Engineering Commons^™

Regrowth Of Chlorella Sorokiniana On Recycled Media With Replenished Nutrients, William H. Spence

Master's Theses

Growth media recycling during algae cultivation is necessary to increase the efficiency and reduce the cost of biofuel production from algae feedstocks. Without recycling media, the cost of algae based biofuel production would be prohibitively high and large scale algae based biofuel production would not be economically viable. The ratio of media recycled to media wasted assumed for algae farms is generally calculated to maintain salt concentrations below growth inhibitory levels, ignoring the influence of secondary metabolites which might decrease productivity. Secondary metabolites, which include allelopathic or auto-inhibitory biological contaminants, might lead to the accumulation of growth-inhibiting compounds in recycled …

Arc Fault Circuit Interrupter Development For Residential Dc Electricity, Cassidy Alan Aarstad

Master's Theses

The following technical report describes the development and testing of an arc fault circuit interrupter (AFCI) for DC circuits operating primarily at 48 volts. We have identified an effective method for determining when arcing is occurring. Our method is primarily based on comparing the frequency spectrum of current flowing through the circuit during an arcing event to a known characteristic spectrum. Once an arc has been identified, our interrupter is capable of responding adequately to eliminate the arc. Hardware tests show the AFCI developed in this thesis responded, in all test cases, within 2 seconds of an arc fault occurrence. …

Ncma Groundwater Model Using Usgs Modflow-2005/Pest, Brian Matthew Wallace

Master's Theses

A numerical model for the NCMA aquifer complex is presented. The objective of the study is to develop a numerical groundwater model for the NCMA aquifer system to enhance the understanding of subsurface groundwater flow. Infiltration, streamflow, pumping, and return flows are implemented to characterize the aquifer complex over time. The numerical model is calibrated to municipal and monitoring well data, average monthly water balances, and hydraulic contours. Transient aquifer inflows and outflows are assessed in the results of the study and are compared to balance terms from previous studies. The 2007 Todd Engineers Study subsurface inflows and outflows generate …

Astro – A Low-Cost, Low-Power Cluster For Cpu-Gpu Hybrid Computing Using The Jetson Tk1, Sean Kai Sheen

Master's Theses

With the rising costs of large scale distributed systems many researchers have began looking at utilizing low power architectures for clusters. In this paper, we describe our Astro cluster, which consists of 46 NVIDIA Jetson TK1 nodes each equipped with an ARM Cortex A15 CPU, 192 core Kepler GPU, 2 GB of RAM, and 16 GB of flash storage. The cluster has a number of advantages when compared to conventional clusters including lower power usage, ambient cooling, shared memory between the CPU and GPU, and affordability. The cluster is built using commodity hardware and can be setup for relatively low …

The Effects Of Latency On 3d Interactive Data Visualizations, Allen Korenevsky

Master's Theses

Interactive data visualizations must respond fluidly to user input to be effective, or so we assume. In fact it is unknown exactly how fast a visualization must run to present every facet within a dataset. An engineering team with limited resources is left with intuition and estimates to determine if their application performs sufficiently well.

This thesis studies how latency affects users' comprehension of data visualizations, specifically 3D geospatial visualizations with large data sets. Subjects used a climate visualization showing temperatures spanning from the 19th to the 21st century to answer multiple choice questions. Metrics like their eye movements, time …

Electrical And Thermal Transport Properties Of Ge Substituted Fesi Kondo Insulator, Y K Kuo

Manipal Journal of Science and Technology

The effects of Ge partial substitution on the Si site of FeSi Kondo insulator (KI) were investigated by means of electrical and thermal transport measurements. Electrical resistivity (ρ), Seebeck coefficient (S), and thermal conductivity (k) measurements were performed on a series of FeSi_1-xGe_x alloys with x varying from 0.00 to 0.25. It is found that the substitution of Ge onto the Si sites causes a substantial decrease in the electrical resistivity and Seebeck coefficient at low temperatures, attributed to the shift of Fermi energy from the dip of the density of states as a consequence …

