Electrical and Computer Engineering Commons^™

Phase Locked Loop Integrated Circuit, Scott Buchanan, Jonathan Bonello

Electrical Engineering

No abstract provided.

Telepresence: Design, Implementation And Study Of An Hmd-Controlled Avatar With A Mechatronic Approach, Darren Michael Chan

Master's Theses

Telepresence describes technologies that allow users to remotely experience the sensation of being present at an event without being physically present. An avatar exists to represent the user whilst in a remote location and is tasked to collect stimuli from its immediate surroundings to be delivered to the user for consumption. With the advent of recent developments in Virtual Reality technology, viz., head-mounted displays (HMDs), new possibilities have been enabled in the field of Telepresence. The main focus of this thesis is to develop a solution for visual Telepresence, where an HMD is used to control the direction of a …

Universal Programmable Battery Charger With Optional Battery Management System, Michael Duke Desando

Master's Theses

This report demonstrates improvements made in battery charging and battery management technology through the design of a universal programmable battery charger with optional battery management system attachment. This charger offers improvements in charge efficiency and unique battery charging algorithms to charge a variety of battery chemistries with variety of power requirements. Improvements in efficiency result from a synchronous Buck Controller topology as compared to previous universal chargers that use asynchronous Buck-Boost Converter topologies. This battery charger also surpasses current universal battery chargers by offering different charge modes for different battery chemistries. Charge modes provide the user an option between extending …

Project Labyrinth: Exploration Of Modulating Guitar Signals, Joseph Andrews, Andrew Patterson

Senior Theses

The overall objective of this project is to create a guitar pre-amplifier in the casing of an effects pedal. The pedal must be able to modulate amplitude and pitch. More specifically, the design for this pedal will include floating frequency filtering, phase shifting, and amplitude modulation.

Control System Development And Response Analysis Of An Electronically Actuated Variable-Orifice Nozzle For Agricultural Pesticide Applications, Joe D. Luck, Scott A. Shearer, Michael P. Sama, Santosh K. Pitla

Biosystems and Agricultural Engineering Faculty Publications

The goal of this research project was to further the development of an electromechanically controlled variable-orifice nozzle by creating an electronic control system and then evaluating that system based on step and ramp inputs. The control system was developed in a programming environment that combined an electronic data acquisition system and actuator with pressure and flow sensors. A proportional, variable-gain (based on system pressure) control system was developed to adjust nozzle flow rates to meet target application rates. The constraints were to achieve settling time of less than 1.0 s, overshoot of less than 10% of maximum flow (or minimum …

Flow, Spray Pattern, And Droplet Spectra Characteristics Of An Electronically Actuated Variable-Orifice Nozzle, Joe D. Luck, Santosh K. Pitla, Michael P. Sama, Scott A. Shearer

Biosystems and Agricultural Engineering Faculty Publications

The purpose of this study was to develop and evaluate the flow rate, spray pattern, and droplet spectra characteristics of an actively controlled variable-orifice nozzle at constant carrier pressures. A commercially available variable-orifice nozzle (VariTarget) was modified to allow for direct electromechanical control of the metering stem. The modified system was tested at five carrier pressures ranging from 138 to 414 kPa and five metering stem (and thus orifice) positions. The metering stem position range was chosen because it provided a linear response in flow rate at each carrier pressure. Flow rate testing indicated a turndown ratio of 2.4:1 at …

Design Of Energy Storage Controls Using Genetic Algorithms For Stochastic Problems, Si Chen

Theses and Dissertations--Electrical and Computer Engineering

A successful power system in military applications (warship, aircraft, armored vehicle etc.) must operate acceptably under a wide range of conditions involving different loading configurations; it must maintain war fighting ability and recover quickly and stably after being damaged. The introduction of energy storage for the power system of an electric warship integrated engineering plant (IEP) may increase the availability and survivability of the electrical power under these conditions. Herein, the problem of energy storage control is addressed in terms of maximizing the average performance. A notional medium-voltage dc system is used as the system model in the study. A …

Self-Balancing Two Wheeled Robot, David Laubli, Thomas Garabedian, Jordan Paul, Nikheel Patel, Michael Redle

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

Automation is increasingly becoming a larger part of daily life. From automated telephone calls to machines in manufacturing, robots are generally an effective and efficient way to reduce overhead costs, increase consistency in products and services, and perform tasks that may be hazardous to humans. The successful design and building of a two-wheeled balancing robot demonstrates a knowledge of control systems and sensor interfacing that can translate to real world applications. Helping seniors live on their own, performing dangerous mining work, repeatedly screwing the same piece in an assembly line, are great examples of a controls automation system freeing time …

Development And Operation Of A Mobile Test Facility For Education, Christopher Davis

