Engineering Commons^™

Whole-Farm Planning : Success At Wilgi Creek, Kevin Shanhun

Journal of the Department of Agriculture, Western Australia, Series 4

Ian and Bev Lynch own Wilgi Creek, a 376 ha mixed farming property at West Mount Barker in the 700 mm rainfall zone. In 1983, they started a whole-farm plan to overcome the problems of declining production caused by waterlogging (their biggest problem), salinity and deterioration of the remnant native vegetation. Today, their property is an example of a successful, wholefarm land conservation plan based on agroforestry, timber production, water harvesting and improved pastures.

A Comparative Study Of Bovine Pericardium Mineralization: A Basic And Practical Approach, Branko B. Tomazic, Chakwan Siew, Walter E. Brown

Cells and Materials

The biomineralization of bovine pericardium (BP) heart valve bioprostheses was investigated by simulation of the process under in vitro and in vivo conditions. The nature and composition of calcific deposits that formed in human heart valve bioprostheses were compared with the mineral formed on BP discs immersed in a calcifying medium or subcutaneously implanted into Sprague-Dawley rats. The early stage of experimental biomineralization in vitro took place on the surface only, while in vivo deposition appeared to be intrinsic, as documented by histological cross sections. The chemical composition of the initial mineral phase formed under in vitro conditions had a …

Calibration Of A Parametric-Stochastic Model, Zhida Song, L. Douglas James

Reports

Conceptually, stochastic parametric modeling offers a powerful tool to select a scale for expressing catchment variability for hydrologic simulation and relating model parameters to catchment characteristics. Practically, success depends on having an efficient method for model calibration. The calibration of a stochastic model is much more difficult than a deterministic one because simulation shifts from using fixed parameters to simulate of flows as deterministic values to taking multiple combinations of paramter values randomly from distributions to simulate flows as stochastic variables. The proposed method calibrates the first two moments of each parameter distribution to represent the average and the variability …

Studies Related To Nutrients Entering Groundwater From The Heber Valley Sewer Farm And Dairies, Roland W. Jeppson, Joan Mclean, Calvin G. Clyde, Scott Korom

Reports

Foreword: This report includes the results from a two year study in the Heber Valley to determine amounts of nutrients that are entering the groundwaters of the Heber Valley, and might ultimately enter Deer Creek Reservoir. Since Deer Creek Reservoir in Heber Valley, Utah supplies approximately 65 percent of the water distributed to Salt Lake County, the maintenance of its quality is of considerable importance. To maintain the quality of this reservoir and limit its eutrophication "best management" practices for surface water have been implemented gradually during the past decade in Heber Valley. These practices have significantly improved the qualities …

Mechanical And Barrier Properties Of Edible Corn And Wheat Protein Films, T. P. Aydt, Curtis Weller, R. F. Testin

Department of Agricultural and Biological Systems Engineering: Faculty Publications

Published methods for production of homogeneous edible films from com and wheat proteins were adapted. Barrier and mechanical properties of the edible films were evaluated with procedures commonly used on polymeric films. Mechanical property data included thickness, elongation, tensile strength, tear strength, and burst strength measurements. Barrier property data included water vapor, oxygen, and carbon dioxide gas transmission rate measurements. Homogeneous com and wheat protein films were found to have low tensile strengths, far less than cellophane. Com films were brittle while wheat films were elastic in comparison to cellophane. All three types of film had low permeabilities for dry …

A Cooperative Educational Program To Reduce Soil Erosion, David P. Shelton, Elbert C. Dickey, Paul J. Jasa, David A. Biere, Susan Smydra Krotz

Department of Agricultural and Biological Systems Engineering: Faculty Publications

Eastern Nebraska, especially the northeastern portion, has a history of severe soil erosion, due in part to a predominance of steep slopes and highly erodible soils (12). While the average annual allowable soil loss ("T" value) for most of these soils is five tons per acre, some fields have annual soil erosion rates that exceed 100 tons per acre. The loss of topsoil is critical, of course, but erosion from cropland also results in the removal of fertilizers and pesticides, which degrades water quality.

