College of Engineering Poster Presentations Copyright (c) 2013 Boise State University All rights reserved. http://scholarworks.boisestate.edu/eng_12 Recent documents in College of Engineering Poster Presentations en-us Sun, 27 Jan 2013 15:20:00 PST 3600 An Adaptive Noise Cancellation Device For First Responders http://scholarworks.boisestate.edu/eng_12/53 http://scholarworks.boisestate.edu/eng_12/53 Fri, 13 Apr 2012 08:55:29 PDT Time is extremely important and can mean the difference between life and death for a first responder. In a noisy environment the quality of the transmitted voice signal can make this difference. The purpose of our system is to significantly reduce the background noise in these environments while still transmitting the voice of the first responder.

The device uses two microphones, one that picks up the human voice and the background noise. The second microphone picks up only the correlated background noise. An adaptive filter then minimizes the background noise or maximizes the desired signal (voice) without prior knowledge of either the signal or the noise.

]]> Raymond Adjanohoun et al. Active Tracking of Wolf Populations Using Autonomous Embedded Systems Design http://scholarworks.boisestate.edu/eng_12/52 http://scholarworks.boisestate.edu/eng_12/52 Fri, 13 Apr 2012 08:55:26 PDT The gray wolf population in Idaho has substantially increased since wolves were reintroduced into central Idaho and Yellowstone National Park in 1995-96. Although Idaho wolves were recently removed from the Endangered Species list, accurate monitoring of wolf population status and presence levels remains a critical task for natural resource managers. A number of monitoring systems and techniques are available but each has its limitations (e.g., cost, reliability, personnel safety). The Howl Box is a new, autonomous monitoring system recently prototyped by researchers at Montana Cooperative Wildlife Research Unit in Missoula. This electronic system periodically broadcasts a wolf howl recording and automatically records audio responses (e.g, howls from nearby wolves) to the howl stimulus. Early results indicated this system was effective for detecting wolf presence and, via audio spectral analysis, useful in identifying wolf individuals for detailed monitoring of population status. The Howl Box prototype, however, was composed of a netbook computer, external speaker and microphones, battery, and solar charging system and thus was relatively heavy, bulky, power-hungry, and expensive to construct and remotely deploy. Our project goal was to develop a wolf monitoring system based on the Howl box concept but lighter, smaller, more power-efficient, and less expensive. We used low-power, embedded electronic components including microcontrollers, MP3 encoder/decorders, and microSD card data storage to develop our system, the Howl Box 2.0 design was intended to allow one person, in one outing, to easily carry and deploy several of these monitoring units into rugged, remote monitoring sites where they would operate autonomously for 3-6 months or more without servicing. By reducing costs and increasing efficiencies, the Howl Box 2.0 should allow increased wolf monitoring intensity while reducing the need for airborne radio-tracking flights and other wolf monitoring techniques with associated personnel safety issues.

]]> Evan Young et al. Modeling the Effect of Point Defects on the Structure of Perovskites http://scholarworks.boisestate.edu/eng_12/51 http://scholarworks.boisestate.edu/eng_12/51 Fri, 13 Apr 2012 08:45:41 PDT Many perovskite-structured ceramic materials are known to have useful microwave dielectric properties, with promising applications in mobile telecommunications, an industry which will be worth an estimated $341 billion by 2015. Current mathematical models used to predict the functional properties of specific perovskites are poorly suited to complex or defective structures. In the present study, a solid-state processing method was used to synthesize perovskite ceramics in the system [(Ca,Sr)1-3n/2Lnn]TiO3 (Ln = La or Nd). Single-phase powder samples were produced at 1300ºC and characterized using X-ray diffraction. The resulting products were then uniaxially pressed to form pellets which were sintered at temperatures up to 1600ºC. This work investigates the effect of point defects on the structure of the resultant perovskites. The ultimate goal is to develop a predictive model, based solely on composition and easily-obtainable published reference data, for the effect of point defects on the structure and, by extension, dielectric properties of perovskites.

