Engineering Commons^™

Design And Commissioning Of A Community Scale Solar Powered Membrane-Based Water Purification System In Haiti, Shavin Pinto, Yung Wong, Kyle Fennesy, Yan Tang, Marc Compere

Publications

This paper presents the design and commissioning of a solar powered water purification system at the Ryan Epps Home for Children (REHC) in Michaud, Haiti. This system supplies clean drinking water to the 200 children who live and go to school at REHC and also to the community in the form of a micro-business. This micro-business is the mechanism for income generation for sustainable system operation. The purifier uses a three stage filtration system with a disc-type sediment filter, a 0.1 micron ultrafiltration membrane, and an ultraviolet light for disinfection. The backwash cycle extends the life of the ultrafiltration membrane …

Wide-Scale Small Unmanned Aircraft System Access To The National Airspace System, John Robbins, Brent Terwilliger, David Ison, Dennis Vincenzi

Publications

Expected revisions of federal policies and regulations for the operation and certification of small unmanned aircraft systems (sUAS) are anticipated to significantly increase the volume of traffic in the National Airspace System (NAS). By investigating critical needs of regulatory compliance and safety, as well as new advancements, it may be possible to identify strategies to address the most pressing concerns of sUAS integration. Findings and recommendations from this research are presented to highlight implications and possible solutions to urgent needs of UAS stakehold-ers, including industry, government, and academia.

Cement Based Batteries And Their Potential For Use In Low Power Operations, Aimee Byrne, Niall Holmes, Brian Norton

Articles

This paper presents the development of an innovative cement-electrolyte battery for low power operations such as cathodic protection of reinforced concrete. A battery design was refined by altering different constituents and examining the open circuit voltage, resistor loaded current and lifespan. The final design consisted of a copper plate cathode, aluminium plate anode, and a cement electrolyte which included additives of carbon black, plasticiser, Alum salt and Epsom salt. A relationship between age, temperature and hydration of the cell and the current it produced was determined. It was found that sealing the battery using varnish increased the moisture retention and …

Structural Control Of Wind Turbines With Soil Structure Interaction Included, Breiffni Fitzgerald, Biswajit Basu

Articles

The importance of considering soil structure interaction in structural control of wind turbines is investigated in this paper. An Euler–Lagrangian wind turbine mathematical model based on an energy formulation was developed for this purpose which considers the structural dynamics of the system and the interaction between in-plane and out-of-plane blade vibrations. Also, the interaction between the blades and the tower including a tuned mass damper (TMD) is considered. The turbine is subject to turbulent aerodynamic loading simulated using a modification to the classic Blade Element Momentum (BEM) theory with turbulence generated from rotationally sampled spectra. The turbine is also subject …

Fatigue Properties Of Magnetorheological Elastomers And The Design Of Interfacial Layers To Improve Fatigue Life., Yanfen Zhou

Doctoral

The primary aim of this PhD programme was to understand the fatigue behaviour of magnetorheological elastomers (MREs) and provide a reliable fatigue life predictor for this class of materials. To realise this aim required the study of the dynamic behaviour of MREs using the equi-biaxial bubble inflation test method. Isotropic and anisotropic MREs were fabricated from silicone rubber (SR) filled with soft carbonyl iron (CI) particles. The equi-biaxial fatigue behaviour of these samples was determined using a bubble inflation method. Wohler (S-N) curves for both isotropic and anisotropic MREs were produced by subjecting the compounds to cycling over a range …

The Effects Of Rarefaction And Thermal Non-Equilibrium On A Blunt Body And A Bicone In Hypersonic Flow And Their Shape Optimization For Reducing Both Drag And Heat Transfer, Samuel Gardner

McKelvey School of Engineering Graduate Student Theses & Dissertations

Design of space vehicles pose many challenging problems due to their hypersonic speeds since they need to travel through different flow regimes due to changes in the density of the atmosphere with altitude. Some of the key characteristics associated with hypersonic flow are extremely high temperatures and heat transfer to the wall of the spacecraft. At these temperatures, the assumption of thermal equilibrium is no longer valid and the effect of rotational non-equilibrium must be included in the modeling of diatomic gas flow. This thesis employs the Navier-Stokes equations, which are modified to include a rotational non-equilibrium relaxation model to …

