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This study conducted a series of tests on a shock mitigating seat designed for high speed craft using various input excitations to better understand the relationship between various seat and operational conditions, and the response of the seat. A seat model of the test seat is used for a parametric study of various spring, damping and operational configurations. A seat shake rig is implemented to simulate motions of multiple high-speed craft as well as various defined inputs. At each test input the occupant weight and suspension preload is varied and the response is analyzed to find changes in acceleration, which is representative of the changes in force and displacement. By representing the seat as a based-excitation two-degree-of-freedom system, we develop the equations of motion and model them in Simulink to analyze the effects of various spring rates and damping coefficients. Based on the results it is found that an increase in occupant mass results in a decrease in observed acceleration. Increasing suspension preload is found to be detrimental to the mitigating abilities of the seat, changing the dynamics to those similar of a rigid-mounted seat. An analysis of the defined inputs resulted in confirming various seat characteristics. The analysis of the Simulink model revealed that increasing the spring rate results in an increase in acceleration. An increase in damping coefficient resulted in an increase in acceleration and ride harshness. / Master of Science

Modern architecture has lost its sense of place by the adoption of practices like standardization and universal modularity, over the focus and influence of unique local building practices. However, looking outside of the cultural main stream works of architecture, there exists some built structures with such purity around how they were constructed and a form of honesty deeply embedded within their material usage. Having been idealized in such a locally specific manner, these attributes become the essence of belonging that ties the building to its particular place. In this thesis, I have considered architecture both within regional or vernacular architectural traditions and the unconstrained means and methods of modern architecture. I looked at how modern technologies related to fabrication can be influenced by the subtle adaptations that traditional architecural crafts have developed, unique to specific regions. / Master of Architecture

In this dissertation I use the production of culture perspective as a lens to analyze the emergence of craft beer in the US. In doing so, I examine how the six facets of the production of culture perspective have both constrained and stimulated the production of craft beer in the US. The six facets of the production of culture perspective are: law and regulation, industry structure, organizational structure, markets, technology, and occupational careers. These six facets, in concert, allowed the craft beer movement to emerge in the 1970s. In order to demonstrate the effects each facet has on the production of craft beer I employ a content analysis of All About Beer, an industry trade publication that reports on the craft beer culture. Additionally, I analyze the structure of the brewing industry through secondary data regarding technology, production, and industry concentration. In my analysis I demonstrate how the POC explains the production of cultural goods. I also highlight the limitations of the perspective and suggest future avenues of research. / Ph. D.

The straight line calm water performance of stepped planing hulls has been studied experimentally, by prediction method, and numerically. A model test was conducted to provide a systematic understanding of the effects that displacement and step location have on the performance of a stepped planing hull. Ten different step configurations were tested at three different displacements and over a range of four different speeds in calm water. Seven of these configurations were tested at two different Longitudinal Center of Gravity (LCG) locations. Of all the configurations tested, the stepped hull configurations showed reduced resistance compared to the unstepped hull. The configurations with the largest step height aft showed the least amount of resistance over the speed range tested. Increasing displacement and shifting LCG had similar effects on craft performance for both stepped and unstepped hulls. The current stepped hull prediction method was expanded to include a three dimension wave profile and the ability for the stagnation line to cross the step. Using previous model test data and existing two dimension wave profile equations, a single equation was developed to predict the three dimension wave profile aft of a step. Formulations were added to Savitsky's planing prediction method to include very high speed craft and chines dry conditions. Lastly, two simulations were performed using two computational fluid dynamics numerical tools, OpenFOAM, and NFA. The results of these simulations were compared to the experimental test results to assess each code's relative strengths and weaknesses for use in detail design of stepped planing craft. / Ph. D.