Engineering Commons^™

An Investigation Into The Potential Benefits Of Distributed Electric Propulsion On Small Uavs At Low Reynolds Numbers, Engin Baris

Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering Theses & Dissertations

Distributed electric propulsion systems benefit from the inherent scale independence of electric propulsion. This property allows the designer to place multiple small electric motors along the wing of an aircraft instead of using a single or several internal combustion motors with gear boxes or other power train components. Aircraft operating at low Reynolds numbers are ideal candidates for benefiting from increased local flow velocities as provided by distributed propulsion systems.

In this study, a distributed electric propulsion system made up of eight motor/propellers was integrated into the leading edge of a small fixed wing-body model to investigate the expected improvements …

Analysis Of Project Management System Structure Using The Viable System Model (Vsm), Joseph A. Sisti

Engineering Management & Systems Engineering Theses & Dissertations

The purpose of this research was to explore the applicability of the Viable System Model as a framework for structural analysis of Project Management Systems using a case study approach. The research used a modified Viable System Model based on the work of Stafford Beer (1979) for the analysis of systems (organizations). The specific research questions explored in this research were: (1) How can the Viable System Model (VSM) be adapted for analysis of project management structure? And, (2) What results from exploration of the Viable System Model framework application to active project management structures?

The research used an exploratory …

Quantifying Cyanide Inhibition Of Nitrification And Developing Cost-Effective Treatment Processes, Germano M. Salazar-Benites

Civil & Environmental Engineering Theses & Dissertations

All wastewater treatment plants that operate multiple hearth furnaces (MHF) and are required to nitrify must manage the inhibitory effects of free cyanide (HCN, CN-) in the scrubber return flows due to inhibitory impacts on nitrifying bacteria.

HRSD Boat Harbor Treatment Plant (BHTP) a 25 MGD facility consisting of primary and secondary treatment, employs an anoxic selector process for nitrification and partial denitrification and operates a MHF. There is a desire to improve TN removal performance at BHTP due to an annual mass-based bubble permit limit on a combined discharge from seven HRSD plants, and there are no discharge limitations …

Investigation Of Low Cost Substrate Approaches For Iii-V Solar Cells, Marlene Lydia Lichty

Electrical & Computer Engineering Theses & Dissertations

With the need for cleaner energy sources, which can displace fossil fuel, the solar cell industry is of particular interest due to the abundancy of the Sun. Silicon currently dominates terrestrial applications, but efficiency improvements have saturated. III-V based solar cells have reported the highest efficiencies, however, high costs due to substrates and fabrication processes have limited these devices to specialty applications, such as space. In order to reduce the cost associated with fabricating III-V semiconductor substrate material, two different approaches were taken in this work with a particular focus on making III-Vs more applicable outside of specialty applications, including …

Planning And Team Shared Mental Models As Predictors Of Team Collaborative Processes, Zikai Zhou

Engineering Management & Systems Engineering Theses & Dissertations

This study evaluates the role of team planning and the similarity of team shared mental models (TSMMs) as predictors of two types of collaborative behaviors that are known to contribute to team performance. A computer-based Networked Fire Chief (NFC) simulation task was used as a testing environment for emergent and dynamic situations. The relationships among team planning, similarity of task-focused team shared mental models (TASKTSMMs), similarity of team-focused team shared mental models (TEAMTSMMs), team backup behaviors, and implicit coordination were tested. This study provides evidence for the mediation effect of similarity of TASKTSMMs between team planning and team backup behaviors, …

Impact Of A Localized Lean Six Sigma Implementation On Overall Patient Safety And Process Efficiency, Luvianca G. Gil-Moreno

Engineering Management & Systems Engineering Theses & Dissertations

Continuous quality improvement tools have been widely used in the Healthcare Industry to increase efficiency and patient safety as well as to reduce cost. This research explores the impact of a Lean Six Sigma (LSS) process improvement initiative on the overall process efficiency and patient safety in the Labor and Delivery (L+D) units of a large hospital provider. This study focuses on the application of a modeling and simulation methodology to investigate the influence of a localized process improvement intervention on the overall L+D unit output by considering patient flow, system capacity, and unit performance. The simulation models capacity profiles …