]]> Binay Joshi et al. Processing and Structure of Disordered Pyrochlores for Solid Electrolyte Applications http://scholarworks.boisestate.edu/eng_12/50 http://scholarworks.boisestate.edu/eng_12/50 Fri, 13 Apr 2012 08:45:40 PDT Solid-oxide fuel cells (SOFCs) are high-efficiency devices that can convert a wide variety of fuels (e.g., hydrogen, methane, butane, gasoline, etc.) into electrical energy. The main components of fuel cells are the anode, electrolyte, cathode, and interconnect. This research includes synthesis and characterization of ceramic compositions for potential electrolyte materials. The project objective is to determine the structure-property relationships of specific ceramics (pyrochlores), which are ordered forms of the fluorites most commonly used as the solid electrolyte. Pyrochlore stability is believed to exist over a certain range of cation radius ratios, ~1.4 ≤ rA/rB ≤ 1.8, at atmospheric pressure. This study involves both pure and doped Y2Zr2O7. Of key interest is the ordering mechanism of the anions, whether anion disorder can exist independently of cation disorder, and what implication this possibility may have for the development of better ceramic electrolytes. The goal is to maximize the number of oxygen vacancies, which are the charge carriers, by appropriate doping while still retaining the pyrochlore structure (i.e., cation ordering) and avoiding low-mobility vacancy clusters. Pure Y2Zr2O7, with rA/rB = 1.4153 and no stoichiometric anion vacancies, has been prepared as a benchmark. In addition, two doped compositions have been prepared. The first was a singly-doped composition in the (Y2-xCax)Zr2O7-x/2 system (x = 0.1505) with rA/rB = 1.4258 and 7.525% oxygen vacancies on the 8b site. Next, a co-doped composition in the (Y2-200x/99CaxLi101x/99)Zr2O7-301x/198 system (x = 0.0495) was synthesized to achieve the same vacancy concentration but with a lower rA/rB ratio, equal to that for pure Y2Zr2O7. Analysis will help determine independently the contributions of both the rA/rB ratio and oxygen-vacancy concentration on structure and conductivity. The best densities for Y2Zr2O7 (~95% rth) were achieved by sintering at 1700°C for 6 hours. Future work involving electron and neutron diffraction is needed to determine the structure of these materials. Also, an apparatus remains to be built to determine the ionic conductivity of the samples at high temperatures.

]]> Viktoriya Yugay Mow Mat http://scholarworks.boisestate.edu/eng_12/49 http://scholarworks.boisestate.edu/eng_12/49 Fri, 13 Apr 2012 08:45:38 PDT Two common methods are currently used to clean the underside of a mower deck. Scraping the underside of the deck and spraying the underside of the deck with a hose. Both methods require the mower to be tilted on its side, which can lead to engine fluid leakage and other safety concerns. Team Mow Mat would like to construct a push mower mat to provide a safe and efficient way to clean the underside of a mower deck on a push mower. The mow mat will not only provide a safe and convenient of cleaning the underside of a push mower, it will be lightweight and fold for easy storage. Aluminum will be the material used to make it lightweight and a hinge system for easy storage.

]]> Darus Jorgenson et al. Horse Power http://scholarworks.boisestate.edu/eng_12/48 http://scholarworks.boisestate.edu/eng_12/48 Fri, 13 Apr 2012 08:45:37 PDT The mission of the Boise State team is to collectively complete the design and manufacture of a competitive vehicle for the Shell Marathon 2012 competition. This mission will be accomplished through extensive collaboration between three groups focused on drivetrain, controls, and body. This competition is one that tests the design of high school and college student’s energy efficient vehicles. The events are placed annually and this will be Boise State’s second year in the running. The challenge, at its most basic, builds on projected standards for cars and light trucks such as bringing fuel efficiency up to 54.6 miles per gallon by the year 2025. Boise State’s team, Horse Power, has designed a running, fuel efficient, aerodynamic and cost effective vehicle for this competition. All components of this vehicle have been thoroughly analyzed and meticulously selected to provide the vehicle with the best available options for success in the competition. With the research and design phase completed, it is imperative to apply resources to acquiring the necessary parts for the fabrication of the vehicle. When the manufacturing process is completed there will be a fully functioning vehicle that meets the competition guidelines of having a weight of less than 140 kilograms, no deflection on the roll bar under a 700 Newtonian load, a safety harness that can lift the entire vehicle and many other guidelines.