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports

The automotive industry saw a large shift towards vehicle electrification after the turn of the century. It became necessary to ensure that new and existing engineers were qualified to design and calibrate these new systems. To ensure this training, Michigan Tech received a grant to develop a curriculum based around vehicle electrification. As part of this agenda, the Michigan Tech Mobile Laboratory was developed to provide hands-on training for professional engineers and technicians in hybrid electric vehicles and vehicle electrification. The Mobile Lab has since then increased the scope of the delivered curriculum to include other automotive areas and even …

Average-Value Modeling Of Hysteresis Current Control In Power Electronics, Hanling Chen

Theses and Dissertations--Electrical and Computer Engineering

Hysteresis current control has been widely used in power electronics with the advantages of fast dynamic response under parameter, line and load variation and ensured stability. However, a main disadvantage of hysteresis current control is the uncertain and varying switching frequency which makes it difficult to form an average-value model. The changing switching frequency and unspecified switching duty cycle make conventional average-value models based on PWM control difficult to apply directly to converters that are controlled by hysteresis current control.

In this work, a new method for average-value modeling of hysteresis current control in boost converters, three-phase inverters, and brushless …

Identification Of Hydrodynamic Forces Developed By Flapping Fins In A Watercraft Propulsion Flow Field, Erdem Aktosun

LSU New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

In this work, the data analysis of oscillating flapping fins is conducted for mathematical model. Data points of heave and surge force obtained by the CFD (Computational Fluid Dynamics) for different geometrical kinds of flapping fins. The fin undergoes a combination of vertical and angular oscillatory motion, while travelling at constant forward speed. The surge thrust and heave lift are generated by the combined motion of the flapping fins, especially due to the carrier vehicle’s heave and pitch motion will be investigated to acquire system identification with CFD data available while the fin pitching motion is selected as a function …

Preface, Wen-Hsiang Hsieh

Journal of Marine Science and Technology–Taiwan

No abstract provided.

Contour Data Acquisition System For Electric Vehicle Distance Estimation System, Kuew Wai Chew, Chee Ken Leong

Journal of Marine Science and Technology–Taiwan

The conventional distance estimation system only uses a constant speed and a constant level of road elevation to estimate the driving range of a vehicle. This technique leads to low prediction accuracy. In this project, a new estimation technique namely the Contour Positioning System (CPS) for an electric vehicle is proposed. The CPS provides a more reliable estimation of the electric vehicle battery energy usage by taking into consideration additional factors such as road elevation and regenerative braking energy. In order to perform the CPS calculation, first and foremost, the elevation profile of the selected destination must be determined. In …

Periodic Damage Evaluation Of Aging Offshore Jackets Based On Continuous Dynamic Tests, Fu-Shun Liu, Hong-Chao Lu, Wei-Ying Wang, Dong-Ping Yang

Journal of Marine Science and Technology–Taiwan

This study proposes a new method for evaluating the damage of aging offshore platforms, based on dynamic tests. The proposed method involves a new damage indicator for reducing the effects of occurred damages accumulated before the first measurement. One theoretical improvement is that the requirement of using the stiffness matrix of the finite element model to replace that of the measured model can be ignored in calculating the modal strain energy of the measured model. The other development is that the proposed approach can be used for providing reasonable evaluations of damages that occurred between two adjacent dynamic tests. This …

Development Of An Intelligent Energy Saving Heat Pump For Water Heater With Fuzzy Logic Controller, Cong-Hui Huang

Journal of Marine Science and Technology–Taiwan

There is a growing awareness of the importance of using clean and environmentally friendly sources of energy. This paper presents the development of an intelligent energy saving heat pump for a water heater with a fuzzy logic controller that analyzes the heating efficiency of the heat pump heater. The fuzzy logic controller is employed for developing a heating algorithm to raise the efficiency of the heat pump heater and suppress unnecessary heating at high temperatures. Experimental results show that our heat pump heater produces an energy saving of 60% of total energy input, compared to the 23% for a gas …

A Study On Optimization Of Ship Hull Form Based On Neuro-Response Surface Method (Nrsm), Soon-Sub Lee, Jae-Chul Lee, Sung-Chul Shin, Soo-Young Kim, Hyun-Sik Yoon

Journal of Marine Science and Technology–Taiwan

Building large and eco-friendly ships has become a clear trend in the ship building industry. Research to minimize ship resistance has actively been investigated for energy savings and environmental protection. However, optimization of the full geometry, while taking into account the hydrodynamic performance is difficult because extensive time is needed to calculate the performance factors, such as the resistance and propulsion. Hence we suggest an optimal design framework based on the neuro-response surface method (NRSM) for optimal shape design in consideration of hydrodynamic performance. The optimization algorithm of the constructed framework consists of the back-propagation neural network (BPN) and the …

Research On Sealing Performance Of Hydrostatic Pressure Mechanical Seal, Wei-Bing Zhu, He-Shun Wang, Sheng-Ren Zhou

