Engineering Commons^™

Development Of Kinectᵀᴿ Applications For Assembly Simulation And Ergonomic Analysis, Chinmay Prakash Daphalapurkar

Masters Theses

"Marker-less motion capture technology has been harnessed for several years to track human movements for developing various applications. Recently, with the launch of Microsoft Kinect, researchers have been keenly interested in developing applications using this device. Since Kinect is very inexpensive (only $110 at the time of writing this thesis), it is a low-cost and a promising substitute for the comparatively expensive marker-based motion capture systems. Though it is principally designed for home entertainment, numerous applications can be developed with the capabilities of Kinect. The skeleton data of a human being tracked by a single Kinect device is enough to …

Process Planning And Control Of Functionally Graded Parts Using Freeze-Form Extrusion Fabrication, Bradley Kenneth Deuser

Masters Theses

"Freeze-form Extrusion Fabrication (FEF) is an additive manufacturing technology that is capable of fabricating complex three-dimensional parts. FEF works by depositing an aqueous-based colloidal ceramic or metal paste in a layer-by-layer fashion below the freezing point of the aqueous medium as to rapidly freeze the paste. The FEF machine in the present study is equipped with three syringes and is capable of mixing each paste in a desired composition ratio by using an inline static mixer. Compensation for the transport delay caused by the static mixer is necessary; therefore, an algorithm was developed to apply a one-dimensional (1D) composition gradient …

Analysis Of Optimal Control Derivations For Aerial Defense, Andrew John Friedrichs

Masters Theses

"Optimal control will be used to derive four guidance laws for the purpose of defending an aircraft from incoming missiles. The dynamics of the defending missile, and the overall engagement are used in these derivations. They are evaluated first in two degrees of freedom, then in six degrees. The guidance objective is to move a defending missile between the aircraft and the attacker. Optimal control is used to derive different commanded accelerations. Utilizing small changes in the cost functions, four applications will be derived. Triangle Guidance is used for inspiration, and initially a direct approach is attempted. In the course …

Automatic Detection Of Annular-Granular Patterns In Melanoma In Situ Dermoscopy Images, Parivash Hajiyani

Masters Theses

"Early detection of malignant melanoma greatly benefits patients, as the overall success is dependent on finding these melanomas before they reach the invasive stage. Dermoscopy is a non-invasive skin imaging technique that studies have shown can improve the diagnostic accuracy of dermatologists by as much as 30% over clinical examination. In this project machine vision and image analysis techniques are used to detect annular granular areas in dermoscopy images automatically. The proposed algorithm utilizes the luminance ratio between annular and granular areas within the darkest 30% of the lesion. All points whose luminance value are less than 30% of the …

Coaxial Cable Bragg Grating, Jie Huang

Masters Theses

"In order to ensure the continued safe and reliable operation of various civil structures, such as dams, bridges, and buildings, in situ strain monitoring is of great importance, especially for structures that may experience large strains. A new coaxial cable Bragg grating (CCBG) is developed as a strain sensor and the sensor's capacity for large range strain measurement is demonstrated for the first time. The sensor device is comprised of regularly spaced periodic discontinuities along a coaxial cable. The discontinuities are fabricated using a computer numerical controlled (CNC) machine to drill holes in the cable. Each discontinuity generates a weak …

Blast And Impact Resistance Of "Long" Carbon Fiber Reinforced Concrete, Darwin Ishmael Keener

Masters Theses

"Traditional reinforced concrete is one of the most commonly used materials for protective structures. However, conventional reinforced concrete (RC) is susceptible to significant spalling (small to medium sized chunks of concrete detaching from the original member) during blast events. The force of the blast turns spalled concrete into projectiles, resulting in secondary fragmentation. Furthermore, the concrete debris makes for difficult and uncertain footing. Both phenomena endanger personnel and complicate post-blast recovery efforts. Changes need to be made to conventional reinforced concrete structures to improve their blast and impact survivability and fragmentation resistance in order to protect personnel and facilitate post-blast …