]]> Hannah Batey et al. Human Powered Vehicle http://scholarworks.boisestate.edu/eng_12/46 http://scholarworks.boisestate.edu/eng_12/46 Fri, 13 Apr 2012 08:45:33 PDT The American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) is holding their annual Human Powered Vehicle (HPV) Challenge this spring. The challenge requires that each team build a safe, functioning HPV that will optimally perform while abiding by the rules and regulations set forth in the competition handbook. In preparing for the competition, the Boise State University HPV team will strive for optimal performance through teamwork and communication. The team will be modifying the existing vehicle in accordance with the outlined design requirements from the ASME handbook. The team will be responsible for designing the drivetrain, making a roll cage for the frame, braking systems, a new steering system, and aerodynamic fairing to fit around the body of the vehicle.

]]> Matthew Brown et al. Development of a Micro-Scale Ceramic Turbine for Power Generation http://scholarworks.boisestate.edu/eng_12/45 http://scholarworks.boisestate.edu/eng_12/45 Fri, 13 Apr 2012 08:45:32 PDT This study evaluates the feasibility of a particular design and fabrication of a micro-scale ceramic turbine. The turbine element may be employed within a more complex machine designed for compact power generation. Turbines transfer energy from a moving fluid into mechanical energy by a momentum exchange between the fluid and the rotor blades. Layers of unfired low temperature co-fired ceramic (LTCC) were stacked, hot pressed and milled prior to sintering in order to construct a radial impulse micro-turbine. Compressed air was used as a working fluid to turn the rotor of the turbine while the rotational speed was measured with a hand-held tachometer. While initial calculations predict the ability of the turbine to generate power was low (about 0.5 Watts), it is expected that this study will be used to establish groundwork for future endeavors in this field.

]]> Jeff Huntsinger et al. Autonomous Vehicle Docking System http://scholarworks.boisestate.edu/eng_12/44 http://scholarworks.boisestate.edu/eng_12/44 Fri, 13 Apr 2012 08:45:31 PDT Researchers at Boise State University in conjunction with NASA’s Space Mission Analysis Branch are working to expand the exploration and mapping capabilities of an autonomous robot team. Algorithms exist for Simultaneous Location and Mapping (SLAM) onboard unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) and unmanned ground vehicles (UGV), but additional work needs to be completed in areas that are denied GPS and a magnetic azimuth, such as the Martian surface.

While individual autonomous robots are abundant, methods of having them work together still need to be developed. This will maximize the strengths of each individual robot. Air and ground vehicles have specific sets of strengths that complement each other. Air vehicles are highly mobile with limited flight times while ground vehicles are not as maneuverable and less restricted in transit time. Our team has designed and prototyped a docking system to allow an UAV to land on a UGV, to facilitating transportation and charging. Data will be continuously collected and transferred from the UAV to the UGV via two way communication. This symbiotic relationship of the vehicles’ form factors allows the team to utilize the benefits of each.

]]> Craig Cornwall et al. Synchronous Machine Parameter Identification http://scholarworks.boisestate.edu/eng_12/43 http://scholarworks.boisestate.edu/eng_12/43 Thu, 12 Apr 2012 16:03:56 PDT This project aims at identifying the parameters of a three-phase synchronous machine using a standstill frequency-response method. Custom equipment was designed to generate a low-frequency, low-level sinusoidal waveform which was amplified by a power operational amplifier to produce the high voltage and high current needed to excite the stator windings of the synchronous machine. An advantage of the standstill test is that parameter identification in both the direct and quadrature axes can be conducted separately. In addition these tests are relatively simple and inexpensive.

Several solutions for generating the sinusoidal waveform in either hardware or software form were contemplated. The instrumentation equipment was automated using a personal computer running data-acquisition software. The synchronous machine was tested with its rotor aligned in one of two standard positions that allowed the determination of the machine operational inductances along its direct and quadrature axes. The magnitude and phase of these impedances were measured in a predetermined range of frequencies yielding frequency-response plots where important synchronous machine parameters were identified from the break points of the Bode plots.