Fast And Accurate Indexing Technique For Large Multi-Biometric Data Sets, Debasis Samanta

Manipal Journal of Science and Technology

Biometric-based person identification is gaining importance and now-a-days it is required to process a large amount of biometric data in the order of millions. Therefore, the traditional approach where the identity of a query template is decided by matching the query template with all stored templates is impractical. The problem is further compounded when we have to deal with two or more biometric traits. In this paper, we propose an approach to index a large pool of multi-biometric data so that the matching process can be accomplished in a real time without compromise in accuracy of person identification. Our proposed …

Google Flu Trends Spatial Variability Validated Against Emergency Department Influenza-Related Visits, Joseph Jeffrey Klembczyk, Mehdi Jalalpour, Scott Levin, Raynard E. Washington, Jesse M. Pines, Richard E. Rothman, Andrea Freyer Dugas

Civil and Environmental Engineering Faculty Publications

Background: Influenza is a deadly and costly public health problem. Variations in its seasonal patterns cause dangerous surges in emergency department (ED) patient volume. Google Flu Trends (GFT) can provide faster influenza surveillance information than traditional CDC methods, potentially leading to improved public health preparedness. GFT has been found to correlate well with reported influenza and to improve influenza prediction models. However, previous validation studies have focused on isolated clinical locations.

Objective: The purpose of the study was to measure GFT surveillance effectiveness by correlating GFT with influenza-related ED visits in 19 US cities across seven influenza seasons, and to …

Structural Calculations For Nepal Vocational Learning Center, Nicholas Petrarca

Architectural Engineering

This project goal is to build a Leadership Vocational School for youth, women, differently abled, and local leaders of rural and Kathmandu Nepal. The client for this project is an organization called Sakcham Rural Nepal and they partnered with a humanitarian organization called Journeyman International to find Architecture and Architectural Engineering students to design a safe, attractive and functional building to fit their needs.

Modelling And Energy Management Optimisation Of Battery Energy Storage System Based Photovoltaic Charging Station (Pv-Cs) For University Campus, Ayda Esfandyari, Brian Norton, Michael Conlon

Conference Papers

As utilization of Photovoltaic Charging Stations (PV-CS) that generate clean electricity from the sun increase, Technological University Dublin (DIT) adopts this application for accommodating the required charge of small campus Battery Electric Vehicles (BEVs). This paper presents the virtual simulation of the 10.5 kW Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) based PV-CS model. Transient System Simulation (TRNSYS) built-in climatic data and modular structure properties were adopted to replicate the experimentally proposed PV-CS, where special attention was paid to the electrical measurments and energy flow signals. The objective was set to model the PV-CS system, formulate an energy managment optimisation and justify …

Injury Severity Data For Front And Second Row Passengers In Frontal Crashes, Theresa Atkinson, Leszek Gawarecki, Massoud Tavakoli

Mechanical Engineering Publications

The data contained here were obtained from the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration׳s National Automotive Sampling System – Crashworthiness Data System (NASS-CDS) for the years 2008–2014. This publically available data set monitors motor vehicle crashes in the United States, using a stratified random sample frame, resulting in information on approximately 5000 crashes each year that can be utilized to create national estimates for crashes. The NASS-CDS data sets document vehicle, crash, and occupant factors. These data can be utilized to examine public health, law enforcement, roadway planning, and vehicle design issues. The data provided in this brief are a subset …

Developing Appropriate Educational Modules Aimed At Industry - An Example From Surveying At Masters Level, Audrey Martin

Articles

This paper describes the process from inception to completion of developing academic modules appropriate for upgrading survey professionals engaged in the public sector. It focuses on one such module continuing professional development module in ‘Gravity and Height’ for National Mapping, developed by the Technological University Dublin Spatial Information Sciences Group for the National Mapping Agency, Ordnance Survey Ireland (OSi) and staff from similar organisations.

