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2018

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Full-Text Articles in Engineering

Compartmentalization Of Dna-Based Molecular Computing Elements Using Lipid Bilayers, Aurora Fabry-Wood Jul 2018

Compartmentalization Of Dna-Based Molecular Computing Elements Using Lipid Bilayers, Aurora Fabry-Wood

Biomedical Engineering ETDs

This dissertation will present a progression from the detection of double-stranded DNA using a combination of toehold-mediated strand displacement and DNAzyme reactions in dilute saline solutions, to the generation of separate compartments to allow standardization of DNA computing elements, by protecting from complementary strands. In well-mixed solutions complementary regions cause spurious interactions. Importantly, these compartments also provide protection from nucleases. Along the way we will also explore the use of silica microsphere supported lipid bilayers to run compartmentalized DNA reactions on a fluid surface and the design of a molecule capable of DNA-based transmembrane signal transduction.

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An Evaluation Of Unmanned Aerial System Multispectral And Thermal Infrared Data As Information For Agricultural Crop And Irrigation Management, Mitch Maguire Jul 2018

An Evaluation Of Unmanned Aerial System Multispectral And Thermal Infrared Data As Information For Agricultural Crop And Irrigation Management, Mitch Maguire

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

Spatial irrigation management has been steadily advancing over the last several years. A current issue with managing irrigation spatially on sub-field scale is the inability to readily collect the spatial field data necessary to properly manage irrigation. Multispectral and thermal infrared imagery used in informing irrigation management decisions was previously collected by satellite and manned aircraft remote sensing platforms. These remote sensing platforms pose issues concerning economic feasibility, revisit intervals, and weather factors that inhibit the collection of data. Recent developments in unmanned aerial systems, which provide an additional means of collecting multispectral and thermal infrared data, have the potential …

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Uv-Based Advanced Oxidation Of P22 Bacteriophange And E. Coli Bacteria, Vincent Martino Jul 2018

Uv-Based Advanced Oxidation Of P22 Bacteriophange And E. Coli Bacteria, Vincent Martino

Master's Theses (2009 -)

Two novel, sustainable UV-LED advanced oxidation processes (AOPs) were evaluated for their ability to improve inactivation efficacy of P22 bacteriophage and E. coli bacteria. The first objective of this research was to determine the treatment efficacy of P22 bacteriophage and E. coli bacteria using UV-LED at wavelengths of 255, 265, and 285 nm. The UV-LED system demonstrated high inactivation potential for both contaminants at all wavelengths, suggesting it could be a potential alternative to typical low-pressure and medium-pressure mercury-based UV systems. Increased inactivation of both microorganisms was observed with decreasing wavelength (255>265>285 nm). As the peak UV absorbance …

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A Biomechanical Simulation Of Musculoskeletal Kinematics During Ambulation, Alex Thomas Jul 2018

A Biomechanical Simulation Of Musculoskeletal Kinematics During Ambulation, Alex Thomas

Master's Theses (2009 -)

The purpose of this study was to validate a 3D musculoskeletal model in OpenSim and assess OpenSim’s ability to determine muscle-length variation during ambulation. An 18 camera motion capture system was used to analyze 20 healthy individuals between the ages of 18 and 35. Following data collection, the data was processed through OpenSim and Visual3D. The kinematic output processed through the OpenSim model was then compared to the kinematic output of the validated Visual3D model to validate the OpenSim model. Muscle fiber length data obtained from the same experimental data was compared to control data to assess OpenSim’s muscle analysis …

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Comparative Study Of Different Sensor Array Designs Involving Plasticized Polymer Coatings For Btex Detection In Water, Nicholas Post Jul 2018

Comparative Study Of Different Sensor Array Designs Involving Plasticized Polymer Coatings For Btex Detection In Water, Nicholas Post

Master's Theses (2009 -)

