Operations Research, Systems Engineering and Industrial Engineering Commons^™

Developing A Waste-To-Energy Assessment Framework Integrating Engineering And Policy Dimensions Using A Triple Bottom Line Approach, Izech Brian O. Edwin, King Harold A. Recto

Electronics, Computer, and Communications Engineering Faculty Publications

The management of municipal solid waste (MSW) in swiftly urbanizing Philippine cities has emerged as a critical concern in both energy and governance. Dependence on landfills is approaching critical thresholds as disposal sites near saturation, transportation costs escalate, and host communities increasingly resist garbage transfers. In response, this study proposes a comprehensive Waste-to-Energy (WtE) assessment framework that integrates engineering evaluation with policy and stakeholder analysis to support sustainable decision- making.

Using Baguio City as a case study, the framework applies a Triple Bottom Line (TBL) approach to evaluate three waste management scenarios: (1) current landfill-dominated practices, (2) engineered landfill with …

Kinship Infrastructure Design: Evaluating Diversity And Resilience In Emergency Response Systems Through Agent-Based Modeling, Fayruz Maysha

Doctoral Dissertations and Master's Theses

Traditional infrastructure systems are often designed for predictable scenarios, making them vulnerable to disruption when real-world conditions change unexpectedly. This research addresses that limitation by introducing Kinship Infrastructure Design (KID), a bioinspired framework based on the kinship coefficient (Φ). Adapted from studies of genetic relatedness in eusocial insects, the kinship coefficient (Φ) measures similarity and diversity among system components by calculating the degree to which their functional traits—encoded as a synthetic genome—match. This research investigates whether a system design can achieve a “Goldilocks Zone” of functional diversity where systems achieve optimal adaptability and coordination under uncertainty."

Rather than relying on …

(R2120) Flexible Group Service Map/Ph/1 Queueing Model With Working Vacation And Optional Service, G. Ayyappan, S. Kalaiarasi

Applications and Applied Mathematics: An International Journal (AAM)

There are many uses of queues, where services are provided in groups; these types of queues are widely studied in the literature. In this paper we examine a particular queueing model wherein the services are provided in groups and the group size may be less than or equal to the size initially fixed. The arrival follows a Markovian arrival process. The service time of each individual customer follows phase type distribution. The maximum of each customer’s individual service time within a group is defined as the group’s service time. At the service completion moment if there are fewer customers than …

Using Composable Nfts And Blockchain For The Creation Of Ev Battery Digital Passports With Sustainability And Traceability Features, Haya R. Hasan, Khaled Salah, Ahmad Mayyas, Ahmad Musamih, Ibrar Yaqoob, Mohammed Omar, Raja Jayaraman

Industrial Engineering: Faculty & Staff Publications

Greenhouse gas emissions and carbon footprints have surged dramatically, with the transportation industry being a major contributor. While the UN aims to adopt zero-emission vehicles by 2040, the demand for electric vehicles (EVs) raises sustainability concerns about sourcing earth metals for batteries. Digital passports have emerged to track a product's lifecycle, composition, certifications, origin, and recyclability. However, existing EV battery passport systems lack sufficient traceability, immutability, auditability, and are prone to manipulation due to their centralized nature. In this paper, we propose a decentralized blockchain-based digital passport for EV batteries using composable Non-Fungible Tokens (NFTs) to ensure traceable, tamper-proof records …

Using Machine Learning And Blockchain For Trusted Detection And Monitoring Of Excessive Working Hours In Factories, Diana Hawashin, Khaled Salah, Raja Jayaraman, Ibrar Yaqoob

Industrial Engineering: Faculty & Staff Publications

The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) Due Diligence Guidance emphasizes the importance of managing working hours to protect the rights of workers. Excessive hours pose serious health risks, which highlights the need for robust detection and reporting systems. However, many of today's systems, methods, and technologies used for managing labor hours lack traceability, auditability, accountability, and trust. Additionally, they are centralized and manual or paper-based, which makes them vulnerable to manipulation as they are controlled by a limited number of entities. In this paper, we present a machine learning and blockchain-based solution to automate the detection of excessive …