Cost Benefit Analysis: Applications And Future Opportunities, Bryan Gibson, Candice Y. Wallace

Kentucky Transportation Center Research Report

Cost Benefit Analysis (CBA or Benefit Cost Analysis — BCA) is an evaluation tool that state transportation agencies can use to compare infrastructure project options across transportation modes and gauge if the discounted value of benefits exceed the costs. CBA lets policymakers compare alternative project proposals to a baseline scenario, or status quo case, under which no investments are made. CBA is used to select which proposal is the most sensible investment—ideally, the project that maximizes benefits while minimizing costs should be chosen. As the use of CBA to evaluate projects and grant applications (e.g., TIGER Discretionary Grants) continues to …

Evaluation Of The Use Of Painted And Unpainted Weathering Steel On Bridges, Theodore Hopwood Ii, Sudhir Palle, Bobby W. Meade, Rick Younce

Kentucky Transportation Center Research Report

KTC researchers studied the use of unpainted weathering steel on bridges, using findings of inspections performed on Kentucky Transportation Cabinet (KYTC) bridges constructed with both painted and unpainted weathering steel as well as laboratory testing. Laboratory tests were conducted on test panels of conventional and weathering grades of steel to determine the performance of barrier and zinc-based coatings over abrasive-blasted substrates of those steel types in both the new and corroded conditions. The report provides the following recommendations for the use of painted and unpainted weathering steel on Kentucky bridges based upon both the field and laboratory findings:

• KYTC should …

Evaluation Of Alternatives To Provide Wet-Nighttime Delineation, Kenneth R. Agent

Kentucky Transportation Center Research Report

The objective of this study was to compare the performance of various types of materials, devices, and procedures that can potentially delineate roadways during wet, nighttime conditions. Snowplowable markers provide the most effective wet-nighttime delineation. Durability issues associated with the steel casting marker make the recessed marker preferable over the life of the pavement. Wet reflective tape placed in a groove provided both dry and wet-nighttime delineation and remained durable. The performance of thermoplastic material installed on the pavement surface supports its future use but will not provide wet-nighttime delineation. Inconsistent performance of inlaid tape argues against its expanded use. …

Water And Energy Use Of Antimicrobial Interventions In A Mid-Size Beef Packing Plant, Rami M. M. Ziara, Shaobin Li, Bruce I. Dvorak, Jeyamkondan Subbiah

Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Data regarding the water and energy usage of current antimicrobial interventions in beef packing plants is scarce. The objective of this study was to collect representative water and energy usage data in a beef packing plant, with emphasis on antimicrobial interventions, to provide baseline data for comparison of new intervention technologies developed by researchers. Permanent and portable water flow meters were installed on the plant’s plumbing system to collect water flow data from March 2014 to March 2015. A local utility company was hired to meter electricity at the different subsystems using portable data loggers. The natural gas used in …

A Comprehensive Analytical Study Of Dielectric Modulated Drift Regions-Part I: Static Characteristics, Jiuyang Zhou, Chih Fang Huang, Chia Hui Cheng, Feng Zhao

Electrical and Computer Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

A comprehensive study of dielectric modulated (DM) drift regions for power devices is presented in this paper. The performance of this structure is theoretically analyzed and compared with both conventional and super junction (SJ) structures. In this paper, an analytical model for DM drift regions with cylindrical cells is proposed and compared with linear cells. An optimal tradeoff between breakdown voltage (BV) and specific ON-resistance (R ON,sp) is obtained by a methodology developed in this paper. 3-D simulations of DM structures with hexagonal cells approximated by cylindrical cells are conducted to verify the analytical model. Optimal BV-R ON,sp tradeoffs for …

Beyond The Scs-Cn Method: A Theoretical Framework For Spatially Lumped Rainfall-Runoff Response, Mark Bartlett, Anthony J. Parolari, Jeffrey Mcdonnell, Amilcare Porporato

Civil and Environmental Engineering Faculty Research and Publications

Since its introduction in 1954, the Soil Conservation Service curve number (SCS-CN) method has become the standard tool, in practice, for estimating an event-based rainfall-runoff response. However, because of its empirical origins, the SCS-CN method is restricted to certain geographic regions and land use types. Moreover, it does not describe the spatial variability of runoff. To move beyond these limitations, we present a new theoretical framework for spatially lumped, event-based rainfall-runoff modeling. In this framework, we describe the spatially lumped runoff model as a point description of runoff that is upscaled to a watershed area based on probability distributions that …

