Texas A&M University-Kingsville: AKM Digital Repository
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Simulation-based design of a robotic manipulator for automated manufacturing
No full textThis research presents the application of design and simulation to a robotic arm system implemented over a manufacturing unit using software support through process simulation. The robotic arm will be responsible for collecting objects from a conveyor.
Training and testing methods are gaining popularity. Siemens Process Simulate Platform (SPSP) provides a photorealistic environment for robotics simulation and synthetic data generation. Siemens built SPSP, a toolkit, serving as a platform for creating metaverse applications. Several major car manufacturers use Siemens to create digital twins for their factories and train industrial robots in a virtual environment.
This study explores the benefits of technology in automation and identifies major outcomes like increased efficiency, predictive maintenance, and wiser decision-making processes. In this work, several scenarios are simulated, and optimization is done in a virtual environment, showing impressive improvements that can be realized in a real-world environment
Design and simulation of agricultural omnidirectional robot using semi-circular mecanum double wheel
No full textIn response to limitations faced by available omnidirectional mobile robots used for agricultural purposes, which employ a variety of wheel types such as active caster, omnidirectional, spherical, ball, and mecanum wheels, especially on rough and soft terrain, this thesis proposes the design and simulation of modified mecanum wheels, specifically semi-circular double mecanum wheel agricultural robots, to tackle the challenges of overcoming obstacles and achieving omnidirectional motion on diverse terrain with agility and precision. The chassis is designed to withstand the harsh environment, maintaining stability, durability, and robustness while ensuring strategic space utilization for the PID controller, camera, sensors, LiDAR, battery, and other components. Integrating a 6 DOF manipulator with a gripper, the robot is a multifaceted tool for various purposes, but the focus is on inspection and harvesting purposes. By taking advantage of a semicircular shape with double mecanum wheels, the aim is to enhance versatility and mobility for efficient agricultural operations by using camera, LiDAR, and image processing systems for path planning, inspection, object detection, and map generation. The ultimate goal is to enhance the capabilities of the agricultural robots by optimizing and validating. This system in ROS 2 is simulated, allowing for refinement and performance analysis
Development of a resilient framework for integrated energy and water infrastructure decision making in underserved Texas Gulf Coast communities
No full textThe surge of extreme weather events leading to disasters in coastal energy and water systems continues to highlight infrastructural interdependencies that require long-term resilience planning at the community level. Climate related disruptions in water utilities coupled with the power grid shift towards distributed energy resources and renewables present emerging risks in unfamiliar climate change scenarios. This study identifies climate related systemic threats to energy and water resources at the community scale and maps out a three-prong pathway for mitigation: a) by developing a conceptual model and formulating quantitative resilience metrics to measure historic conditions; b) by identifying priorities for equitable coastal infrastructure resilience and formulating key indicators to qualify existing and future resilience; and c) by introducing the watergy approach to initializing a dynamic climate resilience evaluation tool to assess socioeconomic and environmental choices for long-term resource allocation. Findings from this study establishes that quantitative resilience metrics such as robustness, redundancy and rapidity is crucial for identifying system thresholds and a 2OF deviation in weather forecasting may rapidly transform system state from emergency to catastrophe through a combination or one of four disruption pathways. Findings also showed that an integrated long term planning for energy and water infrastructure optimizes resilience and present a 90% return on investment as against a less than 60% return for an independent water plan and a less than a 55% return for an independent energy plan when a 50% threat likelihood is considered. Lastly, this study peers into the uneven burden of climate-based disruptions and the amplifying effect of siloed infrastructural planning in underserved coastal communities. A qualitative water and energy assessment in two coastal communities indicates that an increased frequency of disruption events results in a continuous downgraded resilience state which may affect a communities’ perception of normalcy and exacerbate the adverse effect of natural disasters on vulnerable subgroups. This baseline shift and a low expectation of optimal system resilience may in time reduce the eagerness required to drive policies that would effect real change
Groundwater modeling of Kingsville Dome in-situ recovery (ISR) mine by Uranium Resources, Inc (URI)
No full textGroundwater availability models provide scenarios of future conditions and can help local communities and water resource managers make decisions to protect the availability of clean water resources as needed. The area of interest in this study is the Kingsville Dome uranium mining site by Uranium Resources, Inc (URI) located in Kleberg County, South Texas about 35 miles southwest of the City of Corpus Christi. It has operated intermittently from 1988 to 2009. It has since been placed on standby due to insufficient uranium resources from the facility to warrant startup of operations again. The site has utilized the Evangeline Aquifer for its mining operations. In the event operations were to resume, this could potentially affect the aquifer due to the nature of in-situ recovery mining operations. The objective is to perform a hydraulic study using field data to create a new groundwater model using MODFLOW simulation software. The model can be used to investigate possible containment scenarios for hydraulic site control, whether it is site remediation or resumed in-situ recovery operations. To fit the data to a model requires obtaining field data from nearby wells. The hydraulic model can be used to identify a suitable injection and extraction well network and the pumping rates required that will achieve hydraulic control and prevent the spread of any possible chemical constituents left behind as a result of uranium mining operations