Relating Ion Release And Ph To In Vitro Cell Viability For Gallium-Inclusive Bioactive Glasses, Timothy J. Keenan, L. M. Placek, T. L. Mcginnity, Mark R. Towler, M. M. Hall, A. W. Wren

Chemical and Biochemical Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

A bioactive glass (BG) in which Ga was substituted for Zn was formulated to investigate whether the ionic form of Ga can elicit effects similar to gallium nitrate. The ion release and pH of BG extracts were evaluated, as well as the in vitro cytocompatibility of extracts in contact with mouse fibroblasts and human osteoblasts. After incubation times of 1 year, the glass (TGa-1) containing the smaller Ga-addition (8 mol%) released the most sodium (Na) (1420 mg/L), silicon (Si) (221 mg/L), and Ga (1295 mg/L), while the glass (TGa-2) containing the larger Ga-addition (16 mol%), exhibited release levels between TGa-1, …

An Efficient Method For Optimizing Segmentation Parameters, Jacob D' Avy, Wei-Wen Hsu, Chung-Hao Chen, Andreas F. Koschan, Mongi Abidi

Electrical & Computer Engineering Faculty Publications

Segmenting an image into meaningful regions is an important step in many computer vision applications such as facial recognition, target tracking and medical image analysis. Because image segmentation is an ill-posed problem, parameters are needed to constrain the solution to one that is suitable for a given application. For a user, setting parameter values is often unintuitive. We present a method for automating segmentation parameter selection using an efficient search method to optimize a segmentation objective function. Efficiency is improved by utilizing prior knowledge about the relationship between a segmentation parameter and the objective function terms. An adaptive sampling of …

Ultra-Compact Raman Spectrometer For Planetary Explorations, Derek Davis, James Hornef, John Lucas, Hani Elsayed-Ali, M. Nural Abedin

Electrical & Computer Engineering Faculty Publications

To develop a compact Raman spectroscopy system with features that will make it suitable for future space missions which require surface landing. Specifically, this system will be appropriate for any mission in which planetary surface samples need to be measured and analyzed.

Creating Rigid Foldability To Enable Mobility Of Origami-Inspired Mechanisms, Alden Yellowhorse, Larry L. Howell

Faculty Publications

Rigidly foldable origami crease patterns can be translated into corresponding rigid mechanisms with at least one degree of freedom. However, origami crease patterns of interest for engineering applications are not always rigidly foldable, and designers trying to adapt a crease pattern may be confronted with the need to add more mobility to their design. This paper presents design guidelines for making alterations to a crease pattern to make it rigidly foldable. Adding creases, removing panels and splitting creases are presented as potential alterations for increasing mobility, and approaches for determining the position and number of alterations are discussed. This paper …

Integration Of Advanced Stiffness-Reduction Techniques Demonstrated In A 3d-Printable Joint, Larry L. Howell, Ezekiel G. Merriam, Kyler A. Tolman

Faculty Publications

his work details the integration of three distinct methods for altering the stiffness of compliant joints: lattice flexures, compound joints, and static balancing. The methodology for applying these strategies is discussed in detail. Lattice flexures are a flexure modification that leads to low motion-direction bending stiffness. Compound joints improve a compliant joint’s load-carrying ability and off-axis stiffness. Static balancing in this case is achieved through the addition of an auxiliary energy storage device. To statically balance a compound lattice-flexured cross-axis flexural pivot, the load-dependent stiffness behavior of a cross-axis flexural pivot (CAFP) with two lattice flexure types is determined. A …

