Engineering Commons^™

Limited Bandwidth Wireless Communication Strategies For Structural Control Of Seismically Excited Shear Structures, Benjamin Winter

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports

Structural control is used to mitigate unwanted vibrations in structures when large excitations occur, such as high winds and earthquakes. To increase reliability and controllability in structural control applications, engineers are making use of semi-active control devices. Semi-active control gives engineers greater control authority over structural response versus passive controllers, but are less expensive and more reliable than active devices. However, the large numbers of actuators required for semi-active structural control networks introduce more cabling within control systems leading to increased cost.

Researchers are exploring the use of wireless technology for structural control to cut down on the installation cost …

Performance Comparison Of Binarized Neural Network With Convolutional Neural Network, Lopamudra Baruah

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports

Deep learning is a trending topic widely studied by researchers due to increase in the abundance of data and getting meaningful results with them. Convolutional Neural Networks (CNN) is one of the most popular architectures used in deep learning. Binarized Neural Network (BNN) is also a neural network which consists of binary weights and activations. Neural Networks has large number of parameters and overfitting is a common problem to these networks. To overcome the overfitting problem, dropout is a solution. Randomly dropping some neurons along with its connections helps to prevent co-adaptations which finally help in reducing overfitting. Many researchers …

Impact Of Pretreatment Methods On Fast Pyrolysis Of Biomass, Yash Donepudi

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports

Biomass is considered a renewable source of energy with minimum carbon foot print if managed sustainably. The majority of the worlds energy is spend on transportation, and fast pyrolysis of biomass could be a potential route for production of a sustainable liquid transportation fuel. However, there are several hurdles in the conversion process. This work addresses these hurdles by investigating the impact of several pretreatment methods on fast pyrolysis including thermal pretreatment (torrefaction), comminution/grinding, mineral reduction. The impact of important parameters like heat transfer medium, conversion temperature and particle size were also investigated.

A mild thermal pretreatment of biomass (~10-15% …

Guaranteed Rendezvous For Cognitive Radio Networks Based On Cycle Length, Li Gou

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports

Rendezvous is a fundamental process establishing a communication link on common channel between a pair of nodes in the cognitive radio networks. How to reach rendezvous efficiently and effectively is still an open problem. In this work, we propose a guaranteed cycle lengths based rendezvous (CLR) algorithm for cognitive radio networks. When the cycle lengths of the two nodes are coprime, the rendezvous is guaranteed within one rendezvous period considering the time skew between the two nodes. When T_i and T_j are not coprime, i.e., T_i=T_j, the deadlock checking and node IDs are combined …

Test 2179: John Deere 7210r, Nebraska Tractor Test Lab

Nebraska Tractor Tests

ABOUT THE TEST REPORT AND USE OF THE DATA The test data contained in this report are a tabulation of the results of a series of tests. Due to the restricted format of these pages, only a limited amount of data and not all of the tractor specifications are included. The full OECD report contains usually about 30 pages of data and specifications. The test data were obtained for each tractor under similar conditions and therefore, provide a means of comparison of performance based on a limited set of reported data. EXPLANATION OF THE TEST PROCEDURES Purpose The purpose of …

Test 2186: Case Ih Steiger 470 Quadtrac, Nebraska Tractor Test Lab

Nebraska Tractor Tests

ABOUT THE TEST REPORT AND USE OF THE DATA The test data contained in this report are a tabulation of the results of a series of tests. Due to the restricted format of these pages, only a limited amount of data and not all of the tractor specifications are included. The full OECD report contains usually about 30 pages of data and specifications. The test data were obtained for each tractor under similar conditions and therefore, provide a means of comparison of performance based on a limited set of reported data. EXPLANATION OF THE TEST PROCEDURES Purpose The purpose of …

Nanotextured Titanium Surfaces For Implants: Manufacturing And Packaging Aspects, Sachin Bhosle