Microstructure And Mechanical Properties Of Silicon Carbide-Titanium Diboride Ceramic Composites, Derek Scott King

Masters Theses

"The microstructure, hardness, fracture toughness, Young's modulus, strength and Weibull modulus of silicon carbide-titanium diboride (SiC-TiB₂) ceramics were studied. First, SiC-TiB₂ ceramics with 15 vol.% TiB₂ particles were processed using two green processing methods, spray drying (ST) and ball milling (SiC-15TiB₂). In addition, SiC-TiB2 ceramics with TiB₂ contents ranging from 0 to 100 vol.% were produced to determine a TiB₂ content that produced the best combination of mechanical properties. From spray drying, segregation of the TiB₂ particles in ST led to a granule-like microstructure and spontaneous microcracking in the final ceramic. In ceramics containing 20 and 40 vol.% TiB₂, the …

Methods Of Optimizing The Gas Exchange Process To Improve Fuel Efficiency Of Small Carbureted Spark Ignition Engines, Cory Hannibal Huck

Masters Theses

"Fuel efficiency of internal combustion engines long has been a topic of concern. Much effort has been made to optimize the fuel efficiency of large automotive type engines. However, for small engine manufactures subject to tight cost constraints, this has only recently become an area of great focus. A method by which the fuel efficiency of an engine can be improved is through optimization of the intake process. Specifically, reductions in flow losses and the choice of appropriate valve event timings can provide ways to make gains towards more fuel efficient operation. The challenge arises when the focus is on …

On The Design Partitioning Of 3d Monolithic Circuits, Luke Maresca

Masters Theses

"Conventional three-dimensional integrated circuits (3D ICs) stack multiple dies vertically for higher integration density, shorter wirelength, smaller footprint, faster speed and lower power consumption. Due to the large through-silicon-via (TSV) sizes, 3D design partitioning is typically done at the architecture-level With the emerging monolithic 3D technology, TSVs can be made much smaller, which enables potential block-level partitioning. However, it is still unclear how much benefit can be obtained by block-level partitioning, which is affected by the number of tiers and the sizes of TSVs. In this thesis, an 8-bit ripple carry adder was used as an example to explore the …

Advanced Moisture Modeling Of Polymer Composites, Nathan Robert Roe

Masters Theses

"Composite materials absorb moisture from the environment and over time this moisture absorption affects the mechanical performance of the material. In order to determine the long-term moisture effects on the component, representative parts must be tested after having been exposed to an accelerated moisture-conditioning environment. This accelerated environment simulates the worst-case exposure conditions that a part might experience. Currently accepted methodologies for analyzing the time required to condition specimens are limited, only allowing simple geometry and an assumption that diffusivity rates are independent of the flow path or direction. Therefore, a more advanced finite element method is desired. In the …

A Novel Cantilever For Bi-Harmonic Atomic Force Microscopy, Muthukumaran Loganathan

Masters Theses

"Tapping mode (TM) AFM is a popularly used AFM technique in which an oscillating sharp tip mounted on a micro cantilever is used to probe the surface of interest with nanoscale resolution by making intermittent (tapping) contact with the surface. Any change in surface profile affects the tip amplitude, and is detectable only if it results in an amplitude change that is significant enough to be measured by the laser detector. Hence, it is desirable to have a micro cantilever that is sensitive to surface changes so as to provide sharper images and better surface resolution.

In the first part …

Driver Mandatory Lane Change Behavior: Use Of Governing Gap In Critical Gap Estimation, Srinadh Kandada

Masters Theses

"This study analyzed the driver gap acceptance and rejection behavior during mandatory lane changes on a multilane freeway in congested and uncongested traffic conditions. During a lane change, drivers were more receptive to either the leading or the trailing gaps with vehicles in the target lane which governed the drivers' lane change and is termed as the governing gap. Drivers maneuvered till the governing gap was greater than the critical gap, accepted the gap and made a lane change. In this process, drivers reduced the non-governing gap to increase the length of the governing gap. The drivers as a result …