Bobcat use of restored and managed tracts in Southern Texas
No full textSouthern Texas rangelands are heavily managed for the benefit of game species and livestock management, which represent significant financial revenue to landowners. Regular clearance of woody vegetation communities and the creation of alternating brush strips is required to facilitate landscape optimization, which creates systematic fragmentation. Bobcats (Lynx rufus) are an ambush carnivore that rely on woody cover for resource use;
however, there has been no assessment of how brush management impacts bobcats and other sympatric carnivores. The objectives of this thesis project were: 1) assess factors that drive bobcat habitat selection across multiple scales, 2) examine the role of landscape structure and thermal variability on carnivore community dynamics in brush managed landscapes. Each study occurred on the Hixon Ranch in La Salle County from May 2021 to May 2022. For the first study, I collared bobcats and monitored their movements with satellite GPS collars I classified the study area using remote sensing techniques into different land cover types to assess if bobcats were selecting for locations nonrandomly. I also tested to identify the scale of effect for bobcat habitat selection. For the second study, I deployed camera traps paired with thermal data loggers systematically across the study area to understand landscape and thermal variables that influence occupancy and activity of the carnivore community. The first study revealed that landscape configuration does impact bobcat habitat selection and perception of the landscape. In the second study, I observed landscape structure and thermal metrics influenced bobcats, striped skunks, coyotes, and raccoons differently. Carnivore communities in southern Texas exhibit differed responses to landscape configuration and micro-climate thermal conditions, which likely allows for co-occurrence within this large guild. Collectively these projects help scientists and managers understand the role of brush management on habitat selection of bobcats, and occurrence of sympatric carnivores across southern Texas rangelands
A study of impact and effectiveness of the construction of the highway service areas in Texas
No full textThe United States is a country on wheels, which connects various centers such as economic, political, cultural, community, and commercial ones by highway. The total mileage of American’s traveling on the highway every year is up to 4 trillion kilometer, more than 91% of which is from private car. With no doubt, there is a huge commercial opportunity in this industry. Service area plays a very important role in ensuring traffic safety, improving the economic benefits of highway and landscaping as an essential equipment of highway and a major service method. Based on the above, how to enhance service area’s effectiveness matters a lot in highway development, even the entire transporting system.
This thesis focuses on the site selection, function configuration, parking lots design, and barrier-free and ecological design principles of rest area in Texas. Through comparative study and analysis, some suggestions were addressed herein for reference
Apparent permeability of liquid rich shales
No full textThe goal of this research is to present a new formulation expressing the apparent permeability of liquid rich shale strata based on pressure driven flow. Apparent permeability is important for the accurate prediction of production rates.
For the first time we introduce an apparent permeability formulation to predict the volumetric flux of oil in liquid rich shale formations. Nanopores associated with the structure of shale formations introduce molecular slippage on the pore walls and break down the continuum no-slip flow assumption. The molecular slippage on the pore walls makes Darcy’s permeability inappropriate to determine the volumetric flux of oil in shale formations.
In this research, a correction to the slippage phenomenon is made to properly model fluid flow in shale oil strata. The proposed permeability expression is validated with an existing set of experimental data.
The derived formulation in this study shows that the apparent permeability of liquid rich shales increases with increased slip length; the slip length is defined as an extrapolated distance relative to the nanopore wall where the tangential velocity component vanishes. This novel permeability formulation is expressed in a compatible form with Darcy’s equation for ease of use in reservoir simulators. The results suggest that the proposed apparent permeability term provides a better prediction of oil volumetric flux compared to that given by the simple Darcy’s permeability
Promoter region analysis of gRICH70 gene, a gene induced during nerve regeneration
No full textMammals, even while including very advanced organisms, have lost some abilities during evolution. One such ability is the regeneration of nerves in the Central Nervous System (CNS). Cold blooded vertebrates like the teleost fish (goldfish and zebrafish) have the ability to regenerate axons in their CNS. The regeneration of the optic nerve in teleost fish is used as a model of CNS nerve regeneration. Upon optic nerve crush, there are changes in gene expression that are followed by sturdy optic axon regeneration. One such gene which is highly expressed is gRICH70 (Regeneration Induced CNPase Homolog of 70 kDa). A web based Neural Network Promoter Prediction (NNPP) software package allowed the prediction of the TATA box and transcriptional start site of the gene. A 1.5 kbp fragment including 1.3 kbp of the upstream region and the first exon of the gene showed high promoter activity in both PC12 and NIH3T3 cell lines.