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports

It has been shown that nanotexturing the surface of otherwise smooth titanium orthopedic materials increases osteoblast proliferation in vitro, and the bone-implant contact area and pullout force in vivo. However, this prior work has not focused on the requirements for scale-up to industrial processes. This dissertation reports on titanium surface modifications by electrochemical anodization using a benign NH₄F electrolyte, and a hybrid electrolyte also containing AgF, rather than hazardous hydrofluoric acid used elsewhere. Nanotube fabrication of Ti6Al4V foils, rods, thermal plasma sprayed commercial implants, and laser and e-beam melted powder materials was demonstrated.

It was found …

Ecological Sanitation Opportunities In Rural Panamá: Effectiveness And Social Implications Of Intrinsic Ammonia-Based Treatment For Pathogen Inactivation And Incorporation Of Ferrocement Technology, David Kierys

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports

The Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) the United Nations created more than 15 years ago established a global developmental framework that set a precedent for many governmental agencies and non-governmental organizations (NGOs.). With the deadline having come and gone many of the objectives set out in the original eight MDGs have come to fruition (Joint Monitoring Program, 2015). One exemplary achievement by the global community, specifically to the Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) sector was providing 91 percent of the world’s population with access to improved sources of drinking water (UNICEF/WHO, 2015). But, as the Joint Monitoring Program (JMP) – the …

Nonlinear Dielectric Behavior Of Field-Induced Antiferroelectric/Paraelectric-To-Ferroelectric Phase Transition For High Energy Density Capacitor Application, Mingyang Li

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports

Electric field-induced antiferroelectric(AFE)/paraelectric(PE)-to-ferroelectric(FE) phase transitions are investigated for the associated nonlinear dielectric behavior, which could offer high dielectric capacity. The phenomenon in monolithic materials has been computed for Kittel antiferroelectric and BaTiO₃ model systems using the Landau-Ginzburg-Devonshire theory. The general switching curves give values of the polarization as a function of external electric field. A similar computation is performed for particle-filled polymer-matrix composites where an internal depolarization field is considered. The polarization-electric field response changes with different depolarization factors, which demonstrate the shape and alignment of the dielectric particles embedded in polymer-matrix are key factors for the composite to …

High Performance Multiview Video Coding, Caoyang Jiang

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports

Following the standardization of the latest video coding standard High Efficiency Video Coding in 2013, in 2014, multiview extension of HEVC (MV-HEVC) was published and brought significantly better compression performance of around 50% for multiview and 3D videos compared to multiple independent single-view HEVC coding. However, the extremely high computational complexity of MV-HEVC demands significant optimization of the encoder. To tackle this problem, this work investigates the possibilities of using modern parallel computing platforms and tools such as single-instruction-multiple-data (SIMD) instructions, multi-core CPU, massively parallel GPU, and computer cluster to significantly enhance the MVC encoder performance. The aforementioned computing tools …

Improving The Simulation Of Large Lakes In Regional Climate Modeling: Two-Way Lake-Atmosphere Coupling With A 3d Hydrodynamic Model Of The Great Lakes, Pengfei Xue, Jeremy S. Pal, Xinyu Ye, John D. Lenters, Chenfu Huang, Philip Y. Chu

Civil and Environmental Engineering Faculty Works

Accurate representations of lake–ice–atmosphere interactions in regional climate modeling remain one of the most critical and unresolved issues for understanding large-lake ecosystems and their watersheds. To date, the representation of the Great Lakes two-way interactions in regional climate models is achieved with one-dimensional (1D) lake models applied at the atmospheric model lake grid points distributed spatially across a 2D domain. While some progress has been made in refining 1D lake model processes, such models are fundamentally incapable of realistically resolving a number of physical processes in the Great Lakes. In this study, a two-way coupled 3D lake-ice–climate modeling system [Great …

Timeline - Space Race, Jesse Lackey

Cold War & Space Race

The infographic attached along with this note is a timeline of several historical events that took place primarily in the 20th century. This timeline will serve as a useful piece in the classroom when one is teaching the reading, Hidden Figures, and looking to pinpoint it and the events related to it within a historical context. The timeline chronologically compares groundbreaking historical events such as the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the creation of NASA alongside the historical presence of the three women, Dorothy Vaughan, Katherine Johnson, and Mary Jackson, that the reading is focused around.