Design Of A Vortex Induced Vibration Based Marine Hydro-Kinetic Energy System, Varun Michael Lobo

Masters Theses

"Hydrokinetic energy harvesting based on vortex induced vibration (VIV) of a bluff body is discussed. VIV is defined as the vibration incurred on a bluff body due to an external fluid flowing over it. These vibrations are the results of boundary layer separation from the surface of the body. An optimized VIV generator has been developed, that utilizes a non-contact type linear magnetic device for generation of energy. The cylinder was chosen such that at the mass ratio (m*) was always lower than the critical mass (m*_critical= 0.52). The studies were based on two complementary …

Height Dependent Laser Metal Deposition Process Modeling, Patrick M. Sammons

Masters Theses

"Laser Metal Deposition (LMD) is used to construct functional parts in a layer-by-layer fashion. The heat transfer from the melt region to the solid region plays a critical role in the resulting material properties and part geometry. The heat transfer dynamics can change significantly as the layers increase, depending on the geometry of the sub layers. However, this effect is unaccounted for in previous analytical models, which are only valid for a single layer. This thesis develops a layer dependent model of the LMD process for the purpose of designing advanced layer-to-layer controllers. A lumped-parameter model of the melt pool …

Experimental Feasibility Study Of A Passive Radio Frequency Identification-Based Distributed Beamforming Framework And Radio Frequency Tag Design For Achieving Dynamic Beamforming, Pratim Shah

Masters Theses

"Passive UHF RFID tags works on the principle of backscattering mechanism. In realistic environment, there are multiple objects and tags that create complex, multipath propagation scenarios with numerous null-points, reduced read range and read rate.

In general, the RF frontend of tags could be controlled such that the negative effects of multipath propagation are reduced or even inverted thus implementing a virtual beamforming. The theoretical framework of beamforming in RFID system, using additional tags as virtual antenna arrays, has been discussed before. The presented study evaluates the feasibility of such beamforming in passive RFID systems. Moreover, it synthesizes an appropriate …

The Effect Of Sulfur On Structure And Conversion Of Bioactive Borate Glasses, Ali Mohammadkhah

Masters Theses

"The effect of sulfur on glass structure and the conversion process of bioactive CaO-LI₂O-B₂O₃ glasses were studied. One glass without and two glasses with different amounts of sulfur were made using conventional melting and dry quenching techniques. These glasses reacted with a phosphate solution and converted to hydroxyapatite. Particles (150-355µm) were reacted in 0.25 and 0.5 molar K₂HPO₄ solutions at 37⁰C for 2 to 96 hours. The weight loss of the particles and the final pH of the solution were measured. The weight loss measurements indicated that the reaction rate increases with …

Transient Growth And Instability Control Using Iteration-Varying Filter Ilc In Flexible Dual Flywheel System, Tong Mu

Masters Theses

"In the field of precision motion control, many industrial systems have flexible modes. This is especially true for very high performance nanopositioning systems where traditional bearing systems are replaced with flexible structures in order to eliminate sliding friction. The precision motion control is difficult in flexible systems because the rapid phase transition around the resonant frequency must be accurately modeled in order to actively control the resonant motion. In order to experimentally study the effectiveness of various control algorithms on flexible systems, a dual-flywheel flexible system is constructed. The mechatronics system design strategy is presented in this thesis. The control …

Development Of A Technique For Testing Of Tensile Properties With Miniature Size Specimens For Metal Additive Manufacturing, Sujitkumar Dongare

Masters Theses

"The study of mechanical properties of metals provides a basis to decide on the capability of a particular metal for a task and also to make predictions about its life. The concepts of stress, strain and strength of materials are employed in practically every engineering discipline. Mechanical properties such as stiffness, yield strength, tensile strength, ductility, toughness, impact resistance, creep resistance, fatigue resistance and others, influence the design, fabrication and service life of equipment. Therefore, more than one property is considered for the material selection process for an application. For complete understanding of any material and its feasibility for a …

Pulmonary Fluid Dynamics And Aerosol Drug Delivery In The Upper Tracheobronchial Airways Under Mechanical Ventilation Conditions, Timothy Andrew Van Rhein