Survey Of Branch Prediction, Pipelining, Memory Systems As Related To Computer Architecture, Kristina Landen

Student Works

This paper is a survey of topics introduced in Computer Engineering Course CEC470: Computer Architecture (CEC470). The topics covered in this paper provide much more depth than what was provided in CEC470, in addition to exploring new concepts not touched on in the course. Topics presented include branch prediction, pipelining, registers, memory, and the operating system, as well as some general design considerations for computer architecture as a whole.

The design considerations explored include a discussion on different types of instruction types specific to the ARM Instruction Set Architecture, known as ARM and Thumb, as well as an exploration of …

A Study Of The Sensitivity Of Energy Conversion Efficiency To Load Variation In Class-E Resonant Power Inverter, Richard Samuel Jennings

Electrical & Computer Engineering Theses & Dissertations

In this thesis the sensitivity of energy conversion efficiency (ECE) and output power of a class-E resonant inverter under variable resistive and inductive load assignments is examined for wireless power transfer (WPT) applications. By performing simulation and mathematical analysis, it was found that the on-resistance of the switching device has minor effect on the design’s efficiency. Additional comparisons between the simulation and mathematical analysis show reasonable output power and ECE load variation performance for the design, but with unique load impedances where zero voltage switching (ZVS) and zero derivative switching (ZDS) are achieved. These comparisons also expose inaccurate mathematical assumptions. …

Corrosion Behaviour Of Selective Laser Melted Ti-Tib Biocomposite In Simulated Body Fluid, Yang Chen, Junxi Zhang, Nianwei Dai, Peng Qin, Hooyar Attar, Laichang Zhang

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

The corrosion behaviour of CP-Ti and Ti-TiB composite produced by selective laser melting (SLM) in the artificial simulated body fluid (Hank's solution) at body temperature was investigated systematically by using electrochemical measurements (potentiodynamic polarisation curves and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy), together with some detailed structural characterisations. The results demonstrate that SLM-produced Ti-TiB composite samples possess better corrosion resistance than SLM-produced CP-Ti samples in Hank's solution. Due to these tiny TiB and TiB₂ particles acting as the micro-cathode uniformly distributing in titanium matrix, anodic dissolution of titanium matrix in the corrosion process is prominently facilitated in early stages, followed by rapid …

A Plastic Design Method For Rc Moment Frame Buildings Against Progressive Collapse, Hadi Faghihmaleki

Makara Journal of Technology

In this study, progressive collapse potential of generic 3-, 8- and 12-storey RC moment frame buildings designed based on IBC-2006 code was investigated by performing non-linear static and dynamic analyses. It was observed that the model structures had high potential for progressive collapse when the second floor column was suddenly removed. Then, the size of beams required to satisfy the failure criteria for progressive collapse was obtained by using the virtual work method; i.e., using the equilibrium of the external work done by gravity load due to loss of a column and the internal work done by plastic rotation of …

In Vitro Toxicity Evaluation Of Caffeine Imprinted Polymer (Caf-Mip) For Decaffeination Method On Normal Chang Liver Cells, Fatimah Hashim, Faizatul Shimal Mehamod, Naizatul Akmal Nawi

Makara Journal of Technology

Over consuming of caffeine is one of the factors to a few health problems such as insomnia, hypertension and cardiovascular disease. This preliminary study was conducted to evaluate the Caffeine-Imprinted Polymer (CAF-MIP) toxicity that was synthesized for a new alternative method for decaffeination. It is crucial to evaluate the toxicity of CAF-MIPas this product is potential to be used as complimentary with any drinks containing caffeine. In this study, the CAF-MIP toxicity potential was confirmed on Normal Chang Liver cell (NCLC) based on its IC50 value andacridine orange and propidium iodide (AO/PI) staining for mode of cell death observation.Proliferation assay …

