Engineering Commons^™

Rebuilding For Efficiency: Improving The Energy Use Of Reconstructed Residences In South Florida, Florida Solar Energy Center, Danny Parker

FSEC Energy Research Center®

On August 24th, 1992, Hurricane Andrew devastated a large part of South Dade County in Florida. With over 35,000 homes to be rebuilt, there is interest in seeing if these reconstructed residences can be made more energy-efficient.

This report provides a comprehensive assessment of potential energy efficiency improvements for both new and existing homes in South Florida. Over forty energy-efficiency measures were considered in the analysis. Many homes in the effected zone experienced damage to their windows, roofs and the surrounding landscape. As a result, the analysis closely examined options associated with these design aspects. All major end-uses of electricity …

Project Smart: A Restoration/Demonstration, Martin Wanielista

BMP Trains Research and Publications

No abstract provided.

High-Level Expression Of A Heterologous Protein In The Milk Of Transgenic Swine Using The Cdna Encoding Human Protein C, William H. Velander, John L. Johnson, Raymond L. Page, Chritopher G. Russell, Anuradha Subramanian, Tracy D. Wilkins, Francis C. Gwazdauskas, Christoph Pittus, William N. Drohan

Papers in Biotechnology

Transgenic pigs were generated that produced human protein C in their milk at up to 1 g/liter. The gene construct was a fusion gene consisting of the cDNA for human protein C inserted into the first exon of the mouse whey acidic protein gene. These results demonstrate that the mouse whey acidic protein gene contains regulatory elements that can direct cDNA expression at high levels in the pig mammary gland. Recombinant human protein C that was produced at about 380 pg/ml per hr in transgenic pig milk possessed anticoagulant activity that was equivalent to that of protein C derived from …

Efficient Accommodation Of May-Alias Information In Ssa Form, Ron Cytron, Reid Gershbein

All Computer Science and Engineering Research

We present an algorithm for incrementally including may-alias information into Static Single Assignment form by computing a sequence of increasingly precise (and correspondingly larger) partial SSA forms. Our experiments show significant speedup of our method over exhaustive use of may-alias information, as optimization problems converge well before most may-aliases are needed.

Exact Dominance Without Search In Decision Trees, Nilesh L. Jain, Ronald P. Loui

All Computer Science and Engineering Research

In order to improve understanding of how planning and decision analysis relate, we propose a hybrid model containing concepts from both. This model is comparable to [Hartman90], with slightly more detail. Dominance is simple concept in decision theory. In a restricted version of our model, we give conditions under which dominance can be detected without search: that is, it can be used as a pruning strategy to avoid growing large trees. This investigation follows the lead of [Wellman87]. The conditions seem hard to meet, but may nevertheless be useful in forward-chaining situations without focus, such as [Breese87]. It may be …

A Study Of The Effects Of Polyacrylates On Water Retention And Binder Migration Tendencies Of Coatings, Wichan Charoenkitsupat

Masters Theses

Five commercial polyacrylate samples were used to study their effects on viscosity, water holding, and binder migration under non-pressure conditions. The polyacrylates used were different in acid level, degree of crosslinking, and type of polymer (copolymer and terpolymer). A series of coatings was prepared using a number two clay and three styrene-butadiene latexes of similar particle size and T⋁g but different degrees of carboxylation, then the polyacrylates were added at several levels. The coatings were evaluated for rheological properties, water loss rate and binder migration. The results show that with increasing amounts of polyacrylates, the viscosity increased and the water …

Diffraction Properties Of Stratified Volume Holographic Optical Elements, Gregory P. Nordin, R. V. Johnson, A. R. Tanguay

Faculty Publications

We present a unified treatment of the diffraction properties of stratified volume holographic optical elements (SVHOE's). We show that the relative phasing of the diffraction orders as they propagate from layer to layer gives rise to a unique notched diffraction response of the +1 order (for the case of Bragg incidence) as a function of the normalized buffer-layer thickness, the grating spatial frequency, and the readout wavelength. For certain combinations of these parameters Bragg diffraction behavior characteristic of volume holographic optical elements (VHOE's) is observed, whereas for other combinations pure Raman-Nath behavior periodically recurs. By using these same relative-phasing arguments, …

A Computer Simulation Of The Rotary Vacuum Filter Brown Stock Washing System Using Distribution Sampling, Edison G. Yiu

Masters Theses

A probabilistic model was utilized to simulate the brown stock washing system's error due to process variability and measurement noise. Mass balances of the washing system were performed using distribution sampling. This model relies on a nonlinear relationship between displacement and dilution, which permitted the generation of displacement ratio based upon wash liquor ratio. Experimental trials were performed on a pilotscale rotary vacuum single-stage washer. Nonlinear first-order relationship appears to characterize a pilotscale washer adequately. Differences were observed between the means and standard deviations of the measured results compared to the simulation output. Future work is needed to identify the …

