On-Off keying which exploits (a) the tradeoff between delay and energy consumption and (b) the network topology in order to alleviate the problem of unequal energy consumption. We formulate our coding problem as an integer linear programming problem and show how to construct a number of codes based on different criteria. We show …

Slides: Environmental Water In Australia, Chris Arnott

Conversation with Water Management Reps from Colorado and Australia: "Adapting to Climate Change: Lessons Learned from Australia" (February 14)

Presenter: Chris Arnott, Managing Director, Alluvium Consulting

30 slides

Slides: Adapting To Climate Change: Lessons Learnt From The Australian Water Experience, Will Fargher

Conversation with Water Management Reps from Colorado and Australia: "Adapting to Climate Change: Lessons Learned from Australia" (February 14)

Presenter: Will Fargher, National Water Commission, Australian Government

18 slides [4 have titles only and are missing images]

Ceas E-News 02.14.2011, College Of Engineering And Applied Sciences

College of Engineering and Applied Sciences News

32nd Annual Engineers Week Dinner and Career Fair

Modeling And Control Of Space Vehicles With Fuel Slosh Dynamics, Mahmut Reyhanoglu

Physical Sciences - Daytona Beach

"Ever since the launch of the early high-efficiency rockets, controlling liquid fuel slosh within a launch vehicle has been a major design concern. Moreover, with today's large and complex spacecraft, a substantial mass of fuel is necessary to place them into orbit and to perform orbital maneuvers."--from the book's introduction

Micro-Ct Characterization Of Human Trabecular Bone In Osteogenesis Imperfecta, John Jameson, Carolyne Albert, Peter Smith, Robert C. Molthen, Gerald F. Harris

Biomedical Engineering Faculty Research and Publications

Osteogenesis imperfecta (OI) is a genetic syndrome affecting collagen synthesis and assembly. Its symptoms vary widely but commonly include bone fragility, reduced stature, and bone deformity. Because of the small size and paucity of human specimens, there is a lack of biomechanical data for OI bone. Most literature has focused on histomorphometric analyses, which rely on assumptions to extrapolate 3-D properties. In this study, a micro-computed tomography (μCT) system was used to directly measure structural and mineral properties in pediatric OI bone collected during routine surgical procedures. Surface renderings suggested a poorly organized, plate-like orientation. Patients with a history of …

Analysis And Mitigation Of Seu-Induced Noise In Fpga-Based Dsp Systems, Brian Hogan Pratt

Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation studies the effects of radiation-induced single-event upsets (SEUs) on digital signal processing (DSP) systems designed for field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs). It presents a novel method for evaluating the effects of radiation on DSP and digital communication systems. By using an application-specific measurement of performance in the presence of SEUs, this dissertation demonstrates that only 5-15% of SEUs affecting a communications receiver (i.e. 5-15% of sensitive SEUs) cause critical performance loss. It also reports that the most critical SEUs are those that affect the clock, global reset, and most significant bits (MSBs) of computation. This dissertation also demonstrates …

On The Stability Of A Microstructure Model, Mihhail Berezovski, Arkadi Berezovski

Publications

The asymptotic stability of solutions of the Mindlin-type microstructure model for solids is analyzed in the paper. It is shown that short waves are asymptotically stable even in the case of a weakly non-convex free energy dependence on microdeformation.

On-Orbit Fpga Seu Mitigation And Measurement Experiments On The Cibola Flight Experiment Satellite, William A. Howes

Theses and Dissertations

This work presents on-orbit experiments conducted to validate SEU mitigation and detection techniques on FPGA devices and to measure SEU rates in FPGAs and SDRAM. These experiments were designed for the Cibola Flight Experiment Satellite (CFESat), which is an operational technology pathfinder satellite built around 9 Xilinx Virtex FPGAs and developed at Los Alamos National Laboratory. The on-orbit validation experiments described in this work have operated for over four thousand FPGA device days and have validated a variety of SEU mitigation and detection techniques including triple modular redundancy, duplication with compare, reduced precision redundancy, and SDRAM and FPGA block memory …

Performance Limit Of Image Segmentation Algorithms, Renbin Peng, P. K. Varshney

Electrical Engineering and Computer Science - All Scholarship

Image segmentation is a very important step in image analysis, and performance evaluation of segmentation algorithms plays a key role both in developing efficient algorithms and in selecting suitable methods for the given tasks. Although a number of publications have appeared on segmentation methodology and segmentation performance evaluation, little attention has been given to statistically bounding the performance of image segmentation algorithms. In this paper, a modified Cramér–Rao bound combined with the Affine bias model is employed to determine the performance limit of image segmentation algorithms. A fuzzy segmentation formulation is considered, of which hard segmentation is a special case. …

Design And Analysis Of Blast Induced Traumatic Brain Injury Mechanism Using A Surrogate Headform: Instrumentation And Outcomes, Eyitejumade A. Sogbesan

Department of Mechanical and Materials Engineering: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Brain injury cases in military personnel exposed to improvised explosive devices (IED) in combat have been on the rise. In Iraq and Afghanistan improved helmets and body armor are not enough protection against blast wave threats. The United States military are sponsoring researchers and scientists around the globe to find the associations between pressure waves and traumatic brain injury (TBI).

