Engineering Commons^™

Open-Cycle Ocean Thermal Energy Conversion, Florida Solar Energy Center, Magdy Girgis

FSEC Energy Research Center®

In May 1983 the Florida Solar Energy Center(FSEC) received $ 328,000 from the federal Solar Energy Research Institute in Colorado to determine the feasibility of an Open-Cycle Ocean Thermal Energy Conversion (OTEC) concept. The objective of the project is to assess the economic and technological viability of the conceptual design of an Open Cycle OTEC power plant. FSEC and Create R&D Inc., Hanover, New Hampshire, bring together complementary skills and experience in resource assessment, component design, system engineering and project management. FSEC also will study possible sites for an OTEC plant in Florida as part of a complementary project funded …

Acuta Enews December 1983, Vol. 12, No. 12

ACUTA Newsletters

In This Issue

PRESIDENT'S MESSAGE

TRIVIA

BITS & PIECES

INNOVATIVE COMMUNICATIONS SYSTEM OUTS F.I.T. IN FRONT

A QUANTUM LEAP FOR COMMUNICATIONS

Testing Of Steel Roof Deck Construction, Wei-Wen Yu, Lan-Cheng Pan, S. H. Lin

CCFSS Library (1939 - present)

INTRODUCTION In recent years, insulated steel roof deck construction has been widely used in industrial and commercial buildings. The use of roof assembly consisting of 3-in. deep, 22-gage, steel deck is being considered by Rooftex, Inc. of Houston, Texas, for Class 1-60 and Class 1-90 assemblies. At the request of Rooftex, two types of tests were conducted at the University of Missouri-Rolla in July 1983. These tests, which consisted of physical tests of steel roof decks and uplift pressure tests of insulated steel roof deck construction, were conducted to obtain the"necessary data for the approval of the Factory Mutual Research …

Laterally Unsupported Purlins Subjected To Uplift, Roger A. Laboube

CCFSS Library (1939 - present)

INTRODUCTION A research study, conducted at Cornell University, provided a theoretical method for evaluating the state of stress for both C- and Z- purlins subjected to wind uplift loading. According to the Cornell analytical method, a Z-purlin has more load carrying capability than a similar C-purlin. Although experimental verification was provided, questions were raised, within the Metal Building Industry, regarding the strength of the C-versus the Z-section. The purpose of the work discussed herein was to develop information regarding the behavior of C- and Z-sections having identical cross-section dimensions. A brief description of the test program, along with a comparison …

Ads Formal Semantics, Takayuki Kimura

All Computer Science and Engineering Research

Abstract Database System (ADS) is a data model developed for an enduring medical information system where frequent changes in the conceptual schema are anticipated and multi-level abstraction is required. The mechanism of abstraction in ADS is based on the abstraction operator of the lamba calculus. The formal semantics of a subset of the ADS model is presented using the denotational specification method.

The Effects Of Certain Impurities And Their Interactions On Zinc Electrowinning, Donald R. Fosnacht, Thomas J. O'Keefe

Materials Science and Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

The effects of germanium, antimony, arsenic, cobalt, glue, and free acid concentration were studied on both commercial and synthetic electrolytes. The effects of a single factor and the combined effects of multiple factors were elucidated. The temperature, zinc concentration, and current density were varied for some of the tests. It was found that the acid content was the most critical factor when impurity levels were at normal plant solution concentrations. The ranges where the effect of the impurity became apparent were: greater than 20 ppb (parts per billion) for antimony; 40 ppb for germanium; 120 ppb for arsenic; and 7 …

Stochastic Estimation Applied To The Land Speed Of Sound Record Attempt By A Rocket Car, David A. Reinholz

Theses and Dissertations

Optimal linear smoothing theory is applied to the data from the Speed of Sound record attempt of a three-wheeled rocket car on 17 December 1979. A forward-backward estimation method is used which employs a seven state forward-running extended Kalman filter and a Meditch-form backward recursive 'fixed-interval' smoothing algorithm. Data for this analysis is supplied by a longitudinal accelerometer mounted on the vehicle and tracking radar measurements of range, azimuth, and elevation. States of interest include two components of vehicle position and velocity, accelerometer time-correlated error, and radar range and azimuth bias errors. Two iterations of the forward-backward smoothing algorithm provide …

H & V News

Building Services Engineering

No abstract provided.