Analyzing in further detail the promoter region of gRICH70 was the main objective of this research project. A 0.42kbp sub-fragment containing the first exon and a small portion of upstream region was obtained by restriction digestion and sub-cloned into the luciferase reporter plasmid pGL3 basic. The construct was transfected into both PC12 and NIH3T3 cells and tested for promoter activity by luciferase assays. Web based software packages like NSITE and Softberry USA predicted a few putative regulatory elements in the 0.42kbp fragment. A further objective of this project was the mutation of predicted elements in the 0.42kbp fragment by PCR mutagenesis and then testing their effect in promoter activity. Primers were designed and used to amplify the desired mutated fragments through PCR. These fragments were purified, sub-cloned into pGL3 plasmid and the constructs were tested for promoter activity. Based on the results obtained, the 0.42kbp fragment was further sub-divided into smaller fragments that were tested for promoter activity. The analysis has allowed the identification of key regions and elements of the gene that regulate gene expression in different cell types
Teacher preparedness in teaching autistic students
No full textThe prevalence of Autism is increasing exponentially in today's classrooms, such that general education teachers face a broad range of challenges within inclusive settings (Leech, 2008). This study investigated the degree of teacher preparedness in teaching autistic students in general education and special education classrooms by examining the literature regarding autism and teacher readiness in teaching students with Autism. The data collected in the study was sought from 10 general education and special education teachers working with autistic students from pre-kindergarten to 12th grades in rural South Texas schools. Teachers were interviewed using a primarily qualitative study design focused on teachers' points of view and experiences working with autistic students (Seidman, 2013). The teachers participating in this study were asked to respond to several semi-structured questions concerning their training to teach autistic students, their teaching of autistic students in the classroom, and their current effective practices used in teaching autistic students. The interviews revealed the teacher's perceptions of their level of preparedness for working with autistic students. The data from the interviews found six significant themes: training and staff development, attitudes and perceptions, instructional strategies, challenges and adaptations, building positive relationships, and teacher recommendations. Through the interviews and the data analysis, it was discovered that teachers' lack of understanding and training in teaching Autistic students affects the quality of education and a supportive learning environment for Autistic students. Further research is needed to examine the inclusive educational models and teacher training to create informed policies and practices to promote a more inclusive classroom learning environment for Autistic students
Optimization of burnable poison pattern design
No full textIn the past, burnable poison design was rigorous and required the engineer to manually adjust the fuel location and percentages. To improve this process, this paper considered the use of MATLAB Optimization and Global Optimization Toolbox to search for the optimal burnable poison design automatically. Burnable poison is used in reactor design to make up for the excessive reactivity at the start of the cycle. (BOC). Burnable poisons, such as gadolinium, absorb neutrons and lower the thermal power around them. The design of a burnable poison pattern needs to consider multiple factors. First, the multiplication factor (keff) over the entire cycle should be around a preset value. Second, the peaking factor over the entire cycle should be as low as possible. This study only focused on UO2-Gd2O3 homogeneous poisoned fuel with 5x5 and 17x17 Westinghouse fuel lattices. Each fuel pin was UO2 mixed with any Gd2O3 concentration (0% - 4%). The 5x5 fuel lattice has 5 fuel pins in 1/8 symmetry of the lattice whose burnable poison concentration needs to be determined, while the 17x17 fuel assembly has 39 fuel pins in 1/8 symmetry of its lattice. Neutronic calculations were conducted for each fuel lattice's burnable poison design parameters using SCALE from Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) with the Neutron library 252-group ENDF/B-VII.1. A SCALE input file, representing the modeled fuel assemblies with various combinations of the UO2-Gd2O3 mixture, served as the input for the neutronic evaluations. A MATLAB script was developed and coupled with the SCALE software to calculate the effective multiplication and power peaking factors. The optimization found the best lattice pattern with keff value of 1.06275 and a power peaking value of 1.149 for the 5x5 fuel lattice, while the 17x17 showed optimal concentrations at keff value of 1.1323 and a power peaking value of 1.2804