Journal of Marine Science and Technology–Taiwan

The hydrostatic pressure mechanical seal has many advantages, and it can be used in rotating machines with lower speed. Based on the externally pressurized stable gas lubrication theory, the control equation of end face flow field for hydrostatic pressure mechanical seal with orifice compensation was established. The functional extremum algorithm and the finite element method were used to solve this equation. The effects of gas film thickness, air supply pressure, throttle orifice number and diameter, on face opening force and gas film stiffness were discussed in detail. The results show that the opening force decreases with the widening of face …

Performance Evaluation Of Three Types Of Passive Micromixer With Convergent-Divergent Sinusoidal Walls, Arshad Afzal, Kwang-Yong Kim

Journal of Marine Science and Technology–Taiwan

A passive split-and-recombination micromixer with convergent-divergent channel walls of sinusoidal variation has been investigated using numerical simulations. With water and ethanol as working fluids, the analysis was performed using Navier-Stokes equations with convection-diffusion model in a Reynolds number range, 10  Re  70. Performances of three configurations with different split-and-recombination arrangements were evaluated in terms of mixing index and pressure drop. A parametric study was also conducted with two geometrical parameters, i.e., the ratios of throat-width to diameter of circular wall and diameter of circular wall to amplitude. The results showed a significant dependence of the mixing performance on …

Design Of A New Electromagnetic Valve With A Hybrid Pm/Em Actuator In Si Engines, Ly Vinh Dat, Yaojung Shiao

Journal of Marine Science and Technology–Taiwan

Numerous devices have been developed for controlling valve timings in SI engines. Among them, the electromagnetic valve train (EMV) actuator can fully control valve timings to improve fuel consumption and emission. In addition, an EMV with a permanent-magnet and electromagnetic-coil (PM/EM) hybrid actuator has several advantages of control, energy consumption, and time response compared over conventional EMVs. This paper proposes a novel EMV with a PM/EM hybrid actuator that differs considerably from existing EMVs. Finite element analysis was used for analyzing the EMV design. The optimization was based on criteria that ensured the EMV to satisfy holding forces in closed …

Effective Orifice Area Of A Newly Developed Polyurethane Aortic Valve: Manufacturing And Evaluation, Wu-Chiao Shih, Ha-Hai Vu, Cheung-Hwa Hsu, Kai-Wen Yang, Yaw-Hong Kang

Journal of Marine Science and Technology–Taiwan

An optimal design for a polyurethane (PU) aortic valve was developed in a previous study. The current study investigated an approach for manufacturing PU aortic valves, evaluating the effective orifice areas (EOAs) of the prototypes. Two manufacturing approaches, assembly and single-piece forming methods, were developed. In the assembly method, support frames and valve leaflets were manufactured separately and then glued together by using an adhesive substance. By contrast, in the single-piece forming method, two main components of the valve were fabricated simultaneously by using a molding technique. This study established an experimental loop that mimics natural circulation from the left …

Discoid And Asymmetrical Gyroless Micro-Satellite Off-Modulation Attitude Control With Kalman Filter, Ho-Nien Shou

Journal of Marine Science and Technology–Taiwan

The gyroless attitude control method and kalman algorithm procedures presented in this paper are applicable to asymmetrical microsatellites of any shape with large mass variation and without angular rate sensors. The attitude sensors include a three-axis magnetometer, a horizon sensor, and a coarse sun sensor (CSS), which together serve as an analytic platform and help in ensuring the stability of attitude controls. The attitude control problem of microsatellites has become a focal point because microsatellite fabrication processes are short, costless, and can be flexibly used for various purposes. The center of mass of the microsatellite can be offset because of …

Applying Fuzzy Logic Controller To Intelligent Solar Panel Cleaning System, Cong-Hui Huang

Journal of Marine Science and Technology–Taiwan

This paper presents an intelligent solar panel cleaning system that utilizes a fuzzy logic controller. The output voltage of the solar panel is applied to calculate whether to activate the cleaning mechanism. The direction and position of the system is set using a light sensor that is parallel to the direction of the sunlight. The data from the light sensors, combined with fuzzy logic control software developed using LabVIEW, determine the control commands (stop, forward, and reverse) for the stepper motors controlling the cleaning process. The cleaning process, which is repeated until the power output from the solar panels is …

Synthetic Physical Models For Animating Unsteady Fish Motions, Shyh-Kuang Ueng, Hong-Kai Chen

Journal of Marine Science and Technology–Taiwan

This paper presents physical models for simulating unsteady fish motions, including bursting, gliding, braking, turning, ascending and descending. A new wave model, the controllable body wave model, is developed to undulate the fish body to produce bursting and gliding motions. A key frame approach is adopted to realize braking, turning, descending and ascending. In the key frame method, individual motions are decomposed into sequences of key steps. The gestures of the fish in these key steps are recorded and regarded as key frames. In the run time, these recorded key frames are sequentially reproduced to generate swimming patterns. In addition …