Masters Theses

"The effects of mechanical ventilation conditions on fluid flow and particle deposition were studied in a computer model of the human airways. The frequency with which aerosolized drugs are delivered to mechanically ventilated patients demonstrates the importance of understanding the effects that ventilation parameters have on particle deposition in the human airways. Past studies that modeled particle deposition in silico frequently used an idealized geometry with steady inlet conditions. With recent advancements in computational power and medical imaging capabilities, studies have begun to use more realistic geometries or unsteady inlet conditions that model normal breathing. This study focuses specifically on …

Logistics Modeling And Project Management Practices For Contingency Basing, Amanda Jo Gealy

Masters Theses

"Contingency basing is a critical factor in mission success but requires significant logistical and commander support. Designing and constructing a camp that is safe, secure, and self-sustaining can be a difficult task for a Contingency Basing engineering manager. The infrastructure for basic needs such as electricity, fuel, water, food, and waste management is critical and needs to be flexible.

This research focuses on assisting the Contingency Basing engineering manager in designing and constructing a feasible base camp using project management and modeling tools. Measuring scalability and resiliency with in the contingency base was studied as well. The methodology concentrates on …

Hot Channel Determination And Burnup Analysis Of Missouri University Of Science And Technology Research Nuclear Reactor, Kelly Christopher Rogers O'Bryant

Masters Theses

"A burnup analysis has been performed on the Missouri University of Science and Technology (Missouri S&T) Research Nuclear Reactor (MSTR). With use of the Monte Carlo neutronics depletion code MCNPX, burned material was input into a neutronics model (burned model) in order better simulate MSTR core characteristics. Simulated burnup values of ²³⁵U for the past twenty years of MSTR operations totaled 14.266 grams, slightly less than the 14.527 grams reported by the reactor staff. A distribution of ²³⁵U was simulated and a burnup map was developed.

Using the updated fuel material, the hot channel of the current configuration of the …

Displacement Of Heavy Oil By Carbon Dioxide In A Tube, Mohammed Almabrouk Ali Ahmad

Masters Theses

"After using primary and secondary oil recovery methods, about two third of the original oil in place is left behind in the reservoir. Enhanced oil recovery (EOR) methods are being used to recover that oil. CO₂ flooding is one of the EOR methods that is used to recover the oil. The interest here lies in recovery of heavy oils. The dissolution of CO₂ in oil reduces oil viscosity and swells it, making it easier to displace the oil. FLUENT is used to solve the problem of CO₂ displacing heavy oil in a tube. Different velocities/capillary numbers (Ca) and …

Bond Behavior Of High-Volume Fly Ash And Self-Consolidating Concrete, Trevor Jay Looney

Masters Theses

"The main objective of this study was to determine the effect on bond performance of high-volume fly ash (HVFA) concrete and self-consolidating concrete (SCC). The HVFA concrete test program consisted of comparing the bond performance of two concrete mix designs with 70% cement replacement with Class C fly ash relative to a Missouri Department of Transportation (MoDOT) standard mix design. The SCC test program consisted of comparing the bond performance of normal and high strength SCC with their respective MoDOT standard mix designs.

Two test methods were used for bond strength comparisons. The first was a direct pull-out test based …

Capture Zone Modeling For Photovoltaic Microgrid Powered Pump And Treat Remediation, John Patrick Conroy

Masters Theses

"Remediation systems protect human health and the environment by removing harmful contaminants from the environment. Pump and treat groundwater remediation systems typically rely on utility power to continuously pump contaminated groundwater to an above ground treatment unit. However, the use of renewable energy (solar and wind) for a pump and treat remediation system can reduce the output of harmful greenhouse gases and the need for coal-based utility power.

