Engineering Commons^™

Analysis Of Historical Travel Time Data, Mei Chen, Xu Zhang, Eric R. Green

Kentucky Transportation Center Research Report

Travel speed is a critical piece of information for many applications. The Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21st Century Act (MAP-21) states that calculating travel speeds illuminates the performance of the nation’s highway system. New technologies make the collection of speed data more straightforward than ever. Private vendors collect and sell this data, and KTC purchased speed data for 2010-2013 from NAVTEQ (now HERE). The main objectives of the research were to:

• Evaluate private sector speed data and its use in generating travel time based performance measures
• Create a mechanism to integrate this speed data with networks maintained by …

Online Driver’S License Renewal, Valerie J. Keathley, Andrew Martin, Jennifer R. Walton

Kentucky Transportation Center Research Report

The Kentucky Department of Vehicle Regulation is exploring the possibility of developing and implementing online driver’s license renewal. The objective of this project was to: 1) evaluate online driver’s license and REAL ID renewal programs in other states to identify best practices; 2) examine two options to institute online renewal; and 3) identify what legislative changes would be required in Kentucky to authorize an online renewal program. KTC surveyed 25 states with online license renewal programs in place, and received responses from 14 states. Survey respondents indicated that online renewal is more efficient, improves customer service, cuts down on foot …

Shear Lag Sutures: Improved Suture Repair Through The Use Of Adhesives, S. W. Linderman, I. Kormpakis, R. H. Gelberman, Victor Birman, U. G. K. Wegst, G. M. Genin, S. Thomopoulos

Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

No abstract provided.

The Role Of Biological Fluid And Dynamic Flow In The Behavior And Cellular Interactions Of Gold Nanoparticles, Emily K. Breitner, Saber M. Hussain, Kristen K. Comfort

Chemical and Materials Engineering Faculty Publications

Background: Due to their distinctive physicochemical properties, nanoparticles (NPs) have proven to be extremely advantageous for product and application development, but are also capable of inducing detrimental outcomes in biological systems. Standard in vitro methodologies are currently the primary means for evaluating NP safety, as vast quantities of particles exist that require appraisal. However, cell-based models are plagued by the fact that they are not representative of complex physiological systems. The need for a more accurate exposure model is highlighted by the fact that NP behavior and subsequent bioresponses are highly dependent upon their surroundings. Therefore, standard in vitro models …

A Regional Vision For Resource Management And Stewardship, University Of North Dakota. Energy And Environmental Research Center

EERC Brochures and Fact Sheets

Brochure describing the Energy & Environmental Research Center’s energy research and partnerships that establish sustainable energy development for North Dakota’s future. [This item is an outdated or superseded version and retained for historical purposes only. It may no longer reflect current information, policies, or practices.]

Rfid Microscope Lab, Patricia Carranza

Computer Engineering

The RFID Microscope Lab is a new exhibit created for the San Luis Obispo Children's Museum. The goal of the project is to create a modern, interactive exhibit that will teach children about different natural specimens through the use of technology. A computer, custom software, and RFID technology, will be used to display facts, microscopic images, and short videos of ten different specimens.

Conceptual Development Of An Impact-Attenuation System For Intersecting Roadways, Joseph G. Putjenter, Robert W. Bielenberg, Ronald K. Faller, John D. Reid

Nebraska Department of Transportation: Research Reports

Longitudinal barriers are commonly used to shield hazards, including stiff bridge rail ends and slopes. In some locations, a secondary roadway intersects the primary roadway within the guardrail’s length-of-need (LON). Some intersections may have as little as 15 ft (4.6 m) between the intersection and beginning of the bridge railing, which require short-radius guardrail systems. One short-radius guardrail system has passed several crash tests under AASHTO Manual for Assessing Safety Hardware (MASH) standards.

Site conditions provided by the Nebraska Department of Roads were used to determine the constraints for a new safety treatment for intersecting roadways and include intersection radii, …

Mgs Dynamic Deflections And Working Widths At Lower Speeds, Nicholas A. Weiland, Cody S. Stolle, John D. Reid, Ronald K. Faller, Robert W. Bielenberg, Karla A. Lechtenberg

Nebraska Department of Transportation: Research Reports

The Midwest Guardrail System (MGS) has been full-scale crash tested in many configurations, including installations adjacent to slopes, with different types of wood posts, with and without blockouts, for culvert and bridge applications, and at high flare rates. Although the performance of the MGS and the dynamic deflection and working width of the barrier have been examined, little is known about the dynamic deflection and working width of the MGS when impacted at lower speeds. The MGS is a relatively low-cost barrier, and the Test Level 3 (TL-3) version could be installed for TL-2 and TL-1 applications. The barrier is …