Sorption And Ion Exchange Behaviour Of Natural Zeolite Packing, Chandra Wahyu Purnomo, Bernice Lenora, Wiratni Budhijanto, Hirofumi Hinode

Makara Journal of Technology

It is well known that zeolite is an efficient metal ions adsorbent. The excess charge of the zeolite building blocks i.e. (AlO4)-5 and (SiO4)-4 creating a negative surface charge that attract metal cations. Beside the surface charge, zeolite also has three dimensional pore structure and reasonably large surface area which also can be used as adsorption sites. Ease of cation uptake make it suitable for many process with adsorption and desorption application. This study was conducted to observe the sorption and ion exchange behaviour of zeolite-betonite rings toward iron and cobalt cations. The results shows that the adsorption patterns follow …

Mentoring Brochure: Shorter Version, Tim Leonard, Abigail Lisjak, Adam Foster

Sustainability and Connectivity

We made these brochures to talk to different organizations about our thoughts and ideas. There are two iterations of this. This one has less words.

Sustainability Survey, Dayton Regional Green Member Businesses, 2017, Zachary Siefker, Theresa Isemann, Andrew Eckrich

Sustainability and Connectivity

This document is a sustainability and sharing survey intended for businesses that are Dayton Regional Green members. Dayton Regional Green already has an extensive survey. This survey tries to avoid redundancy in surveys by asking other questions not included in DRG3's survey. It asks questions regarding mentoring, sharing, local sourcing, and sustainability.

Sustainability Survey, Dayton Regional Green Nonmember Businesses, 2017, Zachary Siefker, Theresa Isemann, Andrew Eckrich

Sustainability and Connectivity

This document is a sustainability and sharing survey intended for businesses that are not already Dayton Regional Green members. This survey includes questions similar to what is in DRG3's survey. It asks questions regarding mentoring, sharing, local sourcing, energy, waste streams, and sustainability.

Team Meeting Minutes, January-April 2017, Zachary Siefker, Theresa Isemann, Andrew Eckrich

Sustainability and Connectivity

This document provides notes from meetings with several Dayton-area community leaders. Several ideas that make Dayton more community-oriented and material-efficient are discussed.

Hackathon 2017 Project: Resource-Sharing Website, Zachary Siefker, Theresa Isemann, Andrew Eckrich

Sustainability and Connectivity

Our team was given the opportunity to pitch a concept to students attending UD’s Hackathon event on Febraury 22, 2017. One group took on the project and created the framework for a website that could be used for business connectivity and sharing. This document spells out the major takeaways from the project.

Reverse Hyperextension Device, Nayeli Feregrino, Aziz Alotaibi, Gage Becker, Kyle Brown, Dillon Fleming

Paper and Posters Presentations

The Reverse Hyperextension Device is an exercise device typically used to aid in the recovery of those with lower back problems. Its main use is to substitute squats for those who cannot sustain the strain that comes with doing regular squats. A typical Reverse Hyperextension device is a bulky and immovable device, which poses a problem if the placement area has limited space. With our innovative design, the device will be foldable so it can be stored away when not in use and still as stable as needed to serve its purpose without causing injury. Another benefit coming from the …

How Tonality And Loudness Of Noise Relate To Annoyance And Task Performance” Noise Control Eng. J. 65(2), 71-82., Joonhee Lee, Jennifer M. Francis, Lily M. Wang

Durham School of Architectural Engineering and Construction: Faculty Publications

Audible tones in noise generated by building mechanical equipment can be a leading cause of complaints from occupants. A number of metrics have been developed to quantify prominence of a tone, but previous work has shown that the impact of a certain tonality appears to vary with the level of the broadband noise signal. More work on how tonal signals of varying tonality, tone frequency and broadband noise levels relate to annoyance and task performance is needed. This paper investigates such relationships between current noise metrics, annoyance and task performance under assorted tonal noise conditions through subjective testing. Participants rated …

