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Covalidation Of Dissimilarly Structured Models, Samuel A. Wright Dec 2000

Covalidation Of Dissimilarly Structured Models, Samuel A. Wright

Theses and Dissertations

A methodology is presented which allows comparison between models constructed under different modeling paradigms. Consider the following situation: Two models are constructed to study different aspects of the same system. One model simulates a fleet of aircraft moving a given combination of cargo and passengers from an onload point to an offload point. A second model is a linear programming model that optimizes the aircraft and route selection required for the same scenario. We develop a methodology to structure the comparison between large-scale models such as these. Models that compare favorably using this methodology are deemed covalid. Models that perform …


Computer-Based Methods For Constructing Two-Level Fractional-Factorial Experimental Designs With A Requirement Set, Steven L. Forsythe Dec 2000

Computer-Based Methods For Constructing Two-Level Fractional-Factorial Experimental Designs With A Requirement Set, Steven L. Forsythe

Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation developed four methodologies for computer-aided experimental design of two-level fractional factorial designs with requirement sets (DOE/RS). The requirement sets identify all the experimental factors and the appropriate interaction terms to be evaluated in the experiment. Taguchi graphs and similar manual methods provide techniques for solving the DOE/RS problem. Unfortunately, these methods are limited because they become difficult to use as the number of factors or interaction terms exceeds ten. This research showed that the DOE/RS problem belongs to a class of difficult-to-solve problems known as NP-Complete. It is the combinatorial nature of NP-Complete problems that causes them to …


Estimating Budget Relationships With A Leontief Input-Output Model, Guenever L. R. Shariff Dec 2000

Estimating Budget Relationships With A Leontief Input-Output Model, Guenever L. R. Shariff

Theses and Dissertations

Forty years ago, the Office of the Secretary of Defense proposed using the Leontief input-output model to assess tradeoffs in the Department of Defense's (DoD) budget. We demonstrate that the Leontief input-output model can assess tradeoffs in the Air Force's budget. To increase one part of the Air Force's budget, we need to know the interrelationships between that budget area and the other areas. In this research, we look at different methods of how the functional areas might interact. We demonstrate our methodology on two data sets - DoD and the Air Force aggregate budget data. By looking at how …


Simulation And Analysis Of Wing Rock Physics For A Generic Fighter Model With Three Degrees-Of-Freedom, Ahmed Saad Aug 2000

Simulation And Analysis Of Wing Rock Physics For A Generic Fighter Model With Three Degrees-Of-Freedom, Ahmed Saad

Theses and Dissertations

Modern fighter designs have been associated with lateral self-excited oscillations own as "Wing Rock". Simulations of wing rock by flow visualization utilities have been encouraged to develop a complete understanding of the fluid mechanism that drives the motion as well as for prediction purposes. Previous wind/water tunnel simulations have been limited to a single degree-of freedom (DoF) in roll. In this study, for the first time, wing rock is computationally simulated in three DoF: roll, sideslip, and vertical motion to study the effect of adding file sideslip and vertical motion. The results are for a generic fighter model consisting of …


Three-Dimensional Dynamic Stress Analysis Of Sandwich Panels, Victor Y. Perel Jul 2000

Three-Dimensional Dynamic Stress Analysis Of Sandwich Panels, Victor Y. Perel

Theses and Dissertations

A layerwise geometrically nonlinear theory for a thick sandwich plate was developed by introducing assumptions on a variation of transverse strains in the thickness direction of the faces and the core of the plate. An effect of transverse extensibility or compressibility of the core and the face sheets is taken into account, and the terms associated with transverse shear strain of the face sheets and the core are included into the expression for the strain energy. Displacements, obtained by integration of the strain-displacement relations, depend nonlinearly on a coordinate in the thickness direction, and are continuous at the boundaries between …


Turbo Codes For Wireless Mobile Communication Systems Applications, Moataz M. Salah Jun 2000

