Engineering Commons^™

Secure Map Generation For Multiplayer, Turn-Based Strategy Games, Stephen L. Rice

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

In strategy games, players compete against each other on randomly generated maps in an attempt to prove their superior skill. Traditionally, these games rely on a client/server architecture with one player fulfilling the role of server and holding responsibility for the map generation process. We propose, analyze and evaluate a method that allows these maps to be created in a peer-to-peer fashion and thus reduce the potential for cheating. We provide an example map generation program that puts these concepts into action and demonstrate how it can be extended and customized for any game. Finally, we analyze the performance of …

Wireless Sensor Localization: Error Modeling And Analysis For Evaluation And Precision, Omar Ali Zargelin

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Wireless sensor networks (WSNs) have shown promise in a broad range of applications. One of the primary challenges in leveraging WSNs lies in gathering accurate position information for the deployed sensors while minimizing power cost. In this research, detailed background research is discussed regarding existing methods and assumptions of modeling methods and processes for estimating sensor positions. Several novel localization methods are developed by applying rigorous mathematical and statistical principles, which exploit constraining properties of the physical problem in order to produce improved location estimates. These methods are suitable for one-, two-, and three-dimensional position estimation in ascending order of …

Degradation Of High Voltage Glass Fiber-Reinforced Polymer Matrix Composites By Aggressive Environmental Conditions, Tianyi Lu

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Polymer matrix composites reinforced with either E glass or ECR glass fibers-reinforced are used in a variety of high voltage electrical applications because of their advantages like lower weight and cost. However, they can be damaged by aggressive in-service conditions such as high temperature, ultraviolet radiation, moisture, ozone and corrosive environments. Different degradation mechanisms can develop in high voltage PMCs under those extreme environments, which, in turn, can affect the long term structural durability of the composites. A set of PMCs reinforced with ECR-glass and E-glass fibers embedded in four different resins has been investigated in this study. In addition, …

Integrating Philosophy, Cognitive Science, And Computational Methods At A Polytechnic Institution: Experiences Of Interdisciplinary Course Designs For Critical Thinking, Mehmet Vurkaç

Electrical & Computer Engineering Faculty Scholarship

No abstract provided.

Reflections On Energy, Greenhouse Gases, And Carbonaceous Fules, Eugene Coyle, William Grimson, Biswajit Basu, Mike Murphy

Books/Book chapters

In this chapter, we review the history of man’s dependence on carbonaceous fuels for survival, beginning with pre-industrial civilizations, during which charcoal was pro- cessed for thousands of years to smelt iron and copper. In the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, however, coke and coal became prime energy resources which powered the engine rooms of the industrial revolution. Accompanying the economic and societal benefits of this period was the recognition of the damage resulting from smog owing to excessive burning of coal, which affected both human health and the natural envi- ronment. These pivotal centuries laid the foundation for the advancement …

How Effective Are Current Household Recycling Policies? Results From A National Survey Of U.S. Households, Hilary Nixon, Jean-Daniel M. Saphores

Faculty Publications, Urban and Regional Planning

This paper analyzes a unique dataset collected during a 2006 national survey of U.S. households to explore the effectiveness of common household recycling policies for metals, glass, and plastics: curbside recycling, drop-off recycling, deposit–refund systems (bottle bills), and marginal pricing for household waste. After estimating either generalized ordered logit or multinomial logit models, we find that the most important determinants of household recycling are people's attitudes toward recycling. Our results also suggest that omitting internal variables (perceived recycling obstacles and benefits as well as moral considerations) may bias policy coefficients. Socio-economic variables are typically not statistically significant, with the exceptions …

Aerodynamic Design And Development Of The Sunswift Iv Solar Racing Car, Graham Doig, Chris Beves

Aerospace Engineering

The aerodynamic design and development of the University of New South Wales' ultra-low-drag solar-electric Sunswitt IV car is described, detailing the student-led design process from initial concept sketches to the completed vehicle. The body shape was established and relined over a period of six months in 2008-2009, almost entirely using computational fluid dynamics. The guiding philosophy was that predictable handling and drag minimization in challenging, changing wind conditions of the type commonly seen during the World Solar Challenge across Australia was preferable to high performance only on 'perfect' days. The car won its class in the 2009 and 2011 World …

