Engineering Commons^™

A Model Of Housing Design And Neighborhood Planning In Abuja - Nigeria, Ekanem Amba

Master of Technology Management Plan II Graduate Projects

The need for shelter is one of the most important necessities for mankind after sustenance. Over the years, the term ‘shelter’ has undergone series of modification either in shape, space, location or the materials used in constructing them but one thing remains the same; the need for a roof over one’s head is as vital to survival as time in itself.

Developing A Quality Audit Model For The Asq Student Branch At Bgsu, Christopher Stewart

Master of Technology Management Plan II Graduate Projects

This project studied the effects of implementing auditing procedures in a student organization. The research objective in this project was to test whether the quality audit model was suitable for a university student organization. To identify the need for an audit model for the student organization, this project used the ISO 9001, QMS, DID, and DOD models on the accounts from the ASQ Student Branch at BGSU to identify the risk on the business and the cost benefit from the assurance that was offered by the Quality Audit Model. The findings have implications for both future internal auditing and control …

A Carbon Dioxide Comparison Of Open Cut And Pipe Bursting, Akshay Joshi

Master of Technology Management Plan II Graduate Projects

This study focuses on the environmental aspect of the underground utility construction methods namely open-cut and pipe-bursting. The research is aimed at determining the CO2 emission due to the use of construction machinery as well as the excess CO2 emission due to the obstruction to traffic during the construction process. A Gravity sewer project in Bowling Green, OH was used as a case study. Open- cut method was implemented on this project and for the purpose of this research the pipe-bursting method was simulated. A 5100 feet long, 8 inches diameter pipeline was considered at a depth of 10 feet …

Impacts Of Climate Change On Hydrology And Water Resources In The Boise And Spokane River Basins, Xin Jin, Venkataramana Sridhar

Civil Engineering Faculty Publications and Presentations

In the Pacific Northwest, warming climate has resulted in a lengthened growing season, declining snowpack, and earlier timing of spring runoff. This study characterizes the impact of climate change in two basins in Idaho, the Spokane River and the Boise River basins. We simulated the basin-scale hydrology by coupling the downscaled precipitation and temperature outputs from a suite of global climate models and the Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT), between 2010 and 2060 and assess the impacts of climate change on water resources in the region. For the Boise River basin, changes in precipitation ranged from −3.8 to 36%. …

Section Abstracts: Biomedical And General Engineering

Virginia Journal of Science

Abstracts of the Biomedical and General Engineering Section for the 90th Annual Meeting of the Virginia Academy of Science, May 23-25, 2012, Norfolk State University, Norfolk, Virginia.

Use Of Mill Certficates To Establish Material Properties In Testing Of Colf-Formed Steel Compoenents, Tim Stauffer, Paul Mcentee

CCFSS Library (1939 - present)

Testing is often used to establish the available strength of cold-formed steel components. The evaluation of this test data requires adjustment based on the material properties of the tested components to account for values that exceed the minimum specified values. Currently, it is required that this adjustment be based on samples taken from the tested specimen or the flat sheet used to form the test specimen. However, in many cases it is not practical to obtain these samples. Instead, it is desired to permit an alternate that allows the use of mechanical properties reported by the steel supplier. The purpose …

Navigation Of Uncertain Terrain By Fusion Of Information From Real And Synthetic Imagery, Damian M. Lyons, Prem Nirmal, D. Paul Benjamin

Faculty Publications

We consider the scenario where an autonomous platform that is searching or traversing a building may observe unstable masonry or may need to travel over unstable rubble. A purely behaviour-based system may handle these challenges but produce behaviour that works against long-terms goals such as reaching a victim as quickly as possible. We extend our work on ADAPT, a cognitive robotics architecture that incorporates 3D simulation and image fusion, to allow the robot to predict the behaviour of physical phenomena, such as falling masonry, and take actions consonant with long-term goals.

We experimentally evaluate a cognitive only and reactive only …

Using A Virtual World For Robot Planning, D. Paul Benjamin, John V. Monaco, Yixia Lin, Christopher Funk, Damian M. Lyons

Faculty Publications

We are building a robot cognitive architecture that constructs a real-time virtual copy of itself and its environment, including people, and uses the model to process perceptual information and to plan its movements. This paper describes the structure of this architecture. The software components of this architecture include PhysX for the virtual world, OpenCV and the Point Cloud Library for visual processing, and the Soar cognitive architecture that controls the perceptual processing and task planning. The RS (Robot Schemas) language is implemented in Soar, providing the ability to reason about concurrency and time. This Soar/RS component controls visual processing, deciding …

Information Encryption And Retrieval In Mid-Rf Range Using Acousto-Optic Chaos, Monish Ranjan Chatterjee, Abhinay Kundur

Electrical and Computer Engineering Faculty Publications

In recent work, low-frequency AC signal encryption, decryption and retrieval using system-parameter based keys at the receiver stage of an acousto-optic (A-O) Bragg cell under first-order feedback have been demonstrated [1,2]. The corresponding nonlinear dynamics have also been investigated using the Lyapunov exponent and the so-called bifurcation maps [3]. The results were essentially restricted to A-O chaos around 10 KHz, and (baseband) signal bandwidths in the 1-4 KHz range. The results have generally been satisfactory, and parameter tolerances (prior to severe signal distortion at the output) in the ±5% - ±10% range have been obtained.

