Thesis (M.S.)--Oregon State University, 2004. / Typescript (photocopy). Includes bibliographical references (leaves 85-88). Also available via the World Wide Web.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Ohio State University, 2003. / Title from first page of PDF file. Document formatted into pages; contains xiv, 212 p.; also includes graphics. Includes bibliographical references (p. 195-202).

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Alberta, 2010. / Title from pdf file main screen (viewed on July 8, 2010). A thesis submitted to the Faculty of Graduate Studies and Research in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy, Department of Physics, University of Alberta. Includes bibliographical references.

Phoropters are the most common instrument used to detect refractive errors. During a refractive exam, lenses are flipped in front of the patient who looks at the eye chart and tries to read the symbols. The procedure is fully dependent on the cooperation of the patient to read the eye chart, provides only a subjective measurement of visual acuity, and can at best provide a rough estimate of the patient's vision. Phoropters are difficult to use for mass screenings requiring a skilled examiner, and it is hard to screen young children and the elderly etc. We have developed a simplified, lightweight automatic phoropter that can measure the optical error of the eye objectively without requiring the patient's input. The automatic holographic adaptive phoropter is based on a Shack-Hartmann wave front sensor and three computer-controlled fluidic lenses. The fluidic lens system is designed to be able to provide power and astigmatic corrections over a large range of corrections without the need for verbal feedback from the patient in less than 20 seconds.

"Fluidics" is the title applied to a relatively new technology which is concerned with the control of fluid power and the processing of information through the use of the fluid mechanical properties of the fluid medium itself. The absence of moving parts and the relatively low sensitivity to enviromental conditions suggest the probability that fluidic systems will prove to be faster and more reliable than the mechanically controlled (valves, diaphragms, springs, etc.) fluid systems which they are designed to replace.

The performance of a high-power small-scale combustion-based fluidic actuator for high-speed flow control applications is characterized with specific focus on comparisons between premixed and nonpremixed operating modes for the device. Momentary (pulsed) actuation jets are produced by the ignition of a mixture of gaseous fuel and oxidizer within a small (cubic centimeter scale) combustion chamber. The combustion process yields a high pressure burst (1 to 3 ms in duration in the typical configurations) and the ejection of a high-speed exhaust jet. The actuation frequency can be continuously varied by independently controlling the flow rate of the fuel/oxidizer and the spark ignition frequency up to a maximum determined by the operating characteristics of the actuator. The actuator performance is characterized by both its peak thrust and net total impulse, with increases in peak jet momentum often two to three orders of magnitude above the baseline steady jet. Results for operation of the device in both premixed and nonpremixed modes are presented and analyzed, with nonpremixed operation typically yielding higher pressures and greater frequency ranges in the present configurations.

Approved for public release; distribution is unlimited. / An efficient nozzle design is critical for enhancing the benefits of Pulse Detonation Engines (PDEs) and enabling their use as future propulsion or power generation systems. Due to the inherent variation in chamber pressure for Pulse Detonation Combustors, it has been difficult to design a nozzle, which has the capability to provide an appropriate exit-to-throat area ratio suited for both the detonation blow-down event and refresh pressures associated with the cyclic operation of a PDE. A two-dimensional PDE exit nozzle was designed, modeled, and constructed in an attempt to increase the overall efficiency of converting thermal energy to kinetic energy by providing a fluidic method to dynamically vary the effective nozzle area ratio. A fluidic nozzle configuration was evaluated, which had the ability to inject a small amount of air into the diverging section of the nozzle in order to dynamically create a more desirable exit-to-throat area ratio. Experimental testing was conducted on various injection flow rates, and a shadowgraph system was used to observe the fluid flow characteristics within the nozzle. Computer simulations were used to analyze the fluid flow properties within the nozzle. A comparison of the computer simulations and the experimental results was performed and demonstrated good agreement. / Lieutenant, United States Navy

Micromixer is one of the most significant components of microfluidic systems, which manifest essential applications in the field of chemistry and biochemistry. Achieving complete mixing performance at the shortest micro channel length is essential for a successful micromixer design. We have developed five novel micromixers which have advantages of high efficiency, simple fabrication, easy integration and ease for mass production. The design principle is based on the concept of splitting-recombination and chaotic advection. Numerical models of these micromixers are developed to characterize the mixing performance. Experiments are also carried out to fabricate the micromixers and evaluate the mixing performance. Numerical simulation for different parameters such as fluids properties, inlet velocities and microchannel cross sectional sizes are also conducted to investigate their effects on the mixing performance. The results show that critical inlet velocities can be predicted for normal fluid flow in the micromixers. When the inlet velocity is smaller than the critical value, the fluids mixing is dominated by mechanism of splitting-recombination, otherwise, it is dominated by chaotic advection. If the micromixer can tolerate higher inlet velocity, the complete mixing length can be further reduced. Our simulation results will provide valuable information for engineers to design a micromixer by choosing appropriate geometry to boost mixing performance and broaden implicational range to fit their specific needs. Accurate and complicated fluidic control, such as flow mixing or reaction, solution preparation, large scale combination of different reagents is also important for bio-application of microfluidics. A proposal microfluidic system is capable of creating 1024 kinds of combination mixtures. The system is composed of a high density integrated microfluidic chip and control system. The high density microfluidic chip, which is simply fabricated through soft lithography technique, contains a pair of 32 flow channels that can be specifically addressed by each 10 actuation channels based on principle of multiplexor in electronic circuits. The corresponding hardware and software compose the control system, which can be easy fabricated and modified, especially for prototype machine developing. Moreover, the control system has general application. Experiments are conducted to verify the feasibility of this microfluidic system for multi-optional solution combination. / Includes bibliography. / Dissertation (Ph.D.)--Florida Atlantic University, 2013.

In order for microfluidics devices to be marketable, they must be inexpensive and easy to use. Two projects were pursued in this study for this purpose. The first was the design of a chip alignment system for visual feedback, in which a two-layer microfluidic chip was placed under a camera and an image processing and linear algebra program aligned a computer model to it. The system then translated the new locations of air valves and could detect valve activation in a chip filled with food coloring. The second was the design of a cheap, portable system to detect phosphorus in water. This system could not be completed due to time constraints, but the methods were detailed, and design ideas were laid out for future work. / by Ian Gerstel. / Thesis (M.S.C.S.)--Florida Atlantic University, 2010. / Includes bibliography. / Electronic reproduction. Boca Raton, Fla., 2010. Mode of access: World Wide Web.

Thesis (M.S.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Mechanical Engineering, 1979. / MICROFICHE COPY AVAILABLE IN ARCHIVES AND ENGINEERING. / Bibliography: leaves 117-118. / by David Edward Dunfee. / M.S.