Uses For Graphene, Marcus R. Schmidt

Natural Sciences Student Research Presentations

This slide presentation for the Natural Sciences Poster Session at Parkland College discusses graphene, which is a chemically or mechanically produced single layer of pure carbon atoms. The thinnest compound known to man is also one of the strongest, with uses in technology and the health industry from faster charging batteries to motorcycle helmets. The remaining slides summarize a process by which free radicals are reduced in graphene by being treated with butyl acrylate polymerization.

In-Vehicle Evaluation Of Milled Rumble Strips At Pre- And Post-Chip Sealed Maintenance Periods, Ernest Tufuor, Laurence Rilett, Christopher Lefrois

Nebraska Department of Transportation: Research Reports

Driver fatigue and drowsiness can have a profound impact on safety. Centerline and shoulder rumble strips (RS) are popular countermeasures designed to produce audible and tactile warning when vehicles deviate from the travel lane onto the RS. This reduces the risk of lane departure crashes. Studies show that the noise produced by RS is a function of many variables. RS depth is known to have the greatest impact on alerting drivers. However, chip-seal pavement maintenance operations have the tendency to reduce the original RS design depth, which may have an impact on the functional effectiveness of the RS. The purpose …

Nebraska Public Water Supply Program Summary Report 2017

Nebraska Department of Environmental Quality: Reports

The United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) established the Public Water System Supervision (PWSS) Program under the authority of the 1974 Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA). Under the SDWA and the 1986 Amendments, EPA sets national limits on contaminant levels in drinking water to ensure that the water is safe for human consumption. These limits are known as Maximum Contaminant Levels (MCLs) and Maximum Residual Disinfectant Levels (MRDLs). For some regulations, EPA establishes treatment techniques in lieu of an MCL to control unacceptable levels of contaminants in water.

2017 Nebraska Groundwater Quality Monitoring Report

Nebraska Department of Environmental Quality: Reports

The 2001 Nebraska Legislature passed LB329 (Neb. Rev. Stat. §46-1304) which, in part, directed the Nebraska Department of Environmental Quality (NDEQ) to report on groundwater quality monitoring in Nebraska. Reports have been issued annually since December 2001. The text of the statute applicable to this report follows: “The Department of Environmental Quality shall prepare a report outlining the extent of ground water quality monitoring conducted by natural resources districts during the preceding calendar year. The department shall analyze the data collected for the purpose of determining whether or not ground water quality is degrading or improving and shall present the …

Compensatory Response Of Fathead Minnow Larvae Following A Pulsed In-Situ Exposure To A Seasonal Agricultural Runoff Event, Jonathan M. Ali, John Sangster, Daniel D. Snow, Shannon L. Bartelt-Hunt, Alan S. Kolok

Nebraska Water Center: Faculty Publications

Agriculturally-dominated waterways such as those found throughout the Midwestern United States often experience seasonal pulses of agrichemical contaminants which pose a potential hazard to aquatic organisms at varying life stages. The objective of this study was to characterize the developmental plasticity of fathead minnow larvae in a natural environment subject to a seasonal episodic perturbation in the form of a complex mixture of agricultural stressors. Fathead minnow larvae were maintained at the Elkhorn River Research Station for a 28-d in situ exposure to an agrichemical pulse event.Minnow larvae were sampled after 14 and 28 days to characterize developmental plasticity through …

Development Of Innovative High-Energy Neutron And Gamma-Ray Shielding Material Based On High Density Cement And Crumb Rubber, Pawitra Aim-O

