A methodology for improving quality and reducing life cycle
costs of mechanical systems is described. The principal concept is
that a system can be designed, in the conceptual stages, to be easier to
diagnose for failures. To perform this, functional decomposition and
form to function mapping are utilized both as...
Improvement of manufacturing productivity is dependent on the successful
automation of manufacturing processes, the success of which is based in turn upon
the availability of information which describes the state of manufacturing operations.
Acoustic Emission (AE) signals related to the cutting process and tool wear have
been recently applied to...
An analytical method for predicting life-cycle maintainability labor costs is developed. The purpose of the analytical method is to allow the evaluation of products, based on life-cycle labor cost, early in the design process. The Boeing 737-300/400/500 Bleed Air Control System is used as a test model, and the results...
Volatile organic emissions (VOCs) from the kiln drying
of lumber are of concern to government, research agencies,
and the forest products industry. In the Pacific
Northwest, neither the quantity of VOC emissions from kilns
drying Douglas-fir is available, nor the effects of drying
schedule and lumber-related characteristics on the
emissions....
The Oregon Department of Transportation is responsible for many steel deck truss bridges containing connection details that are fatigue prone. A typical bridge, the Winchester Bridge in Roseburg, Oregon, was analyzed to assess the loading conditions, stress levels, and fatigue life of the connection details. The analysis included linear-elastic beam...
This thesis describes the application of Bayesian networks for monitoring and
diagnosis of a multi-stage manufacturing process, specifically a high speed production
part at Hewlett Packard. Bayesian network "part models" were designed to represent
individual parts in-process. These were combined to form a "process model", which is a
Bayesian network...
An analysis and modeling method of the diagnostic characteristics of a mechanical or electromechanical system is presented. Diagnosability analysis is especially relevant given the complexities and functional interdependencies of modern-day systems, since improvements in diagnosability can lead to a reduction of a system's life-cycle costs. The diagnosis process of a...
Analyzing systems during the conceptual stages of design for characteristics essential to the ease of fault diagnosis is important in today's mechanical systems because consumers and manufacturers are becoming increasingly concerned with cost incurred over the life cycle of the system. The increase in complexity of modem mechanical systems can...
The decision sequences used for troubleshooting of complex electro-mechanical systems are often ad hoc and less than optimal. This research investigated Decision Analysis and Bayesian Networks for generating an optimal decision sequence for troubleshooting. The model that was used in this research was the bleed air control system of the...
Population counts of aquatic insects are a valuable tool for monitoring the water quality of rivers and streams. However, the handling of samples in the lab for species identification is time consuming. An aquatic insect imaging device was designed as part of a system to automate aquatic insect classification and...
Aquatic insect population counts can be a good indicator of the health, or water quality, of rivers and streams. Stoneflies (Plecoptera) are particularly susceptible to pollution in streams. However, today’s current method for obtaining these population counts requires biologists to examine individual specimens under a microscope for identification to the...
An experiment was conducted to examine the possible impact of an engineering design and problem solving process overview document on knowledge management and capture. A process overview document was first created. Next, two multi-disciplinary design teams worked over a two-week span to develop concepts to address a problematic opportunity. One...
Oregon Department of Transportation’s bridge no. 9743b is a multi-span, two-girder steel deck bridge connecting the busy interstates 5 and 205. Vertical cracks have been detected in the welded girder-to-crossbeam connections at the bents. Distortion-induced fatigue is suspected to be responsible for the cracking. Linear elastic beam analysis, 2-D and...
Identification and population counts of soil mesofauna can be an
important tool for soil ecologists to determine the soil biodiversity. Information
provided from population counts can give insight to soil ecologists about the
effects of human land use, monitoring soil and water health, benefits of soil
biodiversity in agriculture, and...
The substantial wave energy resource of the US Pacific Northwest (i.e. off the coasts of Washington, Oregon and N. California) is assessed and characterized. Archived spectral records from ten wave measurement buoys, operated and maintained by the National Data Buoy Center and the Coastal Data Information Program, form the basis...
Population counts of aquatic insects can be a credible indicator of the overall health of a waterway. Stonefly (Plecoptera) larva are very sensitive to chemicals present within the waterway, however obtaining population counts of the larvae can be very labor intensive and thus costly. The BugID project has been working...
Several standardized courses for Formula SAE (FSAE) testing are introduced and described with sufficient detail to be reproduced by any Formula SAE team. Basic analysis methods for the courses are given as well as explanations of how those analyses could be used. On-car data from the Global Formula Racing (GFR)...
As the negative impacts of a fossil fueled electricity market are becoming more prevalent and destructive, the necessity for alternative energy techniques increases as well. However, before commercial implementation is underway, these alternatives must be assessed from three important perspectives: environmentally, economically, and socially, which are known as the three...
For many years, engine overhearing has been the major cause for vehicle breakdowns and engine malfunctions for most teams in Endurance events at Formula Society of Automotive Engineers (FSAE) Series competitions. Additionally, with a growing importance of aerodynamics to the overall success of the Global Formula Racing at these events,...
Physical testing of composite sandwich panels in three point bending is an increasingly important aspect of qualifying a composite monocoque for Formula SAE competition. Required stiffness and strength values have increased over the past three years, and more of the monocoque's laminates must be tested as well. As a result,...