Semantic Entry Pairing For Improved Data Validation And Discovery, Adam Shepherd, Cyndy Chandler, Robert Arko, Yanning Chen, Adila Krisnadhi, Pascal Hitzler, Thomas Narock, Robert Groman, Shannon Rauch

Computer Science and Engineering Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Implications Of Compressibility Effects For Reynolds-Scaled Testing Of An Inverted Wing In Ground Effect, G. Doig, Tracie J. Barber, Sammy Diasinos

Aerospace Engineering

The influence of compressibility around an isolated inverted wing at a fixed Reynolds number was examined as relevant to the issue of wind tunnel scaling effects. Three-dimensional simulations were conducted for low ground clearances, at: full scale and a Mach number of 0.088, at 50% scale at Mach 0.176, and at 25% scale at Mach 0.352. As the scale was reduced, the increasing peak local Mach number between the wing and the ground resulted in a higher propensity of the flow to separate towards the trailing edge, and for incompressible or full-scale CFD to underestimate the lift and drag coefficients …

Economic Profitability Of The Bakken, North Dakota Unconventional Oil Plays Based On A Typical Well Performance With Current Market Conditions, Mehmet Apaydin

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports - Open

Increases in oil prices after the economic recession have been surprising for domestic oil production in the United States since the beginning of 2009. Not only did the conventional oil extraction increase, but unconventional oil production and exploration also improved greatly with the favorable economic conditions. This favorable economy encourages companies to invest in new reservoirs and technological developments. Recently, enhanced drilling techniques including hydraulic fracturing and horizontal drilling have been supporting the domestic economy by way of unconventional shale and tight oil from various U.S. locations. One of the main contributors to this oil boom is the unconventional oil …

Modeling And Experimental Setup Of An Hcci Engine, Vishal Shailesh Thakkar

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports - Open

For the past three decades the automotive industry is facing two main conflicting challenges to improve fuel economy and meet emissions standards. This has driven the engineers and researchers around the world to develop engines and powertrain which can meet these two daunting challenges.

Focusing on the internal combustion engines there are very few options to enhance their performance beyond the current standards without increasing the price considerably. The Homogeneous Charge Compression Ignition (HCCI) engine technology is one of the combustion techniques which has the potential to partially meet the current critical challenges including CAFE standards and stringent EPA emissions …

Tank Sizing And Optimizing Loop Placement In A Branched Water Distribution System, Colin G. Mccorkle

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports - Open

More than eighteen percent of the world’s population lives without reliable access to clean water, forced to walk long distances to get small amounts of contaminated surface water. Carrying heavy loads of water long distances and ingesting contaminated water can lead to long-term health problems and even death. These problems affect the most vulnerable populations, women, children, and the elderly, more than anyone else. Water access is one of the most pressing issues in development today.

Boajibu, a small village in Sierra Leone, where the author served in Peace Corps for two years, lacks access to clean water. Construction of …

Assessment Of Flood Risk Under Future Climate Conditions, Kaye M. Lafond

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports - Open

Global climate change is predicted to have impacts on the frequency and severity of flood events. In this study, output from Global Circulation Models (GCMs) for a range of possible future climate scenarios was used to force hydrologic models for four case study watersheds built using the Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT). GCM output was applied with either the "delta change" method or a bias correction. Potential changes in flood risk are assessed based on modeling results and possible relationships to watershed characteristics. Differences in model outputs when using the two different methods of adjusting GCM output are also …

Engineering Research Review 2014, Office Of Engineering Research

Engineering Research Review

Contents:
[Page] 2 Bioinformatics help scientists make sense of genomic data
[Page] 4 Maps help public health officials fight malaria, West Nile Virus
[Page] 6 North Dakota-South Dakota engineers develop materials, components for solid state cell phone
[Page] 8 Statisticians uncover major reason behind cancer survivors’ choices
[Page] 10 Crash reporting helps reduce fatalities, improve roads on tribal lands
[Page] 12 Operations management expert, Mayo Clinic researcher help improve health-care delivery for patients with blood poisoning
[Page] 14 ISEE supports grant development
[Page] 16 Three engineering researchers receive awards
[Page] 17 Grantswinship awards recognize research funding