Lack of accurate data and blast wave exposure information in returning soldiers has slowed the innovation needed to effectively diagnose TBI and other related brain injury as a result of pressure waves. More detailed data will be required to gain …

Apparatus For Converting Direct Current To Alternating Current Using Multiple Converters, Patrick L. Chapman, Brian T. Kuhn, Robert S. Balog, Jonathan W. Kimball, Philip T. Krein, Alexander Gray, T. Esram

Electrical and Computer Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

An inverter for converting an input direct current (DC) waveform from a DC source to an output alternating current (AC) waveform for delivery to an AC grid includes an input converter, an output converter, and an active filter, each of which is electrically coupled to a bus. The bus may be a DC bus or an AC bus. The input converter is configured to convert the input DC waveform to a DC or AC bus waveform. The output converter is configured to convert the bus waveform to the output AC waveform at a grid frequency. The active filter is configured …

Acuta Enews February 2011 Vol. 40, No. 2

ACUTA Newsletters

ln This lssue

From the President........Matt Arthur, Washington Univ. in St. Louis, ACUTA President

Security Snapshot: Texas A&M

Tech Talk: Maybe They Should Call it Copper Peak................... Kevin Tanzillo, Dux PR

Important lssues on Campus Today

Handling Air Travel Frustrations

lT's Funny.............Cartoon Resource

Lightning Round: New at the Conference

Webinar: The Future of the PBX in a University Environment

Learn More about UC, Voice Trends, the Cloud, and More from Your Desktop

Board Report....... George Denbow, Univ. of Texas, Austin

Thanks to Journal Advertisers for 2010

Thanks to Exhibitors and Sponsors at Winter Seminar

lnfo Links ............ Randy Hayes, Univ. …

From Processing Interval-Valued Fuzzy Data To General Type-2: Towards Fast Algorithms, Vladik Kreinovich

Departmental Technical Reports (CS)

Calibration Of Load And Resistance Factors In Lrfd Foundation Design Specifications, Zuocai Wang, Genda Chen, Oh-Sung Kwon, Sarah Orton

Civil, Architectural and Environmental Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

This report summarizes the findings and recommendations on the impact of foundation settlements on the reliability of bridge superstructures. As a collaborative effort of an overall initiative for the development of LRFD foundation design specifications, this study is focused on the investigatio of pros and cons for including foundation settlements in bridge designs under gravity loads. Settlement was modeled both probabilistically and deterministically. In the case of a random settlement variable, a lognormal distribution was used in reliability analysis with a fixed coefficient of variation of 0.25. Dead and live loads were modeled as random variables with normal and Gumbel …

Compressor Performance Map Generation And Testing Per Sae J1723, Jeffrey Lee Freeman

Aerospace Engineering

A MATLAB program was written to plot compressor performance maps for a set of test data that was collected in accordance with SAE J1723 at Vortech Engineering, Inc. Paxton Automotive Corp.'s N2500 supercharger was used as a case example for the program, which was carried through from test stand installation to finalized compressor performance map. A sequence was also developed to interpolate the efficiency of the compressor for a given operational setting. The program was shown to be a great improvement from the previously applied technique for accomplishing the same tasks; it is more accurate in plotting the given data, …

Assessment And Refinement Of Real-Time Travel Time Algorithms For Use In Practice, Phase Ii, Kristin A. Tufte, Soyoung Ahn, Sirisha Murthy Kothuri

TREC Final Reports

The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) has put a high priority on the use of existing dynamic message signs (DMS) to provide travel time estimates to the public. The Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT) has three DMS in the Portland metropolitan area configured to display travel time information. In the near future, ODOT would like to make travel time estimates available on additional DMS, over the Internet on tripcheck.com and via 511. Travel time estimates are valuable to the traveling public; however, the estimates must be accurate to be useful. The purpose of this study is to extend prior travel time …

In Vitro Validation Of Finite-Element Model Of Aaa Hemodynamics Incorporating Realistic Outlet Boundary Conditions, Ethan Kung, Andrea S. Les, Francisco Medina, Ryan B. Wicker, Michael V. Mcconnell, Charles A. Taylor

Publications

The purpose of this study is to validate numerical simulations of flow and pressure in an abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) using phase-contrast magnetic resonance imaging (PCMRI) and an in vitro phantom under physiological flow and pressure conditions. We constructed a two-outlet physical flow phantom based on patient imaging data of an AAA and developed a physical Windkessel model to use as outlet boundary conditions. We then acquired PCMRI data in the phantom while it operated under conditions mimicking a resting and a light exercise physiological state. Next, we performed in silico numerical simulations and compared experimentally measured velocities, flows, and …