Excitation And De-Excitation Mechanisms Of Er-Doped Gaas And Algaas, David W. Elsaesser

Theses and Dissertations

Electrical and optical characterization have been performed on GaAs and Al_xGa_1-xAs samples doped with Er either by ion implantation or during Molecular Beam Epitaxial (MBE) growth. Deep Level Transient Spectroscopy (DLTS) and Temperature-Dependent Hall Effect (TDH) measurements indicated the presence of two hole traps in Er-doped GaAs, at 35 and 360 meV above the valence band maximum. The former (shallower) center was thought to be due to Er substituting for a Ga atom (Er_Ga) and giving rise to an isoelectronic impurity potential. The second center was attributed to an Er atom occupying an interstitial …

Identification Of The Initial Transient In Discrete-Event Simulation Output Using The Kalman Filter, Mark A. Gallagher

Theses and Dissertations

Data truncation is a commonly accepted method of dealing with initialization bias in discrete-event simulation. Algorithms for determining the appropriate initial-data truncation point for univariate and multivariate output are proposed. The techniques entail averaging across replications and estimating a steady-state output model in a state-space framework. Using the estimated model, Multiple Model Adaptive Estimation (MMAE), which uses Kalman filters with different parameter vectors, is applied. Based on the filters' residuals, the conditional probabilities of each filter's specific parameter vector being correct are determined. The MMAE parameter estimates are the probabilistic- weighted average of the filters' assumed parameter vectors. The estimated …

Guide To Revenue Calculations: Local Option Highway User Tax 1992, Jon D. Fricker

Indiana Local Technical Assistance Program (LTAP) Publications

This guide is provided to explain the output generated by the computer programs, and to suggest ways in which the results can be adapted to specific LOHUT proposals before a County Council. HERPICC neither endorses nor opposes passage of a LOHUT. The revenue projections it provides are intended to be an aid to well-informed decision-making on the part of a county’s citizens and its County Council.

Losses In Electric Power Systems, E. Benedict, T. Collins, D. Gotham, S. Hoffman, D. Karipides, S. Pekarek, R. Ramabhadran

Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering Technical Reports

This report concerns losses in power systems. The report was assembled by seven authors in EE 532 class at Purdue University in December, 1992. The work was part of a class project on losses . All aspects of losses are discussed from the transmission system through utilization stages. High efficiency motors and lighting are also considered . The students participating in this project also videotaped presentations on power system losses .

Laser Doppler Velocimetry Research Of The Blowby Gas Characteristics In An Internal Combustion Engine, Mark Kevin Coffill

Masters Theses

The project was designed to measure a reciprocating engine fluid flow (blowby gases past the piston rings) using a laser doppler velocimeter (LDV). Blowby gases were obtained by introducing compressed air into an engine cylinder (piston held at TDC) to simulate engine combustion pressures. Beginning the proposed research included starting an LDV/reciprocating engine laboratory at Western Michigan University and determining the limits of the measurement devices (LDV system in particular).

The limitations which were found in the LDV system only allowed for limited results of in cylinder optical measurements. The results obtained were for cylinder pressures below 0.6 kPa gauge …

Sediment Delivery On Rill And Interrill Areas, John E. Gilley, D. C. Kincaid, W. J. Elliot, J. M. Laflen

Department of Agricultural and Biological Systems Engineering: Faculty Publications

Equations which relate sediment delivery to a power function of flow rate and slope gradient were calculated in this study. The data used to parameterize the calculations were obtained from sites where crop residues had been removed. and moldboard plowing and disking had occurred. Measurements of sediment delivery resulting from simulated rainfall were obtained from preformed rills and interrill areas. The equations provided reliable sediment delivery estimates for selected soils located throughout the United States. To use the sediment delivery equations, soil-related parameter values must be identified. Multiple regression analyses were performed to relate parameter values used in the equations …

A Study Of The Effects Of Pigment Size And Shape On Binder Migration, Hee Jong Yang

Masters Theses

The effects of pigment size and shape on coating structure and binder migration has been investigated. Clays and ground calcium carbonates of different particle size distributions were used in coatings with 15 pph SB latex.