Detection and quantification of benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, and xylenes (BTEX) in liquid phase is of interest because of the significant public health hazards posed by these compounds. BTEX are volatile organic compounds (VOCs) commonly used as additives in gasoline. Shear horizontal surface acoustic wave (SH-SAW) devices have shown promise in liquid phase sensing applications and is used to address this problem. SH-SAW devices can be made chemically sensitive by depositing a polymer coating on the device surface. SH-SAW devices coated with commercially available polymers have shown modest sensitivity to BTEX compounds. However, there are few polymers which exhibit the properties …

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Hierarchical Bayesian Data Fusion Using Autoencoders, Yevgeniy Vladimirovich Reznichenko Jul 2018

Hierarchical Bayesian Data Fusion Using Autoencoders, Yevgeniy Vladimirovich Reznichenko

Master's Theses (2009 -)

In this thesis, a novel method for tracker fusion is proposed and evaluated for vision-based tracking. This work combines three distinct popular techniques into a recursive Bayesian estimation algorithm. First, semi supervised learning approaches are used to partition data and to train a deep neural network that is capable of capturing normal visual tracking operation and is able to detect anomalous data. We compare various methods by examining their respective receiver operating conditions (ROC) curves, which represent the trade off between specificity and sensitivity for various detection threshold levels. Next, we incorporate the trained neural networks into an existing data …

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Control Design And Implementation Of An Active Transtibial Prosthesis, Joseph Klein Jul 2018

Control Design And Implementation Of An Active Transtibial Prosthesis, Joseph Klein

Master's Theses (2009 -)

Prior work at Marquette University developed the Marquette Prosthesis, an active transtibial prosthesis that utilized a torsional spring and a four-bar mechanism. The controls for the Marquette Prosthesis implemented a finite state control algorithm to determine the state of gait of the amputee along with two lower level controllers, a PI moment controller to control the moment during stance and a PID position controller to control the position during stance. The Marquette Prosthesis was successful in mimicking the gait profile presented by Winter. However, after completing human subject testing, the Marquette Prosthesis was insufficient in trying to match the gait …

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Design Day Analysis - Forecasting Extreme Daily Natural Gas Demand, David Joseph Kaftan Jul 2018

Design Day Analysis - Forecasting Extreme Daily Natural Gas Demand, David Joseph Kaftan

Master's Theses (2009 -)

This work provides a framework for Design Day analysis. First, we estimate the temperature conditions which are expected to be colder than all but one day in N years. This temperature is known as the Design Day condition. Then, we forecast an upper bound on natural gas demand when temperature is at the Design Day condition. Natural gas distribution companies (LDCs) need to meet demand during extreme cold days. Just as bridge builders design for a nominal load, natural gas distribution companies need to design for a nominal temperature. This nominal temperature is the Design Day condition. The Design Day …

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Search Methods For Mobile Manipulator Performance Measurement, Samuel Nana Yaw Amoako-Frimpong Jul 2018

Search Methods For Mobile Manipulator Performance Measurement, Samuel Nana Yaw Amoako-Frimpong

Master's Theses (2009 -)

Mobile manipulators are a potential solution to the increasing need for additional flexibility and mobility in industrial robotics applications. However, they tend to lack the accuracy and precision achieved by fixed manipulators, especially in scenarios where both the manipulator and the autonomous vehicle move simultaneously. This thesis analyzes the problem of dynamically evaluating the positioning error of mobile manipulators. In particular, it investigates the use of Bayesian methods to predict the position of the end-effector in the presence of uncertainty propagated from the mobile platform. Simulations and real-world experiments are carried out to test the proposed method against a deterministic …

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Field Validation Of An Advanced Autonomous Method Of Exterior Dam Inspection Using Unmanned Aerial Vehicles, Benjamin Joseph Barrett Jul 2018

Field Validation Of An Advanced Autonomous Method Of Exterior Dam Inspection Using Unmanned Aerial Vehicles, Benjamin Joseph Barrett

Theses and Dissertations

The maintenance of infrastructure is critical to the well-being of society. This work focuses on a novel method for inspecting the exterior of dams using unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) in an automated fashion. The UAVs are equipped with optical sensors capturing still images. The resulting images are used to generate three-dimensional (3D) models using Structure from Motion (SfM) computer software. The SfM models are then used to inspect the exterior of the dam. As typical dam inspections entail completing a checklist of inspection items with varied degrees of precision (e.g. a concrete spillway may be finely inspected for cracking or …