Semicoupled Modeling Of Interaction Between Deformable Tires And Pavements, Jaime Hernandez, Imad L. Al-Qadi

Civil and Environmental Engineering Faculty Research and Publications

The interaction between deformable tires and pavements was studied using finite-element modeling and a semicoupled approach. Three finite-element models were used: (1) a hyperelastic tire rolling on an infinitely rigid surface; (2) a three-dimensional pavement model; and (3) a hyperelastic tire rolling on a deformable viscoelastic body. The tire and pavement models have been successfully compared with experimental measurements. Tire interaction with a rigid surface provided contact stresses to excite the pavement model, and results of the pavement model defined the boundary conditions of the tire rolling on the deformable body. After that, the pavement loaded with the contact stresses …

The Design And Implementation Of A Pcie-Based Less Label Switch, Amy C. Williams

Senior Honors Theses

With the explosion of the Internet of Things, the number of smart, embedded devices has grown exponentially in the last decade, with growth projected at a commiserate rate. These devices create strain on the existing infrastructure of the Internet, creating challenges with scalability of routing tables and reliability of packet delivery. Various schemes based on Location-Based Forwarding and ID-based routing have been proposed to solve the aforementioned problems, but thus far, no solution has completely been achieved. This thesis seeks to improve current proposed LORIF routers by designing, implementing, and testing and a PCIe-based LESS switch to process unrouteable packets …

Energy–Water Reduction And Wastewater Reclamation In A Fluid Milk Processing Facility, Carly Rain Adams, Yulie E. Meneses, Bing Wang, Curtis L. Weller

Department of Food Science and Technology: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

The energy-water nexus is the inseparable connection linking water and energy. We are faced with a unique opportunity to co-manage these resources, as conservation of one is directly linked to the conservation of its counterpart. Therefore, immediately facing this critical challenge, will lead to tangible impacts on the water and energy crisis our food system is faced with. Determining the role of water and energy in the food industry has proved to be the starting point for reducing the distance between process productivity and resource efficiency. Therefore, this research focuses on determining opportunities for water-energy optimization and wastewater reduction and …

Investigation Of Petroleum Use In Off-Road Agricultural Machinery And Analysis Of J1939 Controller Area Network (Can) Data For Advanced Machinery Testing, Rodney Rohrer

Department of Agricultural and Biological Systems Engineering: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Nearly all modern off-road agricultural machinery are powered by petroleum, primarily diesel fuel. Equipment manufacturers work to improve fuel efficiency of their equipment to provide better value to their customers. Benefits of reducing petroleum use include lower operating costs, improved operational efficiency, improved energy security, and environmental benefits. Agricultural tractor testing focuses primarily on characterizing maximum performance but there is a need for advanced test procedures to better measure fuel efficiency for load cases representative of in-field operations. This would help farmers make better equipment purchasing and utilization decisions and help manufacturers quantify efficiency improvements; ultimately driving continued progress toward …

Speaker-Specific Adaptation Of Maeda Synthesis Parameters For Auditory Feedback, Joseph Vonderhaar

Master's Theses (2009 -)

The Real-time Articulatory Speech Synthesizer (RASS) is a research tool in the Marquette Speech and Swallowing lab that simultaneously collects acoustic and articulatory data from human participants. The system is used to study acoustic-to-articulatory inversion, articulatory-to-acoustic synthesis mapping, and the effects of real-time acoustic feedback. Electromagnetic Articulography (EMA) is utilized to collect position data via sensors placed in a subject’s mouth. These kinematic data are then converted into a set of synthesis parameters that controls an articulatory speech synthesizer, which in turn generates an acoustic waveform matching the associated kinematics. Independently from RASS, the synthesized acoustic waveform can be further …