Even though farmers are generally aware that soil erosion is a national problem, many …

Equipment For Ridge Planting, Elbert C. Dickey, Paul J. Jasa

Department of Agricultural and Biological Systems Engineering: Faculty Publications

In ridge plant systems, crops are planted into ridges formed during cultivation of the previous crop.

Row cleaning devices on the planter push weed seed and residue lying on the soil surface from the ridge to the area between the rows, or row middles. The crop seed is planted into the old row in a cleanly tilled strip at a higher elevation than the row middles. A band application of herbicide behind the planter typically is used in the row for weed control. Crop cultivation controls weeds between the row and rebuilds ridges for the following year.

Ridge plant systems …

Estimating Percent Residue Cover Using The Line-Transect Method, David P. Shelton, Elbert C. Dickey, Roger Kanable, Stewart W. Melvin, Charles A. Burr

Department of Agricultural and Biological Systems Engineering: Faculty Publications

Estimating Percent Residue Cover Using the Line-Transect Method

The line-transect method is one of the easiest method to use in the field to determine the percent residue cover on the surface. Accurate measurement is necessary to determine if enough cover is present to comply with the conservation plan.

The following is a step-by-step procedure for using the line-transect method to measure the percentage of residue cover.

Step 1

Use a 100-foot or 50-foot measuring tape for measuring residue cover. Other measuring length or even knotted ropes can be used if the appropriate multiplication factor is used to calculate the percentage. …

Fertilization Of Crops With Feedlot Manure, Elbert C. Dickey, Gerald Bodman

Department of Agricultural and Biological Systems Engineering: Faculty Publications

The application of animal manure to farmland is an appropriate and environmentally sound management practice for most feedlot operators. Land application returns nutrients from manure to the soil and helps build and maintain soil fertility. In addition to containing nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium, manure contains trace "elements such as calcium, magnesium, iron and zinc. Manure has also been shown to improve soil tilth, increase water-holding capacity, lessen wind and water erosion and improve aeration. Land application of manure should be viewed as a means to utilize crop nutrients present in the manure for crop production rather than utilizing the land …

An Evaluation Of A Prototype Osi-Based Communications Architecture For The Distributed Interactive Simulation Application Utilizing The Isode, Margaret Lucas Loper

Retrospective Theses and Dissertations

The advent of computer networking has spawned a wide variety of applications and technologies. Among the most exiciting and pro1nising of these is Distributed Interactive Sin1ulation (DIS). This technology involves the interconnecting of simulated (virtual) environ men ts which allow participants in one simulation to interact, in real time, with those in another simulation, and observe their interactions by means of out-thewindow views of the individual simulators. The key to the evolution and worldwide acceptance of this DIS technology will be the adoption and integration of standard computer networking methodologies (i.e., Open Systems Interconnection (OSI)) into the overall DIS system …

Precipitation And Inter-Event Dry Periods For Selected Areas Of Florida, Teresa Rae Lineback

Retrospective Theses and Dissertations

The increase in the pollution of existing water bodies due to poor management of storwater runoff has demanded continuous re-evaluation of present design methods for stormwater management facilities. Current criteria used in determining water quality (treatment) volumes in pond design neglect antecedent conditions resulting from preceding rainfall. The inter-event dry period refers to that time period (hours) which occurs between rainfall events. The

minimum inter-event dry period used for pollution control design should be consistent with the time required for infiltration, chemical precipitation, sediment removal, and biological assimilation; as well as the period of time required to minimize the cumulative …

