Engineering Commons^™

An Airline Ab Initio Flight Training Program In The United Arab Emirates (Uae): An Analytical Approach Toward Emiratization, Shareef A. K. Al-Romaithi

Master's Theses - Daytona Beach

The continuous establishment and expansion of UAE airlines has led to a demand for qualified pilots in the region of the Persian Gulf. The shortage of UAE national pilots has compelled the local airlines to employ pilots with foreign nationalities. Though the UAE government has implemented a program within the Emirates to increase the number of nationals in the work force (referred to as Emiratization), there has been little headway within the aviation sector. As a result, this thesis was undertaken to develop an ab initio training program that would increase the percentage of UAE nationals among the UAE airline …

Neural Network Burst Pressure Prediction In Composite Overwrapped Pressure Vessels From Acoustic Emission Data, Seth-Andrew T. Dion

Master's Theses - Daytona Beach

Composites have grown in importance in the aerospace industry where high specific strength is a priority. Weight reduction in space vehicles is critical because of the exorbitant cost associated with placing objects into space. Major weight savings have been obtained by switching from all metal pressure vessels to composite overwrapped pressure vessels (COPVs). Due to the nature of composites, current nondestructive analysis procedures for COPVs are not adequate for assessing structural integrity. As such, new methods must be developed. Presented herein is one such method.

A method for burst pressure prediction using parametric filtering of acoustic emission (AE) data along …

Coupling Of Fluid & Solid Thermal Models To Correct Heat Flux Measurements Taken On Launch Vehicles, Danielle M. Ford

Master's Theses - Daytona Beach

Knowledge of aerothermally induced convective heat transfer and plume induced radiative heat transfer loads is essential to the design of thermal protection systems (TPS) for launch vehicles. These loads are measured via the cylindrical heat flux gauges that are flush mounted with the outer surface of a launch vehicle and are exposed to the in-flight external thermal and velocity boundary layers as well as thermal radiation. Typically, Schmidt-Boelter gauges measure the incident heat flux based on the one-Dimensional Fourier's law. This instrumentation, when surrounded by low-conductivity insulation, has an exposed surface temperature significantly lower than the insulation. A substantial disturbance …

Robust Control Techniques Enabling Duty Cycle Experiments Utilizing A 6-Dof Crewstation Motion Base, A Full Scale Combat Hybrid Electric Power System, And Long Distance Internet Communications, Marc Compere, Jarrett Goodell, Miguel Simon, Wilford Smith, Mark Brudnak

Publications

The RemoteLink effort supports the U.S. Army's objective for developing and fielding next generation hybrid-electric combat vehicles. It is a distributed soldierin- the-Ioop and hardware-in-the-Ioop environment with a 6-DOF motion base for operator realism, a full-scale combat hybrid electric power system, and an operational context provided by OneSAF. The driver/gunner crewstations rest on one of two 6-DOF motion bases at the U.S. Army TARDEC Simulation Laboratory (TSL). The hybrid power system is located 2,450 miles away at the TARDEC Power and Energy System Integration Laboratory (P&E SIL). The primary technical challenge in the RemoteLink is to operate both laboratories together …

Student Pilot Situational Awareness: The Effects Of Trust In Technology, Yoko Kunii

Master's Theses - Daytona Beach

The purpose of this research was to evaluate the general level of trust in technology in student pilots and then to determine the relationship between pilots' trust and their situational awareness during simulated flight. A literature review revealed that the Jian Trust Scale was based on empirical observations and had precedence in the literature so it was selected. Since excessive reliance on technology can make the operator passive and unquestioning, ultimately loss of situational awareness may result. The main hypothesis tested was to establish the relationship between measurements of trust on the ground and situational awareness in simulated flight; pilots …

Developing A Methodology For Assessing Safety Programs Targeting Human Error In Aviation, Scott Shappell, Douglas Wiegmann

Publications

There is a need to develop an effective methodology for generating comprehensive intervention strategies that map current and proposed safety programs onto well-established types of human error. Two separate studies were conducted using recommendations from NTSB accident investigations and several joint FAA and industry working groups. The goal of the studies was to validate a proposed framework for developing and examining safety initiatives that target human error in aviation. The results suggest five approaches to reducing human factors associated with aviation accidents. When combined with the Human Factors Analysis and Classification System, the resulting Human Factors Intervention Matrix will provide …