Photodetachment As A Control Mechanism For Diffuse Discharge Switches, Gerhard Schaefer, P. F. Williams, Karl H. Schoenbach, John T. Moseley

P. F. (Paul Frazer) Williams Publications

Photodetachment is considered as a control mechanism for diffuse discharge switches. Experiments have been performed on photodetachment of ions in the flowing afterglow of a dc glow discharge in oxygen. Experiments with different laser wavelengths and the dependence of the optogalvanic signal on the laser energy flux indicate that 0^- is the dominant negative ion. For an energy flux of 35 mJ/cm², 50 percent of the 0^- ions can be photodetached.

Two-Dimensional Computer Modeling Of Joints And Fractures In Continua, Royd R. Nelson

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis presents a numerical formulation which incorporates the effects of joints, cracks, and fractures into a mathematical mode used to in an existing finite element code. Two separate crack definitions were incorporated, one involving a discrete crack model, and the other a continuum approach defining a new material with regularly spaced joints. Several examples are also presented demonstrating the use of this capability.

Method And Apparatus For Making Aligned Flake Composite Wood Material Including Integral Baffles, Gordan P. Krueger, Anders E. Lund, Roy D. Adams

Michigan Tech Patents

A method and apparatus for forming a loosely felted mat of elongated wood flakes mixed with a binder, the mat including a longitudinal axis and the wood flakes being aligned in mutually parallel relation and parallel to the longitudinal axis of the mat. The wood flakes are held in alignment in the mat by a plurality of closely spaced thin planar baffles, the baffles being comprised of a material which can form an integral part of the mat.

Augmentation Of Free Surface Heat And Mass Transfer Due To Electrostatic Fields, Alan F. Smelewicz, Mark P. Majcher, James B. Nystrom, William W. Durgin

Office of the Provost Scholarship

Experiments were conducted to measure heat transfer rates and mass transfer rates from a water surface in the presence of electrostatic fields of various strengths generated between the water surface and a wire grid above the surface.

Heat transfer rates were determined by the temperature decay after heating the test and control basins. Mass transfer rates were determined by measuring the water loss while holding the basins at fixed temperatures.

It was found that very little increase in transfer coefficients took place for voltages below an onset voltage which depended on atmospheric conditions and test geometry. The heat transfer coefficient …

Photovoltaics: A Question And Answer Primer, Florida Solar Energy Center, Ingrid Melody

FSEC Energy Research Center®

Of all the solar energy technologies, photovoltaics (PV) show the greatest promise for worldwide acceptance and application. Their universal appeal lies in the fact that they generate electricity from the sun. Working photovoltaics have no moving parts, are relatively simple in design, need very little maintenance and are environmentally benign. They simply and silently produce electricity whenever they are exposed to light.

Limiting Efficiencies For Multiple Energy-Gap Quantum Devices, Cheng-Hsiao Wu, Richard M. Williams

Electrical and Computer Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

We have used a thermodynamic model to calculate theoretical limiting efficiencies for simple and multiple gap solar cells. The limiting efficiency is 26% for a simple solar cell of hydrogenated amorphous silicon, operating at one Sun sensitivity. For a multiple gap cell made from hydrogenated amorphous silicon, together with a second cell, made from a material with lower band gap, it is 38%. The optimum band gap for the second material is 1.0 eV.