Periodic AC waveforms, and a …

How To Describe And Propagate Uncertainty When Processing Time Series: Metrological And Computational Challenges, With Potential Applications To Environmental Studies, Christian Servin, Martine Ceberio, Aline Jaimes, Craig Tweedie, Vladik Kreinovich

Departmental Technical Reports (CS)

Time series comes from measurements, and measurements are never absolutely accurate. Traditionally, when we deal with an individual measurement or with a sample of measurement results, we subdivide a measurement error into random and systematic components: systematic error does not change from measurement to measurement which random errors corresponding to different measurements are independent. In time series, when we measure the same quantity at different times, we can also have correlation between measurement errors corresponding to nearby moments of time. To capture this correlation, environmental science researchers proposed to consider the third type of measurement errors: periodic. This extended classification …

Optimizing Computer Representation And Computer Processing Of Epistemic Uncertainty For Risk-Informed Decision Making: Finances Etc., Vladik Kreinovich, Nitaya Buntao, Olga Kosheleva

Departmental Technical Reports (CS)

Uncertainty is usually gauged by using standard statistical characteristics: mean, variance, correlation, etc. Then, we use the known values of these characteristics (or the known bounds on these values) to select a decision. Sometimes, it becomes clear that the selected characteristics do not always describe a situation well; then other known (or new) characteristics are proposed. A good example is description of volatility in finance: it started with variance, and now many descriptions are competing, all with their own advantages and limitations.

In such situations, a natural idea is to come up with characteristics tailored to specific application areas: e.g., …

Department Of Biological Systems Engineering Newsletter, Volume 8, Number 1, April 2012

BSE Department Magazine

No abstract provided.

Aerodynamics Of An Aerofoil In Transonic Ground Effect: Numerical Study At Full-Scale Reynolds Numbers, G. Doig, T. J. Barber, A. J. Neely, D. D. Myre

Aerospace Engineering

The potential positive effects of ground proximity on the aerodynamic performance of a wing or aerofoil have long been established, but at transonic speeds the formation of shock waves between the body and the ground plane would have significant consequences. A numerical study of the aerodynamics of an RAE2822 aerofoil section in ground effect flight was conducted at freestream Mach numbers from 0·5 to 0·9, at a range of ground clearances and angles of incidence. It was found that in general the aerofoil's lifting capability was still improved with decreasing ground clearance up until the point at which a lower …

Microstructural Characterization Of Next Generation Nuclear Graphites, Chinnathambi Karthik, Joshua Kane, Darryl P. Butt, William E. Windes, Rick Ubic

Materials Science and Engineering Faculty Publications and Presentations

This article reports the microstructural characteristics of various petroleum and pitch based nuclear graphites (IG-110, NBG-18, and PCEA) that are of interest to the next generation nuclear plant program. Bright-field transmission electron microscopy imaging was used to identify and understand the different features constituting the microstructure of nuclear graphite such as the filler particles, microcracks, binder phase, rosette-shaped quinoline insoluble (QI) particles, chaotic structures, and turbostratic graphite phase. The dimensions of microcracks were found to vary from a few nanometers to tens of microns. Furthermore, the microcracks were found to be filled with amorphous carbon of unknown origin. The pitch …

A Case Study Investigation On Purchasing Green Transport And Logistics Services, Pietro Evangelista, Maria Huge-Brodin, Karin Isaksson, Edward Sweeney

Conference papers

In the context of green supply chain management, green purchasing has received increased attention over the past decade and the strategic importance of introducing green aspects into purchasing practices has been recognised. Despite this growing importance, little has been written in relation to purchasing green transport and logistics services. Considering the strong environmental impact associated with transport and logistics activities, much remains to be learned concerning buyer’s practices when sourcing more sustainable services from third party logistics companies (3PLs). The aim of this paper is to explore practices of buying green transport and logistics services in three different European countries …

Design And Assembly Of An Antenna Demonstration System, Alexander J. Hempy, Michael P. Civerolo, Dean Y. Arakaki

Electrical Engineering

This paper describes the design, assembly, and operation of a self-contained wireless demonstration system that required only dc power supplies. The system demonstrated polarization effects, radiation patterns, gain, directivity, and signal interference from environmental barriers from dipole, corner reflector (simulated antenna array), Quagi, and embedded patch antennas. The system included an RF oscillator, high-frequency amplifiers,RF bandpass filters, a signal-strength indicator, and multiple adjustable antenna-mounting platforms.