An Exploration Of Cubesat Propulsion, Andrew Davis Hine

Masters Theses

The development of new primary propulsion systems for CubeSats with the capability to complete orbital maneuvers has become a principal focus of many within the CubeSat community. One such propulsion device is the 1 cm Busek RF Ion Thruster (BIT-1). For systems such as the BIT-1 to become mission ready and implementable on spacecraft, preliminary testing must be completed to understand how these propulsion devices will perform when placed onboard. The research and testing performed and presented was used to understand how the BIT-1 propulsion device and others like it will interact with small spacecraft. This was accomplished by means …

Comparison Of Safety And Operational Performances For Three Engineering Countermeasures, Ali Hamzah Hussein Alzuhairi

Masters Theses

While there have been many studies on engineering treatments for reducing traffic crashes or for improving intersection efficiency, few studies have been simultaneously taking both impacts into consideration. This thesis analyzed impacts of engineering countermeasures and determines when these countermeasures are cost effective with respect to the amount of traffic and the number of crashes. Both crash reduction and operational costs were compared for analysis. This study specifically investigated three countermeasures: changing from permitted to protected for a left-turn on minor approaches, leading pedestrian interval (LPI), and exclusive pedestrian phase (Barnes Dance). The general Safety Performance Functions (SPFs) from the …

Development Of Strain And Pressure Sensors On Flexible And Stretchable Platforms, Mohammed Mudher Mohammed Ali

Masters Theses

The capability of the human brain to operate in conjunction with human senses and muscles enables us to become powerful autonomous beings. By using these organs, humans can interact with the surrounding environment. Similarly, the combination of sensors with the signal processing of modern electronics enables the interaction with the non-electrical environment.

In this thesis, the work focuses on the design and fabrication of flexible and stretchable sensors which have been receiving an increased interest for applications such as human body movement, tracking in the biomedical industry, object detection, fingerprint sensor as well as for monitoring deformations or structural changes …

Evaluating Descriptive Metrics Of The Human Cone Mosaic, Robert F. Cooper, Melissa A. Wilk, Sergey Tarima, Joseph Carroll

Biomedical Engineering Faculty Research and Publications

Purpose: To evaluate how metrics used to describe the cone mosaic change in response to simulated photoreceptor undersampling (i.e., cell loss or misidentification).

Methods: Using an adaptive optics ophthalmoscope, we acquired images of the cone mosaic from the center of fixation to 10° along the temporal, superior, inferior, and nasal meridians in 20 healthy subjects. Regions of interest (n = 1780) were extracted at regular intervals along each meridian. Cone mosaic geometry was assessed using a variety of metrics − density, density recovery profile distance (DRPD), nearest neighbor distance (NND), intercell distance (ICD), farthest neighbor distance (FND), percentage of …

Resonant Effects In Nanoscale Bowtie Apertures, L. Ding, J. Qin, S. Guo, T. Liu, Edward C. Kinzel, L. Wang

Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

No abstract provided.

Portable, Parallel 9-Wavelength Near-Infrared Spectral Tomography (Nirst) System For Efficient Characterization Of Breast Cancer Within The Clinical Oncology Infusion Suite, Yan Zhao, Brian W. Pogue, Steffen J. Haider, Jiang Gui, Roberta Diflorio-Alexander, Keith Paulsen, Shudong Jiang

Dartmouth Scholarship

A portable near-infrared spectral tomography (NIRST) system was developed with simultaneous frequency domain (FD) and continuous-wave (CW) optical measurements for efficient characterization of breast cancer in a clinical oncology setting. Simultaneous FD and CW recordings were implemented to speed up acquisition to 3 minutes for all 9 wavelengths, spanning a range from 661nm to 1064nm. An adjustable interface was designed to fit various breast sizes and shapes. Spatial images of oxy- and deoxy-hemoglobin, water, lipid, and scattering components were reconstructed using a 2D FEM approach. The system was tested on a group of 10 normal subjects, who were examined bilaterally …