Surface Mapping And Automatic Tool Path Generation, Labiche Ferreira

Retrospective Theses and Dissertations

With the use of machine vision systems in the manufacturing cycle of a product, the lead time for producing the final product has been substantially reduced. Efforts in the past have aimed at automating the tasks right from the drawing board stage to final production of the product. Such technologies include CAD, CAM, and CAPP. However the task of tool path (NC code) generation has not yet been fully automated. In the current techniques, the user plays a crucial role in the NC code generation process. There is an increasing trend for using machine vision systems in the fabrication of …

Photorefractive Materials For Optical Signal Processing, William B. Lawler

Retrospective Theses and Dissertations

The optical response of the photorefractive crystals KNbO₃:Ta, KNbO₃:Fe, LiNbO₃:Fe, and nominally pure BaTiO₃ is investigated. In the experiment, a holographic grating is built in the crystal under investigation via a two-wave mixing scheme that utilizes the signal-processing capacities of two acousto-optic Bragg cells. The dynamic interaction of the Bragg cells with the photorefractive grating causes a heterodyned RF signal to appear on the output laser beam, enabling the real-time, direct measurement of the amplitude and phase of the space-charge fields in the crystal. Experimental results are presented for the amplitude and phase …

Application Of A Six-State Passive Track Filter Within A Weapon-Delivery System For A Lock-On-After-Launch Missile, Lynda Jeanne Ciaponi

Retrospective Theses and Dissertations

Knowing the benefits that a passive air target tracking system gives the host aircraft attempting to conceal its own presence on the battlefield, it is desired to determine whether the aircraft can also deliver one of its own lock-on-after-launch air-to-air missiles to the target via use of the same passive system. The objective of this thesis is to demonstrate that a passive six-state track filter can be successfully used within such a weapon delivery system. The role of the filter within the system is to track the enemy target in cartesian space utilizing only line-of-sight measurements and to track the …

Texture Segmentation And Classification Using Fractal And Energy Measures, Qing Chen

Retrospective Theses and Dissertations

This thesis introduces a multi-feature based texture segmentation and classifi­ cation algorithm. We first present general background on segmentation approaches which can be categorized into three groups : characteristic thresholding and clus­ tering, edge detection, and region merging. According to our texture segmentation objective, we choose characteristic thresholding and clustering along with region merging as our segmentation method which is accomplished by a popular K-mean algorithm applied in the feature space. Fractal geometry is receiving increasing attention as a model for natural phe­ nomena. We present an efficient method for estimating the fractal dimension of image surfaces and show that …

Design Curves For The Reuse Of Stormwater, Gregory Miller Harper

Retrospective Theses and Dissertations

The reuse of stormwater runoff is becoming an increasingly popular addition to stormwater management systems. The advantages include a reduction in pollution and volume discharges to surface waters, the return of runoff to the ground, and savings in the cost of using potable water. This research, by developing a relationship between the reuse volume (temporary storage volume), the rate at which stormwater is reused, and the percentage of annual surface runoff that is reused, provides a procedure in which to design stormwater reuse systems. The traditional design of pond temporary storage volume has been based on the consideration of water …

Rs170 Image Processing Interface, Charlotte Christou

Retrospective Theses and Dissertations

This thesis deals with the hardware design and implementation of an image processing board that digitizes RS-170 video, passes it thru a sobel filter and sends the results to a high-resolution color printer. Most sobels deal with black and white images, but this thesis uses a static color image. The hardware design will allow direct printing from a RGB separate channel RSl 70 video source to a Tektronix 4693DX Color Printer through a Centronics port. It will also allow the red, blue and green video channels to pass through a sobel filter, with the resulting image being sent out to …

An Analysis Of The Parameters Affecting The Stabilization Rate Of Yard Waste Compost, Patricia G. Fleming