Numerical Simulation Of Nanopulse Penetration Of Biological Matter Using The Adi-Fdtd Method, Fei Zhu

Doctoral Dissertations

Nanopulses are ultra-wide-band (UWB) electromagnetic pulses with pulse duration of only a few nanoseconds and electric field amplitudes greater than 105 V/m. They have been widely used in the development of new technologies in the field of medicine. Therefore, the study of the nanopulse bioeffects is important to ensure the appropriate application with nanopulses in biomedical and biotechnological settings. The conventional finite-difference time-domain (FDTD) method for solving Maxwell's equations has been proven to be an effective method to solve the problems related to electromagnetism. However, its application is restricted by the Courant, Friedrichs, and Lewy (CFL) stability condition that confines …

Schuyler County Resident's Attitudes Towards Growth Management Policies In The Time Of Natural Gas And Other Energy Developments, Sebastian Lippez-De Castro

MPA Capstone Projects 2006 - 2015

As the Wind farms industry grows in the region and the State of New York decides whether to allow natural gas drilling by using hydrofracking, these energy industries could create challenges in Schuyler County. As a result, local government officials need to know the opinions of their residents in order to propose and adopt regulations that not only enhance their ability to address the challenges created by the aforementioned industries but also reflect the interests of the community.

Patent Analysis For Smart Grid Development In The U.S, Abrahim Abdulsater, Bahareh Saatchi, Farshad Madani

Engineering and Technology Management Student Projects

By increasing demand for energy among nations the rate of fossil fuel consumption is boosting. The raise of fossil fuel consumption has motivated nations to gain some capabilities for the purpose of dealing with some consequences; the more fossil fuel consumption, the higher price for energy, and the higher rate of GHG as well. Recently smart grid technology has been introduced as a healing approach in terms of using energy more efficiently. This study made an effort to have some discussions around smart grid technology development in the United States by patent analysis and forecasting. The outcomes in both technology …

Science And Society: The Role Of Long-Term Studies In Environmental Stewardship, Charles T. Driscoll, Kathleen F. Lambert, F. Stuart Chapin, David J. Nowake, Thomas A. Spies, Frederick J. Swanson, David B. Kittredge, Clarisse M. Hart

Civil and Environmental Engineering - All Scholarship

Long-term research should play a crucial role in addressing grand challenges in environmental stewardship. We examine the efforts of five Long Term Ecological Research Network sites to enhance policy, management, and conservation decisions for forest ecosystems. In these case studies, we explore the approaches used to inform policy on atmospheric deposition, public land management, land conservation, and urban forestry, including decisionmaker engagement and integration of local knowledge, application of models to analyze the potential consequences of policy and management decisions, and adaptive management to generate new knowledge and incorporate it into decisionmaking. Efforts to enhance the role of long-term research …

Watershed-Level Responses To Calcium Silicate Treatment In A Northern Hardwood Forest, Youngil Cho, Charles T. Driscoll, Chris E. Johnson, Joel D. Blum, Timothy J. Fahey

Civil and Environmental Engineering - All Scholarship

Watershed 1 (W1) at the Hubbard Brook Experimental Forest in New Hampshire, with chronically low pH and acid neutralizing capacity (ANC) in surface water, was experimentally treated with calcium silicate (CaSiO₃; wollastonite) in October 1999 to assess the role of calcium (Ca) supply in the structure and function of base-poor forest ecosystems. Wollastonite addition significantly increased the concentrations and fluxes of Ca, dissolved silica (Si), and ANC and decreased the concentrations and fluxes of inorganic monomeric Al (Al_i) and hydrogen ion (H⁺) in both soil solution and stream water in all sub-watersheds of W1. …

50th Conference On Senior Engineering Design Projects, College Of Engineering And Applied Sciences

Senior Engineering Design Conference

The 50th Conference on Senior Engineering Design Projects was held on April 17, 2012 at the College of Engineering and applied Sciences on the Parkview Campus of Western Michigan University. The college sponsors the conference to showcase the work of its graduating seniors, who are required to complete a capstone project that puts into practice what they have learned. Many of the projects are sponsored by business and industry.

Assessing Impermeable Surface Area Impacts On Modeling: Implications For The Combined Sewer Overflow Long Term Control Plan In Omaha, Nebraska, Andrew D. Szatko

Community and Regional Planning Program: Professional Projects

The report looks at assessing the accuracy of estimating impervious surface areas (ISAs) by zoning code, the method utilized by the City of Omaha, Nebraska. A 101 acre subcatchment had all ISAs manually digitized and compared the actual with the estimated value. The subcatchment was then modeled with 10 percent decreases of ISAs to establish the relationship with peak flow rates and total volume in the combined sewer service area. The results show a significant relationship between the two that may provide insights into a new approach to manage CSO events with the integration of green infrastructure.

