Engineering Commons^™

Design Of A Material Handling System For The Automatic Assembly Of A Shower Head, Irshad Meherally

Theses

The design of a Material Handling System for the Shower Head assembly is proposed. The working principle of complete automation and individual workstation is presented using "I-DEAS" software. Alternative equipments and their usage in the automation of the assembly is also proposed. Custom made fixtures, workcarriers, orienters, magazines, part feeders are designed for the assembly. Analysis of design for assembly in terms of cost and efficiency is performed by generating a Coding System Technique.

Wear And Friction Of Titanium Nitride On Ultra High Molecular Weight Polyethylene Under Oscillating Motion For Evaluation Of Use In Articulating Orthopedic Applications, David Scott Jacobson

Theses

Materials are a factor in the performance of articulating orthopedic implants. An oscillating tribometer is utilized to investigate mechanisms of wear and friction of TiN (titanium nitride) coated on Ti-6Al-4V (titanium) alloy against UHMWPe (ultra high molecular weight polyethylene). Three thicknesses of TiN coating (1.76 pm, 4.15 µm, and 10.5 µm) are used to evaluate the performance of each in UHMWPe wear reduction and coating integrity. An uncoated Co-Cr (cobalt chromium) coupon is used against UHMWPe pins for control purposes. Oscillations are carried out to 10 million cycles to discover and evaluate short- and long-term wear mechanisms. Mass differentials and …

Improvement Of Light Collection Efficiency By Laser-Induced Patterning The Surface Of Schottky-Barrier Solar Cells, Kejia Fang

Theses

In order to achieve maximum light collection efficiency in silicon made solar cells, reflectivity of the silicon surface must be reduced to as low level as possible. In the past, researchers have concentrated on coating the Si surfaces with anti-reflection coatings. Another approach was to form textures on the Si wafers to capture further the light impinging on the solar cells.

Theoretical studies, which were based on ray tracing approach, revealed that some geometrical patterns are better capturing the light than others. In this work, different geometrical surface configurations on a Cu/n-Si Schottky-barrier solar cell have been investigated. The configurations …

Clustering Algorithm For Local Area Network Design In A Cim Environment, A. C. Manjunath

Theses

Communication systems have come to be regarded as being one of the most important aspects in manufacturing enterprises in recent years. It continues to offer enormous potential for improving the efficiency of manufacturing enterprises through Computer Integrated Manufacturing (CIM). It is true however that this potential cannot be realized by developments on the communications front alone. Strategic and economic considerations in installing a communications system in a manufacturing environment is of vital significance.

This thesis, at the outset attempts to bring out some of the issues in the area of communications (research), specifically in relation to CIM. A perception of …

Effect Of 2,3-Butanedione Monoxide On Whole-Cell Potassium Channel Currents In Rat Single Myocytes, Youliang Zhou

Theses

The patch clamp technique is a simple procedure which can isolate ion channels on cell membranes. Our previous data have shown that 2,3-Butanedione Monoxime (BDM) could inhibit the calcium current by dephosphorylation of the channel. In this study, the effect of BDM on the potassium channels were investigated with the whole-cell recording method in single myocytes enzymatically isolated from the left ventricle of 3-4 months old rats. Superfusion of myocytes with BDM elicited a dose dependent decrease of the outward transient potassium current. BDM with concentrations of 5, 20 and 50 mM reduced the maximal peak potassium current by 7.3 …

A Computer Implementation Of A Multi-Neuron Expandable Network, Mary Ellen Ellen Aleksza

Theses

The primary goal of this thesis is to develop a small, expandable neural network that oscillates when presented with an appropriate stimulus. This model will be used in the future as a base to create larger networks. Future studies of these larger networks may be used in the simulation of neuronal activity such biological oscillators.

This thesis encompasses a study of neuron activity, neural networks, neuron models and biological oscillators. The focus of the thesis is the modification and expansion of a single neuron simulation into a simulation of an interconnected multi-neuron oscillatory network.

A single neuron model based on …

Kinetic Measuremenmt Of Decomposition Of Aniline, 2,4-Dichlorophenol And 1,2,4-Trichlorophenol Using A Calorimetric Method, Ming-Chin Chang

Theses

Biological treatment techniques for detoxification of toxic organic compounds have been studied and applied for many years. There are many research and commercial applications proving that the biological method is more economic and efficient than the other treatment methods.