Complex Adaptive Behavior: Pragmatic Idealism, Mustafa Canan, Andres Sousa-Poza

Engineering Management & Systems Engineering Faculty Publications

The introduction of new concepts is a driver of organizational evolution and transformation. A newly introduced concept can introduce new meaning that is disparate to existing understanding. A new concept may also be interpreted in multiple ways, thereby introducing several disparate meanings. The disparity is resolved through adaptation. The disparity introduces complex adaptive behavior to the organization, requiring suitable changes to its management and design. The development of corresponding doctrine for new concepts, and training for the organization's constituents become indispensable. In so doing, constituents can be involved in the adaptation process through direct participation, and thereby include the cognitive …

A Hierarchical Statistical Engineering Modeling Methodology, Teddy Steven Cotter

Engineering Management & Systems Engineering Faculty Publications

In the ASEM-IAC 2015, Cotter (2015) proposed a systemic joint deterministic-stochastic dynamic causal Bayesian statistical engineering model that addressed the knowledge gap needed to integrate deterministic mathematical engineering models within a stochastic framework. However, Cotter did not specify the modeling methodology through which statistical engineering models could be developed, diagnosed, and applied to predict systemic mission performance. This paper updates research into the development a hierarchical statistical engineering modeling methodology and sets forth the initial theoretical foundation for the methodology.

Complex System Governance For Acquisition, Joseph Bradley, Polinpapilinho Katina, Charles Keating

Engineering Management & Systems Engineering Faculty Publications

As acquisition processes have become more complex, they appear to no longer be governable by traditional approaches. Missed budgets, delayed deliveries, and expensive canceled systems appear to becoming more prevalent. Numerous investigations have been conducted attempting to elicit the factors that prevented success. Those systems that succeed in terms of usability, budget, and delivery schedule are the rarity and often become case studies themselves as we try to extract the characteristics that differentiate success from failure. A different viewpoint is to look at the acquisition system from the perspective of Complex Systems Governance (CSG). Recent developments in the field of …

A Usability And Learnability Case Study Of Glass Flight Deck Interfaces And Pilot Interactions Through Scenario-Based Training, Thomas James De Cino

CCAC Theses and Dissertations

In the aviation industry, digitally produced and presented flight, navigation, and aircraft information is commonly referred to as glass flight decks. Glass flight decks are driven by computer-based subsystems and have long been a part of military and commercial aviation sectors. Over the past 15 years, the General Aviation (GA) sector of the aviation industry has become a recent beneficiary of the rapid advancement of computer-based glass flight deck (GFD) systems.

While providing the GA pilot considerable enhancements in the quality of information about the status and operations of the aircraft, training pilots on the use of glass flight decks …

An Empirical Investigation Of The Willingness Of Us Intelligence Community Analysts To Contribute Knowledge To A Knowledge Management System (Kms) In A Highly Classified And Sensitive Environment, Robert Hambly

CCAC Theses and Dissertations

Since September 11, 2001, the United States Government (USG) has possessed unparalleled capability in terms of dedicated intelligence and information collection assets supporting the analysts of the Intelligence Community (IC). The USG IC has sponsored, developed, and borne witness to extraordinary advances in technology, techniques, and procedures focused on knowledge harvesting, knowledge sharing, and collaboration. Knowledge, within successful (effective & productive) organizations, exists as a commodity; a commodity that can be created, captured, imparted, shared, and leveraged. The research problem that this study addressed is the challenge of maintaining strong organizational effectiveness and productivity through the use of an information …

Low-Velocity Impact To High-Temperature Low-Sag Overhead Conductors, Daniel Halka Waters

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

High-Temperature Low-Sag (HTLS) conductors, such as Aluminum Conductor Composite Core (ACCC), improve infrastructure to support the delivery of power to meet the nation's increasing demand for electricity. Their response to low-velocity impacts during transportation, installation or in service, however, has not been addressed in the past. Therefore, this study investigates both experimentally and numerically mechanical effects associated with transverse low-velocity impacts on energy dissipation by the conductors subjected to either free or constrained end conditions and large axial tensile loads. Impact experiments were conducted using a newly designed and manufactured testing apparatus. The experimental work was strongly supported by non-linear …

Landing Zone Determination For Autonomous Rotorcraft In Surveillance Applications, Timothy Mclain, Gary J. Ellingson, Justin Mackay

Faculty Publications

This paper presents an approach for finding possible landing sites for a rotorcraft from an inertially referenced point-cloud model of the environment. To identify potential landing sites that are suitably flat and level, a grid-based random sample consensus algorithm separates the terrain map into discrete areas for plane-fitting analysis. Landing sites are selected that satisfy constraints on flatness and levelness while optimizing the surveillance target’s visibility. Flight test results are presented from a small multirotor aircraft flying over a scale-model cityscape. Results from real-time landing-site experiments are presented and discussed.