Turbo Codes For Wireless Mobile Communication Systems Applications, Moataz M. Salah

Theses and Dissertations

Research in coding theory has seen many proposals aimed at the construction of powerful codes using block and convolutional codes. Recently, a new forward error control code, known as turbo code, was introduced. This new code yields very good performance (near the Shannon limit) with relatively simple component codes and large interleavers in combination with an iterative decoding process. Among the most important applications of turbo codes are wireless mobile communication systems. A significant performance metric for this application is the minimization of end-to-end delay. In this dissertation, different ways to enhance the performance of turbo codes with short frames …


A Hybrid Jump Search And Tabu Search Metaheuristic For The Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (Uav) Routing Problem, Gary W. Kinney Jr. Mar 2000

A Hybrid Jump Search And Tabu Search Metaheuristic For The Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (Uav) Routing Problem, Gary W. Kinney Jr.

Theses and Dissertations

In this research, we provide a new meta-heuristic, a jump search I tabu search hybrid, for addressing the vehicle routing problem with real-life constraints. A tour construction heuristic creates candidate solutions or jump points for the problem. A tabu search algorithm uses these jump points as starting points for a guided local search. We provide statistical analysis on the performance of our algorithm and compare it to other published algorithms. Our algorithm provides solutions within 10% of the best known solutions to benchmark problems and does so in a fraction of the time required by competing algorithms. The timeliness of …


Feature Selection For Predicting Pilot Mental Workload, Julia A. East Mar 2000

Feature Selection For Predicting Pilot Mental Workload, Julia A. East

Theses and Dissertations

Advances in technology have the cockpits of the aircraft in the Air Force inventory increasingly complex. Consequently, mental demands on the pilot have risen. In some cases, mental demands were so overwhelming that pilots have forgotten basic flying techniques, such as G-straining maneuvers. The results have been fatal. Recent research in this area has involved collecting psychophysiological features, such as electroencephalography (EEG), heart, eye and respiration measures, in an attempt to identify pilot mental workload. This thesis focuses on feature selection and reduction of the psycophysiological features and subsequent classification of pilot mental workload on multiple subjects over multiple days. …


Toward Validating Vertical Aggregation In Object Oriented Simulation, George W. Johnson Jr. Mar 2000

Toward Validating Vertical Aggregation In Object Oriented Simulation, George W. Johnson Jr.

Theses and Dissertations

Recent interest in studying the nonlinear effects of intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance in combat models has prompted researchers to employ vertical aggregation in object-oriented simulations. Traditional horizontal aggregation falls short for its inability to provide accurate means for nonlinear functions. Averaging a group of objects that exhibit nonlinear behavior provides a linear approximation to the mean, which is not necessarily the expected value of the underlying nonlinear function. Vertical aggregation explicitly models individual objects, thus preserving their nonlinear behaviors. In this research, a validation procedure is derived to study the aptness of vertical aggregation methods. Validation is carried out by …


Evaluation Of A Method For Kinematic Gps Carrier-Phase Ambiguity Resolution Using A Network Of Reference Receivers, Brian L. Bracy Mar 2000

Evaluation Of A Method For Kinematic Gps Carrier-Phase Ambiguity Resolution Using A Network Of Reference Receivers, Brian L. Bracy

Theses and Dissertations

New applications for GPS have driven a demand for increased positioning accuracy. The emerging GPS technology particularly affects the test community. The testing equipment and method must provide a solution that is an order of magnitude more precise than the tested equipment to achieve the desired accuracy. Carrier-phase differential GPS methods using a network of reference receivers can provide the centimeter-level accuracy required over a large geographical area. This thesis evaluates the performance of a 5-receiver network over a 50 km x 120 km area of New Mexico, using a GPS network algorithm called NetAdjust. The percentage of time a …