Chulalongkorn University Theses and Dissertations (Chula ETD)

The incorporation of carbon and hydrogen-rich material into radiation shielding material can improve its shielding performance. High-density cement mixed with crumb rubber was studied to be a gamma ray and neutron shielding material. Shielding materials were designed using high-density cement mixed with 5 - 25 vol% of crumb rubber. Monte Carlo N-Particle code was employed to simulate radiation shielding performances of the composed materials. The utilized neutron and photon sources were Am-241/Be and Co-60, respectively. These shielding designs were fabricated and experimentally evaluated on the radiation shielding properties. The cracking mechanism of high-density cement mixed with lead (HDCRL) was also …

Evaluation Of Captured Co2 And Waste H2 As Potential Feedstock For Methanol Production, Kankanit Kitsahawong

Chulalongkorn University Theses and Dissertations (Chula ETD)

Global warming is the critical issue that is the result of Greenhouse Gases (GHGs) emission. Carbon dioxide (CO2) is concerned to be major GHGs. Thus, Carbon dioxide utilization is the promising pathway to reduce the emission of CO2. To utilize CO2, waste hydrogen from sodium methoxide production is used to produce methanol which can be recycled as reactant of sodium methoxide synthesis. Carbon dioxide hydrogenation process is used for produce methanol from CO2 and waste H2 from various size of sodium methoxide production process. In every size of methanol production process, methanol which produce from the process is 16.3% of …

Conceptual Design Process Improvement For Drainage Systemusing Project Management, Wantanee Kongpanya

Chulalongkorn University Theses and Dissertations (Chula ETD)

The major concern in the architecture, engineering, and construction (AEC) industry is time, cost, and quality. The design for industrial building project usually complex, particularly in a field of mechanical and piping process due to the large involvement of project stakeholders. The case company, which is the specialist supplier of industrial piping solution in Thailand, reported the issue of redesigns regarding to their poor project management of conceptual design process in construction project that effect to their work performance and customer satisfaction. Thus, the purpose of this study was to improve the process of conceptual design using project management concept …

Effect Of Operating Conditions And Ion Contaminations On Electro Coagulation And Oxidation Processes For Water Quality Improvement, Vouchlay Theng

Chulalongkorn University Theses and Dissertations (Chula ETD)

The objective of this study is to investigate the effect of ion contaminations and operating conditions on Electro Coagulation (EC) and Oxidation (EO) in turbidity and natural organic matter (NOM) removal. The experiments were conducted in 4 liters column. Ferrous and calcium were chosen as contaminated ions. The operating condition was varied in terms of initial pH and current density. 100 NTU turbidity and 70 mg/L NOM were synthesized from bentonite and humic acid (HA), respectively. The results showed that bipolar arrangement of electrodes with 2 cm gap was the optimal condition in terms of gas flow rate and electrode …

การพัฒนาเครื่องพลาสมาเย็นแบบเจ็ตที่ความดันบรรยากาศสำหรับการทำให้เลือดแข็งตัว, ณัฐนพิญช์ จรูญศักดิ์

Chulalongkorn University Theses and Dissertations (Chula ETD)

