Small size, low weight and rugged environmental specifications characterize embedded systems. PC/104 is an embedded system architecture that implements the compact version of the PC (ISA and PCI) buses. The PC/104 architecture uses 104 pins for stacking different boards and eliminates the need for card edges and backplanes. Standardizing hardware and software around PC architecture substantially reduces the development cost, time and risks involved. The purpose of this study is to develop an environmentally rugged and portable instrument based on the PC/104 architecture for measuring and recording voltage sags as per the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) standards 61000-4-30 and 61000-2-8. Two different central processing units (CPU) for the instrument are evaluated in terms of hardware setup, cost and performance. The overall performance of the instrument using either CPU indicates that the instrument can be reliably used to measure voltage sags.

This thesis summarizes the simulation and analysis performed for the MassCEC project described herein. The intent was to perform a “dry run” of the new IEC offshore wind turbine design standard, IEC 61400-3-1 and to illustrate the use of that standard in the Massachusetts Offshore Wind Energy Area. IEC 61400-3-1 is a design standard used to ensure wind turbine structural performance over the design life of the machine. Each installed wind turbine must be certified by a Certified Verification Agent using this standard before installation. The certification process typically uses a structural dynamics model to predict a turbine’s structural response in the presence of a range of operational conditions and meteorological oceanographic conditions, which are codified into Design Load Cases. The area in question is located approximately 24 km of south of Martha’s Vineyard with an assumed water depth of 40 m. The National Renewable Energy Laboratory’s FAST software (V8.12) was used to perform simulations of a large subset of the DLCs. Wind data files were generated using NREL’s TurbSim and IECWind. This thesis discusses the instructions of the standard, preparation for simulation of Design Load Cases, and analysis of results. Results from simulations show the application of the standard in detail as applied to a reference turbine. Limitations and ambiguities of the standard in the simulation of control failure cases are analyzed. The application of the standard to hurricane loading is also analyzed alongside an example case for a Category 5 hurricane. The standard is found to be fundamentally reasonable in application to a reference turbine in the Massachusetts Offshore Wind Energy Area.

The usability of a software product is dependent on the end-user and the context of use. Having a user-friendly user interface that is appealing and easy to learn and use is essential for improved human productivity. However, this is not always the case. For instance, the computer-based documentation system Siebel used within the elderly care system; is perceived by most nursing assistants as complicated. The goal here is to evaluate the usability of the system's user interface, applying the usability metrics stated in the ISO/IEC-9126-1 standards to quantify the effectiveness, efficiency, and user satisfaction of Siebel’s documentation system. A prototype user interface was developed for comparison with the current system. Likert-scale five-point scale; System Usability Scale (SUS) questionnaires were used to measure User satisfaction. The results mirrored that the participants preferred the newly developed prototype user interface to the existing user interface

Purpose of this dissertation is to explore control techniques of PMSM motors and the design of a complex solution of sensorless control across a wide range of speed and torque. The proposed solution supports industrial implementation of different types of end equipment which use a PMSM motor. The work covers a thorough analysis of position and speed estimation. The Control structure is based on field oriented control technique, processes estimated quantities, and optimizes motor conditions to achieve maximum efficiency, start-up torque, and speed. The work discusses how the solution complies with the latest IEC standards. Compliance with these standards requires adapting the sensorless control technique and field oriented control structure. The elimination of a rotor position sensor and a temperature sensor measuring winding temperature requires development of techniques in software for blocked rotor detection and overload detection. The proposed solutions, which have been granted US patents, are explained in this work and utilize the unique features of an NXP microcontroller optimized for motor control applications. The achieved results are demonstrated on real industrial applications.