Head Wave Correlations In Ambient Noise, John Thomas Gebbie, Martin Siderius

Electrical and Computer Engineering Faculty Publications and Presentations

Ambient ocean noise is processed with a vertical line array to reveal coherent time-separated arrivals suggesting the presence of head wave multipath propagation. Head waves, which are critically propagating water waves created by seabed waves traveling parallel to the water-sediment interface, can propagate faster than water-only waves. Such eigenrays are much weaker than water-only eigenrays, and are often completely overshadowed by them. Surface-generated noise is different whereby it amplifies the coherence between head waves and critically propagating water-only waves, which is measured by cross-correlating critically steered beams. This phenomenon is demonstrated both experimentally and with a full wave simulation.

A Brief Review Of Speaker Recognition Technology, Clark D. Shaver, John M. Acken

Electrical and Computer Engineering Faculty Publications and Presentations

This paper reviews the development of speaker recognition systems from pre-computing days to current trends. Advances in various sciences which have allowed autonomous speaker recognition systems to become a practical means of identity authentication are also reviewed.

Lateral-Torsional Buckling Of Frp I-Section Beams, Mojtaba B. Sirjani, Zia Razzaq

Civil & Environmental Engineering Faculty Publications

This paper presents the outcome of an experimental and theoretical investigation into the load-carrying capacity of Fiber Reinforced Polymer (FRP) I-section beams subjected to four-point loading. The overall lateral-torsional buckling, web and flange local buckling as well as material rupture load estimates are also made using the American Society of Civil Engineers Load and Resistance Factor Design (ASCE-LRFD) Pre-Standard for FRP Structures. Lateral-torsional buckling failure mode is found to govern for each of the beams studied. The study also revealed that the height of applied loads relative to the shear center has a very significant influence on lateral-torsional buckling load …

Risk And Safety Of Complex Network Systems, Xiao-Bing Hu, Adrian V. Gheorghe, Mark S. Leeson, Supeng Leng, Julien Bourgeois, Xiaobo Qu

Engineering Management & Systems Engineering Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Modeling Social, Economic, Technical & Environmental Components In An Energy System, Ange-Lionel Toba, Mamadou Seck

Engineering Management & Systems Engineering Faculty Publications

Energy system models have become the main supporting tool for energy policy. Modern challenges in energy policy require energy systems models that integrate technical, environmental and societal aspects of the energy systems. In this paper, we introduce a conceptual model for an energy system model that specifies the relationships between social, technical, environmental, and economic aspects of an energy system. This conceptual model presented in the IDEF0 language will serve as a basis for a computational energy systems model. © 2016 The Authors.

Development Of An Instrument To Assess Capacity For Systems Thinking, Kaitlynn M. Castelle, Raed M. Jaradat

Engineering Management & Systems Engineering Faculty Publications

With the rapid growth and integration in technology and information, the behavior and structure of complex systems presents escalating challenges. Complex systems are marked by high level of ambiguity, uncertainty, and emergence. These conditions impose challenges and difficulties for practitioners responsible to successfully manage and design complex systems. There is a fundamental need to have a cadre of individuals who are capable of dealing with increasingly complex systems and their problems. One response is Systems Thinking, which can provide a holistic thinking paradigm that opens new channels and opportunities to think differently about complex systems as a whole unit. This …

Why Are All The Softies In Europe? A Discussion Of The Lack Of Penetration Of Soft Or In The Us, Andrew J. Collins, Patrick T. Hester