Retrospective Theses and Dissertations

In recent times, municipalities have turned to yard waste composting in an effort to comply with mandated recycling and reduction laws aimed at extending existing landfill capacity. Composting is a biological process whereby decomposition of organic matter occurs under aerobic conditions, producing a stabilized humified material. The objective of the research was to analyze data gathered during pilot yard waste composting operations utilizing the windrow method. The following tasks were accomplished: temperature and oxygen profiles from daily monitoring data were examined and the effect these parameters had on stabilization was determined; stabilization time of varying yard waste matrices was compared …

Combined Photolasticity And Elastostatic Boundary Element Method In Solid Mechanics Applications, Troy Duane Jensen

Retrospective Theses and Dissertations

Considerable efforts have recently been made on combining experimental and numerical techniques in a so called "hybrid" method for stress analysis. One of these techniques is combining photoelastic "experimental" data with the boundary element "numerical" method. Most of this work has centered on using the boundary element method to solve the potential problem (i.e., Laplace's equation) where external boundary conditions must be specified. The results are combined with the photoelastic isochromatic information to separate the principal stresses at any desired interior location. This thesis, however, concentrates on combining the photoelastic data with the elastostatic boundary element method. This is advantageou~ …

Impulse, Carey Crouse, Dee Feickert

Impulse (Jerome J. Lohr College of Engineering Publication)

Features:
[Page 2] EROS and SDSU join hands in international research
[Page 3] New aerospace project begins at SDSU
[Page 4] Energy Watch - Energy awareness committee's goal
[Page 5] Chamber gets message to alumni
[Page 5] New Agricultural Extension Network installed at SDSU
[Page 6] EED: Light up your future
[Page 7] Entrepreneur Award
[Page 8] John Kappenman - Alumnus leads effort to deploy 'watchdog' satellite
[Page 8] Russ Christiansen - A caring approach to management, engineering
College of Engineering Research and Outreach: 1-16 Center Section
Departments:
Students:
[Page 25] Pi Tau Sigma elects officers, welcomes members
[Page 25] …

Subsoiling, Contouring, And Tillage Effects On Erosion And Runoff, Paul J. Jasa, Elbert C. Dickey

Department of Agricultural and Biological Systems Engineering: Faculty Publications

A study to evaluate the effectiveness of subsoiling on reducing soil erosion and water runoff from continuous com production was conducted. A rotating boom rainfall simulator was used on replicated treatments having either preplant in-row subsoiling or postplant between-row subsoiling used in both tilled and untilled surface conditions. Tilled and untilled treatments without subsoiling were used as checks. These six treatments were used up-and-downhill and on the contour.

Subsoiling reduced the rate of water runoff but did not significantly reduce the soil erosion rate after equilibrium had been reached between water application and runoff rates. Surface condition and farming direction …

Knowledge-Based Support For Management Of Concurrent, Multidisciplinary Design, Raymond E. Levitt, Yan Jin, Clive L. Dym

All HMC Faculty Publications and Research

Artificial intelligence (AI) applications to design have tended to focus on modeling and automating aspects of single discipline design tasks. Relatively little attention has thus far been devoted to representing the kinds of design 'metaknowledge' needed to manage the important interface issues that arise in concurrent design, that is, multidisciplinary design decision-making. This paper provides a view of the process and management of concurrent design and evaluates the potential of two AI approaches—blackboard architectures and co-operative distributed problem-solving (CDPS)—to model and support the concurrent design of complex artifacts. A discussion of the process of multidisciplinary design highlights elements of both …

Transportation Synthetic Modeling For New Villages In Northeast Florida Using Fsutms, Yazan Kamal Haddad

Retrospective Theses and Dissertations

The Villages of Seminole Forest is a fifty-eight-thousand acre developnent located between Clay arrl Putnam Counties in Northeast Florida and is proposed to have a build-out year in 2043. As required by the Florida Deparbnent of Conmunity Affairs (OCA) , a Developnent of Regional Irn:Pact {DRI) was prepared to study the impact that this developnent might exert on nunerous elements, such as wetlands, wildlife, water, soils, flood-plains, air, and transportation. The Florida Standard Urban Transportation M::>del Structure {FSU'IMS) was utilized in preparing the transportation elanent of the DRI. A roadway network for the project was developed, and FSU'IMS was …