Chemical Mechanical Polishing Optimization For 4h-Sic, Craig L. Neslen Mar 2000

Chemical Mechanical Polishing Optimization For 4h-Sic, Craig L. Neslen

Theses and Dissertations

Scratch free surfaces are required for substrates used in epitaxial growth. Silicon carbide (SiC) is a substrate material that is used in the epitaxial growth of SiC, GaN, and InGaN electronic devices. Preliminary chemical mechanical polishing (CMP) studies of 1 3/8" 4H-SiC wafers were performed in an attempt to identify the polishing parameter values that result in a maximum material removal rate and thus reduce substrate polishing time. Previous studies reported increased material removal rates associated with increasing polishing temperature, slurry pH, pressure, and polishing pad speed. In the current study, the effects of temperature, slurry pH, polishing pressure, and …


Hierarchical Interactive Theater Model (Hitm): An Investigation Into The Relationship Between Strategic Effects And Ooda Loops, Richard K. Bullock Mar 2000

Hierarchical Interactive Theater Model (Hitm): An Investigation Into The Relationship Between Strategic Effects And Ooda Loops, Richard K. Bullock

Theses and Dissertations

Airpower's strength lies in being able to quickly strike the enemy directly where they are vulnerable while being unhampered by geography and surface forces. Airpower theory suggests the effects of these strikes propagate throughout an opponent1s military system yielding catastrophic output or strategic effects. Despite this theory being a cornerstone of US Air Force doctrine, current Air Force models do not seem to capture airpower's inherent strength. Since these models are used to support budgetary decision making, the United States may not be funding the airpower capability it needs.


Effects Of Moisture Content In Solid Waste Landfills, Craig P. Eck Mar 2000

Effects Of Moisture Content In Solid Waste Landfills, Craig P. Eck

Theses and Dissertations

Solid waste landfills are an extremely complex and heterogeneous environment. Modeling the biodegradation processes within a landfill must involve an understanding of how environmental factors affect these processes. Arguably, the most important environmental factor influencing biodegradation processes is solid waste moisture content. This research effort, which is an extension of a system dynamics model previously presented by Colborn (1997) and amended by Benter (1999), attempts to understand and model the effects of moisture content on waste degradation and landfill gas generation. The new moisture structure that was added to the previous models provides a better representation of the impact of …


In Situ Treatment Of Chlorinated Ethene-Contaminated Groundwater Using Horizontal Flow Treatment Wells, Derek R. Ferland Mar 2000

In Situ Treatment Of Chlorinated Ethene-Contaminated Groundwater Using Horizontal Flow Treatment Wells, Derek R. Ferland

Theses and Dissertations

The limitations of conventional containment technologies for groundwater contaminated with chlorinated solvents have motivated development of innovative technologies to achieve national groundwater remediation objectives. One inn9vative technology that is currently under development involves metal reductants or catalysts to chemically destroy the dissolved chlorinated solvent. Models are important tools that can be used to help transition this technology to the field. Model studies can be used to gain understanding about the technology, help determine when the prospective technology might work for a given site, and design full-scale field applications.


Computational Fluid Dynamics Testing For Drag Reduction Of An Aircraft Laser Turret, Gregory J. Schwabacher Mar 2000

Computational Fluid Dynamics Testing For Drag Reduction Of An Aircraft Laser Turret, Gregory J. Schwabacher

Theses and Dissertations

A computational study was conducted on the use of aft-mounted fairings for passive drag reduction on a sphere at Re=866,000. The sphere dimensions and operating Reynolds number were selected to approximate the flow around a proposed aircraft laser turret for which experimental data was available. To establish the validity of the computational model, flow predictions were compared to sphere data available in the open literature. The model, exercised in both the laminar and turbulent modes, showed good agreement with the published data. Two proposed laser turret fairings were then evaluated computationally: a large fairing (beginning at 49.5 degrees past the …


Locating Search And Rescue Stations In The Aegean And Western Mediterranean Regions Of Turkey, Melih M. Basdemir Mar 2000

Locating Search And Rescue Stations In The Aegean And Western Mediterranean Regions Of Turkey, Melih M. Basdemir