Performance Evaluation Of Experimental Paint-Stripe Beads, Kenneth R. Agent, Jerry G. Pigman

Kentucky Transportation Center Research Report

Eight experimental bead types in addition to Kentucky's currently used bead were applied with standard striping equipment at a field test location. Reflectivity measurements using a portable retroreflectometer were conducted, along with visual observations, to rate each bead type. The objective was to determine whether any of the experimental beads was superior to the currently used bead, and if so, would they be economically feasible for widespread use. The differences in bead types involved gradation, refractive index, and surface coating. Based on performance and economic considerations, it was recommended that Kentucky change its bead gradation specifications to correspond to that …

Effect Of Refrigerant Charge And Condenser Temperature On The Operating Characteristics Of A Vapor-Compression Air Conditioning System, Ezzat Fikri Assaad

Archived Theses and Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Robotic Realities: Near Term Prospects And Problems, Robert U. Ayres, Steven M. Miller

Research Collection School Of Computing and Information Systems

Industrial robots are automation, but with a difference. Other machine tools are extensions of human capabilities, while robots are seen mainly as substitutes for human workers. Robots will find most of their industrial applications during the next decade or two in the metal-working sectors, where they will begin to displace semiskilled machine operatives in medium to large batch production operations. They cannot substitute for skilled machinists or other workers doing nonroutine jobs, or specialized, dedicated hard automation used in mass production. The current generation of robots, lacking sensory data processing and interpretation capabilities, can potentially replace up to 1.3 million …

H & V News

Building Services Engineering

No abstract provided.

Mathematical Models Of Unsteady Operation Of A Packed Column, Jen-Fu Chao

Dissertations

Analytical solutions of differential equations applicable to extraction, ion exchange, or adsorption processes in packed beds are presented. Results are given for three different cases. The first case accounts for adsorption phenomena only. The second one includes surface adsorption on particles and the effects of longitudinal dispersion in the bed. The third one deals with diffusion in particles and longitudinal dispersion in the bed. In the mathematical modelling of these three cases, a linear equilibrium relationship between the solute in the liquid phase and solute in the solid phase is used. The first case is solved using the single boundary …

The Settling Of An Arbitrary Number Of Spherical Particles Arranged On The Corners Of A Regular Polygon In A Viscous Fluid, Eric Robert Bixon

Dissertations

The creeping motion equation has been solved for the case of planar arrays of spheres settling under the influence of gravity in a viscous fluid. The solution is a general solution which applies to an arbitrary number of spheres. All particles will lie at the corners of a regular polygon. Thus, two particles side by side, three particles in an equilateral triangular array, or four spheres in a square array will be special cases of the general solution.

The solution has been obtained by a unique application of the method of reflections. Only a first correction to the drag has …

Passive Cooling Ideas For The Southeast, Florida Solar Energy Center, Chris Beck

FSEC Energy Research Center®

A passively cooled home is one which is kept relatively comfortable through natural means. Homeowners in the Southeast have been using passive building techniques in order to live more comfortably during hot, humid seasons since the early 1900's. The concept of designing for minimum use of artificial cooling and heating systems is not new, but with the advent of sophisticated mechanical air-conditioning and heating systems and the availability of inexpensive fossil fuels in the '40s and '50s, builders began bypassing passive techniques. Too many of today's homes are designed with more concern about accommodating a mechanical conditioning system than with …

Behavior Of Joints Using Reinforced Polymer Concrete Under Seismic Loading, Ishac H. Kafrouni

Theses

This report describes the analysis and testing of two types of exterior beam-column joints conducted at New Jersey Institute of Technology. The testing program consisted of six beam column joints with varying strength cementing agents in the joint region: normal, high strength and polymer concrete. Half of the specimens contained 1.5 percent by volume of hooked end fibers. The study of the behavior of these beam column joints has indicated 2 cases of failures: a critical region in which the inelastic behavior was controlled by bending and, a critical region in which the inelastic behavior was controlled by high shear. …