]]> Silvino Jimenez et al. Utilizing CFD to Optimize the Air Flow Channel for a Particle Counter Sensor http://scholarworks.boisestate.edu/eng_12/42 http://scholarworks.boisestate.edu/eng_12/42 Thu, 12 Apr 2012 16:03:55 PDT The Hartman Systems Integration Laboratory at Boise State University is collaborating with the National Institutes of Health to create home air quality monitor for use in the National Children’s Study. The monitor consists of sensors that continually measure various aspects of air quality, providing NIH researchers with data needed for research into the effects of environmental factors on children’s health. Of great importance is the measurement of airborne particulate matter. However, the commercially available particle counters are not suitable for in-home use due to their size, cost, or maintenance requirements. To meet the needs of the National Children’s Study, a custom particle counter was designed and built at BSU to provide real-time measurements of particulate concentration in two different size categories.

The particle counter is a visible laser-based device for detecting airborne particles of sizes 0.3 μm and larger. The particle counter establishes an airflow using a DC fan to pull air across a photodiode sensor. A focused laser beam is passed through the air flow channel immediately above the photodiode, illuminating any passing particles. As particles intersect the laser beam they scatter laser light, some of which impacts the photodiode to generate an electrical pulse. The electrical pulse is amplified and then sampled with an analog to digital convertor. A microcontroller monitors the digitized signal for pulse amplitude and duration, comparing with calibrated values to determine particle size. The device currently differentiates particles into two size ranges of 0.3 - 2.5 μm and larger than 2.5 μm.

In order for the particle counter to make accurate measurements, an airflow channel must be designed around the sensor that allows for a consistent, smooth flow of air. Using the ANSYS computer software suite FLUENT, Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) analyses are being conducted to optimize this flow channel. Due to the size constraints of the monitor, the volumetric flow rate of the fan guiding the air flow, and the small size of the particle counter sensor, a turbulent flow is inevitable through a uniform channel. Using an inflation mesh algorithm provided by the software package, the air channel is designed to minimize the boundary layer thickness which forms inside the channel. The airflow within the boundary layer is difficult to predict and inconsistent, which could have negative effects on the sensor’s resolution.

]]> Jordan Anderson GEZ Engineering International, Inc.: Handicap Facilitation Device http://scholarworks.boisestate.edu/eng_12/41 http://scholarworks.boisestate.edu/eng_12/41 Thu, 12 Apr 2012 16:03:52 PDT The client is quadriplegic and lives in the basement of his Dad’s house. He currently cannot leave the basement without someone helping him operate the home made lift to get him up the stairs. The current lift is not safe. Last year there was a team assigned to design and build a lift that would be safer than the current lift. A prototype of their design was built and installed in a full scale model test stand located at Boise State University. This prototype does not work as expected and is not complete. In order to provide a functioning system to the client, this lift was analyzed and modified to function properly in order to meet project objectives. Additional safety features were also added including safety ramps and an automatic control system. The completed lift will meet the client’s need for safe transport.

]]> Glen Purnell et al. Optical Audio Transmitter http://scholarworks.boisestate.edu/eng_12/40 http://scholarworks.boisestate.edu/eng_12/40 Thu, 12 Apr 2012 15:53:16 PDT A visible light emitting diode (LED) is used to transmit audio signals from an audio source (radio) through a transmitter circuit to a receiver circuit. The constructed system demonstrates optical audio transmission. The purpose for this demonstration is to show how audio signals can be transmitted through a free space optical link using an illuminating LED. All signals being transmitted are analog. The transmitter circuit is excited with an audio signal that is level shifted and output using a visible light LED. In the receiver circuit located at some distance from the transmitter, a photo-diode sensor detects the light from the illuminating LED, whose signal is then reconstructed and amplified using an LM386 audio amplifier. The reconstructed signal is then output through a speaker to near or exactly as the original input audio signal. The system is designed to operate within 4 KHz-20 KHz frequencies that are high for the human eye to observe the flickering of the LED. The flickering of the LED is the mechanism through which the photo-diode is detecting the LED light transmitting the signal. Both circuit designs contain resistors and capacitors that contribute to the protection components and filtering of the analog signals.