The Enhancemnt Of N-Heptane Vapor Incineration Using Ozone And Hydrogen Peroxide, Michael William Hewett

Retrospective Theses and Dissertations

Using a narrow bore quartz tube reactor set inside a three zone Lindburg furnace, a measured air stream with a known concentration of n-heptane was heated to temperatures between 637°C and 687°C. A separate measured air stream with known concentrations of ozone was injected just prior to the thermal zone of the reactor. The differences in heptane concentration entering and exiting the reactor under varying time, temperature, and ozone conditions were monitored with a gas chromatograph in an effort to generate kinetic data. The reactor was modeled as a first order plug flow reactor. The constants in the Arrhenius equation …

Acuta Enews January 1991, Vol. 20, No. 1

ACUTA Newsletters

In This Issue

ECCI founder honored

Pocket phone test at UGA

Giving pays off for Emory

Digitizing X-rays

Illicall lists rates

Party Line

Enhancing Soil Conservation Practice Adoption With Targeted Educational Programs, Elbert C. Dickey, David P. Shelton, Paul J. Jasa

Department of Agricultural and Biological Systems Engineering: Faculty Publications

Two independent, but closely related, grant funded educational programs were developed and implemented to reduce soil erosion in selected areas of eastern Nebraska. Traditional extension programming methods as well as other more non-traditional approaches were used extensively to enhance soil conservation practice adoption. In one program, encompassing 220 000 ha (540,000 acre) of cropland, annual soil erosion was reduced by 2.3 million t (2.5 million ton) and annual fuel savings of 1.5 million L (390,000 gal) were achieved through a reduction in the number of tillage operations. In the second project, more than 93 000 m (305,000 ft) of terraces …

Full-Wall Ventilation For Dairy Free Stall Barns, Larry M. Turner, John P. Chastain

Agricultural Engineering Extension Updates

Heat stress should be a greater concern than winter cold for dairymen in Kentucky. Heat stress can cause drops in milk production and breeding efficiency, which result in lower profits for the dairyman. The use of an open sidewall free stall barn can help relieve heat stress by allowing improved ventilation of the barn in summer. The benefits of full-wall ventilation include both improved air movement and some potential increase in evaporative cooling. The increased airflow through the barn increases convective cooling of the cows and carries off a greater amount of excess heat and moisture than conventional barns with …

Center For Computer And Information Sciences Master Of Science In Computer Information Systems Fall Courses 1991, Nova Southeastern University

College of Engineering and Computing Course Catalogs

No abstract provided.

Transforming A Rule-Based Program, Rose F. Gamble

All Computer Science and Engineering Research

Conflict resolution is a form of global control used in production systems to achieve an efficient sequential execution of a rule-based program. This type of control is not used to parallel production system models [6,13]. Instead, only those programs that make no assumptions regarding conflict resolution are executed in parallel. Therefore, the initial sequential rule-based programs are either executed in parallel without their conflict resolution strategy, which normally results in incorrect behavior, or the programs are transformed in an ad hoc manner to execute on an particular parallel production system model. As a result, these programs do not exhibit the …

A New Design Approach For Numeric-To-Symbolic Conversion Using Neural Networks, Zibin Tang

Dissertations and Theses

A new approach is proposed which uses a combination of a Backprop paradigm neural network along with some perceptron processing elements performing logic operations to construct a numeric-to-symbolic converter. The design approach proposed herein is capable of implementing a decision region defined by a multi-dimensional, non-linear boundary surface. By defining a "two-valued" subspace of the boundary surface, a Backprop paradigm neural network is used to model the boundary surf ace. An input vector is tested by the neural network boundary model (along with perceptron logic gates) to determine whether the incoming vector point is within the decision region or not. …