The Sensitivity To Motion Sickness Induced By Aircraft And Flight Training Devices And The Role Of Experience During Flight Training, Angela M. Baskin

Master's Theses - Daytona Beach

The incidence and severity of motion sickness, which can be incapacitating and can prevent training, is ill-established in career paths where motion or simulated motion is commonplace. To assess different aspects of this problem, each of 175 Embry-Riddle student pilots early in their training and 43 Embry-Riddle student non-pilots participated in one of four parts of this study. The Motion History Questionnaire was utilized to compare pilot and non-pilot groups on reported motion sickness sensitivity; non-pilots reported significantly more sensitivity than did pilots for 3 out of 7 items included in the composite score, suggesting possible career self-selection (though composite …

The Effect Of Camera Placement And Display Configuration On A Remote Manipulation Task, Debra Clark

Master's Theses - Daytona Beach

A remote manipulation task was presented to 80 Introduction to Psychology students from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University. The participants viewed the task via two displays showing two camera views. For the camera views, one camera was always in a top-down position, while the other camera changed positions from normal, right-side, reverse, and left-side positions. For the displays, the camera views were shown in either Configuration 1, with the top-down view on the left display and the other camera view on the right display, or Configuration 2, with the top-down view on the right display and the other camera views on the …

Optimization Of Active Rendezvous Trajectories By Genetic Algorithms, Marie Emmanuelle Ricour

Master's Theses - Daytona Beach

Trajectory optimization is and will remain a hot topic in the engineering field. Because analytical or exact solutions are often difficult and sometimes impossible to compute, there is a need for alternative and efficient methods. UnderWater Vehicles (UWV) trajectories and rendezvous trajectories of continuous low-thrust spacecraft are examined. One of the methods to solve such problems is the Genetic Algorithm (GA) method. In this work, a GA has been developed using Matlab®. It treats possible solutions to the studied problems as individuals and eventually converges to an optimal or near optimal solution. Genetic Algorithms have been used previously to solve …

Evaluation Of Probabilistic Methodology For Predicting Satellite Tracking Resources, Matthew Lynn Stubbe

Master's Theses - Daytona Beach

This research evaluates a probabilistic methodology for estimating the ability of satellite tracking networks to provide tracking and data acquisition services to large constellations of satellites. This approach, developed by Hagar is evaluated using Monte Carlo simulations of optimal satellite contact scheduling on a tracking network for a certain class of satellites. The actual results of the scheduled Monte Carlo simulations were then compared to the predicted values computed with Hagar's methodology for a range constellation and network sizes. Comparison methods include percent difference, a Wilcoxon signed ranks test and a Mann-Whitney U test.

The Monte Carlo simulations were run …

The Effect Of Auditory And Visual Distracters On The Useful Field Of View: Implications For The Driving Task, Joanne Wood, Alex Chaparro, Louise Hickson, Nick Thyer, Philippa Carter, Julie Hancock, Adrene Hoe, Ivy Le, Louisa Sahetapy, Floravel Ybarzabal

Publications

PURPOSE. The driving environment is becoming increasingly complex, including both visual and auditory distractions within the in-vehicle and external driving environments. This study was designed to investigate the effect of visual and auditory distractions on a performance measure that has been shown to be related to driving safety, the useful field of view.

METHODS. A laboratory study recorded the useful field of view in 28 young visually normal adults (mean 22.6 +- 2.2 years). The useful field of view was measured in the presence and absence of visual distracters (of the same angular subtense as the target) and with three …

Grain Growth Behavior At Absolute Zero During Nanocrystalline Metal Indentation, F. Sansoz, V. Dupont

Aerospace Engineering - Daytona Beach

The authors show using atomistic simulations that stress-driven grain growth can be obtained in the athermal limit during nanocrystalline aluminum indentation. They find that the grain growth results from rotation of nanograins and propagation of shear bands. Together, these mechanisms are shown to lead to the unstable migration of grain boundaries via process of coupled motion. An analytical model is used to explain this behavior based on the atomic-level shear stress acting on the interfaces during the shear band propagation. This study sheds light on the atomic mechanism at play during the abnormal grain coarsening observed at low temperature in …

