Engineering Commons^™

Room Temperature Ionic Liquid (Rtil) Membranes For Bio-Methane Dehumidification, Ryan Amos

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Renewable fuels are heavily researched due to the increasing price of and resulting pollution from fossil fuels. The production of useable energy from waste—animal, sewage, discarded food, landfill matter would be a valuable renewable fuel production method. Biogas is a renewable fuel that is produced by anaerobic digestion, composed mainly of methane, carbon dioxide and small percentages of hydrogen sulfide and water vapor. Before this biogas—predominately bio-methane—can be converted to fuel, it must be dehumidified to become useable. Typically membrane-based gas dehumidification uses hydrophilic polymer membrane materials, such as polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) and cellulose acetate (CA). The main problems with polymer …

Inspection Of Earthen Embankment Dams Using Time Lapse Electrical Resistivity Tomography, Jared Stewart Case

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

According to the National Inventory of Dams (NID), the number of dams across the United States is approximately 85,000. Many of these dams are more than 50 years old and need vast attention to ensure their safety. It is difficult to obtain a full assessment of the dam just by visual inspections alone. This is because many problems associated with dam failure occur internally, which makes it difficult to be observed by the dam inspectors. Examples of these flaws are piping and seepage (flow of water through or around dam walls). It is in this area where geophysical methods can …

Unequal Error Protection Raptor Codes, Hussein Fadhel

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

We design Unequal Error Protection (UEP) Raptor codes with the UEP property provided by the precode part of Raptor codes which is usually a Low Density Parity Check (LDPC) code. Existing UEP Raptor codes apply the UEP property on the Luby transform (LT) code part of Raptor codes. This approach lowers the bit erasure rate (BER) of the more important bits (MIB) of the data decoded by the LT part of the decoder of Raptor code at the expense of degrading the BER performance of Less Important Bits (LIB), and hence the overall BER of the data passed from the …

Synthesis And Evaluation Of Naturally Occuring Halogenated Bipyrroles In A Relevant Marine Species, Fundulus Heteroclitus, Kimberly Sheree Foster

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Halogenated dimethyl-2-2'-bipyrroles (HDBPs) have recently been discovered in seabird eggs and have been shown to bioaccumulate in trophic organisms. HDBPs are suspected to be biogenic in nature, derived from evidence of marine natural products that are persistent in the environment and widespread in the Pacific and Atlantic Ocean. The HDBPs exhibit chlorinated and brominated substitution patterns that closely resemble anthropogenic pollutants like the polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), polybrominated biphenyls (PBBs), and polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs). Environmental health concerns exists regarding these naturally occurring HDBPs because several of these analogs were shown to induce the cytochrome P4501A (CYP1A) gene through activation of …

Using Eye Tracking And Attention Maps In Computer Science Education, Austin Pernell

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Eye tracking has been used for many different areas of study where a user's eye movements are considered the most important information available. Before eye tracking was possible, the only way that information could be obtained was to ask the user where they looked and what caught their attention. Now, with the rise of eye tracking cameras, this data can be captured, stored, and processed in a meaningful way. These cameras aren't perfectly accurate however and there is still some interpretation that must be applied to more accurately represent the true gaze path of the user. This paper establishes some …

A Comparative Study Of Segmented Tungsten Rod Penetration Into A Thick Steel Target Plate, Michael Bryant Presnell

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This thesis presents results from computational simulations of tungsten alloy segmented rod projectiles (SRP) penetrating an RHA semi-infinite target plate at high velocities. Penetration experimental data show improved penetration efficiency by the segmented projectiles when compared to monolithic (single solid rod) projectiles. For SRP with an aspect ratio (L/D) = 1/8, a loss in penetration efficiency was seen upon successive segment impacts. A numerical simulation impacting tungsten heavy alloy against RHA 4340 steel was performed using the Lagrangian finite element code EPIC 2006. The impact configuration that was modeled consisted of eight successive collinear impacts of discs measured 2mm in …

Analysis Of Wavelet Based Alternatives For Ofdm, Tassniem Rashed

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The objective of this thesis is to analyze wavelet based alternatives for orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) and find whether a better system performance is achieved when compared to the discrete Fourier transform (DFT)-based OFDM. We analyze DFT, discrete wavelet transform (DWT), and dual tree complex wavelet transform (DT-CWT) based systems in an additive white Gaussian noise (AWGN) channel. The analysis is verified by Monte Carlo simulation. The results in the thesis indicate that the bit error probability (BEP) performance is the same for all types of systems. This confirms some results presented in the literature but differs from others. …

