Department Seminars Fall 2006
Usually 12:30 p.m. Tues., EE123 |
Date & Speaker |
Topic |
| Sept. 12: Lu Gan |
Design of a Computer-Integrated Control System for an Optimized Fluidic
Self-Assembly (FSA) Process |
| Sept. 19: Greg Middlestead & Dr. Roger Green |
NDSE ECE DSP Initiatives |
| Oct. 10: Dr. Eric A. Ash |
Technological Threads of Continuity: Scientific Realism and the
Military Industrial Complex |
| Oct. 17: Dr. David Rogers |
Foundations of Engineering Ethics |
| Oct. 31: Jonathan Tolstedt |
Protecting Your Idea: An Overview of Patents and Intellectual Property |
| Nov. 7: Matt Noah |
CNSE & Commercial |
| Nov. 21: Qun Li |
Optimizing Piezoelectric Energy Harvesting by Modeling and Analysis |
| * Room and/or time different from the usual |
Design of a Computer-Integrated Control System
for an Optimized Fluidic
Self-Assembly (FSA) Process
12:30 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 12, 2006
in EE 123
by
Lu Gan
ECE Dept.
NDSU
Abstract
An optimized assembly process with a Compact Assembly Pod
(CAP) device is proposed to accelerate the current Fluidic Self-Assembly
(FSA) technique.
A Computer-Integrated Control System is therefore
required to execute this process and regulate the device.
In this
presentation, such an optimized process will be introduced, followed by
the design of the control system.
Finally, some of the functionalities
and system tests results will be discussed.
Top
NDSE ECE DSP Initiatives
by
Greg Middlestead
&
Dr. Roger Green
ECE Dept.
NDSU
Abstracts
This seminar will present material from two papers.
Greg Middlestead will present An Improved DSP-Based EIS Instrument
Using Real-Time Performance Monitors and Parameter Adjustment (to
appear in the 12th IEEE Digital Signal
Processing Workshop, September 2006).
Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) methods are commonly used
to estimate the performance of corrosion resistant coatings.
A multi-frequency EIS improves performance over traditional EIS systems
through shortened trial times.
With the addition of real-time
performance monitors, a multi-frequency EIS system provides users with a
better
understanding of estimate quality and automatically adjusts a variety of
parameters to further improve instrument performance.
Such an automated
multi-frequency EIS system is realized with modern digital signal
processing (DSP) hardware.
Dr. Roger Green will present An Introduction to
Scholar Teams: A Method
to Enhance DSP Education and Competence (to appear in the 4th IEEE
Workshop on Signal Processing Education, September 2006).
This talk introduces the concept of Scholar Teams (STs), discusses
strategies to successfully implement STs, overviews the results of the
first two years of comprehensive ST trials conducted in the Electrical
and Computer Engineering (ECE) department at North Dakota State
University (NDSU), and details a specific ST, the Digital Signal
Processing (DSP) ST, to illustrate the benefits of STs, particularly
from a DSP education perspective.
Top
Technological Threads of Continuity: Scientific Realism and the
Military Industrial Complex
12:30 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 10, 2006
in EE 123
by Dr. Eric A. Ash
Department of Aerospace Studies
NDSU
Abstract
No academic discipline or profession can separate itself from
history, and the history of technology is no exception. This
presentation briefly looks at 19th and 20th Century technological
intersections in Prussia, Russia, the United States and Britain to
illuminate the international nature of the Military Industrial Complex.
Nation-states as well as non-national actors have bartered, stolen,
copied, and competed in technological endeavors, perhaps more than in
any other field of knowledge. Often the technologies involved have
direct or at least indirect military applications. This presents a
paradox. Engineers, economists, politicians, and scientists compete to
achieve their desired results, sometimes without paying much attention
to second and third-order effects. Historically, the results have been
both positive and negative, but are important for engineers of the
future to understand and appreciate.