Theses and Dissertations

The service of present Search and Rescue (SAR) stations in the Aegean and the Western Mediterranean regions of Turkey are not sufficient to meet the demands of the Turkish Air Force. This research seeks to find the optimum location of new SAR stations. The number of SAR stations required to cover all areas of operation becomes a very decisive element in finding the optimal coverage of the operation area by these stations. The problem of finding the optimum SAR locations can he modeled as a maximal covering location problem (MCLP). Additional constraints are added to set standards on various issues …


Simulations Of Flowing Supercritical N-Decane, Jeffery T. Thornburg Mar 2000

Simulations Of Flowing Supercritical N-Decane, Jeffery T. Thornburg

Theses and Dissertations

The Air Force is interested in the research of supercritical jet and rocket fuels, as well as the effects of thermally induced fuel degradation. As future flight vehicles travel at ever increasing Mach numbers, greater heat loads will be imposed upon the fuel. The primary purpose of this study is to develop a computational model for predicting fuel decomposition and bulk fuel temperatures in a stimulated heated flow reactor. The System for Thermal Diagnostic Studies (STDS), located in the Air Force Research Laboratory's Fuels Branch, is used to analyze fuels under supercritical temperatures and pressures. Computational simulations of the STDS …


Modeling The Effect Of Nonlinear And Rate-Limited Sorption On The Natural Attenuation Of Chlorinated Ethenes, Peter P. Feng Mar 2000

Modeling The Effect Of Nonlinear And Rate-Limited Sorption On The Natural Attenuation Of Chlorinated Ethenes, Peter P. Feng

Theses and Dissertations

Chlorinated solvents like tetrachloroethene (PCE) and trichloroethene (TCE) are the most common detected groundwater contaminants at Department of Defense installations in the United States. Unfortunately, technologies conventionally used to remediate chlorinated solvent-contaminated groundwater often fall short of achieving regulatory goals. Natural attenuation of chlorinated solvents offers an alternative remediation strategy that may achieve goals. However, the processes involved with natural attenuation are not fully understood, and this lack of understanding has hindered acceptance of natural attenuation by regulatory agencies. This study involved use of a numerical model that incorporated the physical, chemical, and biological processes thought to be relevant to …


Damage Identification In A Real Structure Using Resonant And Anti-Resonant Frequencies, Douglas E. Gaeta Mar 2000

Damage Identification In A Real Structure Using Resonant And Anti-Resonant Frequencies, Douglas E. Gaeta

Theses and Dissertations

There exists a need to remotely monitor the structural integrity of large space structures without costly manned missions. This work focused on further damage detection characterization of the Air Force Institute of Technology's Flexible Truss Experiment (FTE). The FTE is intended to be representative of a large space structure. Several damage detection algorithms were developed and tested for the FTE using 112 different damage conditions and the one undamaged condition. The algorithms were trained using two frequency response functions (FRFs) from each damage case and then tested using the same two FRFs, but from newly acquired data. A data reduction …


Development Of A Real Time Guidance System For A Kinematic Test Vehicle, Orhan Cekic Mar 2000

Development Of A Real Time Guidance System For A Kinematic Test Vehicle, Orhan Cekic

Theses and Dissertations

Differential carrier phase GPS measurements are capable of giving centimeter-level accuracies. These accuracies have many potential applications for safety and control of various types of vehicles. For this research, a real-time guidance system is developed. The real-time guidance system can be divided into two components: hardware and software. The hardware component consists of two GPS receivers (one base, one mobile), two wireless 115 Kbaud transceivers, and two laptop computers. One computer is for the reference station and other is for the mobile receiver interface and graphical display. The guided vehicle is a golf car called the Remote Sensing Autonomous Vehicle …


Multi-Objective Evaluation Of Target Sets In A Logistics Network, Paul D. Emslie Mar 2000