Efficacy Of Virtual Models In A Production Systems Course, Lawrence Whitman, Barbara Chaparro

Publications

Wichita State University has developed an integrated set of virtual reality models of an aircraft assembly line. These models are intended to provide students an ‘artifact’ of industrial and manufacturing engineering by providing a realistic environment for initial learning and application. By utilizing a virtual model of the line, students are able to view the process and interrogate the process details, make changes and observe the effects, and gain a better understanding of the concepts and their interrelationships. This paper presents the method used to assess if virtual models (computer models of a real factory) lead to: improved perception of …

Innovative Schematic Concept Analysis For A Space Suit Portable Life Support Subsystem, M. Schuller, R. Kobrick, T. Lalk, L. Wiseman, F. Little, Et Al.

Publications

Conceptual designs for a space suit Personal Life Support Subsystem (PLSS) were developed and assessed to determine if upgrading the system using new, emerging, or projected technologies to fulfill basic functions would result in mass, volume, or performance improvements. Technologies were identified to satisfy each of the functions of the PLSS in three environments (zero-g, Lunar, and Martian) and in three time frames (2006, 2010, and 2020). The viability of candidate technologies was evaluated using evaluation criteria such as safety, technology readiness, and reliability. System concepts (schematics) were developed for combinations of time frame and environment by assigning specific technologies …

Theoretical Analysis Of Transpiration Cooling Of A Liquid Rocket Thrust Chamber Wall, Philip A. Davis

Master's Theses - Daytona Beach

Transpiration cooling is a process that could reduce the overall weight of the cooling system of an actively cooled thrust chamber wall of a liquid rocket engine by up to 50% when compared to other active cooling techniques, increasing the thrust to weight ratio of the rocket engine. In this thesis, mathematical models and computer codes were developed for simulating the flow of a coolant and the transport phenomena in a transpiration cooled thrust chamber wall of a liquid rocket engine by treating the coolant in two ways: as an incompressible fluid and as a compressible fluid in local thermal …

An Investigation Of The Dynamic Effects Of Flap Deflection On The Aerodynamic Characteristics Of An Airplane Wing Using Computational Fluid Dynamics, Alexander Moerchel

Master's Theses - Daytona Beach

Flaps are used to increase an airplane's lift and to adjust its stability and maneuverability. This study shows an application of STAR-CD, a commercial computational fluid dynamics (CFD) software, to an investigation of the dynamic effects of flap deflection on the lift, drag and moment coefficients, as well as on the location of the center of pressure. For this study, a plain flap was modeled with a moving mesh and was attached to a NACA 0012 airfoil and a wing of a general aviation aircraft for a 2D and 3D investigation, respectively. In addition, the flap deflection rates were varied …

Parameter Estimation Of Spacecraft Fuel Slosh Using Pendulum Analogs, Keith L. Schlee

Master's Theses - Daytona Beach

The nutation (wobble) of a spinning spacecraft in the presence of energy dissipation is a well-known problem in dynamics and is of particular concern for space missions. Its rate of growth is characterized by the Nutation Time Constant (NTC). For analytical prediction of the NTC, fuel slosh is often modeled using simple mechanical analogs such as pendulums or rigid rotors coupled to the spacecraft. Identifying model parameter values which adequately represent the sloshing dynamics is the most important step in obtaining a good NTC estimate. Currently, the identification of the model parameters is a laborious trial-and-error process in which the …

Human Error And Commercial Aviation Accidents: A Comprehensive, Fine-Grained Analysis Using Hfacs, Scott Shappell, Cristy Detwiler, Kali Holcomb, Carla Hackworth, Albert Boquet, Douglas Wiegmann

Publications

The Human Factors Analysis and Classification System (HFACS) is a theoretically based tool for investigating and analyzing human error associated with accidents and incidents. Previous research has shown that HFACS can be reliably used to identify general trends in the human factors associated with military and general aviation accidents. The aim of this study was to extend previous examinations of aviation accidents to include specific aircrew, environmental, supervisory, and organizational factors associated with 14 CFR Part 121 (Air Carrier) and 14 CFR Part 135 (Commuter) accidents using HFACS. The majority of causal factors were attributed to the aircrew and the …