Top
Foundations of Engineering Ethics
12:30 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 17, 2006
in EE 123
by Dr. David A. Rogers
ECE Dept.
NDSU
and
Paulo F. Ribeiro
Engineering Department
Calvin College
Grand Rapids, MI
Abstract
Engineering ethics can be taught from the perspective of promoting
the common good or within the tradition of the shared values of the
supporting community.
There is a logical connection between these two perspectives that can
serve as the foundation for the teaching of applied engineering ethics.
Ethics is at the foundation of engineering education.
New technologies bring new ethical challenges to the engineer.
The life experience of the student if rooted in the shared
values of a community or in the pursuit of the common good
elevates the way the profession is practiced and improves
the quality of the products and systems that flow out
of the activities of the profession.
Top
Protecting Your Idea: An Overview of Patents and Intellectual Property
12:30 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 31, 2006
in EE 123
by Jonathan Tolstedt
Phoenix International
Fargo, ND
Abstract
The intent of this seminar is to provide an overview of intellectual
property law as it relates to engineers and engineering students.
A
definition of several types of intellectual property will be given, with
an emphasis on patents.
The basic steps for obtaining patent protection
for an invention will be outlined.
The speaker will also touch briefly
on careers in patent law, and what it takes for someone to become a
registered patent agent or attorney.
About the Presenter
Jonathan Tolstedt is registered as a patent agent before the United
States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).
He holds a Bachelor of
Science degree in Electrical Engineering, and a Master of Science in
Computer Science.
Jonathan works full time for Phoenix International in
Fargo (a division of John Deere), is the president of his own consulting
company, and teaches a class in computer programming as an adjunct
lecturer at North Dakota State University.
Top
CNSE & Commercializing NDSU Research
12:30 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 7, 2006
in EE 123
by
Matt Noah
Senior Project Manager
CNSE, NDSU
Fargo, ND
Abstract
The Center for Nanoscale Science & Engineering
(CNSE)
is a multidisciplinary organization whose
employees have a spectrum of educational and industrial experience &
expertise. Dozens of student interns and a staff of PhD researchers,
engineers, physicists, chemists and others engage in commercial,
government and military projects. CNSE projects span a range of
applications from military and homeland security to coatings to advanced
vending machine solutions. The opportunity for collaboration with
various NDSU academic departments can lead to greater financial success,
greater economic development, accrual of important intellectual property
and an enhanced reputation for NDSU and North Dakota.
Commercialization of NDSU research is on the forefront of the minds of
policy makers, legislators, the Governor and our Congressional
delegation. Commercialization in the form of licensing, spin-out
company formation and collaborative project development will be
discussed. The nuts and bolts of how to accomplish these goals will be
discussed. The interaction of the various academic departments, ECE in
particular, will be discussed with an eye towards the above
commercialization opportunities.
Top
Optimizing Piezoelectric Energy Harvesting by Modeling and Analysis
12:30 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 21, 2006
in EE 123
by
Qun Li
NDSU
Fargo, ND
Abstract
Although the piezoelectric effect was discovered over a century ago,
the piezoelectric energy harvesting has not attracted much research interest
because of the low power generated.
Recently, the research on piezoelectric energy harvesting has been re-ignited,
however, following the dramatic advance of microelectronics,
which makes low power electronic applications practical.
This seminar focuses on the optimization of piezoelectric energy harvesting,
which includes two aspects: one is to transfer mechanical energy into
electric energy efficiently and the other is to transfer the generated
electric energy to the load efficiently.
For the first aspect, starting from the theoretical analysis
of a linear piezoelectric model, I derive the electromechanical
coupling coefficient and
the maximal transmission coefficient of a piezoelectric generator.
The conclusion has also been applied to several common piezoelectric
generators through the constitute equations. For the second aspect,
the reason for low electric energy transfer rate
has been analyzed and several improved interface circuits
have been introduced.
Top
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