Network-On-Chip Based H.264 Video Decoder On A Field Programmable Gate Array, Ian Barge

Master's Theses (2009 -)

This thesis develops the first fully network-on-chip (NoC) based h.264 video decoder implemented in real hardware on a field programmable gate array (FPGA). This thesis starts with an overview of the h.264 video coding standard and an introduction to the NoC communication paradigm. Following this, a series of processing elements (PEs) are developed which implement the component algorithms making up the h.264 video decoder. These PEs, described primarily in VHDL with some Verilog and C, are then mapped to an NoC which is generated using the CONNECT NoC generation tool. To demonstrate the scalability of the proposed NoC based design, …

Developing An Imaging Biomarker To Detect Aberrant Brain Connectivity In Individual Patients, Esther Cox

Master's Theses (2009 -)

Resting state functional MRI (rsfMRI) has been proven to be a valuable tool in clinical applications such as pre-surgical mapping, but there is not yet a functional and usable algorithm that can be used by physicians in a clinical setting to evaluate an individual patient for diseases and aberrant brain connectivity. If a physician wants to evaluate a patient in this way, the rsfMRI data must be looked at “by hand,” i.e. the physician must manually evaluate the data and identify the functional ICN’s and whether they are normal or aberrant. An algorithm that would automate this process and supplement …

Java Server Reliability In The Presence Of Failures, Rich Coe

Master's Theses (2009 -)

A design for the separation of a server interface and work processing. Numerous sources, Tanenbaum (Tanenbaum Modern Operating Systems, 493), Goscinski (Goscinski Distributed operating systems, 203), and Birman (Birman Reliable distributed systems, 265), all discuss the concept of Two-Phase Commit, where a coordinator directs one or more processes to perform a transaction. If the transaction or any of the processes fail, the coordinator can decide how to proceed by either retrying or aborting the request. The popular web browser Chrome utilizes a separate process for each tab displayed. Should the rendering and display of a web page cause a crash, …

Evaluating The Bond Behavior Between Frp And Grooved Concrete Specimens Using Single Shear Pull Out Test, John Omboko

Master's Theses (2009 -)

Surface preparation affects the bond behavior between Fiber Reinforcing Polymer (FRP) composite material and concrete. In this research, a special type of surface preparation known as grooving, which involves cutting transverse grooves, is conducted on concrete blocks (specimens) that are categorized as either Unfilled (U) or Filled (F). This idea is to ascertain how the grooves affect the strength of FRP-bonded-concrete specimen. These two categories are then benchmarked to control (C) specimens which do not have grooves on them. Category U specimens only have the epoxy applied on the concrete surface while category F specimens have epoxy applied on both …

Characterization Of The Shock Wave Structure In Water, Emilie Teitz

Master's Theses (2009 -)

The scientific community is interested in furthering the understanding of shock wave structures in water, given its implications in a wide range of applications; from researching how shock waves penetrate unwanted body tissues to studying how humans respond to blast waves. Shock wave research on water has existed for over five decades. Previous studies have investigated the shock response of water at pressures ranging from 1 to 70 GPa using flyer plate experiments. This report differs from previously published experiments in that the water was loaded to shock pressures ranging from 0.36 to 0.70 GPa. The experiment also utilized tap …

Biosolids-Derived Biochar For Micropollutant Removal From Wastewater, Lee Kimbell

Master's Theses (2009 -)

Trace organic compounds including antibiotics, hormones, pharmaceuticals and personal care products are discharged to the environment with liquid and solid effluent streams from water resource recovery facilities. These compounds are referred to as micropollutants, and can have negative impacts in receiving waters. Current wastewater treatment processes are not specifically designed to remove micropollutants, and many of these compounds are recalcitrant to conventional treatment technologies. Triclosan (TCS) was selected as a representative micropollutant in this study due to frequent detection in liquid effluents, residual biosolids, and surface waters. Pyrolysis - the thermochemical decomposition of organic matter at elevated temperatures in the …