Zero-Knowledge Proofs For Anonymous Authentication Of Patients On Public And Private Blockchains, Mohammad Madine, Khaled Salah, Raja Jayaraman, Ibrar Yaqoob

Industrial Engineering: Faculty & Staff Publications

In recent years, the healthcare sector has been increasingly challenged in securing patient identities and medical records on blockchain due to rising privacy demands and strict regulatory requirements. Although advanced techniques like self-sovereign identity and zero-knowledge proofs (ZKPs) show promise, these solutions fail to limit unwarranted patient data disclosure effectively. In this paper, we propose a ZKP-based solution that combines STARKs and anonymous credentials to enable anonymous authentication and enhance privacy across both public and private blockchains. Leveraging transparent ZKP schemes and anonymous credentials, our approach ensures unlinkability by preventing the correlation of multiple patient interactions. We present sequence diagrams …

The Importance Of Leader-Member Exchange And Psychological Contracts In Highly Qualified Researchers, Robin L. Ingerick Dba

Theses & Dissertations

This study examined the significance of the relationship between leader-member exchange (LMX) and psychological contracts in United States-based research organizations. When the organization-manager-employee relationship deteriorates, psychological contract breaches can occur, negatively affecting employee outcomes and the organization's financial success and stability. Existing knowledge highlights several factors that influence relationships, including reciprocated treatment, work behaviors and reactions, trust, professional respect, affect, mutual interaction, work autonomy, communication, job satisfaction, and fulfillment. The study sought to determine to what extent is there a predictive relationship between LMX and psychological contracts (employee obligations, employer obligations, fulfillment, and contract transitions) of highly qualified United States-based …

Engineering Risk And Indigenous Resilience Toward Intelligent Decision Support For Mining In Ancestral Lands, Izech Brian O. Edwin, King Harold A. Recto

Electronics, Computer, and Communications Engineering Faculty Publications

Mining within ancestral territories reveals an ongoing conflict between technical viability and Indigenous consent. This collaborative study, conducted by an engineering scholar and a policy researcher of Indigenous heritage in Benguet among the Ibaloi and Kankanaey peoples, investigates how risk transparency and policy alignment can bridge existing divides, while formulating principles applicable to other Indigenous mining contexts. The study provides an initial evaluation of the feasibility of a proposed large-scale mining operation within a risk-informed, data-driven governance framework. Three elements of engineering risk were assessed utilizing literature-derived and proxy parameters: (1) Land degradation is indicated by a Soil Productivity Index …

Application Of Natural Language Processing And Machine Learning For Analyzing Mining Accident Reports And Automating The Process Of Root Cause Analysis, Siddhartha Agarwal, Y. P. Chugh, Atul Singh, Vikram Sakinala, Ayan Mukherjee, Balbir Prasad, Cihan Dagli, Yuhao Zou

Engineering Management and Systems Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Coal mining accidents are a major concern worldwide, necessitating effective safety measures and comprehensive analysis to prevent future accidents. Our proposed solution is the first attempt for Indian mines, inspired by the potential of Natural Language Processing (NLP) that can read and analyze vast repositories of accident records in seconds. In combination with machine learning (ML), NLP algorithms can extract unstructured text by eliminating manual data entry errors, reading poorly scanned reports, and understanding multiple versions of the event and cluster documents based on types that would otherwise take months to collate. In the case of accident records, it can …

Comparative Analysis Of Emergent Behaviors Of Three Drone Swarm System Models For Targeting Using Agent-Based Modeling And Simulation, Arsenio T. Gumahad Ii

Engineering Management & Systems Engineering Theses & Dissertations

This dissertation introduces a novel computational simulation framework for evaluating the emergent behaviors of three swarm drone models using Agent-Based Modeling and Simulation (ABMS). The three swarm models are a Leader-Follower swarm model based on Bruckstein's antline theory, a Flocking model based on a simplified Reynolds 'Boids’ model, and a Stigmergic model with pheromone-based coordination. The primary objective of the simulation is to evaluate the performance of these models in delivering a user-defined number of drones of each type to a target area of interest in four separate scenarios, resulting in 50,000 separate simulation trials. Each scenario was structured to …