Improvements In Sustainability Of Gravity-Fed Water Systems In The Comarca Ngäbe-Buglé, Panama: Spring Captures And Circuit Rider Model, Erica Kathryn Jones

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports - Open

Gravity-flow aqueducts are used to bring clean water from mountain springs in the Comarca Ngäbe-Buglé, Panama, to the homes of the indigenous people who reside there. Spring captures enclose a spring to direct the flow of water into the transmission line. Seepage contact springs are most common, with water appearing above either hard basalt bedrock or a dense clay layer. Spring flows vary dramatically during wet and dry seasons, and discharge points of springs can shift, sometimes enough to impact the capture structure and its ability to properly collect all of the available water.

Traditionally, spring captures are concrete boxes. …

Dc Microgrid Stabilization Through Fuzzy Control Of Interleaved, Heterogeneous Storage Elements, Robert David Smith

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports - Open

As microgrid power systems gain prevalence and renewable energy comprises greater and greater portions of distributed generation, energy storage becomes important to offset the higher variance of renewable energy sources and maximize their usefulness. One of the emerging techniques is to utilize a combination of lead-acid batteries and ultracapacitors to provide both short and long-term stabilization to microgrid systems.

The different energy and power characteristics of batteries and ultracapacitors imply that they ought to be utilized in different ways. Traditional linear controls can use these energy storage systems to stabilize a power grid, but cannot effect more complex interactions. This …

Modeling Of Transfer Path For Determination Of Combustion And Noise Metrics On Diesel Engines, Libin Jia

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports - Open

Determination of combustion metrics for a diesel engine has the potential of providing feedback for closed-loop combustion phasing control to meet current and upcoming emission and fuel consumption regulations. This thesis focused on the estimation of combustion metrics including start of combustion (SOC), crank angle location of 50% cumulative heat release (CA50), peak pressure crank angle location (PPCL), and peak pressure amplitude (PPA), peak apparent heat release rate crank angle location (PACL), mean absolute pressure error (MAPE), and peak apparent heat release rate amplitude (PAA). In-cylinder pressure has been used in the laboratory as the primary mechanism for characterization of …

Occurrence Of Synthetic Amino-Polycarboxylate Chelating Compounds In Oregon Surface Waters, Nathan A. Hersey

Civil and Environmental Engineering Master's Project Reports

Cation sequestering compounds are contained in many industrial, commercial and personal care products. The most widely used chelating agents, EDTA and DTPA, are commonly found in natural and industrial settings. When chelating compounds are present, the activity and transport of metal cations in the environment and the uptake of metals in natural systems can be affected. Surface water samples from across the United States were analyzed, as well as local collection and analysis of surface waters and wastewater treatment plant effluent from around Northwest Oregon. Results indicate presence of synthetic chelating compounds in areas with human activity, and absence in …

Seismic Retrofitting Of Existing Structures, Cetin Sahin

Civil and Environmental Engineering Master's Project Reports

This research project will give a brief presentation about earthquake resistant design and the methodology about seismic evaluation and rehabilitation of existing structures. It also provides certain aspects of computer software modeling against seismic loads and shows the necessity of seismic upgrading in a steel moment-frame building.