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The Impact Of Nanostructured Templates And Additives On The Performance Of Si Electrodes And Solid Polymer Electrolytes For Advanced Battery Applications, Jui Chin Fan Jul 2018

The Impact Of Nanostructured Templates And Additives On The Performance Of Si Electrodes And Solid Polymer Electrolytes For Advanced Battery Applications, Jui Chin Fan

Theses and Dissertations

The primary objectives of this research are: (1) use a hierarchical structure to study electrode materials for next-generation lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) and (2) understand the fundamentals and utility of solid polymer electrolytes (SPEs) with the addition of halloysite nanotubes (HNTs) for battery applications. Understanding the fundamental principles of electrode and electrolyte materials allows for the development of high-performance LIBs. The contributions of this dissertation are described below. Encapsulated Si-VACNT Electrodes. Two hurdles prevent Si-based electrodes from mass production. First, bulk Si undergoes volume expansion up to 300%. Second, a solid-electrolyte interphase (SEI) forms between the interface of the electrolyte and …

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Homogeneous Reaction Kinetics Of Carbohydrates With Viologen Catalysts For Biofuel Cell Applications, Hilary Bingham Jul 2018

Homogeneous Reaction Kinetics Of Carbohydrates With Viologen Catalysts For Biofuel Cell Applications, Hilary Bingham

Theses and Dissertations

Energy usage is continually on the rise and significant efforts are being extended to provide more renewable energy. One area of exploration is the development of fuel cells, which includes biofuel cells that can extract energy from carbohydrates obtained from biomass. Recently, viologen catalysts have been shown to enhance reaction rates of energy extraction and improve carbohydrate conversion efficiencies. However, characterizing the effects of process parameters such as pH, reactant concentrations, and carbohydrate exposure time to buffer solutions with a rigorous model is lacking. This thesis characterizes the homogeneous reaction between carbohydrates and a methyl viologen catalyst to provide insights …

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Tactile Sensing And Position Estimation Methods For Increased Proprioception Of Soft-Robotic Platforms, Nathan Mcclain Day Jul 2018

Tactile Sensing And Position Estimation Methods For Increased Proprioception Of Soft-Robotic Platforms, Nathan Mcclain Day

Theses and Dissertations

Soft robots have the potential to transform the way robots interact with their environment. This is due to their low inertia and inherent ability to more safely interact with the world without damaging themselves or the people around them. However, existing sensing for soft robots has at least partially limited their ability to control interactions with their environment. Tactile sensors could enable soft robots to sense interaction, but most tactile sensors are made from rigid substrates and are not well suited to applications for soft robots that can deform. In addition, the benefit of being able to cheaply manufacture soft …

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Smart Technologies For Oil Production With Rod Pumping, Brigham Wheeler Hansen Jul 2018

Smart Technologies For Oil Production With Rod Pumping, Brigham Wheeler Hansen

Theses and Dissertations

This work enables accelerated fluid recovery in oil and gas reservoirs by automatically controlling fluid height and bottomhole pressure in wells. Several literature studies show significant increase in recovered oil by determining a target bottomhole pressure but rarely consider how to control to that value. This work enables those benefits by maintaining bottomhole pressure or fluid height. Moving Horizon Estimation (MHE) determines uncertain well parameters using only common surface measurements. A Model Predictive Controller (MPC) adjusts the stroking speed of a sucker rod pump to maintain fluid height. Pump boundary conditions are simulated with Mathematical Programs with Complementarity Constraints (MPCCs) …

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Logistics And Funding Plan For The Simpson Strong-Tie Lab Crane, Arya Ghourchian Jul 2018

Logistics And Funding Plan For The Simpson Strong-Tie Lab Crane, Arya Ghourchian

Construction Management

In the recent years, there has been interests regarding an overhead crane to be erected inside of Cal Poly Simpson Strong-Tie Lab (Building 187). This under-running single girder crane system will be used for construction classes and to lift heavy equipment. The installment of this 2-ton indoor crane will be crucial to provide modular pieces, for whom that lost their homes due to the California fires. Additionally, there has been previous senior project researches; reference SST Preconstruction Services and Structural Analysis of SST Lab. I am in charge of collecting information regarding: Bid Estimate Comparison, Advertisement Strategy, Permit Compliance. This …