Coatings were applied to Mylar and a special Tyvek using a wire wound rod. The coatings were dried slowly under ambient conditions, and using hot air immediately or after having been allowed to reach immobilization through penetration into the Tyvek. The dried coatings were evaluated for water holding, relative pore size and migration using the UV technique to measure the increase in SB latex at …

Interferometric Measurement Of Glucose By Refractive Index Determination, Dale R. Yoder-Short

Michigan Tech Patents

An apparatus and method for testing the glucose level in a blood sample is provided. The method includes the step of initially filtering a sample of blood to be tested. A beam of light is provided and split into a pair of beams by a beam splitter. The pair of beams travel along generally parallel paths. One path contains a cell of a known optical pathlength and additionally a compensator. The other path has a cell containing the filtered blood sample to be tested. The pair of beams are then recombined by a mirror and a fringe pattern is detected …

Photopolymer-Based Stratified Volume Holographic Optical Elements, Gregory P. Nordin, A. R. Tanguay

Faculty Publications

We report the implementation of stratified volume holographic optical elements (SVHOE's) using DuPont's Omnidex holographic photopolymer material and an in situ exposure technique for simultaneous multilayer grating recording. Experimental measurement of the +1-order angular sensitivity of a seven-layer SVHOE structure shows remarkable agreement with both theory and numerical simulation for incidence angles near the Bragg angle. For SVHOE's having modulation layers that individually operate in the Bragg or transition diffraction regimes, the envelope of the SVHOE angular sensitivity is experimentally shown to approximate closely that of a single modulation layer.

On The Entropy Of Kiswahili, Luhanga M.L, T.G.B. Nyambo

Tanzania Journal of Science

Cover and King’s gambling approach to the estimation of the entropy of English is used to estimate the entropy of Kiswahili. Experimental results obtained show that Kiswahili has average entropy of approximately 1.76.

Solving Nonlinear Composite Material Problems Using The Automated Structural Optimization System (Astros), Robert Bolha

Theses and Dissertations

Most advanced composite materials have nonlinear stress versus strain curves--grossly so in the laminas shear direction. If linear approximations are used, overly conservative design will result. This thesis expands the usefulness of the Automated Structural Optimization System (ASTROS) finite element (FE) program by incorporating a newly developed capability to include material nonlinearities. By dividing a FE problem into several intervals, and incorporating the changing nature of the nonlinear material properties within each element, a good approximation of the laminate's actual stresses and strains can be obtained without the undue experimentation involved in testing every individual configuration. Each material property is …

Effect Of Transverse Vibration On The Capillary Limit Of A Wrapped Screen Wick Copper/Water Heat Pipe, Mark C. Charlton

Theses and Dissertations

The effect of transverse vibration on the capillary limit of a copper/water heat pipe with a tightly wrapped screen wick was investigated. The capillary limit was measured over a range of operating temperatures under static conditions. A bench-top shaker was used to provide vibration normal to the longitudinal axis of the pipe, and the capillary limit was measured at vibration frequencies of 30, 250, and 1000 Hz. At each of these frequencies, tests were run at vibration levels of 1.0, 2.5, and 5.0 G. The pipe was maintained at a zero degree inclination angle and power throughput was increased until …

An Experimental Determination Of The Effects Of Blending Collocated And Non-Collocated Sensor Measurements To Control A Flexible Structure, Richard G. Cobb

Theses and Dissertations

An experimental investigation was performed controlling a cantilevered beam in bending using proportional feedback on a blend of collocated and non-collocated sensor measurements using a single actuator. Exact transfer functions between the control input and the measurements were developed and compared to the finite element method. By analyzing the open loop pole-zero locations as a function of the measurement blending, insight into the closed loop behavior is obtained. Minimum phase behavior can be maintained for a range of the blending ratio. Results using blended control were compared to both proportional collocated feedback and compensated collocated feedback using LQG methods. The …

Rewet Performance Of A Rectangular Grooved Heat Pipe Wick After Gravitationally Induced Dryout, Lowell S. Hawthorne

Theses and Dissertations

The effects of increased acceleration forces on the transient dryout and rewet performance of an axial groove heat pipe wick were experimentally studied using inclination to simulate increased acceleration forces. Two durations of increased acceleration were investigated, one being less than the time required for the groove to reach steady-state dryout conditions, the other being sufficient to ensure the groove had reached steady-state dryout conditions. The groove's extent of dryout was found to be greater at increased levels of acceleration. The period of time required for the groove to rewet after an acceleration induced dryout increased as acceleration increased. The …

Extended Lyapunov Exponents For Second Order Systems, Janice M. Horn

Theses and Dissertations

It is shown that the concept of the Lyapunov exponent can be extended to include an imaginary part. A numerical technique used to calculate these extended Lyapunov exponents for second order systems is presented. There are two requirements to make this extension possible: the definition of a coordinate frame on the tangent space of the differential equation, and an extension of the classical limit, called the limit of the mean. An application of the technique to the van der Pol equation for the constant coefficient and periodic coefficient cases is given. The extended Lyapunov exponents found using this technique totally …

