TTU Published Journals @ Volpe Library
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An Efficient Design Representation of Conservative Reversible Logic Gates
Get PDFComputers, which have become a ubiquitous staple of modern society, consume nearly 10% of all the energy produced worldwide. While computing implementation technology has been made more energy efficient over the years, the energy required to operate a gate logically has become an increasingly large proportion of the total energy required. A systematic improvement of this power use would result in significant power savings, which would grow even more appreciable as overall efficiency improves. One method for achieving these power savings would be the use of conservative reversible logic (CRL) gates for system design. However, to date, only a few designs using these types of gates have been developed. This sporadic development is primarily due to the lack of a systematic method for representing CRL gates. This work describes an accurate and compact design representation of CRL gates based on a known variation of a zero-suppressed binary decision diagram, called PiDD. Two methods of adapting PiDDs to represent CRL gates of any size are presented, along with examples of design manipulation and analysis
Smart Micro Grid Power Flow Control using SEN Transformer
Get PDFModern day electric smart grid system has the capability to communicate between the utility and their customers for efficient power management, system integrity and security. In this research a scale model power grid will be used to demonstrate several flow control scenarios. The scale model power grid for this study consists of a 3-bus system with a Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) developed in LabVIEW. The generators utilize a new smart agent and custom hardware for starting each generator, checking voltages, frequencies and phases as well as phase sequence for both the generators and the power grid and then synchronizing them before connecting to the grid. Various alarm conditions can be programmed in to cause it to island from the grid. Once the grid is fully operational, the operator can implement flow control strategies via phase angle changes at each generator. This research further demonstrates an additional element of flow control through a custom designed and operated Flexible AC Transmission System (FACTS) device known as a SEN transformer. The SEN transformer has been modelled and simulated in MATLAB Simulink. This simulation model will be used in the future for implementation of a real-time model to the Smart Micro Grid
An AI-Enabled Control for Dynamic Wireless Power Transfer
Get PDFDynamic wireless power transfer (DWPT) is a nascent technology that brings forth great flexibility for charging electric vehicles (EV). For it to achieve fruition and to avoid power wastage, certain measures need to be in place to improve the power transmission. One of such measures is to use multiple transmitters and make the charging system to be aware of the location of the receiver thereby adapting power transmission to the receiver location. This is because, the change in relative location affects the mutual inductance which in turn, affects the amount of power that gets transmitted. This research presents a scheme where the charging system adapts to EV location and tunes its internal parameters to optimize the transmit power. Maximum power point tracking is employed to ensure optimal power transmission. First, the system uses a trained machine learning neural network to estimate the coupling coefficient between the transmitter and receiver. This parameter is then fed into two optimization algorithms; Jaya and Crow search algorithm. These algorithms along-side some predefined parameters would determine how much tuning certain circuit components need to go through to operate the circuit at the maximum power point. Two transmit coils were used and preliminary results show a transmit efficiency of 95% and at a distance of 200 mm. Results were also validated using LTSpice simulation software and they show the prospect of implementation for DWPT
*WINNER* Efficiency and Print Quality Benchmarking Between Fused Filament Fabrication and Stereolithography Processes
No full textAs additive manufacturing (AM) is becoming ubiquitous, the two most prevalent 3D Printing technologies in almost every sector of life are Fused Filament Fabrication (FFF) and Stereolithography (SLA) resin printing. While FFF printing is considered to be a cheaper, faster process, SLA is considered to have better surface quality and dimensional accuracy. The objective of this research is to establish a detailed power consumption, process duration, and surface roughness comparison between the two technologies. Using varying infill pattern, infill density, and layer thickness, test specimens (0.5 in. cubes) were printed on SLA and FFF printers, with the power consumption measured using a wattmeter and surface roughness measured using a profilometer. The SLA process is shown to have marked improvements over FFF in power consumption and surface finish, while FFF is faster and less expensive per part. This presentation will report the current findings of the ongoing research study detailing the benchmarking of both processes
The Value of Geographic Information Systems (GIS) for Diverse Projects at The Nature Conservancy’s Bridgestone Reserve at Chestnut Mountain
No full textThe use of Geographic Information Systems (GIS) for energy and educational outreach projects The Nature Conservancy’s (TNC) Bridgestone Reserve at Chestnut Mountain shows the value of this technology for a range of programs. Starting with a carbon neutrality project, the use of GIS led to an accurate evaluation of solar panel and wind turbine placement by using data to account for hill slope angle, hill direction, wind speed, solar exposure, and other components. This use of geospatial analysis allowed for a cost-effective survey of Chestnut Mountain and helped prevent issues in the future with poor turbine or panel placement. Additionally, GIS was beneficial in an educational outreach project for TNC as well, with application in locating and evaluating eligible private forest landowners for potential TNC-led courses. GIS was also used to create a set of criteria to determine the appropriate audience to receive informational pamphlets that would invite them to forest usage seminars. By using local landowner databases in conjunction with National Land Cover Databases, the GIS team was able to pull 449 applicable parcels from 35,987 total parcels in order to build a targeted curriculum around these landowners. The use of GIS in these two partner projects showcase the versatility of this technology for location analysis as well as educational outreach