Reweighting At-Sat To Mitigate Group Score Differences, Andrew R. Dattel, Raymond E. King

Publications

The Air Traffic Selection and Training (AT-SAT) test battery is the selection tool for applicants for Air Traffic Control Specialist (ATCS) positions within the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) who have not previously been employed as an air traffic controller. AT-SAT is an aptitude test developed to predict the likelihood of successfully learning ATCS skills. Before operational use, however, concerns were raised about the low passing rate of incumbent (who are fully trained and certified) ATCS personnel (who participated in the initial research) and score differences between groups, which could result in adverse impact (possible unfair discrimination). To address these concerns, …

Filtering Of Acoustic Emission Data Through Principal Frequency Component Extraction, Justin O. Karl

Master's Theses - Daytona Beach

Rapid editing of acoustic emission (AE) data is required in order to make real-time acoustic emission flaw growth systems a viable testing method for materials and setups that contain noisy signals. It was hypothesized that extracting major frequency components from the acoustic emission signal would therefore provide a representative acoustic signature of the major waveforms occurring due to defect growth This research has verified that the aforementioned filtering technique does, in fact, extract a representative signal from the composite and metal specimens utilized herein These findings were verified both through visual analysis of the data as well as the low …

Helicopter Flight Operational Quality Assurance (Hfoqa): Development Of Hfoqa Analysis Software, Sergio Teixeira

Master's Theses - Daytona Beach

Flight Operational Quality Assurance (FOQA), or Flight Data Monitoring (FDM), has benefited flight safety in both fixed-wing and helicopter operations. The relative youth of FOQA programs has resulted in their minimal application among the helicopter fleets of the world; thus, Helicopter FOQA (HFOQA) has merited consolidation and expansion. This mixed methods design developed HFOQA analysis software via a blend of the qualitative data from helicopter and FOQA experts with quantitative data represented by a sample of de-identified digital flight data from 1,014 helicopter flights. Development of the software emphasized three domains of interest: (a) helicopter flight phases; (b) helicopter operational …

Paper Session V: Forensic Software Tools For Cell Phone Subscriber Identity Modules, Wayne Jansen, Rick Ayers

Annual ADFSL Conference on Digital Forensics, Security and Law

Cell phones and other handheld devices incorporating cell phone capabilities (e.g., smart phones) are ubiquitous. Besides placing calls, cell phones allow users to perform other tasks such as text messaging and phonebook entry management. When cell phones and cellular devices are involved in a crime or other incident, forensic specialists require tools that allow the proper retrieval and speedy examination of data present on the device. For devices conforming to the Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM) standards, certain data such as dialed numbers, text messages, and phonebook entries are maintained on a Subscriber Identity Module (SIM). This paper gives …

Paper Session V: Steganography And Terrorist Communications - Current Information And Trends - Tools, Analysis And Future Directions In Steganalysis In Context With Terrorists And Other Criminals, William Eyre, Marcus Rogers

Annual ADFSL Conference on Digital Forensics, Security and Law

In ancient times, users communicated using steganography, “…derived from the Greek words steganos, meaning ‘covered’, and graphein, meaning ‘to write.’” (Singh, 1999, p.5) Steganography facilitates secret, undetected communication. In modern times, in the context of the Global War on Terror, national intelligence and law enforcement agencies need tools to detect hidden information (steganography) in various types of media, most specifically to uncover the placement of hidden information in images. This paper will look at steganography in general terms, presenting the theory of some common steganographic techniques and touching on some theoretical work in steganography. Then a discussion of how to …

Paper Session Iv: Toward Understanding Digital Forensics As A Profession: Defining Curricular Needs (***Research In Process ***), Michelle Wolf, Alan Shafer, Michael Gendron

Annual ADFSL Conference on Digital Forensics, Security and Law

This research paper presents research in process which attempts to define the common body of knowledge (CBK) of digital forensics. Digital forensics is not well defined not does it have a generally accepted CBK. The first three phases of completed research, in a four-phase research process are discussed. The early results have created a preliminary CBK, and final validation is underway.