Engineering Management & Systems Engineering Faculty Publications

Soft Operations Research (OR) methods are used for a variety of real-world problems due to their focus on qualitative or interpretative problem formulation and analysis. Analysts use Soft Systems Methodology for problem structuring, drama theory for understanding conflicts, and morphological analysis for decision support. These techniques have an advantage over their quantitative counterparts because they can be used to tame wicked problems. So why is the use of soft OR not widespread in the US? In this paper, we discuss the systems and forces in place that limit soft OR within the US' higher education system and, by extension, the …

Energy Sustainability Of Turkey In The Case Of Lng, Omer Ilker Poyraz, Omer Keskin, Resit Unal

Engineering Management & Systems Engineering Faculty Publications

Energy is both vital and strategic element for a nation to sustain its fundamental activities like security, logistics, heating, etc. Countries sustain their energy demands through internal or external sources. In the case of not being able to maintain energy demands from their internal sources, they would need to import their requirements. Whenever they need to buy raw materials, they have to build terminals to process the raw material into the required form. The dependency on the imports may cause the importing country to weaken its advantage in international conflicts, unemployment, and welfare. Therefore, countries aim to mitigate dependence to …

Systemic Analysis Of Complex System Governance For Acquisition, Charles B. Keating, Joseph M. Bradley, Polinpapilinho F. Katina

Engineering Management & Systems Engineering Faculty Publications

The purpose of this paper is to explore Complex System Governance (CSG) issues related to systemic analysis of acquisition systems. CSG is an emerging field focused on the design, execution, and evolution of the functions necessary to provide continued system performance (stability) in the midst of incessant turbulence and increasing complexity. Integral to this field is the necessity to engage systems to address behavior or performance that is inconsistent with that which is desired. Systemic analysis for CSG serves to examine a system to discover fundamental system issues (e.g. acquisition). Arguably, system acquisition has an unremarkable record of success, ranging …

Cyber-Physical Systems: Complex System Governance As An Integrating Construct, Polinpapilinho F. Katina, Charles B. Keating, Adrian V. Gheorghe

Engineering Management & Systems Engineering Faculty Publications

This paper examines contributions of Complex System Governance (CSG) as an integrating construct for the emerging fields of critical cyber-physical systems (CPS). CPS is concerned with physical entities that are controlled by computational elements. The field is relatively new, emerging, and also somewhat fragmented in development. There are multiple agencies, entities, and activities being undertaken to address a nexus of emerging issues (e.g., cybersecurity) in critical infrastructures. However, the development of critical CPS, as a field, albeit with good intentions and efforts, appears to be largely ‘self-organizing.’ In response, we suggest CSG as an organizing construct capable of provided a …

The Role Of 'Metasystem' In Engineering A System Of Systems, Polinpapilinho F. Katina, Charles B. Keating, Joseph M. Bradley

Engineering Management & Systems Engineering Faculty Publications

Fundamentally, a system of systems is characterized by operational independence, managerial independence, evolutionary development, emergent behavior, and geographical distribution. However, value-wise, a system of systems should provide greater capability beyond that which individual systems can provide. Enabling this greater capability has to be purposely designed for and managed. In this paper, we argue that this is the primary role of the metasystem structure and its execution. A metasystem is a governing structure that provides coordination and integration of multiple systems, brought together to achieve overarching missions and functions beyond those of the constituent systems. This paper articulates the differences between …

Towards A Systems Theory-Based Curriculum For Complex Systems Governance, Polinpapilinho Katina, Joseph M. Bradley

Engineering Management & Systems Engineering Faculty Publications

The purpose of this paper is to explore challenges associated with the development of a curriculum for an emerging field of Complex System Governance (CSG) that could be used for instruction and teaching leaders, managers, and students interested in increasing their knowledge, skills, and abilities about CSG. CSG has been suggested as a means to (1) expose deep system issues impacting performance, (2) introduce practitioners to new thinking, technologies, tools, and methods to address these issues, and (3) institutionalize capabilities to continuously advance governance. As with all new approaches, a curriculum in an emerging field is an essential element for …