Multi-Objective Evaluation Of Target Sets In A Logistics Network, Paul D. Emslie

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis addresses the selection of target sets to disrupt an adversary's logistics network in a wartime environment. In the presence of many objectives--such as reducing maximum flow, lengthening routes, avoiding collateral damage, all at minimal risk to our pilots--the problem of determining the best target set is complex. Previous efforts have not adequately considered the value of the remaining network functionality after target destruction. In addition, current network targeting procedures optimize target sets with respect to only a single metric. This thesis uses a multi-objective decision analysis framework capturing actual targeting decision-maker values and preferences to evaluate and analyze …


Three Dimensional Formation Flight Control, James K. Hall Mar 2000

Three Dimensional Formation Flight Control, James K. Hall

Theses and Dissertations

Automating the control of an aircraft flying in formation necessitates the extension of the theory of formation flight control to allow for three dimensional maneuvers. The formation was modeled as a two-aircraft, leader and wingspan, formation. Both aircraft has its own three dimensional, rotating and translating, Cartesian axes system, with special attention being given to the motion of the leader in relation to the wingspan. The controller operated using the equations of motion expressed in the rotating reference frame of the wing aircraft. The control system has seven states, three inputs and three disturbance signals to model the dynamics of …


The Air Force Institute Of Technology (Afit) Micro Electro-Mechanical Systems (Mems) Interferometric Gyroscope (Mig), Jeremy P. Stringer Mar 2000

The Air Force Institute Of Technology (Afit) Micro Electro-Mechanical Systems (Mems) Interferometric Gyroscope (Mig), Jeremy P. Stringer

Theses and Dissertations

With the invention of Micro Electro-Mechanical Systems (MEMS) it has become possible to fabricate micro-inertial sensors. These new sensors have application in creating autonomous guided weapons systems. New technologies like Micro Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs), which cannot use conventional inertial sensors, rely on technologies like micro-inertial sensors to operate. Also, such sensors have the capability to reduce both power and space consumption on conventional aircraft. This technology is not yet mature, and current micro-inertial sensors do not have the accuracy required for highly precise navigation. To try to increase the accuracy of micro-inertial sensors, researchers are turning toward micro-optical gyroscopes. …


Optical Metrology Of Adaptive Membrane Mirrors, John W. Wagner Mar 2000

Optical Metrology Of Adaptive Membrane Mirrors, John W. Wagner

Theses and Dissertations

Current space-based imaging platforms are significantly constrained in both size and weight by the launch vehicle. Increased payload size and weight results in increased cost and a decrease in launch responsiveness. The USAF Scientific Advisory Board (SAB) identified "Large lightweight structures for optics and antennas" as a revolutionary primary technology to be developed for the Air Force of the 21st Century. A membrane primary mirror in a space-based imaging system has the ability to overcome current payload constraints and meet evolutionary needs of the future. The challenge of membrane optics in space is the process of implementing adaptive optics technology …


A Decision Support Tool To Aid Campaign Planners In Selecting Combat Aircraft For Theater Crisis, Christopher D. Buzo Mar 2000

A Decision Support Tool To Aid Campaign Planners In Selecting Combat Aircraft For Theater Crisis, Christopher D. Buzo

Theses and Dissertations

One way of comparing alternative deployment plans is to examine how combat aircraft tasked within a deployment plan meet the combat commander's requirements. Both the absolute capabilities and the campaign-specific issues affecting the operational capabilities of those aircraft could assess a set of combat aircraft, unique to a deployment plan. This research-develops a non-absolute, campaign-specific decision Support tool to assess the effect of campaign-specific issues on a set of deployable Air Force combat aircraft. This research is conducted in three phases. Cognitive Task Analysis (CTA) and Multi-Attribute Preference Theory (MAPT) methodologies are applied to in-person and telephone interviews with subject …


Modeling Piezoceramic Twist Actuation In Single-Cell Anisotropic Torque Box Of Low-Observable Uav Wing, Peter Cseke Jr. Mar 2000

Modeling Piezoceramic Twist Actuation In Single-Cell Anisotropic Torque Box Of Low-Observable Uav Wing, Peter Cseke Jr.