Microstructural Properties And Four-Point Bend Fatigue Behavior Of Ti-6.5al-2zr-1mo-1v Welded Joints By Electron Beam Welding, Peng Liu, Tongguang Zhai, Yuanbin Zhang

Chemical and Materials Engineering Faculty Publications

With the help of a four-point-bend of fatigue rig, high-cycle fatigue tests were carried out on an Ti–6.5Al–2Zr-1Mo-1V titanium alloy at room temperature, 20 Hz and R = 0.1 in ambient air. The test results indicated that the fatigue strength of base metal, 888 MPa, is about 120% of yield strength. The fatigue strength of joints is 814 MPa. It is about 110% of yield strength of base metal. When the loading stress is higher, the fatigue failure region is located in middle weld zone of weld face, which the cracks are propagated along coarse β phase’s grain boundary. When …

Coupling Between Magnetic Exchange And Charge Activation In Cu-Doped Lafeo3, Emir Dogdibegovic, Qingsheng Cai, William Joseph James, William B. Yelon, Harlan U. Anderson, Jin Bo Yang, Xiao Dong Zhou

Chemistry Faculty Research & Creative Works

Material research on perovskite-type oxides (ABO₃) has been driven by the recognition of their unique properties primarily attributed to the presence of oxygen octahedron (BO₆). Since 2003, the discovery of strong coupling in TbMnO₃ and BiFeO₃ has stimulated new interests in understanding the relationship between magnetic and electric properties in perovskites. In this article, we report our recent work on the magnetic superexchange interaction and charge formation in copper-doped LaFeO₃ using high-temperature neutron diffraction and thermoelectric measurements. In situ neutron diffraction measurements show a loss of antiferromagnetic ordering above 450°C. With an increase …

Disc Brake Energy Conversion, D. Coleman Badgley, Jeffrey W. Powell

Mechanical Engineering

The original goal of this project was to complete the design and building of a disc brake energy conversion project started by a former senior project team, and then spend a majority of the year performing testing in order to see if the device could be used to accurately calculate the Joule's constant. However, due to unforeseen complications and obstacles, the design and manufacturing portion of the project ended up taking much longer than anticipated. A majority of this time was spent designing the hydraulic plumbing system that would actuate the brakes. The previous team purchased some hydraulic parts and …

Solar Turbines Compressor Blade Installation Tools, Ryan Bruce, Carolyn Honeycutt, Stephen Oltrogge, Emmett Ross

Mechanical Engineering

The following report documents a California Polytechnic State University, Mechanical Engineering Senior Project sponsored by the gas turbine manufacturer, Solar Turbines. The senior project team consisted of four senior mechanical engineering students at Cal Poly, all with general concentrations; Ryan Bruce, Carolyn Honeycutt, Steve Oltrogge, and Emmett Ross. Kenneth Thomas sponsored the group and serves as the point of contact between the senior project team and Solar Turbines. He is a member of the Solar Turbines Mechanical Design Engineering Team and a Cal Poly graduate. Christoph Maurer served as the project team’s on-campus advisor.

A gas turbine uses internal combustion …

Walker Tray, Marlene Troncoso, Judy Lantaca, Miriam Krage, Claire Francis

Mechanical Engineering

Sean is an individual with Cerebral Palsy, a disability that affects one's balance, muscle tone, muscular coordination, posture and control. Sean utilizes a walker to aid in maintaining his balance and muscular coordination when ambulating. This enables him to walk independently and leads to improved muscle strength and coordination. When walking, Sean places both hands on the walker to maintain balance and thus the ability to walk and carry items at the same time is compromised. Sean would like to be able to transport items while in use of his walker. The goals of this senior project design are to …

Non-Puncturing, No Slip Thv Leaflet Gripper, Brooks Kelly, Eric Nagaoka, Johnny Phane

Mechanical Engineering

Confidential