Paper Session Iv: Development And Delivery Of Coursework - The Legal/Regulatory/Policy Environment Of Cyberforensics, John W. Bagby, John C. Ruhnka

Annual ADFSL Conference on Digital Forensics, Security and Law

This paper describes a cyber-forensics course that integrates important public policy and legal issues as well as relevant forensic techniques. Cyber-forensics refers to the amalgam of multi-disciplinary activities involved in the identification, gathering, handling, custody, use and security of electronic files and records, involving expertise from the forensic domain, and which produces evidence useful in the proof of facts for both commercial and legal activities. The legal and regulatory environment in which electronic discovery takes place is of critical importance to cyber-forensics experts because the legal process imposes both constraints and opportunities for the effective use of evidence gathered through …

Paper Session Iii: Research Brief: A Curriculum For Teaching Information Technology Investigative Techniques For Auditors, Grover S. Kearns, Elizabeth V. Mulig

Annual ADFSL Conference on Digital Forensics, Security and Law

Recent prosecutions of highly publicized white-collar crimes combined with public outrage have resulted in heightened regulation and greater emphasis on systems of internal control. Because both white-collar and cybercrimes are usually perpetrated through computers, auditors’ knowledge of information technology (IT) is now more vital than ever. However, preserving digital evidence and investigative techniques, which can be essential to fraud examinations, are not skills frequently taught in accounting programs. Furthermore, many students are not instructed in the use of computer assisted auditing tools and techniques – applications that might uncover fraudulent activity. Only a limited number of university-level accounting classes provide …

Paper Session Ii: Forensic Scene Documentation Using Mobile Technology, Ibrahim Baggili

Annual ADFSL Conference on Digital Forensics, Security and Law

This paper outlines a framework for integrating forensic scene documentation with mobile technology. Currently there are no set standards for documenting a forensic scene. Nonetheless, there is a conceptual framework that forensic scientists and engineers use that includes note taking, scene sketches, photographs, video, and voice interview recordings. This conceptual framework will be the basis that a mobile forensic scene documentation software system is built on. A mobile software system for documenting a forensic scene may help in standardizing forensic scene documentation by regulating the data collection and documentation processes for various forensic disciplines.

Six Sigma Applied To Flight Operations Quality Assurance: An Exemplar Case Study, Alan J. Stolzer, Han Wu, Carl Halford

School of Graduate Studies - Daytona Beach

“Due to the requirement to maintain and improve the safety record of commercial air transportation in the United States (U.S.) despite increasing traffic, several proactive safety programs have been introduced in recent years. Among these proactive safety programs is a form of Flight Data Monitoring (FDM) known in the U.S. as Flight Operational Quality Assurance (FOQA). FOQA is a program utilizing quantifiable, objective data collected from the air carrier aircraft’s data recording system. The data is then analyzed to identify trends and other indicators of potential safety problems. With few exceptions, FOQA data analysis has been rudimentary, often limited to …

Impact Simulation And Analysis Of Sandwich Structures, Daewon Kim

Master's Theses - Daytona Beach

Impact damage on aircraft and spacecraft can be a severe problem that may cause catastrophic results. Several aerospace structures have been used to resist or absorb energy in the occasion of impact. Among these, a sandwich structure has advantages with high stiffness, strength to weight ratio, and its relatively cheap cost. However, finding the impact structural response of a sandwich structure, by performing experiments, has disadvantages. First, impact is a complex problem with a multi-parameter nature and many factors should be considered. Secondly, it is a destructive test and the test subject may be damaged during the test. On the …

The Effect Of Gender Schematicity On The Assessment Of Male And Female Pilots’ Competence Given Identical Scenarios, Jan D. Laplante

Master's Theses - Daytona Beach

Gender has been identified as one of the top three categories, along with race, and age that are subject to stereotyping, prejudice and discrimination (Fiske, 1998). With the emergence of women in stereotypical male domains, gender research has never been more important. The aviation community is a prime example of one such domain.

This study examined the presence of an existing perception that male pilots are more competent then female pilots. It suggested that there does not appear to be evidence that would explain why there should be a difference in this perception of competence. It also discussed social theories …