Design Of A Photoreactor For The Oxidation Of Toxic Pollutants In Water By Ozone And Ultraviolet Radiation, Shahab Rashid Khan

Theses

A photoreactor has been designed to oxidize refractory chemicals found in water using ozone and ultraviolet radiation. The feasibility of the ozone/UV process has been examined by conducting experiments with three model compounds, namely, (1) o-chlorophenol (2) m-chlorophenol and (3) p-chloro phenol. For o-chlorophenol and p-chloro-phenol, reactions were very fast with ozone/UV oxidation and somewhat slower with m-chlorophenol. It is concluded that UV irradiation increases the decomposition of ozone and the resulting unstable intermediates are much more reactive than ozone. Ultraviolet light also helps in decomposing the substrate molecules. The effect of UV upon decomposition of ozone is more pronounced …

An Interactive Procedure For Numerical Design Optimization, Jaehwan Lee

Theses

An interactive version of the numerical design optimization method of Pappas for the solution of nonlinear optimization problems is presented in this thesis, A designer intervention strategy is employed herein for interactive optimization to allow the designer to control and manage the optimization process. This procedure embodied in the interactive CADOP6 program is tested on the ten bench mark problems of Eason and Fenton to illustrate the designer intervented optimization process and to provide a comparison with the fully automated procedure of Pappas This designer intervented interactive program appears more effective and faster than the completely automated CADOP5 code on …

Spectral Analysis Of Brainstem Auditory Evoked Responses, Amir Hossein Massumkhani

Theses

In this study, the power spectrum density of the brainstem auditory evoked responses is estimated by the method of periodogram. Several techniques for reducing the leakage due to the finite length of data, smoothing the spectrum and reducing the ambiguity in the spectrum due to the resolution are studied. It is shown that a Hamming window reduces the leakage considerably and zero extention of the data to 512 points produces sufficient spectrum bandwidth. Three major peaks are observed at 100, 500, and 1000 Hz which are stable for different evoked responses. In one case with a delayed wave V, the …

Measurement Of Thermal Conductivity Of Polymers Using Line Source Method, Manojkumar C. Patel

Theses

The purpose of this investigation was to evaluate the Line Source technique to measure the thermal conductivity of different molten polymers. Although the results obtained using this method are within acceptable experimental error limits, due to tec reasons explained, the results are not as accurate as claimed in the literature which describe this technique.

High Speed Puncture Impact Studies Of Structural Foam Plaques, Shashi B. Kumar

Theses

The constant velocity high speed impact study was conducted on different thermoplastic and thermoset structural foam plaques to study their impact behavior. Plaques of Noryl, Polycarbonate, Polystyrene and Polyurethane were carefully chosen to represent a true sample of the manufactured product. Test plaques were marked such that specimens could be tested for variation in location, thickness of the plaque and variation between plaques. High speed puncture impact experiment was conducted on each specimen and the results were analysed.

The test results showed that the impact performance varied significantly over the plaque. Noryl and Polycarbonate did not exhibit any correlation for …

Molded Wood Particle Pallet Having Increased Bending Strength, Bruce A. Haataja

Michigan Tech Patents

The invention includes a molded unitarily formed pallet comprising wood particles bonded together by a cured binder in compressed relation and forming a deck having an upper surface supporting a load, and a plurality of elongated substantially parallel spaced channels supporting the deck. The channels extend from adjacent one edge of the pallet to adjacent an opposite edge. The channels each including spaced channel side walls extending downwardly from said deck and terminating in a planar bottom wall parallel to the deck. The side walls are integrally joined at their upper edges to the deck and integrally joined at their …

Fall 1983, 90.9 Wmpg Fm

WMPG Program Guides

WMPG Program Guide, Fall 1983.

Bulletin - October, 1983, Civil Aviation Medical Association

Browse all Civil Aviation Medical Association Newsletters

A six page newsletter of the Civil Aviation Medical Association. The newsletter provided news about civil aviation medicine and information related to the organization.