The seismic evaluation process consists of investigating if the structure meets the defined target structural performance levels. The main goal during earthquakes is to assure that building collapse doesn’t occur and the risk of death or injury to people is minimized and beyond that to satisfy post-earthquake performance level for defined range of …

The Regulation Of The Eight-Exon Isoform Of The Coxsackievirus And Adenovirus Receptor (CarEx8) And Its Biological Relevance, Poornima Kotha Lakshmi Narayan

Browse all Theses and Dissertations

The airway epithelium poses a formidable barrier for the entry of pathogenic viruses due to the formation of tight junctions between adjacent epithelial cells. The coxsackievirus and adenovirus receptor (CAR), a member of the Ig superfamily of cell junction adhesion proteins, is the primary receptor for adenovirus entry and infection. As a result of alternative splicing, two transmembrane isoforms of CAR are generated. While the seven-exon isoform of CAR (CAR^EX7) is hidden on the basolateral surface of polarized epithelia, the eight-exon isoform of CAR (CAR^EX8) localizes within the sub-apical region and at the air-exposed apical surface. …

An Assessment Of The College Of Technology, Architecture And Applied Engineering’S Master Of Technology Management Degree Program, Quality Systems Specialization, At Bowling Green State University, Alan Powers

Master of Technology Management Plan II Graduate Projects

The purpose of this project is to give a background and assessment of the quality specialization of the Master’s degree presently being awarded at Bowling Green State University’s College of Technology, Architecture, and Applied Engineering compared to other degrees of a similar type. The program now awarding the degree is described. The literature review discusses topics and ideas pertinent to the project and is necessary to better understand the research and assessment of the degree. The methodology and procedure section identifies the course of investigation and defines what form the gathered data will take. The Results chapter presents the findings …

Degradable Plastics And Their Potential To Affect Solid Waste Systems, Krista L. Thyberg, David J. Tonjes

Technology & Society Faculty Publications

Plastic waste forms a substantial part of municipal solid waste and has caused environmental concerns, particularly due to chemical contamination of the environment and effects from persistent litter. Plastics also complicate waste management processes, such as by having poor recovery rates through recycling, and causing contamination in composting operations. One potential means to address some of these challenges is through degradable plastics which, unlike conventional plastics, are designed to decompose at an accelerated rate in specific environments. Degradable plastics aim to address the end-of-life of plastic products and are intended to reduce the environmental impacts associated with their use and …

Head Impact Exposure In Male And Female Collegiate Ice Hockey Players, Bethany J. Wilcox, Jonathan G. Beckwith, Richard M. Greenwald, Jeffrey J. Chu, Thomas W. Mcallister, Laura A. Flashman, Arthur C. Maerlender, Ann-Christine Duhaime, Joseph J. Crisco

Department of Psychology: Faculty Publications

The purpose of this study was to quantify head impact exposure (frequency, location and magnitude of head impacts) for individual male and female collegiate ice hockey players and to investigate differences in exposure by sex, player position, session type, and team. Ninety-nine (41 male, 58 female) players were enrolled and 37,411 impacts were recorded over three seasons. Frequency of impacts varied significantly by sex (males: 287 per season, females: 170, p < 0.001) and helmet impact location (p < 0.001) but not by player position (p = 0.088). Head impact frequency also varied by session type; both male and female players sustained more impacts in games than in practices (p < 0.001), however the magnitude of impacts did not differ between session types. There was no difference in 95th percentile peak linear acceleration between sexes (males: 41.6 g, females: 40.8 g), but 95th percentile peak rotational acceleration and HITsp (a composite severity measure) were greater for males than females (4424, 3409 rad/s2, and 25.6, 22.3, respectively). Impacts to the back of the helmet resulted in the greatest 95th percentile peak linear accelerations for males (45.2 g) and females (50.4 g), while impacts to the side and back of the head were associated with the greatest 95th percentile peak rotational accelerations (males: 4719, 4256 rad/sec², females: 3567, 3784 rad/sec², respectively). It has been proposed that reducing an individual’s head impact exposure is a practical approach for reducing the risk of …

Perceptions Of Manufacturing Management Knowledge And The Four Pillars Topical Track: Manufacturing, Mark Doggett, Muhammad Jahan

