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An FPGA-Enabled Framework for Rapid Automated Design of Photonic Integrated Circuits
No full textThis paper introduces an FPGA-enabled framework to accelerate the automated design process for Photonic Integrated Circuit (PIC) devices. PICs are foreseen as a foundation for the next-generation semiconductors. However, the complexity of PIC design presents considerable challenges. Machine Learning (ML) techniques have shown promise in the realm of PIC design. The primary hurdle, however, is the extended training duration, solely constrained by the slow electromagnetic (EM) Finite-Difference Time-Domain (FDTD) solver. We propose a fast framework with a dedicated FPGA FDTD accelerator tailor-designed to speed up the PIC simulation. Benchmarking was carried out against commercial tools, with the single-FPGA accelerator outperforming both a multicore CPU and a GPU cluster. We taped out and evaluated the PIC devices designed through the proposed framework, and the experimental outcomes aligned. This demonstrates the full design circle, showcasing that the proposed framework enabled by FPGA breaks the current bottleneck in this domain.
This study was conducted entirely on a commercial cloud platform (AWS), leveraging CPUs, FPGAs, and GPUs, with FPGA programming efficiently executed using High-Level Synthesis (HLS) and the Xilinx Runtime (XRT). The FPGA, along with its modern development tools, is seamlessly integrated into a heterogeneous computing platform, showcasing the accessible and practical nature of this approach. Our findings show the exciting possibility that ML-based physical design could be notably sped up enabled by FPGAs in a cloud-hosted heterogeneous cluster as a service
Propane Fast Cook-Off Test Design
Get PDFConventional insensitive munitions testing methodologies, notably the dug-out pool filled with jet fuel, have raised significant environmental concerns due to their high carbon dioxide emissions and susceptibility to fuel wastage caused by adverse weather conditions. This capstone project addresses these challenges by developing a clean-burning fast cook-off test that maintains safety standards while minimizing environmental impact. Through extensive research, engineering analysis, and testing, a prototype utilizing propane as the fuel source was developed.
The final prototype incorporates a pipe system with strategically drilled holes for propane dispersion, complemented by a triangular metal structure positioned above the system. This metal structure, featuring a vent at its apex, induces a venturi effect, optimizing airflow and promoting more complete combustion of propane. The design ensures efficient utilization of propane, enhancing combustion temperatures and test efficacy.
Extensive testing and comparative analysis were conducted to evaluate the performance of the clean-burning fast cook-off test prototype. Results demonstrated that the developed system meets or exceeds government standards for fast cook-off testing while significantly reducing environmental impact. Comparative tests against conventional jet fuel methods and alternative propane testing methodologies confirmed the superiority of the clean-burning system in achieving desired temperatures with reduced pressure requirements.
In conclusion, the capstone project successfully conceptualized, designed, and validated a sustainable solution for insensitive munitions testing. By prioritizing environmental care and innovation, the project offers a viable alternative to conventional testing methodologies, addressing environmental concerns without compromising safety or efficacy. This endeavor contributes to advancing sustainable practices within the defense industry, promoting a more environmentally conscious approach to munitions testing and evaluation
CMM Stylus Cleaning Solution
Get PDFThis project aims to solve the problem of contamination of styli on Coordinate Measuring Machines. This contamination can interfere with the measurements being taken, and due to these styli’s main role being precision measurement, any small interference can cause inaccuracy. The goal can be defined as designing an apparatus that will adequately clean the styli with an automated process. Contaminants of these styli that must be removed are materials such as dust, metal shavings, and oils. The team was tasked with creating a design that can be productized and is compatible with different probe types and sizes. The apparatus was to be based on the previous year’s project design, with the goal being to modify and improve certain aspects of the product. The team spent the year focusing on four large design components. Specifically, we are looking to prevent the evaporation of isopropyl alcohol that is being used as the cleaning fluid while it is sitting and not in use, making the cleaning system automated, designing a repositionable mount that would allow the product to be secured to the CMM granite, and creating a quantification method used to assess the product’s cleaning performance. These goals were concentrated on, while also considering the specific design constraints.