]]> Jerome Emanzi et al. Applications of Supercomputing in Engineering & Science http://scholarworks.boisestate.edu/eng_12/39 http://scholarworks.boisestate.edu/eng_12/39 Thu, 12 Apr 2012 15:53:15 PDT Supercomputing has become an integral part of advanced engineering design and analysis. These blazing fast machines also drive scientific discovery through computing in many disciplines. Climate modeling and weather forecasting are some well-known applications of supercomputing. But recent technological advances in multi- and many-core computing hardware have created a new paradigm which brings terascale supercomputing to our desktops. Workstations with thousands of cores on them are now a reality thanks to programmable graphics processing units (GPUs) and three of the top five fastest supercomputers adopt the same computing technology. This research reviews the current state in supercomputing, and presents the latest effort elsewhere to build next fastest supercomputer.

]]> Nick Cordell Verification of Particle Image Velocimeter for Study of Martian and Lunar Regoliths http://scholarworks.boisestate.edu/eng_12/38 http://scholarworks.boisestate.edu/eng_12/38 Thu, 12 Apr 2012 15:53:13 PDT The behavior of dust, or regolith, on Mars and the moon is critical to our understanding of the Martian and lunar environments. The dust interaction with space suits and other equipment is a major concern for long term space missions. Dust on the moon greatly deteriorated the space suits in NASA’s Apollo program. We have developed a test enclosure for the study of dust motion. NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center has developed a Particle Image Velocimeter (PIV) to measure the velocity and size of thousands of moving particles. The PIV was developed as a demonstration project for use on possible future NASA missions to Mars, the moon, or even asteroids. A controllable and stable simulation environment accommodating this PIV device was needed to collect data on the PIV performance. The “Dust Box” is designed to contain the PIV, provide the ability to collect stable and accurate data, and have flexibility to run many different experimental configurations. These configurations involve applying an electric field to deflect charged dust particles by using two biased copper plates, changing the dust flow patterns, and controlling the dust flow rates. We are currently studying particle velocity and charged particle behavior. Lunar and Martian soil simulants (JSC-1/JSC Mars-1) along with standard sand are used in this experiment in order to get the most precise results possible. These experiments will provide a better understanding of regolith behavior and will help verify the ability of the PIV to measure accurately the size and velocity of thousands of dust particles.

]]> Kristopher Burch et al. Field Emitter Control and Measurement System http://scholarworks.boisestate.edu/eng_12/37 http://scholarworks.boisestate.edu/eng_12/37 Thu, 12 Apr 2012 15:53:12 PDT The Field Emitter Control and Measurement System (FECMES) provides the capability to control the current generated by a set of field emitter devices and to measure the current leakage to the gate circuits in order to give the total current. Experimental tests using the CFA structure require knowledge of the amount of current entering the channel and the amount of current being reflected back out. Unfortunately the Field Emitter Arrays (FEA) currently available have appreciable amounts of leakage current, diverting a portion of the current entering the emitter away from the channel. A measurement system is required in order to measure this leakage current. The gate current will be the sum of these leakage current values, while the remaining current represents the current into the channel that the emitters are effectively drawing.

The gate structures are biased to a high voltage, anywhere from 0V to 500V. This high bias voltage makes current measurement more difficult. At first it might seem that a low-side current sense would work. While this would be possible with a single gate, it would be expensive with an array of gates. A low-side current sense would require multiple high-voltage power supplies. This technique is limited by the cost constraints of such supplies.

The FECMES system was designed to resolve the issues presented by these high voltages and to provide a control system located at the local ground potential. The control system is then connected to the main host computer using a serial link and high-voltage optical isolators. The host computer uses Lab View for a control environment.

]]> Kyle Straub Inverted Pendulum http://scholarworks.boisestate.edu/eng_12/36 http://scholarworks.boisestate.edu/eng_12/36 Thu, 12 Apr 2012 15:53:10 PDT Objective: To build an inverted pendulum system for the Discovery Center of Boise.

Description: One can think of the idea of an inverted pendulum as trying to vertically balance a yardstick on the palm of your hand. That is, you watch the stick and move your hand to the stick pointing up. In the system to be built, the palm is replaced by a motorized base and the stick (rod) is attached to the base through a bearing joint. The angle of the rod with respect to the base is measured and then the base is moved to keep the stick straight up vertical.