Smart Nanocoated Structure For Energy Harvesting At Low Frequency Vibration, Sudhanshu Sharma

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Increasing demands of energy which is cleaner and has an unlimited supply has led development in the field of energy harvesting. Piezoelectric materials can be used as a means of transforming ambient vibrations into electrical energy that can be stored and used to power other devices. With the recent surge of micro scale devices, piezoelectric power generation can provide a convenient alternative to traditional power sources. In this research, a piezoelectric power generator composite prototype was developed to maximize the power output of the system. A lead zirconate titanate (PZT) composite structure was formed and mounted on a cantilever bar …

A Fractal Analysis Of The Detection Of Glucose Molecules On Biosensor Surfaces, Lokesh Taneja

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

A fractal analysis for the binding and dissociation of glucose molecules to different biosensor surfaces is presented. The sensors contain immobilized glucose oxidase enzymes that have an affinity for the glucose molecules in solution. Data for different modified biosensors is modeled and analyzed, and a single, dual or triple-fractal analysis is applied where adequate. The binding and dissociation kinetics coefficient where applicable are calculated for each of models along with the fractal dimensions. When both binding and dissociation phases are present, the affinity, K of the receptor to the glucose molecule is calculated and its variation with the fractal dimension …

Finite Element Modeling Of Seismic Wave Propagation In Earthen Embankments, Binyam Tadese

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The detection of internal seepage zones in embankments (dams and levees) by geophysical seismic techniques such as seismic refraction is limited by a number of factors. Some factors are associated with inversion and smoothing problems during processing, while others are associated with the natural characteristics of embankments and seepage anomalies. In this research, changes in the seismic response associated with: embankment soil compositions and moisture, characteristics of the seepage zone, presence of water in the reservoir, and shape of embankment was studied via 2D and 3D finite element (FE) embankment models. Artificial reflections from external boundaries and numerical dispersion were …

Thermal And Photochemical Interaction Of Co2 With Biochar, Eneruvie Uyoyou Okinedo

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

With interest in the changes that may occur to the carbonaceous portion of biochar obtain through the pyrolysis of biomass, the simple interaction between CO2 and biochar with water or a mixture of water and ethanol as hydrogen donor resulted in three significant observations. These reactions were carried out thermally at 333K and photochemically by simulating energy from the with a xenon lamp. The photochemical reaction involving biochar, CO2 with water or a mixture of water and ethanol as hydrogen donor led to a decrease in oxygen content of the parent biochar material, as observed by an increase in the …

Bacterial And Sediment Transport In An Artificial Sand Bed Stream During Unsteady Flow, Mary Alexandra Mccaskill

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Storms cause a substantial increase in the fecal indicator bacteria (FIB) concentrations in stream water. Causes for this concentration increase include FIB-laden stormwater runoff and the release of bacteria from stream-bottom sediments. Studies were carried out to quantify this second cause of water quality impairment. Coliform bacteria are a group of FIB, indicate the presence of pathogenic microorganisms, and have been shown to be transported in streams far from their source areas, especially during storms. FIB transport is dependent on several factors including water velocity, size and transport rates of bed sediments, and the FIB concentration in bed sediment. The …

Distributed Space-Time Message Relaying For Uncoded/Coded Wireless Cooperative Communications, Peng Huo

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

During wireless communications, nodes can overhear other transmissions through the wireless medium, suggested by the broadcast nature of plane wave propagation, and may help to provide extra observations of the source signals to the destination. Modern research in wireless communications pays more attention to these extra observations which were formerly neglected within networks. Cooperative communication processes this abundant information existing at the surrounding nodes and retransmits towards the destination in various forms to create spatial and/or coding diversity, thereby to obtain higher throughput and reliability. The aim of this work is to design cooperative communication systems with distributed space-time block …

Virtual Worlds And Conservational Channel Evolution And Pollutant Transport Systems (Concepts), Chenchutta Denaye Jackson

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Many models exist that predict channel morphology. Channel morphology is defined as the change in geometric parameters of a river. Channel morphology is affected by many factors. Some of these factors are caused either by man or by nature. To combat the adverse effects that man and nature may cause to a water system, scientists and engineers develop stream rehabilitation plans. Stream rehabilitation as defined by Shields et al., states that "restoration is the return from a degraded ecosystem back to a close approximation of its remaining natural potential" [Shields et al., 2003]. Engineers construct plans that will restore streams …

Homogenization Of Structured Metasurfaces And Uniaxial Wire Medium Metamaterials For Microwave Applications, Chandra Sekhar Reddy Kaipa