Tapered Optical Microfibre Based Structures For Sensing Applications, Lin Bo

Doctoral

There has been an increasing demand in recent years from a wide variety of industries for sensors which combine high sensitivity, fast response, compact size and low power consumption. Tapered optical microfibres can generate easily accessible evanescent fields with a large intensity and short decay distance which make microfibres very suitable candidates as the basis of sensors to suit a variety of application areas. In this thesis, experimental research is presented concerning the development of sensors using structures based on tapered optical microfibres, with a particular emphasis on biochemical sensing applications. Light propagation along an optical microfibre depends on its …

Enhancing Student Learning Through Proactive Feedback Based Adaptive Teaching For Engineering Courses, Danda B. Rawat, Chandra Bajracharya

Electrical & Computer Engineering: Faculty Publications

This paper presents a proactive anonymous feedback based adaptive teaching for enhancing student learning for engineering courses. In conventional university teaching, typically, students come to the class and instructors lecture the material, assign home assignments, take exams, etc. After grading assignments or exams, the instructor provides feedback to students. Most of the time, students are reluctant to ask questions or ask instructor to revisit the topic which was already covered. However, there is no immediate anonymous feedback mechanism for each topic or class to notify the instructor about topics which are not clear to students. There are advantages that enhance …

Me-Em Enewsbrief, September 2015, Department Of Mechanical Engineering-Engineering Mechanics, Michigan Technological University

Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering eNewsBrief

No abstract provided.

Characterization Of Iron Phthalocyanine As The Cathode Active Material For Lithium-Ion Batteries, Sarwan S. Sandhu, Joseph P. Fellner

Chemical and Materials Engineering Faculty Publications

The developed thermodynamic functions for the determination of Gibbs free energy, enthalpy, and entropy of formation of solid lithium-iron phthalocyanine (LixFePc) from solid lithium and iron phthalocyanine as a function of x, defined as g-moles of the intercalated lithium per g-mole of iron phthalocyanine, at a fixed set of temperature and pressure conditions are presented. In addition, a proposed expression for the evaluation of lithium diffusion coefficient in solid iron phthalocyanine as a function of both x and temperature, and the experimental results from the ongoing research/development work on the lithium/iron phthalocyanine cells are included.

Sae Baja Dynamic Loading, Ryan Flatland, Christian George, Nick Bonafede

Mechanical Engineering

Cal Poly’s SAE Baja team undertook a project to measure the loads applied to an offroad buggy via the ground, including any obstacles. Originally, the ground loads pertaining to suspension, drivetrain, and chassis were based on rough estimates and historical part failures. This led to large safety factors, overbuilt parts, unknown part life, and improperly designed points of failure. In order for the team’s designs to advance to the next level of competition, an accurate set of loading cases were required. The main focus of the project was the suspension loads measured with strain gauges and a shock potentiometer, however …

Modified Inverse First-Order Reliability Method (I-Form) For Predicting Extreme Sea States, Aubrey Celia Eckert-Gallup

Civil Engineering ETDs

Environmental contours describing extreme sea states are generated as the input for numerical or physical model simulations as a part of the standard current practice for designing marine structures to survive extreme sea states. Such environmental contours are characterized by combinations of significant wave height (Hs) and energy period (Te) or peak period (Tp) values calculated for a given recurrence interval using a set of data based on hindcast simulations or buoy observations over a sufficient period of record. The use of the inverse first-order reliability method (I-FORM) is standard design practice for generating environmental contours. This thesis develops enhanced …

Precise Characterization And Investigation Of Laser Cooling In Iii-V Compound Semiconductors, Chengao Wang

Optical Science and Engineering ETDs

The physics and engineering issues associated with laser cooling of III-V compound semiconductors, in particular GaAs double heterostructures (DHS), are theoretically and experimentally investigated. This research addresses the key concepts of external quantum efficiency (EQE) and parasitic background absorption in a semiconductor laser cooler. The external quantum efficiency describes how well recombination radiation is removed from the cooling device and is precisely measured by All-optical Scanning Laser Calorimetry (ASLC). Using this technique, a record external quantum efficiency of 99.5% has been obtained with a GaAs laser cooler held at 100 K. However, high background absorption has hindered the observation of …

Analysis Of Traffic Crash Data In Kentucky (2010-2014), Eric R. Green, Kenneth R. Agent, Jerry G. Pigman, Michael A. Fields

Kentucky Transportation Center Research Report

This report documents an analysis of traffic crash data in Kentucky for the years of 2010 through 2014. A primary objective of this study was to determine average crash statistics for Kentucky highways. Rates were calculated for various types of highways and for counties and cities. Difference criteria were used for exposure.