งานวิจัยนี้เป็นการพัฒนาเครื่องพลาสมาเย็นแบบเจ็ตที่ความดันบรรยากาศสำหรับการทำให้เลือดแข็งตัวที่ประกอบด้วย 2 ส่วนหลักคือ แหล่งจ่ายไฟฟ้าแรงดันสูงความถี่สูงชนิดกระแสสลับ แบบฟลายแบค (Fly back) ที่ควบคุมการทำงานด้วยไมโครคอนโทรลเลอร์และพลาสมาโปรบด้วยวัสดุอุปกรณ์ที่หาได้ในประเทศ โดยออกแบบให้สามารถปรับตั้งค่าความถี่และดิวตี้ไซเคิลผ่านระบบไมโครคอนโทรลเลอร์ได้ที่ความถี่ 30 35 และ 40 kHz และเปอร์เซ็นต์ดิวตี้ไซเคิล 30 40 50 และ 70 % ตามลำดับ ส่วนการปรับตั้งค่าของไฟฟ้าแรงดันสูงเป็นการปรับด้วยมือได้ตั้งแต่ 0.1 ถึง 15 kVrms จากผลการทดลองพบว่า แหล่งจ่ายไฟฟ้าแรงดันสูงความถี่สูงชนิดกระแสสลับที่พัฒนาขึ้นมีประสิทธิภาพการทำงานเท่ากับ 74.28 % การศึกษาผลกระทบของตัวแปรต่างๆต่อความยาวและอุณหภูมิของพลาสมาเจ็ต พบว่าค่าไฟฟ้าแรงดันสูง ความถี่ เปอร์เซ็นต์ดิวตี้ไซเคิล และอัตราการไหลของก๊าซอาร์กอน เป็นตัวแปรสำคัญที่ส่งผลต่อความสม่ำเสมอของเปลวพลาสมา ผลการวิเคราะห์คุณสมบัติของพลาสมาด้วยเครื่อง Optical Emission Spectroscopy (OES) พบว่า มีอุณหภูมิของอิเล็กตรอนที่ความถี่ต่างๆและที่อัตราการไหลต่างๆที่มีค่าเท่ากับ 0.43 eV และความหนาแน่นของอิเล็กตรอนของพลาสมาอยู่ในช่วง 5.46x109 – 1.74x1012 cm-3 ซึ่งสามารถระบุได้ว่าพลาสมาแบบเจ็ตที่พัฒนาขึ้นเป็นพลาสมาเย็น จากผลทดสอบการแข็งตัวของเลือดด้วยเครื่องพลาสมาเย็นแบบเจ็ตที่พัฒนาขึ้น พบว่า ที่ระยะห่างระหว่างปลายโปรบกับกระจกสไลด์ 1 เซนติเมตร พลาสมาเย็นแบบเจ็ตที่พัฒนาขึ้นสามารถทำให้เลือดที่ผสมสารต้านการแข็งตัวของเลือด EDTA ปริมาณ 2.5 µL. ให้แข็งตัวภายในเวลาประมาณ 20 วินาที ได้เร็วกว่าเลือดผสมสาร EDTA ที่ไม่ผ่านการฉายด้วยพลาสมาและเลือดผสมสาร EDTA ที่ผ่านการเป่าด้วยก๊าซอาร์กอนที่อัตราการไหลของก๊าซอาร์กอน 5 L/min

Analysis Of Mechanical Properties Of Alternative Timber Beams For A Native American Earth Lodge, Freddy E. Moran

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

To fill a gap in the literature, this thesis explored the mechanical properties for alternative roof beams of a historic Native American Hidatsa earth lodge. The research demonstrates that in those alternative beams, when Moisture Content (MC) increases, Modulus of Elasticity (E) decreases and deflection increases. The procedure included obtaining dimensions for alternative beams from scaled sketches created by ethnographers and informants who recorded an actual Hidatsa earth lodge in the early 1800s (confirmed by other sources) although no material properties studies have resulted. After calculating loads, the variations in the E were determined using an equation. Using linear analysis, …

Research Area 1: Vehicle Lightweight Design And Safety, Vlsj Lab, Mechanical Engineering Department, Georgia Southern University

VLSJ Lab: Research Areas (Archived)

No abstract provided.