The traditional biomass measurements are time-consuming tasks. Researchers have intended to develop a simpler, faster, and also accurate method for determining the bioactivity. This study has tried to use the microcalorimetric method to monitor the energy productions from the degradation of aniline, 2,4-Dichlorophenol and 1,2,4-Trichlorobenzene. Thereafter, by utilizing the data obtained from the present study, it was possible to compute kinetic …

Froth Flotation Method For Recovery Of Ultra-Fine Constituent, Bhupendra K. Parekh, John G. Groppo Jr.

Center for Applied Energy Research Faculty Patents

A froth flotation method and apparatus for the recovery of ultra-fine constituent are provided. The apparatus includes a flotation column having a drain for withdrawing tailings and underflow and an overflow for recovering the selected ultra-fine constituent. A mechanism is provided for delivering a wash medium to an upper portion of the column as well as for delivering diffuse air to a lower portion of the column. A slurry including the constituent to be recovered is received and conditioned within a tank that is connected by means of a feed line to the column. Additionally, a mechanism is provided for …

Applications Of Digital Signal Processing With Cardiac Pacemakers, Merry Thi Tran

Dissertations and Theses

Because the voltage amplitude of a heart beat is small compared to the amplitude of exponential noise, pacemakers have difficulty registering the responding heart beat immediately after a pacing pulse. This thesis investigates use of digital filters, an inverse filter and a lowpass filter, to eliminate the effects of exponential noise following a pace pulse. The goal was to create a filter which makes recognition of a haversine wave less dependent on natural subsidence of exponential noise.

Research included the design of heart system, pacemaker, pulse generation, and sensor system simulations. The simulation model includes the following components:

• Signal source, …

Graphical Integrated Waste Management Model For Puerto Rico, Samuel A. Vigil, Hilary M. Theisen

Civil and Environmental Engineering

The application of STELLA, a commercially available, graphically based simulation language for the Macintosh computer, to solid waste facility planning is described. This paper discusses a STELLA model which was developed for the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico Solid Waste Management Authority (SWMA). The model simulates the existing solid waste management system in Puerto Rico and also the proposed system of regional landfills, transfer stations, and waste-to-energy plants. The model incorporates population projections for all 78 municipalities in Puerto Rico from 1990 to 2010, solid waste generation factors for all municipalities, data on remaining life for the existing landfills, and projected …

Development Of Solid Waste Management Courses At The Undergraduate And Graduate Level, Samuel A. Vigil, George Tchobanoglous

Civil and Environmental Engineering

Management of solid wastes in a cost effective and environmentally sensitive manner has become one of the most challenging infrastructure issues facing municipalities today. The problem is exacerbated by a shortage of qualified engineers. In this paper, both undergraduate and graduate courses in solid waste management that have been taught by the authors at their respective universities for over 20 years are described and available textbooks and reference materials are discussed.

A New Approach To The Decomposition Of Incompletely Specified Functions Based On Graph Coloring And Local Transformation And Its Application To Fpga Mapping, Wei Wan

Dissertations and Theses

The thesis presents a new approach to the decomposition of incompletely specified functions and its application to FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array) mapping. Five methods: Variable Partitioning, Graph Coloring, Bond Set Encoding, CLB Reusing and Local Transformation are developed in order to efficiently perform decomposition and FPGA (Lookup-Table based FPGA) mapping. 1) Variable Partitioning is a high quality hemistic method used to find the "best" partitions, avoiding the very time consuming testing of all possible decomposition charts, which is impractical when there are many input variables in the input function. 2) Graph Coloring is another high quality heuristic\ used to …

An Improved Formulation Of The Temperature Dependence Of The Gummel-Poon Bipolar Transistor Model Equations, Chorng-Lii Liou

Dissertations and Theses

A number of shortcomings were found after complete derivation of the temperature dependence of equations, and the expressions related to the Early effect in the present Gummel-Poon 2 model, as implemented in the TEKSPICE program. The formulation and application of improved model equations is presented, followed by a detailed comparison of the existing model with the one developed in this work.

Modeling Techniques For Water Supply Forecasting In The Western United States, David Charles Garen

Dissertations and Theses

Water supply forecasting in the western United States is the prediction of the volume of water passing a given point on a stream during the primary snowmelt runoff season. Most water supply forecasts are produced from multiple linear regression models using snowpack, precipitation, and streamflow measurements as independent variables. In recent years, conceptual watershed simulation models, typically using a time step of one day, have also been used to produce these forecasts.