An Approximate Solution For The Linearized Spinup Dynamics Of A Dual-Spin Spacecraft, David L. Kinney

Theses and Dissertations

An approximate solution is obtained for the linearized equations of motion for the spinup dynamics of a dual-spin spacecraft. The approximation is obtained from the WKB (Wentzel, Kramers, and Brillouin) method, which usually generates a divergent series. Comparison between the WKB solution and the numerically integrated solution are used to study the effects of spinup torque magnitude and the number of WKB terms used on the accuracy of the approximation. The WKB method generates accurate approximations for small spinup torques using as few as two terms in the series when no singularities are present in the WKB terms during the …

An Electromagnetically-Controlled Precision Orbital Tracking Vehicle (Potv), Richard E. Lawrence Jr.

Theses and Dissertations

A propulsion configuration it defined for a precision orbital tracking vehicle (POTV) that employs electrodynamic forces to control vehicle attitude and position with respect to another spacecraft. A pair of electrically powered thrusters assist the POTV in position control. The vehicle can maintain continuous standoff at close range from another spacecraft in any direction, has docking capability, and has gross orbital transfer capability. These capabilities and the specific design derived for the POTV have been defined by the requirements of a postulated space facility (ASSET) that salvages structural aluminum from the external fuel tank of the space shuttle. Precision control …

Canonical Floquet Perturbation Theory, David J. Pohlen

Theses and Dissertations

Classical Floquet theory is examined in order to generate a canonical transformation to modal variables for periodic system This transformation is considered canonical if the periodic matrix of eigenvectors is symplectic at the initial time. Approaches for symplectic normalization of the eigenvectors had to be examined for each of the different Poincare eigenvalue cases. Particular attention was required in the degenerate case, which depended on the solution of a generalized eigenvector. Transformation techniques to ensure real modal variables and real periodic eigenvectors were also needed. Periodic trajectories in the restricted three-body case were then evaluated using the canonical Floquet solution. …

A Study Of Heat Flux Induced Dryout In Capillary Grooves, Timothy J. Murphy

Theses and Dissertations

This is an experimental study of ethanol flowing in the narrow grooves of a copper plate which is subjected to heat fluxes sufficient to evaporate more liquid than can be replaced by capillary pumping. Three groove geometries are used: square, rectangle, and trapezoid. The objective is to simulate aspects of liquid flow in heat pipes with axial grooves. In order to validate analytical models of capillary flow in grooves, the capillary limit, dryout front location, and dryout front movement in response to power draw downs are documented. The results show the rewet performance of the groove is dependent on geometry. …

Baseline Experiments On Coulomb Damping Due To Rotational Slip, John P. Santacroce

Theses and Dissertations

Two experimental pin-type joint models are developed to study the effects of Coulomb Damping due to rotational slip. Model One is an inverted beam allowed to pivot at one end as a pendulum. Model Two is a horizontally mounted beam allowed to pivot about its center. The equations of motion for the joint geometries, considering only macro-slip friction, are developed and solved. Theoretical and experimental results for the response of the models in vibration are presented showing energy dissipation versus clamping force for the joint(s).

Data Reduction With Least Squares Differential Correction Using Equinoctial Elements, Michael S. Wasson

Theses and Dissertations

This study investigates earth satellite orbit estimation on a track of range, azimuth, and elevation data from a single tracking station. The estimation routine is a least squares batch filter based solely on two-body orbital motion. Using equinoctial elements for the reference orbit avoids the numerical difficulties of the classical elements at eccentricities near zero and inclinations near zero or 90 degrees. Orbits for Mir, DMSP, Explorer, Cosmos, and GPS are investigated. The goal of this study is to reduce orbit information from observations (range, azimuth, and elevation) to an element set and a covariance matrix without considering perturbation effects. …

Strategies For Optimal Control Design Of Normal Acceleration Command Following On The F-16, James C. Baird

Theses and Dissertations

Weight shapes and locations are investigated for H₂, H_∞, and the general mixed H2/H infinity optimization methodologies. The design model is normal acceleration command following for the F-16 (SISO) at Mach 0.6 and Sea Level, which yields a nonminimum phase and unstable plant. H₂ design types include LQG, LQG/Sensitivity, and LQG/Tracking. Robustness and tracking are the objectives of the central H infinity process. Both H_∞ optimal and suboptimal controllers are examined, with the suboptimal controller shown as the practical choice for this plant. The mixed H₂/H_∞ setup allows the tradeoff between …