The team’s solution to the problems of spillage and evaporation is implementing a lid that can be utilized between each cleaning. Many lid design options have been explored and tested to optimize the result of meeting these outcomes. To accomplish this optimization, the team moved forward with designing an automated swivel lid. The swivel lid was automated alongside the magnetic stirrer, which drove the cleaning process. Furthermore, the task of designing a configurable mount that would secure our apparatus to the CMM granite surface and can be easily removed and repositioned when needed was successful. SPHERE’s mounting solution involved an interior mount placed on the inner portion of the apparatus base. Doing so allows for the saving of space on the CMM table by maintaining a compact design that can be placed in an easily accessible and convenient position. Lastly, we were to search for a method of quantifying the cleaning done by our design, to prove the effectiveness of our product. Several ideas were explored for the quantification, such as weighing the styli before and after cleaning, as well as observing them on a microscopic level to have a clear view of any small particulates, however, the team was successful in the quantification process by utilizing image processing code
Design and Analysis of the Effect of Catenary on Mechanical Properties of Thermoplastic Composites
Get PDFThis report is the work of the University of Rhode Island Mechanical Engineering Capstone Team 23 for the 2023 to 2024 Academic Year. This project is sponsored by Concordia Engineered Fibers with the purpose of designing a system to control tension in order to solve the problem of catenary while combining four plys of 3K commingled composite fiber into one end. Catenary is the uneven tension and lengths of plys within a combined bundle.
The design process began with literature and patent searches to find existing research and designs that are relevant to the problem of catenary and plying four ends of fiber together. From these searches the team was able to find resources that reveal the processes currently used in the textile industry as well as the theoretical background for problems surrounding textile manufacturing as they relate to our objective. From there the team produced 120 concepts and through multiple Pugh analysis done both individually and as a group they were narrowed down to four concepts that would be designed and manufactured inorder to be tested. Design specifications were produced using our customer requirements giving a set of parameters to design around.
The first concept we developed for our proof of concept was a grooved serpentine roller. This concept was designed inorder to separate the ends as they come off of the bobbins and allow them to lay flat and in parallel without giving them the opportunity to cross over each other, producing uneven length. For the entire winding system, a cart with a capstan and powered rollers was fitted with a frame that allows the grooved rollers to be attached in an adjustable configuration. This system when paired with a bobbin rack and take up winder could produce packages by combining four ends into one.
Over the course of the year, the team ran 39 trials, changing various parts of the system inorder to test the effects of various components on the final catenary in the system. The components tested include the effect of fiber twisting, fiber geometry, fiber stiffness, bobbin pretension, and various roller geometries and configurations in the winder. From these tests we found that fiber shape and twisting were the most impactful influences of catenary on 4-ply winding. These findings guided our design of a grooved roller guide, to prevent the fibers from meeting until the bobbin, in order to eliminate twisting and overlap. This design proved ineffective as the final bobbin was incompatible with the process for molding the fiber into a final part.
In the end, the final design includes our grooved roller concept, with grooved rollers at every roller until the bullet rollers that guide the four plys of fiber onto the final package. This process eliminates twisting and overlap until the final moment when the fibers are on the bobbin
Institutions Matter: How So?
Get PDFThis paper examines the influential theory of Daron Acemoglu, Simon Johnson, and James Robinson (AJR) on the role of institutions in economic development, highlighting its strengths, limitations, and areas for further research. A central contribution of their work is the emphasis on power and conflict in institutional formation and change.
The theory\u27s focus on the interplay between inequality, political power, and institutional change provides a valuable framework for understanding development trajectories. This paper also considers critiques of AJR\u27s work, including the lack of robustness of the positive correlation between inclusive institutions and economic performance in lower-income countries and the significant opportunity costs associated with building and sustaining effective institutions. Future research should explore the role of informal institutions and cultural factors in shaping development, as well as the complex dynamics of institutional change in diverse contexts
“That’s plagiarism!”: The ‘filmed vs. found footage’ continuum in a pedagogical video composition teacher professional development program
Get PDFThis paper describes a qualitative case study conducted in the Intermountain Western United States during the Fall of 2020. Though a few years old, the study remains relevant due to its esoteric subject within research on media production professional development education. Study’s purpose was to explore the processes and participants of an independent, pedagogical video composition (PVC––a.k.a. educational filmmaking) teacher professional development (PD) program. The primary sources of data were interviews of staff of the PD program and teacher graduates of the PD program. This paper focuses on a conclusion from the study: an alarming discrepancy between the attitudes of the PD staff and the teacher graduates of the program regarding student (and teacher) use of pre-existing footage when creating a video project. After analysis of the data, the need arose to build a continuum that expresses the range of these attitudes. On one end of the continuum is the practice of exclusively using filmed footage, meaning all edited footage for a video project is filmed by the student. On the other end of the continuum is the practice of exclusively using pre-existing, or ‘found’ footage for the editing. This fills a needed gap in the research literature regarding understanding of fair use copyright law among media production teacher professional development programs, and carries implications for all media education and education generally, and media literacy/educational filmmaking PD specifically