This study examines model usage for: water supply forecasting in the West and has three specific purposes. The first is to examine the traditional usage of multiple linear …

Effectiveness Of Additive Correction Multigrid In Numerical Heat Transfer Analysis When Implemented On An Intel Ipsc2, James D. Padgett

Dissertations and Theses

The effectiveness of the Additive Correction Multigrid (ACM) algorithm, a line-byline Tri-diagonal Matrix Algorithm (TDMA), and simple Gauss-Seidel (GS) iteration in numerical heat transfer analysis is investigated on a conventional single processor computer and on a distributed memory parallel computer. The performance of these methods is studied by solving a two-dimensional, steady heat conduction problem. The execution time of ACM on a single processor is proportional to the number of unknowns to the 1.5 power. This is in contrast to the execution time of the TDMA for which the execution time is proportional to the number of unknowns to the …

Wright State University College Of Engineering And Computer Science Bits And Pcs Newsletter, Volume 8, Number 5, May 1992, College Of Engineering And Computer Science, Wright State University

BITs and PCs Newsletter

A six page newsletter created by the Wright State University College of Engineering and Computer Science that addresses the current affairs of the college.

The Calendar - May 1992, Nova University

The Calendar

No abstract provided.

Comparison Of Optimization Methodologies For Sustained-Yield Groundwater Pumping Planning In East Shore Area, Utah, Shu Takahashi

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Combined simulation and optimization models, which are helpful for long-term groundwater planning of complex nonlinear aquifer systems, are developed using alternative modelling approaches. The models incorporate a representation of steady-state, quasi-three-dimensional head response to pumping within an optimization. An embedding model which describes exactly the nonlinear flow of an unconfined aquifer is presented. In contrast with the embedding models presented in the Utah State University Ground Water Model, it directly achieves the optimal solution without a "cycling." To address the nonlinearity of the flow system, response matrix models couple superposition with the cycling procedure. Their linear influence coefficients are generated …

Acuta Enews May 1992, Vol. 21, No. 5

ACUTA Newsletters

In This Issue

Nominations for officers sought

President's column

AT&T opens development site

Northeast regional meeting

Review: 'Optical Fiber Communications' (2nd Edition), By Gerd Keiser, Bradley D. Duncan

Electro-Optics and Photonics Faculty Publications

If first impressions are worth anything (and they usually are), I would have to admit that my first impression of the second edition of Gerd Keiser's now popular text Optical Fiber Communications was quite good. My compliments are hereby extended to the publisher for choosing a rather handsome cover and dust jacket. It stands in strong contrast to the text's first edition, which still ranks as probably the ugliest book I own, with color choices ranging from dull cream and "baby" blue to pale pink! I am now happy to say that this older version has been discretely·retired to the …

Digital Model Of A Generic Infrared Tracker, James Michael Brown

Graduate Theses - Electrical and Computer Engineering

Personal computer based simulations are popular because of the wide availability of personal computers. In this thesis, a simple simulation model of a generic infrared tracker is developed for the personal computer. This thesis first centers on the definition of a generic infrared tracker and the development of a tracker model. The remainder of this thesis is a description of the personal computer based computer simulation model, and a discussion of results of simulation runs to characterize the tracker model response. The conclusion of this thesis is that the simple simulation model serves both as a prototype for developing a …

A Survey Of Electronic Environmental Controllers, Richard S. Gates, Douglas G. Overhults, Larry W. Turner

Biosystems and Agricultural Engineering Faculty Publications

Sixteen commercially available electronic environmental controllers were evaluated. The units were classified according to enclosure type, analog versus microprocessor based control, power supply, sensors, alarms, control relays and triac output, interval timers, outside temperature feedback, and retail price. An assessment of these controllers indicated several critical limitations in the application of this technology.