This paper describes a hypothetical renewable energy powered pump and treat remediation system that uses an off-grid photovoltaic array to power a submersible solar water pump. The pump operates on an intermittent …

A Comparison Of Near-Infrared And Visible Imaging For Surveillance Applications, Kathryn Nicole Rodhouse

Masters Theses

"A computer vision approach is investigated which has low computational complexity and which compares near-infrared and visible image systems. The target application is a surveillance system for pedestrian and vehicular traffic. Near-infrared light has potential benefits including non-visible illumination requirements. Image-processing and intelligent classification algorithms for monitoring pedestrians are implemented in outdoor and indoor environments with frequent traffic. The image set collected consists of persons walking in the presence of foreground as well as background objects at different times during the day. Image sets with nonperson objects, e.g. bicycles and vehicles, are also considered. The complex, cluttered environments are highly …

Integration Of Multiple Vision Systems And Toolbox Development, Rohit Vijay Bapat

Masters Theses

"Depending on the required coverage, multiple cameras with different fields of view, positions and orientations can be employed to form a motion tracking system. Correctly and efficiently designing and setting up a multi-camera vision system presents a technical challenge. This thesis describes the development and application of a toolbox that can help the user to design a multi-camera vision system. Using the parameters of cameras, including their positions and orientations, the toolbox can calculate the volume covered by the system and generate its visualization for a given tracking area. The cameras can be repositioned and reoriented using toolbox to generate …

Locating Current Paths Via Time Synchronized Measurements In A Multiphase Dcdc Buck Converter And A High Frequency Analytical Model For The Common-Mode Impedance Of A Ferrite Choke, Peng Shao

Masters Theses

"In the first section, it introduces a novel method to localize current from multiple sources. The identification of return current paths is often a key element in understanding the root cause of a product's radiated emissions. In a complex system, multiple sources can contribute to the current at the same location and frequency. The source of the current can be identified by correlating the current to different sources. However, the multiphase buck converter phases do not switch at the same time. Thus, synchronizing to a specific phase makes it possible to determine how the current from a specific phase spreads …

Determination Of Linear Attenuation Coefficients Of Chemically Bonded Phosphate Ceramics, Jason Joseph Pleitt

Masters Theses

"Chemically Bonded Phosphate Ceramics (CBPCs) is a composite based material formed in a manner similar to cements. CBPCs have shown to be a good structural material with excellent thermal resistance properties. They have also been shown to have potential as a radiation shield. By incorporating various powders into the ceramic the improvement in its radiation shielding properties are examined. The method for obtaining the linear attenuation coefficients for CBPCs as well as MCNP simulated results for gamma and neutrons are presented"--Abstract, page iv.

Effect Of Lipid Composition On The Physical Properties Of Liposomes: A Light Scattering Study, Rajiv Kumar Yandrapati

Masters Theses

"The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of lipid composition on the physical properties of liposomes. Eight different types of liposomes were prepared for this study. Liposomes consisting of phosphatidylcholine (PC) and cholesterol were prepared in three different compositions 80/20, 50/50 and 20/80 respectively. Similarly liposomes consisting of PC and negatively charged phosphatidylserine (PS) were also prepared in three different compositions 80/20, 50/50 and 20/80 respectively. Two liposomes with the compositions 2:2:1:1 (cholesterol:PC:phosphatidylglycerol (PG): phosphatidylethanolamine (PE) ) which resembles the myelin membrane and 10:5:7.5:16 (PC:PE:PS:cholesterol) which mimics rat's neural membranes were also prepared. The liposomes were prepared …

Experimental Investigation Of Rf Fading Channels And Receiver Detection, Saurav Kumar Subedi

Masters Theses

"This thesis includes experimental investigation of Multiple Input Multiple Output (MIMO) Radio Frequency (RF) fading channels and detection of superregenerative receivers. Details of experiment design and hardware implementation, data acquisition and analysis, and results for both studies are chronicled into two papers. The first paper investigates the validity of the discrete time triply selective fading channel model for fixed mobile-to-mobile MIMO channels. A 2x2 MIMO-OFDM testbed using the Altera Stratix III EP3SL150F field programmable gate array (FPGA) DSP development kit is used for acquiring experimental data. Subsequent offline signal processing and analysis are done in MATLAB. The Channel Impulse Response …