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Enhancing Manual P-Phase Arrival Detection And Automatic Onset Time Picking In A Noisy Microseismic Data In Underground Mines, Charles Mborah, Maochen Ge Jul 2018

Enhancing Manual P-Phase Arrival Detection And Automatic Onset Time Picking In A Noisy Microseismic Data In Underground Mines, Charles Mborah, Maochen Ge

Mining Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Accurate detection and picking of the P-phase onset time in noisy micro seismic data from underground mines remains a big challenge. Reliable P-phase onset time picking is necessary for accurate source location needed for planning and rescue operations in the event of failures. In this paper, a new technique based on the discrete stationary wavelet transform (DSWT) and higher order statistics is proposed for processing noisy data from underground mines. The objectives of this method are to (i) improve manual detection and picking of P-phase onset; and (ii) provide an automatic means of detecting and picking P-phase onset time accurately. …

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The Effectiveness Of Localized Ultrasound And Aptamer Surface Modification On Nanoemulsions For Drug Delivery To Spheroids., Daniel A. Hodge Jul 2018

The Effectiveness Of Localized Ultrasound And Aptamer Surface Modification On Nanoemulsions For Drug Delivery To Spheroids., Daniel A. Hodge

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Cancer is a group of diseases that affects 1.6 million and kills nearly 600,000 Americans each year. The National Cancer Institute defines it as “diseases in which abnormal cells divide without control and can invade nearby tissues” and it is often treated with one or more of the following: chemotherapy, radiation, surgery. The expense for these treatments is expected to rise to $156 billion by 2020. Localized delivery can improve effectiveness and cancer survival rates, decrease the cost of treatment, and decrease the side effects of chemotherapy. This paper addresses models for this localized delivery through nanoemulsions. Nanoemulsions are a …

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Tooling For Injection Molding Using Laser-Powder Bed Fusion., Mohith Ram Buxani Jul 2018

Tooling For Injection Molding Using Laser-Powder Bed Fusion., Mohith Ram Buxani

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Laser-Powder Bed Fusion (L-PBF) has been considered for some time by the injection molding industry for the fabrication of tooling for injection molding in order to address large lead times and costs for tool-making. Computer-aided simulations are also routinely used to evaluate new part and mold designs as well as understanding the effects of material compositions and processing conditions on part quality and overall productivity. However, there remains a significant need to integrate the perspectives from injection molding, 3D printing, metal powders, and component design and process simulation to better utilize LPBF for fabricating tooling required for injection molding. The …

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Antimicrobial Properties And Characterization Of Polymer/Composite Nanofibers, David De La Garza Jul 2018

Antimicrobial Properties And Characterization Of Polymer/Composite Nanofibers, David De La Garza

Theses and Dissertations

Pathogenic bacteria have been the cause of many illnesses worldwide due to their rapid growth and reproduction in food and water. Bacteria-resistant antibiotics and kidney complications due to overuse of antibiotics has remained a large public health concern. The goal of this research project was to find an alternative by producing nanofibers that inhibit microbial growth utilizing Forcespinning technology. The Forcespinning of poly(acrylic acid) (PAA) with Single Wall Carbon Nanotubes functionalized with OH (SWCNT-OH) and Ag + flakes were carried out on solutions with different concentrations. Scanning electron microscopy was used to view fiber morphology and investigate the average nanofiber …

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Forcespinning Of Metal Oxides And Metal Sulfides And Their Applications As Alternative Anode Materials For Lithium-Ion And Sodium-Ion Batteries, Alejandra Valdez Jul 2018

Forcespinning Of Metal Oxides And Metal Sulfides And Their Applications As Alternative Anode Materials For Lithium-Ion And Sodium-Ion Batteries, Alejandra Valdez

Theses and Dissertations

Molybdenum-Oxide/Carbon (MoO2/C) composite nanofibers were synthesized using Forcespinning method and subsequent heat treatment, for use as anode materials for lithium-ion batteries. Due to the layered structure of MoO2, the composite nanofibers are very promising for use as anode material for LIBs. The MoO2/C composite fiber anodes exhibit good electrochemical performance and cycling stability.