The use of integrated controllers for animal production has the potential for substantial improvements in production efficiencies. If the limitations observed in the present controller technology, as represented by this sample, are addressed, industry acceptance of the technology can be accelerated. A uniform standard to address this …

Design Of Automotive Structural Components Using High Strength Sheet Steels Mechanical Properties Of Materials, Chi-Ling Pan, Wei-Wen Yu

CCFSS Library (1939 - present)

INTRODUCTION It is well known that the material properties of steels and the strengths of cold-formed steel members are affected by strain rate. Therefore, the research project sponsored by the American Iron and Steel Institute (AISI) at the University of MIssouri-Rolla during the period from January 1988 through December 1991 was concentrated on a study of the effect of strain rate on mechanical properties of sheet steels and the structural behavior and strength of cold-formed steel members subjected to dynamic loads. Because the previous UMR studies were limited only to the structural members such as stub columns and beams which …

Shear And Combined Bending And Shear Behavior Of Web Elements With Openings, Roger A. Laboube, Wei-Wen Yu, Ming-Yang Shan

CCFSS Library (1939 - present)

INTRODUCTION The purpose of this phase of the research project has been to investigate the behavior of a single web with web openings when subjected to either a constant shear force or a combined shear force and bending. The literature indicates that the main parameter that appears to effect the shear capacity is the ratio of web opening depth to web depth, a/h. Thus, the objective for this phase of the investigation was to experimentally determine the shear strength, and compare the tested shear strength with the computed shear strength as given by the AISI Specification for solid webs. The …

Finite-Dimensional Approximations Of Unstable Infinite-Dimensional Systems, G. Gu, P. P. Khargonekar, E. B. Lee, Pradeep Misra

Electrical Engineering Faculty Publications

This paper studies approximation of possibly unstable linear time-invariant infinite-dimensional systems. The system transfer function is assumed to be continuous on the imaginary axis with finitely many poles in the open right half plane. A unified approach is proposed for rational approximations of such infinite-dimensional systems. A procedure is developed for constructing a sequence of finite-dimensional approximants, which converges to the given model in the L infinity norm under a mild frequency domain condition. It is noted that the proposed technique uses only the FFT and singular value decomposition algorithms for obtaining the approximations. Numerical examples are included to illustrate …

Sprinkler Irrigation-Pesticide Best Management Systems, A. Y. Ranjha, Richard C. Peralta, Robert W. Hill, A. M. Requena, Howard M. Deer, M. Ehteshami

Civil and Environmental Engineering Faculty Publications

The relative reduction in potential groundwater contamination due to pesticides at several sites in Utah was determined by comparing alternative irrigation system designs, water management practices, and pesticides. Alternative sprinkler irrigation distribution coefficients were used to estimate irrigation application depths. The movement of pesticides through soils following sprinkler irrigations was simulated with a one-dimensional model. Pesticide contamination of groundwater can be reduced by careful selection of pesticides, using properly designed irrigation systems, and improved water management techniques. Procedures for selecting an appropriate sprinkler system design and pesticide are presented. KEYWORDS. Pesticides, Leaching, Sprinkler irrigation, Irrigation depth, Irrigation system design, Soil, …

Wing Rock Prediction Method For A High Performance Fighter Aircraft, Robert C. Nolan Ii

Theses and Dissertations

This study is a limited investigation of the nonlinear aircraft behavior known as wing rock. An eight state F-15 model is analyzed using bifurcation theory. The wing rock onset point is identified and small perturbation analysis is used to linearize the equations of motion about this point. The eigenstructure of the model is analyzed and is used to identify the stability modes involved in this motion. A procedure is developed to predict wing rock onset and frequency and the critical stability derivatives involved in this motion are identified. The developed procedure is applied to existing F-4J data and a flight …

Bs News

Building Services Engineering

No abstract provided.

The Interaction Of System Structure, Index, And Numerical Stability In Classes Of Differential/Algebraic Systems, Mariesa Crow

Electrical and Computer Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Systems which are difficult to solve numerically have always been considered to be ill-conditioned and their analysis has been somewhat neglected. Recent advances in DAE theory have established that, although high-index DAE systems pose some interesting challenges, they are not the anathema they were once thought to be. This paper will present several examples of DAE systems which arise in power systems and non-linear circuit analysis and will discuss both the analytical and numerical challenges these systems pose.

Groundwater Flow In Closed Desert Basins: Insights From Numerical Experiments, Ying Fan

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

This research examines density driven groundwater flow (free convection) in closed desert basins as controlled by various physical factors. It addresses three issues. The occurrence of free convection under field conditions is first examined, based on an extensive literature review of field investigations. It discusses the evidence for or against the hypothesis of free convection and the various physiographic factors that determine the conditions for free convection. The research then turns to a more quantitative and systematic investigation of the closed basin hydrogeologic system. With dimensional analysis, the numerous variables in the system are transformed into fewer dimensionless and physically …