Reasons For Change Propagation: A Case Study In An Automotive Oem, Prabhu Shankar, Beshoy Morkos, Joshua D. Summers

All CEDAR Publications

This paper focuses on identifying the reasons for change propagation during the production phase of the product life cycle. Unlike the traditional change propagation study where the focus is within the product, this study is focused to understand the propagation effects of change on other functional silos in the manufacturing firm. First, the reasons for the changes are identified using archival analysis through which it is found that 77.0 % of changes are due to internal reasons while 23.0 % are external. Second, these changes are distinguished into genesis, and propagated changes using a matrix-based modeling approach from which the …

Basic Capillary Microfluidic Chip And Highly Sensitive Optical Detector For Point Of Care Application, Mingjin Yao

Doctoral Dissertations

A cost-effective and highly sensitive portable diagnostic device is needed to enable much more widespread monitoring of health conditions in disease prevention, detection, and control. Miniaturized and easy-to-operate devices can reduce the inherent costs and inefficiencies associated with healthcare testing in central laboratories. Hence, clinicians are beginning to use point of care (POC) testing and flexible clinical chemistry testing devices which are beneficial for the patient.

In our work, a low-cost and simple autonomous microfluidic device for biochemical detection was developed. The pumpless capillary system with capillary stop valves and trigger valves is fabricated on a silicon (Si) wafer and …

Nebraska Blueprint – Spring/Summer 2012

Nebraska Blueprint (Student Publication)

Table of Contents:

From the Editor

Engi-Briefs

UCARE Experience – Interview with senior Computer Engineering major Dongpu Jin about his involvement with the Undergraduate Creative Activities and Research Experiences (UCARE) program

History of E-Week

E-Week 2012 Events and Results [photographs]

E-Week Keynote Speaker: Pete Ludovice

The Museum in Nebraska Hall – The research branch of the University of Nebraska State Museum

Nebraska Hall's 80th Birthday – A history of the building at 16th and W Streets

Do You Remember . . . The Day Reunion Died – A brief history and photographs of the demolition of the Reunion building across …

Short-Term Wind Power Prediction Using A Wavelet Support Vector Machine, Jianwu Zeng, Wei Qiao

Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering: Faculty Publications

This paper proposes a wavelet support vector machine (WSVM)-based model for short-term wind power prediction (WPP). A new wavelet kernel is proposed to improve the generalization ability of the support vector machine (SVM). The proposed kernel has such a general characteristic that some commonly used kernels are its special cases. Simulation studies are carried to validate the proposed model with different prediction schemes by using the data obtained from the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL). Results show that the proposed model with a fixed-step prediction scheme is preferable for short-term WPP in terms of prediction accuracy and computational cost. Moreover, …

Research-Related Projects For Graduate Students As A Tool To Motivate Graduate Students In Classes Outside Their Direct Interest Areas, Vladik Kreinovich

Departmental Technical Reports (CS)

In most graduate programs, students are required to take both "depth" classes -- classes in the areas of the student's direct interest -- and "breadth" classes, classes outside their direct interest areas. Naturally, the student's interest in "breadth" classes is often naturally lower than their interest in the "depth" classes. To enhance the students' interest in the "breadth" classes, a natural idea is to make research-related project an important part of the class, a project in which the student can apply the skills that he or she learns in the class to the research area of direct interest to this …

Mathematical Modeling Of Pipeline Features For Robotic Inspection, Yang Gao

Doctoral Dissertations

Underground pipeline systems play an indispensable role in transporting liquids in both developed and developing countries. The associated social and economic cost to repair a pipe upon abrupt failure is often unacceptable. Regular inspection is a preventative action that aims to monitor pipe conditions, catch abnormalities and reduce the chance of undesirable surprises. Robots with CCTV video cameras have been used for decades to inspect pipelines, yielding only qualitative information. It is becoming necessary and preferable for municipalities, project managers and engineers to also quantify the 3-D geometry of underground pipe networks. Existing robots equipped specialized hardware and software algorithms …

Fabrication And Characterization Of Hybrid Energy Harvesting Microdevices, Zhongcheng Gong

Doctoral Dissertations

In this dissertation, a hybrid energy harvesting system based on a lead zirconate titanate (PZT) and carbon nanotube film (CNF) cantilever structure has been designed, fabricated and studied. It has the ability to harvest light and thermal radiation energy from ambient energy and convert them to electricity.

The proposed micro-scale energy harvesting device consists of a composite cantilever beam (SU-8/CNF/Pt/PZT/Pt) which is fixed on a silicon based anchor and two electrode pads for wire bonding. The CNF acts as an antenna to receive radiation energy and convert it to heat energy and then transfer to the whole cantilever structure. The …