Calibration And Validation Of The Rapidscat Scatterometer Using Natural Land Targets, Nathan Mark Madsen

Theses and Dissertations

RapidScat is a Ku-band scatterometer that was launched September 2014 and is currently operating on the International Space Station. It estimates ocean vector winds through accurate measurement of the normalized radar coefficient (σ⁰) of the ocean surface. In order to ensure the accuracy of σ⁰ measurements and consistency with previous Ku-band scatterometers, post-launch calibration and validation is necessary. Calibration and validation is performed using natural land targets, namely the Amazon and Congo rainforests, to complement calibration efforts over the ocean. The σ⁰ response of the targets is estimated with respect to viewing angle and time of …

A Hybrid Approach To General Information Extraction, Marie Belen Grap

Master's Theses

Information Extraction (IE) is the process of analyzing documents and identifying desired pieces of information within them. Many IE systems have been developed over the last couple of decades, but there is still room for improvement as IE remains an open problem for researchers. This work discusses the development of a hybrid IE system that attempts to combine the strengths of rule-based and statistical IE systems while avoiding their unique pitfalls in order to achieve high performance for any type of information on any type of document. Test results show that this system operates competitively in cases where target information …

Premature Allocation Of Program Requirements To Suppliers, Bohdan W. Oppenheim

Systems Engineering Faculty Works

The paper presents a discussion of the difficulties of formulating stable requirements early in complex engineering programs, and the severe consequences on program execution. The problems are caused by the need to seek political and funding support for the program. Formal classical Systems Engineering (SE) and Program Management (CSEPM) methodology is based on the assumption that the knowledge to anticipate all interfaces and create good requirements exists early in the program, and it is only a matter of working out the details to build extremely complex devices such as satellites, aircraft, refineries, nuclear power plants and high speed rail. The …

Haptics-Based Cataract Surgery Simulator, Jia Luo

Link Foundation Modeling, Simulation and Training Fellowship Reports

Surgical training using computer-based simulators are being adopted by many medical specialties, mainly because they offer several advantages to traditional training methods involving animals or cadavers. This article focuses on the design and implementation of a haptics-based cataract surgery simulator.

The Rapidly Reconfigurable Research Cockpit, Richard Joyce

Link Foundation Modeling, Simulation and Training Fellowship Reports

The goal of the Rapidly Reconfigurable Research Cockpit (R3C) project is to create and evaluate a novel approach for aviation simulators. Our concept combines a virtual reality visual environment with the tactile feedback typically found in early stage mockups. A low cost, easily modified, yet geometrically accurate cockpit panel (fabricated using 3D printing, for example) can be used while the pilot/operator wears a head-mounted display providing the visual overlay of the simulator.

Developing Java Programs On Android Mobile Phones Using Speech Recognition, Santhrushna Gande

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

Nowadays Android operating system based mobile phones and tablets are widely used and had millions of users around the world. The popularity of this operating system is due to its multi-tasking, ease of access and diverse device options. “Java Programming Speech Recognition Application” is an Android application used for handicapped individuals who are not able or have difficultation to type on a keyboard. This application allows the user to write a compute program (in Java Language) by dictating the words and without using a keyboard. The user needs to speak out the commands and symbols required for his/her program. The …

Bioinformatics Approaches To Single-Cell Analysis In Developmental Biology, Dicle Yalcin, Zeynep M. Hakguder, Hasan H. Otu

Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering: Faculty Publications

Individual cells within the same population show various degrees of heterogeneity, which may be better handled with single-cell analysis to address biological and clinical questions. Single-cell analysis is especially important in developmental biology as subtle spatial and temporal differences in cells have significant associations with cell fate decisions during differentiation and with the description of a particular state of a cell exhibiting an aberrant phenotype. Biotechnological advances, especially in the area of microfluidics, have led to a robust, massively parallel and multi-dimensional capturing, sorting, and lysis of single-cells and amplification of related macromolecules, which have enabled the use of imaging …

Investigation Of Bovine Serum Albumin (Bsa) Attachment Onto Self-Assembled Monolayers (Sams) Using Combinatorial Quartz Crystal Microbalance With Dissipation (Qcm-D) And Spectroscopic Ellipsometry (Se), Hanh T.M. Phan, Shannon L. Bartelt-Hunt, Keith B. Rodenhausen, Mathias Schubert, Jason C. Bartz

Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering: Faculty Publications

Understanding protein adsorption kinetics to surfaces is of importance for various environmental and biomedical applications. Adsorption of bovine serum albumin to various selfassembled monolayer surfaces including neutral and charged hydrophilic and hydrophobic surfaces was investigated using in-situ combinatorial quartz crystal microbalance with dissipation and spectroscopic ellipsometry. Adsorption of bovine serum albumin varied as a function of surface properties, bovine serum albumin concentration and pH value. Charged surfaces exhibited a greater quantity of bovine serum albumin adsorption, a larger bovine serum albumin layer thickness, and increased density of bovine serum albumin protein compared to neutral surfaces at neutral pH value. The …