Biphasic Cellulose Acetate/Rtil Membranes And Functionalized Graphene Adsorbents For Natural Gas Processing: Experimental And Molecular Simulation Studies, Amir Khakpay

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

In this dissertation, gas separation using membranes is investigated for natural gas upgrading. The main objectives of this study are separation of high value hydrocarbons such as propane (c3h8) from natural gas and carbon dioxide (co2) separation from light gases such as nitrogen (n2) and methane (ch4). To achieve these goals, supported ionic liquid membranes (silms), biphasic membranes, and nanoporous graphene (npg) and graphene oxide (npgo) membranes are studied. Biphasic membranes are proposed to overcome silms issues for gas separation. The major issues with silms are low room temperature ionic liquid (rtil) content and instability at high cross-membrane pressure. For …

Designing Framework For The Computer Aided Design Of Silicon Carbide Jfet Circuits In Bleo Environments, Venkata Vinay Naidugari

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Abstract: circuit design and testing are two essential processes to synthesis of an efficient and reliable circuit. Real-time testing of a circuit through circuit fabrication and development is an expensive and a risky procedure whereas testing the circuit by modelling and simulating is more efficient and inexpensive. Silicon-based semiconductors are the basic components of any modern day electronic devices, and their usage has dominated the marketplace. But these conventional cmos devices cannot exist in an environment consisting of harsh radiation, high temperature and many other environmental conditions, such as venus or mars. However, 6h-sic jfets, which are basic logic gate …

Comparing The Depositional Environment Of The Upper Smackover Formation In Southwestern Clarke County, Mississippi And Brooklyn/ Little Cedar Creek Field, Alabama, Elsie Ekene Okoye

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This research evaluated the depositional settings of the upper Smackover formation in southwestern Clarke County (scc), Mississippi and compared its facies to those of the Brooklyn and little cedar creek fields (bf/lcc) in Conecuh and Escambia Counties, Alabama. The Smackover formation has been a prolific oil producing formation in the Gulf of Mexico since its discovery in Union County, Arkansas in 1937. The discovery of the lcc in 1994 and the bf in 2007 has generated additional interest in the Smackover. The bf/ lcc occur near the updip limit of the upper Jurassic (Oxfordian) Smackover formation. These fields produce from …

Graphene Nano-Composites For Hypervelocity Impact Applications, Alharith Manasrah

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The Low Earth Orbit (LEO) is a harsh environment cluttered with natural meteoroids and man-made debris, which can travel at velocities approaching 15 km/s. Most space activities within the LEO will encounter this environment. Thus, the spacecraft and its hardware must be designed to survive debris impact. This research introduces new procedures to produce a nano-composite material with mortar-brick nano-structure inspired from nacre. Nacre-like composites were successfully manufactured, based on three host polymers, with a wide range of graphene concentrations. The manufactured exfoliated graphene nano-platelet, embedded in a host polymer, provided good potential for enhancement of the hypervelocity impact (HVI) …

Mechanical And Computational Evaluation Of Cementitious Materials With Hollow Glass Microsphere Inclusions, Zachary J. Wallace

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The effect of volumetric replacement of cementitious materials by an inert filler known as hollow glass microspheres on elastic properties is evaluated in this study through a combined computational and experimental approach. This approach considered the variation in properties of type I Portland cement for 0, 5, 10, and 15% volume fractions of two kind of glass microspheres; one was high density with high crushing strength, and the other with a relative lower density. Using a suite of software called Virtual Cement and Concrete Testing Laboratory (VCCTL), the microstructural details were determined for 80% degree of hydration of the cement …

Phase Stability In Cobalt-Based L12 Quaternary Intermetallics From Density Functional Theory, William Earwood

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The effects of higher order alloying additions (Mo, Ti, Ta, Hf, Fe, V) on the phase stability of L12 (γ’) intermetallics have been studied via first-principles. A 32 atom special-quasi-random structure was used to mimic the experimentally observed solid solution sublattice. Density of states distributions were generated in order to directly observe the impact of alloying additions on the position of the pseudogap and number of states at the Fermi level. Charge density differences across the supercell were visualized to analyze changes in bonding behavior. The results indicate that substitutions of Ti, Ta, and Hf in place of the central …