*WINNER* Providing Resources for Female Forestland Owners
No full textSixty-five percent of forestland in Tennessee is owned by women, either independently or jointly, but few women-focused resources are available. We worked in cooperation with the Tennessee chapter of The Nature Conservancy and developed curricula to provide educational opportunities specifically for women forestland owners. Topics include plant identification, invasive plant eradication and control, watershed and soil ecology, forest management, and estate planning. We also created two databases – one as a repository of forestland management resources, funding opportunities, and stewardship organizations for land owners, and the other to identify landowners of 10-100 acres in the Upper Cumberland. Access to the database of stewardship resources can enable private forest landowners to realize the full potential of their land and the opportunities available, while the database of landowners can be used for advertising the courses created for women. We provided both databases and the curricula to The Nature Conservancy in Tennessee for their use
The Fast Fashion Industry and Consumer Responses to Alternatives
No full textThe fast fashion industry has been a subject of controversy for some time, dividing consumers over their opinions and shopping habits, between the positives and the negatives of the industry. This research is an examination of whether or not consumers would continue to shop fast fashion after being presented with alternatives. Fast fashion is an industry described as producing affordable clothing that copies the latest styles and markets them as fast as possible, without making the consumer pay full price. Though the prices are often very cheap, so is the quality of the clothing. Companies in the fast fashion industry are known for their rapid production of the latest trends to get them out on the floor as soon as possible, sometimes before the average consumer is aware of the trend. This high-speed process is certain to cause harm along the way. Many fast fashion companies have received allegations of unfair treatment of labor, sexual misconduct, and paying below the minimum wage (Crespo, 2019). There are major environmental and social injustice concerns with the industry, spanning from the contamination of local water sources caused by textile dyes to underpaying factory workers and subjecting them to harsh, inhumane working conditions. This research explores consumer perceptions of sustainable, ethical alternatives to fast fashion shopping in an effort to impact the future shopping choices of consumers in the fashion industry
Textile Waste and Its Effects on the Environment
No full textTextile waste is one of the leading contributors in worldwide pollution. This research is an examination of the current disposal methods for clothing items and how those practices affect the environment. In North America alone, every consumer throws out an average of eighty-one pounds of textiles each year, which totals more than twenty-six billion pounds of textiles in landfills (Hirschlag, 2019). Adding to that astounding statistic, is the fact there is little awareness of the environmental impact of fashion. In Joung’s (2013) survey, the researcher questioned 335 college students, mainly female, on whether they were hoarding clothes. The results determined that 20-29% hoard them, but they dispose of 10-14 items a year (Joung 2013). When it comes to fast-fashion, consumers frequently are buying the latest trends that seem to come out quicker than the average seasonal line comes out. Whether it is through donation or throwing away, consumers are disposing of their clothing at a higher rate each year. This research explores the question of if people will continue to throw out clothing if they are presented with the negative effects it has on the environment
*WINNER* Food Insecurity on Adolescent Development
No full textIs there a correlation between food insecurity and adolescent development? Food insecurity can have a negative impact on the health of many children across the United States as well as our world. Food insecurity exists when people don’t have access to safe and nutritious foods to meet nutrient needs and maintain a healthy lifestyle. The research I reviewed for this project defines the food insecure as people who are not able to meet their nutrient needs because of the circumstances they are under and it also shows existing correlations between food insecurities and adolescent development. This review will explore the correlations between food insecurity and the physical, social, emotional, and cognitive development in adolescents. Searching using key terms like ‘Food insecurity’, ‘Food insecurity and health outcomes’, and ‘Food insecurity and development’ led to articles that provide supporting evidence of this correlation. If there is a correlation between food insecurity and developing adolescents then further research can examine how to reduce food insecurity in order to have more positive developmental outcomes for developing adolescents. In conclusion, this review will explore a possible relationship between food insecurity and adolescent development in order to lay a foundation for future research aimed at improving the lives of growing children in the adolescent phase of development
Neutron dEtector with Xn Tracking (NEXT)
Get PDFThe neutron detector NEXT will allow higher accuracy studies for beta-delayed neutron emission, while maintaining neutron-gamma discrimination. NEXT utilizes thin, segmented, inorganic scintillators which are paired with photosensitive devices to increase detection efficiency for energy measurement and tracking capabilities. NEXT is currently in a prototype phase and is continuously being modeled with GEANT4 based simulation software, NEXTSim. Neutrons and gamma-rays with energies ranging from 100 keV to 10 MeV have been simulated and show consistent results in regards to scattering patterns and energy resolution within NEXT. Sample simulation outputs will be shown and described in this work. This work is funded by NSF grant NSF-1919735, sub-grant A20-0254-S001