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

In recent years, the study of electromagnetic wave interaction with artificial media has been the subject of intense research interest due to their extraordinary properties such as negative refraction, partial focusing, enhanced transmission, and spatial filtering, among others. Artificial media are crystals of various periodic metallic inclusions with dimensions of the order of ?/10 - ?/4. When compared to natural materials, the inclusions are, thus, not as small in terms of the wavelength, even in the optical band. Therefore, one should expect the electrodynamics of these media to be inherently non-local, characterized by strong spatial dispersion effects. The dissertation includes …

Free Vibration Analyses Of Abs (Acrylonitrile-Butadiene-Styrene) Rectangular Plates With Completely Free Boundary Conditions, Mehmet Akif Dundar

Wayne State University Theses

Acrylonitrile-Butadiene-Styrene (ABS) represents a family of engineering thermoplastics with a wide field of performance characteristics. ABS materials have been receiving a great deal of attention because of their unique properties, such as outstanding formability, high tensile strength and stiffness, very high impact strength, excellent ductility, excellent high and low temperature performance, and resistant to many chemicals and plasticizers. Particularly, ABS exhibits really high impact strength; therefore, it is used in industry products which require high impact strength materials, such as military helmets and construction safety helmets. The vibration analyses of ABS rectangular plates are incredibly significant for design in military …

An Apparatus For Verification Of Absolute Calibration Of Quantum Effiency For Charge-Coupled Devices, Rebecca Ann Coles

Wayne State University Theses

The LBNL Microsystems Laboratory produces backside illuminated, high resistivity, p-channel, charge-coupled devices (CCDs). A system was developed to test the quantum efficiency (QE) of the CCDs; the percentage of electrons that are emitted from the CCD surface per amount of light that it's exposed to.

The QE system was designed and constructed to test CCDs of a much smaller size then what is currently produced. To continue testing, I redesigned the QE apparatus to make room for the new, larger size, CCDs while still preserving measurement accuracy. I removed the photodiode that formally sat alongside the CCD in the Dewar, …

Football Helmet Fitment And Its Effect On Helmet Performance, Ron Jadischke

Wayne State University Theses

A method and system to objectively quantify helmet fitment was designed and developed. It measures the pressure between the energy-absorbing material in the helmet and the athlete's head. This system is also capable of measuring surface pressure during impact events. A volunteer-based field study was conducted to quantify how helmets were fitting athletes in a real-life setting. The helmets fit athletes in varying degrees of tightness and evenness. Most athletes (59%) had the highest pressures in the frontal area and 29% had the highest pressure in the occipital area. A large-sized helmet on the Hybrid III headform represented how most …

Contact Pressure Distribution Of Osteochondral Defects Of The Knee: Effects Of Non-Vertical Walls, Scott Ensminger

Wayne State University Theses

Purpose: To examine the relationship between well-shouldered osteochondral defects and

defects of different geometries by studying their effects on rim stress concentration and

load redistribution in the human knee.

Methods: Ten fresh-frozen cadaveric knees were mounted at 30° of flexion in a materials

testing machine. Digital electronic pressure sensors were placed in the medial and lateral

compartments of the knee. Dynamic pressure readings were recorded throughout the

loading and holding phases as each knee was loaded to 700N and held for 5 seconds.

Artificial defects were created in each knee to simulate well-shouldered defects and

beveled-defects. Loading was repeated for …

Traumatic Brain Injury Induced Cerebral Blood Flow Changes - A Potential Role For Caffeine, Sharath Chandra Reddy Bandaru

Wayne State University Theses

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is a global health problem with significant socio-economic costs. Closed head TBIs are one of the major causes of physical disability and cognitive disorder in young adults and a leading cause of death in children.

Alteration in cerebral blood flow due to an impaired autoregulation is one of the most common consequences of TBI. However, studies related to understanding the temporal changes in CBF following TBI in experimental models are limited. The few available studies report acute reduction in CBF following TBI; knowledge related to CBF changes at sub-acute periods extending to 7 days after TBI …

Neurophysiological Changes In Spinal Nerve Roots Subjected To Tensile Loading At Several Strain Rates, Gurjiwan Singh Virk

Wayne State University Theses

ABSTRACT:

Spinal nerve roots have been implicated in many types of traumatic injuries such as motor vehicle accidents, falls, and sports injury, causing damage to brachial plexus and lumbosacral plexus. They have also been involved in lower back pain, disc herniation or protrusions, sciatica, and traumatic birth delivers such as shoulder dystocia. These roots undergo tension, resulting in traumatic axonal injury (TAI), which is also one of the consequences of traumatic brain injury (TBI). Every year about 2 million cases of TBI are reported nationwide with variable neurological deficits. Thus, it is important to understand the neurophysiological response and injury …

Cs 209-01: Computer Programming For Business Ii, David M. Hutchison

Computer Science & Engineering Syllabi

CS 209 is the second in a sequence of two programming classes required for MIS majors. This course will continue teaching students to the basic concepts of programming. Examples are from business applications and emphasis is on problem solving with the computer as a tool.