Goal: To create an inverted pendulum that will intrigue kids of all ages with visual and interactive capability to illustrate various aspects of modern science and engineering.

The Set Up: A rotary inverted pendulum will be constructed in order to limit the spatial requirements and the number of mechanical parts in order to maximize the life expectancy of the system. There will be a DC motor, an optical encoder, an amplifier, a C based microcontroller, and two mounting platforms used to tie it all together. At the end of the semester the inverted pendulum will be on display at the Discovery Center.

]]> Salvador Miramontes et al. Synthesis of Chalcogenide Glasses http://scholarworks.boisestate.edu/eng_12/35 http://scholarworks.boisestate.edu/eng_12/35 Thu, 12 Apr 2012 15:53:09 PDT Semiconducting chalcogenide glasses are fascinating materials with important applications in phase-change memory, nanoionic memristive memory, radiation sensing, gas sensing, optical storage, and microfluidics.

Chalcogenide glasses contain sulfur, selenium and/or tellurium. Combined with a variety of other elements, these three chalcogens form a large family of semiconducting glasses with band gaps ranging from 1 to 3 eV.

Synthesizing chalcogenide glasses is a delicate process. Measurements and mixing of elements is done at very precise levels. The chalcogenide compounds are reacted in vacuum-sealed fused-silica ampoules at temperatures approaching 1000⁰C for several days. The final step of the process is fast quenching in a liquid coolant in order to preserve the amorphous state.

In this work we describe the synthesis of several binary chalcogenide glasses from the systems Ge-Se and Ge-S. Temperature regimes are presented and discussed within the context of system specific phase diagrams. Images of synthesized glasses are presented and the correlation between appearance, composition and structure are discussed.

]]> Bryan Wright et al. Developing a Pulsed Electric Current Sintering Process for the Formation of Amorphous Tungsten Matrix Composite http://scholarworks.boisestate.edu/eng_12/34 http://scholarworks.boisestate.edu/eng_12/34 Thu, 12 Apr 2012 15:53:08 PDT Amorphous metals are often referred to as metallic glasses because they have a disordered structure on the atomic level, similar to glasses, while still retaining their metallic properties. The first reported metallic glass was produced in the 1960s by extremely rapid cooling to avoid crystallization. The goal of this project is to produce an amorphous alloy that is extremely strong, has high toughness, resists abrasion, has tunable density and has a tunable degree of shear localization. Tungsten was chosen to be the main alloying component because of its advanced mechanical properties and high density. Amorphous powders will be produced by researchers at Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and researchers at Boise State University will develop a process that uses pulsed electric current sintering to consolidate the powders. Pulsed electric current sintering is a process that combines electric current and high pressures to enhance the densification of the powders. Once the powders have been successfully consolidated, x-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, energy dispersive spectroscopy, and high resolution transmission electron microscopy will be used to characterize the phases, phase compositions, porosity, and microstructure.

]]> Megan Beck et al. Understanding the Affects of Increased Special Boundary Fraction on Dynamic Recrystallization http://scholarworks.boisestate.edu/eng_12/33 http://scholarworks.boisestate.edu/eng_12/33 Thu, 12 Apr 2012 15:53:05 PDT Deformations introduced into low to medium stacking fault energy materials at or above the recrystallization temperature cause simultaneous formation and annihilation of defects. Annihilation of defects by nucleating strain free grains is called dynamic recrystallization (DRX). Nucleation during DRX has been shown to occur more extensively on general (high angle) boundaries then on special (low angle) boundaries. Grain boundary engineering (GBE) is a process that improves the structural and functional properties of polycrystalline materials by manipulating the occurrence of low sigma or so called special grain boundaries. An iterative GBE cold rolling based process has been created to increase the occurrence of the Σ3 low angle special boundaries within stainless steel 316L (SS316L). The affect of increased Σ3 content on DRX has been studied on the MTS 810 Material Test System at elevated temperatures and strains specific to the creep regime. Analysis of a material’s microstructure, including grain boundary type and energy, has been performed with a crystallographic based microstructural characterization technique known as electron backscatter diffraction (EBSD). Through EBSD analysis, the affect of GBE SS316L, specifically to increase the Σ3 content, on DRX has been explored.

]]> Koyuki Fritchman et al.