Modeling And Control Of A Novel Ball Screw Mechanism, Wen-Hsiang Hsieh, Kai-Bi Chang

Journal of Marine Science and Technology–Taiwan

This study proposes a systematic approach for the design and control of a novel ball screw transmission system. We investigated the structure of the system, performed kinematic analysis, and conducted dimensional synthesis by optimization. The mathematical model of the system was determined by system identification and a refined PID controller was designed. Computer simulation was conducted to verify the feasibility of the proposed design. A prototype machine and an experimental setup were built and tested. The experimental results show that the output with the controller agrees well with the required output. Therefore, the proposed design can produce the expected output …

Fault Diagnosis And Performance Assessment For A Rotary Actuator Based On Neural Network Observer, Jian Ma, Xin Li, Chen Lu, Zi-Li Wang

Journal of Marine Science and Technology–Taiwan

Substantial damage may occur when a rotary actuator fails during operation. Therefore, effective fault diagnosis of a rotary actuator is crucial to ensuring the safety of the device. However, only a few studies on fault detection, fault isolation, and performance assessment have focused on rotary actuators. In this study, fault detection and fault isolation processes were implemented by designing two observers based on a neural network, and a method that assesses the performance of the rotary actuator is proposed. First, two observers are established according to the structure of the rotary actuator. Data in their normal state are used to …

Development Of A Digital Controller For Motor Control Experiments In The Ee472 Lab, Jeffrey David D'Amelio

Master's Theses

A digital motor controller for student lab use is designed, built, and tested. The controller uses an encoder for position measurement, and an H-bridge to drive the electromechanical plant.

A user interface is created to enhance usability of the device. The user interface is able to display key parameters of the control algorithm as well as the state of the system. It is also used to modify the gains and sample rate of the control algorithm.

The design of the system is refined, and 10 units are built for the EE472 Digital Controls Lab. The lab manuals for the first …

Design Of System Level Control For A Residential Power Router, Fahad Hossain

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This thesis presents the overall power flow and load management system for a 2 kW residential power router. The objective is to satisfy the residential load demand with cost savings by managing the energy sources including PV, battery, generator, and grid. The power flow management system algorithm is developed both for grid-connected mode and island mode. This algorithm involves the battery state of charge estimation, available PV power, load demand and electricity grid pricing. The residential load management algorithm is also developed using PV power prediction and load power prediction acquired for a day.¬ A Labview GUI is also developed …

Added Mass Computation For Control Of An Open-Frame Remotely-Operated Vehicle: Application Using Wamit And Matlab, You-Hong Eng, Cheng-Siong Chin, Michael Wai-Shing Lau

Journal of Marine Science and Technology–Taiwan

In this paper, numerical modeling and testing of a complexshaped remotely-operated vehicle (ROV) are shown. The paper emphasizes on systematic modeling of hydrodynamic added mass using computational fluid dynamic software WAMITTM on the open frame ROV that is not commonly applied in practice. From initial design and prototype testing, a small-scale test using a free-decaying experiment is used to verify the theoretical models obtained from WAMITTM. Simulation results have shown to coincide with the experimental tests. The proposed method is able to determine the hydrodynamic added mass coefficients of the open frame ROV.

A Prototype Microwave Cavity Control Circuit For Use In Next Generation Free Electron Laser, Josh Thompson, Peter Neal Barrina, Jiayi Jiang, Joe Frisch, Steve Smith, Daniel Van Winkle

STAR Program Research Presentations

One of the current programs at SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory is the Linac Coherent Light Source, or LCLS. Using the existing hardware of the last third of their linear accelerator (or “linac”), SLAC has created one of the most energetic X-ray free electron lasers (or “FEL”). Since 2009, LCLS has used this FEL to perform a wide range of experiments across all sciences, most notably ultrafast filming at the molecular scale. As requests for beam-time with this laser increases, SLAC is purposing a linac upgrade to better match this demand. This upgrade, named LCLS-II, will replace existing copper radio frequency …

Combined Traction And Energy Recovery Motor For Electric Vehicles, James Long, Xin Wang, Claude Kansaku, Brian Moravec

TREC Final Reports

Electric vehicle manufacturers are looking for ways to optimize energy use for vehicle range extension and reduction of battery capacity. Electric motors have lower efficiencies at very low speed and high torque. This is typically at vehicle launch from standstill, at very low speeds, and during energy regeneration at lower speeds and approaching standstill. The KersTech solution is a breakthrough technology allowing supplement of the electric drive with a hydraulic drive, active in lower speeds ranges, dropping out as the electric motor takes over in its higher efficiency range of operation. The report consists of four parts. Part I presents …