Cs 400/600-01: Date Structures And Algorithms, Keke Chen

Computer Science & Engineering Syllabi

This course will cover the fundamentals of algorithm design and analysis, the implementation of classical data structures and control structures, and the basic problem solving techniques.

Cs 707-01: Information Retrieval, Krishnaprasad Thirunarayan

Computer Science & Engineering Syllabi

This course will cover models for information retrieval techniques for indexing and searching, and algorithms for classification and clustering. It will also cover SVM, latent semantic indexing, link analysis and ranking, Map-Reduce architecture and Hadoop, to different degrees of detail, time penning.

Ceg 411/611: Microprocessor-Based System Design, Jack Jean

Computer Science & Engineering Syllabi

No abstract provided.

Ceg 498: Design Experience, Thomas C. Hartrum

Computer Science & Engineering Syllabi

CEG 498 (Team Projects I and II) is a summative computer engineering design project course that builds upon previous engineering, science, mathematics and communications course work. CEG 498 projects are a minimum of two quarters in length and must be completed in groups of at least three students.

Numerical Study Of Pressure Fluctuations Due To High-Speed Turbulent Boundary Layers, Lian Duan, Meelan M. Choudhari, Minwei Wu

Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Direct numerical simulations (DNS) are used to examine the pressure fluctuations generated by fully developed turbulence in supersonic turbulent boundary layers with an emphasis on both pressure fluctuations at the wall and the acoustic fluctuations radiated into the freestream. The wall and freestream pressure fields are first analyzed for a zero-pressure gradient boundary layer with Mach 2.5 and Reynolds number based on momentum thickness of approximately 2835. The single and multi-point statistics reported include the wall pressure fluctuation intensities, frequency spectra, space-time correlations, and convection velocities. Single and multi-point statistics of surface pressure fluctuations show good agreement with measured data …

Effects Of Riblets On Skin Friction And Heat Transfer In High-Speed Turbulent Boundary Layers, Lian Duan, Meelan M. Choudhari

Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Direct numerical simulations of spatially developing turbulent boundary layers over riblets are conducted to examine the effects of riblets on skin friction and heat transfer at high speeds. Zero-pressure gradient boundary layers under two flow conditions (Mach 2.5 with Tw/Tr = 1 and Mach 7.2 with Tw/Tr = 0.5) are considered. Simulations are conducted for boundary-layer flows over a clean surface and symmetric V-groove riblets. The DNS results at Mach 2.5 confirm the few existing experimental observations and show that a drag reduction of approximately 7% can be achieved for riblets with proper spacing. The comparisons in turbulence statistics and …

100% Lpg Long Haul Truck Conversion - Economy And Environmental Benefits, Alberto A. Boretti, Charles Grummisch

Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Advanced Vehicle Technologies (AVT), a Ballarat Australia based company, has developed the World's first diesel to 100% LPG conversion for heavy haul trucks. There is no diesel required or utilized on the trucks. the engine is converted with minimal changes into a spark ignition engine with equivalent power and torque of the diesel. the patented technology is now deployed in 2 Mercedes Actros trucks. the power output in engine dynamometer testing exceeds that of the diesel (in excess of 370 kW power and 2700 Nm torque). in on-road application the power curve is matched to the diesel specifications to avoid …

Design Of Rankine Cycle Systems To Deliver Fuel Economy Benefits Over Cold Start Driving Cycles, Alberto A. Boretti, Azmi Osman, Ishak Aris

Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Prior papers have shown the potentials of gasoline-like internal combustion engines fitted with waste heat recovery systems (WHR) to deliver Diesel-like steady state fuel conversion efficiencies recovering the exhaust and the coolant waste heat with off-the-shelf components. in addition to the pros of the technology significantly increasing steady state efficiencies - up to 5 % in absolute values and much more in relative values - these papers also mentioned the cons of the technology, increased back pressures, increased weight, more complex packaging, more complex control, troublesome transient operation, and finally the cold start issues that prevent the uptake of the …