SEAS Faculty Publications

In June 2011, a group of manufacturing educators in cooperation with the Society of Manufacturing Engineers (SME) developed Curriculum 2015, a four-year strategic plan to reverse negative trends in manufacturing education and improve manufacturing competitiveness. Within this effort, the Four Pillars of Manufacturing Engineering were formally introduced and supported by the Society of Manufacturing Engineers (SME), the Association of Technology, Management, and Applied Engineering, (ATMAE), and the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (ABET). The Four Pillars consist of foundational areas that represent the SME Certified Manufacturing Engineer Body of Knowledge. It embodies the fundamental knowledge practiced by manufacturing professionals …

Analysis Of Software Contributions To Military Aviation And Drone Mishaps, Veronica Foreman, Francesca Favaro, Joseph Saleh

Faculty Publications

Software is assuming an increasing role in the aerospace industry, and by the same token it is also playing an increasing role in many recent incidents and accidents of both military and commercial vehicles. To better understand this role, we examine two case studies from the accident database of the Air Force Accident Investigation Board (AIB). We previously illustrated the limitations of the notion of “software failure” and developed, in its stead, the notion of software contribution to adverse events. We show here how specific operational scenarios, generally unconsidered during the software development and testing, trigger those contributions. We provide …

Detector Response Function Of An Energy-Resolved Cdte Single Photon Counting Detector, Xin Liu, Hyoung Koo Lee

Nuclear Engineering and Radiation Science Faculty Research & Creative Works

BACKGROUND: While spectral CT using single photon counting detector has shown a number of advantages in diagnostic imaging, knowledge of the detector response function of an energy-resolved detector is needed to correct the signal bias and reconstruct the image more accurately.

Exploring High Throughput Computing Paradigm For Global Routing, Yiding Han, Dean Michael Ancajas, Koushik Chakraborty, Sanghamitra Roy

Electrical and Computer Engineering Faculty Publications

With aggressive technology scaling, the complexity of the global routing problem is poised to grow rapidly. Solving such a large computational problem demands a high-throughput hardware platform such as modern graphics processing units (GPUs). In this paper, we explore a hybrid GPU-CPU high-throughput computing environment as a scalable alternative to the traditional CPU-based router. We introduce net-level concurrency (NLC), which is a novel parallel model for router algorithms and aims to exploit concurrency at the level of individual nets. To efficiently uncover NLC, we design a scheduler to create groups of nets that can be routed in parallel. At its …

A Mathematical Framework For Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Obstacle Avoidance, Sorathan Chaturapruek

HMC Senior Theses

The obstacle avoidance navigation problem for Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) is a very challenging problem. It lies at the intersection of many fields such as probability, differential geometry, optimal control, and robotics. We build a mathematical framework to solve this problem for quadrotors using both a theoretical approach through a Hamiltonian system and a machine learning approach that learns from human sub-experts' multiple demonstrations in obstacle avoidance. Prior research on the machine learning approach uses an algorithm that does not incorporate geometry. We have developed tools to solve and test the obstacle avoidance problem through mathematics.

Microsphere Spray System For Wound Coverage, Nicholas J. Andersen

Theses and Dissertations--Biomedical Engineering

Spinal fusion is used to treat diseases or disorders of the spine by fusing together two or more vertebrae. Two associated risks with spinal fusion are infection and blood loss. Administration of tranexamic acid is used to prevent blood loss, and transfusions are given following blood loss. Surgical site infections are prevented with vancomycin powder spread into the surgical wound, while established infections are treated by debridement and delivery of antibiotics for 4 to 6 weeks. The present research explored an alternate method to prevent and treat blood loss or infection in spinal fusion. Poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA) microspheres was used …

A Comparison Of Monocular Camera Calibration Techniques, Richard L. Van Hook

Browse all Theses and Dissertations

Extensive use of visible electro-optical (visEO) cameras for machine vision techniques shows that most camera systems produce distorted imagery. This thesis investigates and compares several of the most common techniques for correcting the distortions based on a pinhole camera model. The methods being examined include a common chessboard pattern based on (Sturm 1999), (Z. Zhang 1999), and (Z. Zhang 2000), as well as two "circleboard" patterns based on (Heikkila 2000). Additionally, camera models from the visual structure from motion (VSFM) software (Wu n.d.) are used. By comparing reprojection error from similar data sets, it can be shown that the asymmetric …