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Bs News July/August Jul 2018

Bs News July/August

Building Services Engineering

No abstract provided.

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Preparation And Characterization Of Functionalized Heparin-Loaded Poly-Ɛ-Caprolactone Fibrous Mats To Prevent Infection With Human Papillomaviruses, Daniela Gonzalez, Jorge Ragusa, Peter C. Angeletti, Gustavo F. Larsen Jul 2018

Preparation And Characterization Of Functionalized Heparin-Loaded Poly-Ɛ-Caprolactone Fibrous Mats To Prevent Infection With Human Papillomaviruses, Daniela Gonzalez, Jorge Ragusa, Peter C. Angeletti, Gustavo F. Larsen

Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering: Faculty Publications

In this study, heparin-loaded poly-ε-caprolactone (PCL) fibrous mats were prepared and characterized based on their physical, cytotoxic, thermal, and biological properties. The main objective of the work described here was to test the hypothesis that incorporation of heparin into a PCL carrier could serve as bio-compatible material capable of inhibiting Human Papillomavirus (HPV) infection. The idea of firmly anchoring heparin to capture soluble virus, vs. a slow heparin release to inhibit a virus in solution was tested. Thus, one material was produced via conventional heparin matrix encapsulation and electrohydrodynamic fiber processing in one step. A second type of material was …

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Numerical Modelling Of Red Blood Cell Structural Mechanics, Mingzhu Chen Jul 2018

Numerical Modelling Of Red Blood Cell Structural Mechanics, Mingzhu Chen

Doctoral

Red blood cells (RBCs) are the most abundant cellular elements in blood and their main function is the oxygen delivery. Structurally RBCs are highly deformable membrane-bounded liquid-core capsules. The deformability is critical to fulfill the functionality and is greatly affected by the RBC structural mechanics. Due to the small size, in vivo/vitro studies of the RBCs are often impossible where, being an alternative, numerical modellings stand out to be a robust approach to investigate the the RBC. In the recent years the spring-particle-based (SP) RBC modelling becomes very popular due to the simplicity and extensive modelling capability over the conventional …

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Exploring Offline Friendships On The Social Information Network: Network Characteristics, Information Diffusion, And Tie Strength, Felicia Natali Jul 2018

Exploring Offline Friendships On The Social Information Network: Network Characteristics, Information Diffusion, And Tie Strength, Felicia Natali

Dissertations and Theses Collection (Open Access)

The rapid increase in online social networking services over the last decade has pre- sented an unprecedented opportunity to observe users’ behaviour both on a societal and individual level. The insight gained from analysing such data can help foster a deeper understanding of social media users and the flow of information, while also offering valuable business applications. User relationships are among the most studied aspects of online behaviour. These relationships are not homogeneous. Past research has shown that people use social networks to both socialize and source in- formation. Hence, different types of links – used to socialize, gain information, …

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A Parametric Electrostatic Resonator Using Repulsive Force, Mark Pallay, Shahrzad Towfighian Jul 2018

A Parametric Electrostatic Resonator Using Repulsive Force, Mark Pallay, Shahrzad Towfighian

Mechanical Engineering Faculty Scholarship

In this paper, parametric excitation of a repulsive force electrostatic resonator is studied. A theoretical model is developed and validated by experimental data. A correspondence of the model to Mathieu's Equation is made to prove the existence and location of parametric resonance. The repulsive force creates a combined response that shows parametric and subharmonic resonance when driven at twice its natural frequency. The resonator can achieve large amplitudes of almost 24 μm and can remain dynamically stable while tapping on the electrode. Because the pull-in instability is eliminated, the beam bounces off after impact instead of sticking to the electrode. …