Stability And Decomposition Of Ca-Substituted Lanthanum Ferrite In Reducing Atmospheres, Patrick M. Price, Darryl P. Butt

Materials Science and Engineering Faculty Publications and Presentations

Calcium-substituted lanthanum ferrites (La_1–xCa_xFeO_3–δ x = 0, 0.1, 0.2, 0.3, 0.4) were synthesized in air and subsequently decomposed in reducing atmospheres. The partial pressure of oxygen (P_O2) was controlled by varying the H₂/H₂O ratio by bubbling hydrogen/argon mixtures through water baths at controlled temperatures. Three regions of mass loss were identified as the P_O2 was reduced, two of which were determined to be associated with decomposition reactions. Calcium was shown to decrease the thermal stability of the perovskite compound, but rather …

Nonstationary Internal Tides Observed Using Dual-Satellite Altimetry, Edward D. Zaron

Civil and Environmental Engineering Faculty Publications and Presentations

Dual-satellite crossover data from the Jason-2 and Cryosat-2 altimeter missions are used in a novel approach to quantify stationary and nonstationary tides from time-lagged mean square sea surface height (SSH) differences, computed for lags from 1 to 1440 h (60 days). The approach is made feasible by removing independent estimates of the stationary tide and mesoscale SSH variance, which greatly reduces the sampling error of the SSH statistics. For the semidiurnal tidal band, the stationary tidal variance is approximately 0.73 cm(2), and the nonstationary variance is about 0.33 cm(2), or 30% of the total. The temporal correlation of the nonstationary …

Development Of A Pedestrian Demand Estimation Tool, Kelly Clifton, Patrick Allen Singleton, Christopher D. Muhs, Robert J. Schneider

Civil and Environmental Engineering Faculty Publications and Presentations

Most research on walking behavior has focused on mode choice or walk-trip frequency. In contrast, this study is one of the first to analyze the destination choice behaviors of pedestrians. Using about 4,500 walk trips from a 2011 household travel survey in the Portland, OR, region, we estimated multinomial logit pedestrian destination choice models for six trip purposes. Independent variables included terms for impedance (walk-trip distance); size (employment by type, households); supportive pedestrian environments (parks, a pedestrian index of the environment variable called PIE); barriers to walking (terrain, industrial-type employment); and traveler characteristics. Unique to this study was the use …

Comparisons Of Linear Regression Models For Properties Of Alkaliactivated Binder Concrete, Arkamitra Kar, Udaya B. Halabe, Indrajit Ray, Avinash Unnikrishnan

Civil and Environmental Engineering Faculty Publications and Presentations

Concrete with alkali-activated binder (AAB) is increasingly considered as a better alternative to conventional portland cement (PC) concrete due to its superior sustainable and green properties. In order to promote the practical usage of AAB concrete, a previous study by the present authors proposed models on correlations among their mechanical and nondestructive properties. The present study extends the previous knowledge by proposing new improved models using linear regressions to predict compressive strengths and modulus of elasticity from ultrasonic pulse velocities. The models are developed for both unstressed and stressed AAB concrete with different curing temperatures. The accuracies of the models …

Thermal Earth Resource Monitoring Instrument (Thermi) Size, Weight And Power (Swap) Reduction, T. Newswander, Z. Bergen, J. Hancock, S. Hansen, A. Shumway, J. Stauder, D. Williams

Space Dynamics Laboratory Publications

The Thermal Earth Resource Monitoring Instrument (THERMI) has been designed to meet stringent Landsat heritage requirements with reduced size, weight and power (SWaP). The instrument design provides Earth resource monitoring through the use of two long-wave infrared bands that measure the land surface temperatures. These bands are especially valuable for monitoring water resources and water use. Instrument subsystems, including electronics, cryocooler, thermal management, optical telescope assembly, focal plane module, in-flight calibrator, and scene select mirror were studied and conceptually designed to reduce overall THERMI SWaP. Reductions in SWaP make it possible for THERMI to fit on a small satellite bus …

Phase Change Cells And The Verification Of Gallium As A Thermal Calibration Reference In Space, Harri Latvikoski, Gail E. Bingham, T. Shane Topham, Igor Podolski

Space Dynamics Laboratory Publications

The validation of models of global climate change and accurate measurement of the atmosphere and surface temperatures require that orbital sensors have low drift rates, and are monitored or regularly recalibrated by accepted standards. Phase change materials (PCM), such as those that make up the ITS-90 standard, are the basis for international commerce and have been suggested for monitoring and recalibration of orbital temperature sensors. Space Dynamics Laboratory (SDL) and its partners have been developing miniaturized phase change reference technologies that could be deployed on an orbital blackbody for nearly a decade. A significant part of this effort has been …