Theses and Dissertations

The reduction of an aircraft's radar cross section can increase its survivability in hostile airspace by making it more difficult to locate and track by enemy radar. Replacing articulated flight control surfaces with adaptive controls will reduce surface discontinuities, and enhance low observability. Actuation of the aerodynamic surfaces is achieved by an electric field applied to PZT actuators embedded in the top and bottom skins, creating differential strain and shear in the host substrate. This creates torsion about the elastic axis, and a change in the wing lift coefficient. The torsion of the designed baseline UAV's wing torquebox was modeled …


A Comparative Analysis Of Cockpit Display Development Tools, Matthew J. Gebhardt Mar 2000

A Comparative Analysis Of Cockpit Display Development Tools, Matthew J. Gebhardt

Theses and Dissertations

Currently, no standard methodology exists that enables cockpit display engineers to evaluate software tools used in the development of graphical cockpit displays. Furthermore, little research has been accomplished in comparing current software development tools with traditional hand-coded methods, This research effort discusses a framework for analyzing cockpit display software development tools and follows through with a detailed analysis comparing today's hand-coding standard, OpenGL, with two of today's cockpit display software development suites, Virtual Application Prototyping System (VAPS) and Display Editor. The comparison exploits the analysis framework establishing the advantages and disadvantages of the three software development suites. The analysis framework …


Investigation Of Conformal High-Impedance Ground Planes, Michael A. Saville Mar 2000

Investigation Of Conformal High-Impedance Ground Planes, Michael A. Saville

Theses and Dissertations

Applique antennas are a long range vision for military vehicles because they are lighter, quicker to replace, less expensive, and can have better performance than conventional antennas. Two newly reported high-impedance ground planes have potential to begin the realization of the applique antenna vision and each is investigated for use with thin conformal antenna structures. Bistatic reflection measurements completely characterize the high-impedance region of planar, thumbtack high-impedance ground planes, and periodic moment method models validate the measurement results. Rigorous planar and conformal surface wave coupling measurements clarity the reported photonic band gap behavior of the thumbtack high-impedance ground plane, and …


The Distributor’S Three-Dimensional Pallet-Packing Problem: A Mathematical Formulation And Heuristic Solution Approach, Brian P. Ballew Mar 2000

The Distributor’S Three-Dimensional Pallet-Packing Problem: A Mathematical Formulation And Heuristic Solution Approach, Brian P. Ballew

Theses and Dissertations

It is through practice and experience Air Force loadmasters are able to pack the Air Force standard HCU-6/E (463L) pallets efficiently. Although the loadmasters perform their jobs exceptionally well, the Air Force is in search of a model that will more efficiently pack the pallets. We have developed a mathematical formulation of the three-dimensional pallet-packing problem which minimizes the amount of unused space on a pallet. The formulation ensures each box is packed with the correct volume and dimensions, and ensures the volume of all the boxes packed is less than the available pallet volume. Additionally, the formulation ensures that …


The Influence Of Outsourcing On Job Satisfaction And Turnover Intentions Of Air Force Civil Engineer Company Grade Officers, James F. Kennedy Mar 2000

The Influence Of Outsourcing On Job Satisfaction And Turnover Intentions Of Air Force Civil Engineer Company Grade Officers, James F. Kennedy

Theses and Dissertations

A survey was distributed to 865 active duty Air Force Civil Engineer company grade officers (CGOs) assigned to locations throughout the world. The survey was designed to assess the CGOs' current job satisfaction and their intentions towards making a career out of the Air Force. Additionally, the survey measured the CGOs' perceptions of outsourcing, and how they feel that it will influence the Civil Engineer career field. Relationships were evaluated between the perceptions of outsourcing and job satisfaction, and between job satisfaction and turnover intentions. Overall, Civil Engineer CGOs reported a slightly positive level of satisfaction and a negative perception …