Perez, Aquiles.

This study presents an experimental and analytical investigation of the factors that affect the sound generated by airboats as well as the interaction among these factors; an airboat travels on water and wet land by means of an air pusher propeller attached to an internal combustion engine. These analyses show that the engine and propeller RPM are the main contributors of sound. The contribution of the engine is a tonal sound that is reduced by using a muffler. The sound generated by the propeller is a flapping sound clearly identified at high revolutions (over 1800 RPM). Above mid-range speeds, the propeller sound takes over, and any reduction of sound on the muffler does not play any role. The only method to control the sound of an airboat without any design modifications is to maintain the operational RPM at mid-range when the muffler's devices contribute to the sound reduction.

Pulsing the flow of reactants in proton exchange membrane fuel cells (PEMFC) is a new frontier in the area of fuel cell research. Although power performance losses resulting from water accumulation also referred to as flooding, and power performance recovery resulting from water removal or purging, have been studied and monitored, the nexus between pulsing of reactants and power performance has yet to be established. This study introduces pulsing of reactants as a method of improving power performance. This study investigates how under continuous supply of reactants, pressure increase due to water accumulation, and power performance decay in PEMFCs. Furthermore, this study shows that power performance can be optimized through pulsing of reactants, and it investigates several variables affecting the power production under these conditions. Specifically, changes in frequency, duty cycle, and shifting of reactants as they affect performance are monitored and analyzed. Advanced data acquisition and control software allow multi-input monitoring of thermo-fluid and electrical data, while analog and digital controllers make it possible to implement optimization techniques for both discrete and continuous modes.