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Effects Of Nb And Ta Additions On The Strength And Coarsening Resistance Of Precipitation-Strengthened Al-Zr-Sc-Er-Si Alloys, Dinc Erdeniz, Anthony De Luca, David N. Seidman, David C. Dunand Jul 2018

Effects Of Nb And Ta Additions On The Strength And Coarsening Resistance Of Precipitation-Strengthened Al-Zr-Sc-Er-Si Alloys, Dinc Erdeniz, Anthony De Luca, David N. Seidman, David C. Dunand

Mechanical Engineering Faculty Research and Publications

A dilute Al-0.07Zr-0.02Sc-0.005Er-0.06Si (at.%) alloy was microalloyed with 0.08 at.% Nb or Ta. Atom-probe tomography reveals that, upon aging, Nb and Ta partition to the coherent L12-Al3(Zr,Sc,Er) nanoprecipitates (with average concentrations of 0.2 and 0.08 at.%, respectively), with both segregating at the matrix/nanoprecipitate heterophase interface. This is consistent with the Nb- and Ta-modified alloys exhibiting, as compared to the unmodified alloy: (i) higher peak microhardness, from a higher nanoprecipitate volume fraction and/or latticeparameter mismatch; and (ii) improved aging resistance, from slower nanoprecipitate coarsening due to the small diffusivities of niobium and tantalum in aluminum. Analogous results …

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Correction To: Dependability Enhancing Mechanisms For Integrated Clinical Environments (Vol 73, Pg 4207, 2017), Wenbing Zhao, Mary Q. Yang Jul 2018

Correction To: Dependability Enhancing Mechanisms For Integrated Clinical Environments (Vol 73, Pg 4207, 2017), Wenbing Zhao, Mary Q. Yang

Electrical and Computer Engineering Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

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Surrogate Affine Approximation Based Co-Optimization Of Transactive Flexibility, Uncertainty, And Energy, Hongzing Ye Jul 2018

Surrogate Affine Approximation Based Co-Optimization Of Transactive Flexibility, Uncertainty, And Energy, Hongzing Ye

Electrical and Computer Engineering Faculty Publications

This study presents an approach to co-optimization of transactive flexibility, energy, and optimal injection-range of Variable Energy Resource (VER). Flexibility receives immense attention, as it is the essential resource to accommodate VERs in modern power systems. With a novel concept of transactive flexibility, the proposed approach proactively positions the flexible resources and optimizes the demand of flexibility. A surrogate affine approximation (SAA) method is proposed to solve the problem with variable infinite-constraint range in polynomial time. It is shown that SAA is more optimistic than the traditional affine policy in the power literature. The SAA method is also applicable to …

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Design And Characterization Of A Plunge-Capable Friction Stir Welding Temperature Feedback Controller, Jonathan David Erickson Jul 2018

Design And Characterization Of A Plunge-Capable Friction Stir Welding Temperature Feedback Controller, Jonathan David Erickson

Theses and Dissertations

Temperature control in friction stir welding (FSW) is of interest because of the potential to improve the mechanical and microstructure characteristics of a weld. Two types of active temperature control have been previously implemented for steady-state friction stir welding conditions: PID Feedback Control and Model Predictive Control. The start-up portion of a weld is an obstacle for these types of active control.To date, only minimal exploratory research has been done to develop an active temperature controller for the start-up portion of the weld. The FSW temperature controller presented in this thesis, a Position-Velocity-Acceleration (PVA) controller implemented with gain-scheduling, is capable …

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Body Armor Shape Sensing With Fiber Optic Sensors, Frederick Alexander Seng Jul 2018

Body Armor Shape Sensing With Fiber Optic Sensors, Frederick Alexander Seng

Theses and Dissertations

In this dissertation, the rate of the BFD during body armor impact is characterized with fiber Bragg gratings for the first time ever. The depth rate is characterized using a single fiber optic sensor, while the entire shape rate can be characterized using multiple fiber optic sensors. This is done with a final depth accuracy of less than 10% and a timing accuracy of 15% for BFDs as deep as 50 mm and impact event of less than 1 millisecond. The shape sensing method introduced in this dissertation is different from traditional fiber optic sensor shape reconstruction methods in the …

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