Optimal Network Maintenance And Restoration: Applications And Algorithms, Nayan Chakrabarty

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

In this dissertation, we consider three types of network optimization problems. In Chapter 1, we consider a network maintenance problem which focuses on time-based redeployment of multi-class nodes for reliable wireless sensor network coverage. Whereas previous research on time-based node redeployment assumes nodes are identical with respect to time to failure, we use multiple classes of sensor nodes to represent a scenario where nodes’ times to failure are dependent on positioning in the network. We propose a partial survival signature (PSS) approach for estimating area coverage reliability under a given time-based redeployment policy, where the PSS is estimated by Monte …

Data-Driven Evaluation Of Sustainable Waste-To-Energy Pathways For Intelligent Urban Systems, Izech Brian O. Edwin, King Harold A. Recto

Electronics, Computer, and Communications Engineering Faculty Publications

The handling of municipal solid waste (MSW) in swiftly urbanizing Philippine cities poses intricate energy and governance challenges. In Baguio City, reliance on landfills has reached critical levels due to diminishing capacity, rising transport costs, and opposition to trash transfers by nearby LGUs. Although shaped by unique topographical and governance constraints, Baguio’s situation reflects issues faced by other rapidly growing Philippine cities; therefore, analyzing it offers insights for national MSW decision-making. This study applies a triple bottom line (TBL) framework to assess three management scenarios: (1) Status Quo, where all MSW is landfilled with no energy recovery; (2) Landfill with …

The Iron Pyramid: Expanding The Iron Triangle To Integrate Safety As A Fundamental Dimension Of Construction Success, Laura Cooley

All Theses

For more than fifty years, construction project success has been judged by staying on schedule, remaining within budget, and completing the planned scope of work—an approach commonly known as the “Iron Triangle” (Barnes, Ph.D., 2006). While these measures are important, they do not capture the full range of factors that determine whether a project truly succeeds.

This study introduces the “Iron Pyramid” (Cooley, 2025), a model that expands the traditional framework by adding a fourth dimension: safety. Safety is understood not simply as regulatory compliance or the absence of injuries, but as a holistic construct encompassing project culture, leadership practices, …

Barriers To Modernizing Aviation Maintenance Technician Education To Meet Emerging Industry Needs, Durwa Chavan

All Theses

Modernizing aviation maintenance education is essential to keep pace with emerging technologies, including electric propulsion systems and advanced avionics. As aircraft systems become more digitized and interconnected, there is a growing demand for qualified technicians who can conduct advanced diagnostics and maintenance. However, training programs have not kept pace with these technological shifts, creating a gap between workforce preparation and industry needs.

Using a qualitative research approach, this study conducted semi-structured interviews with industry professionals, educators, and regulatory personnel to identify gaps in existing training programs and Airman Certification Standards (ACS). This study addresses the disconnect between current aviation maintenance …

Detecting Non-Axisymmetric Instabilities In Fluid-Based Manufacturing Via Multi-View Tensor Analysis., Bidusi Khadka

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Fluid-based manufacturing processes, such as inkjet printing and electrospinning, fabricate micro- and nano-scale structures with high precision, but are prone to complex fluid dynamics exhibiting axisymmetric and non-axisymmetric instabilities. Conventional monitoring often relies on single-camera inputs and symmetry assumptions, limiting the detection of three-dimensional anomalies like jet deflection. This study presents a novel multi-view streaming video-based anomaly detection framework to address this gap. The framework employs a modified Tensor Sequential Sampling (TSS) algorithm with edge-based sampling to capture geometric spatiotemporal features of each camera view using the videos obtained from an orthogonally positioned dual-camera setup. These features are fused with …

Full Factorial Design Of Carbon Content And Heating Temperature On Height Reduction In Bonnell Springs, Yurida Ekawati, Cendana Anggun Sasmitha, Mochamad Syamsul Ma’Arif

Journal of Mechanical Engineering Science and Technology (JMEST)

The durability of Bonnell springs, which are widely used in the manufacture of spring beds, is often compromised by height reduction during use, which negatively impacts product comfort and quality. This study aims to minimize spring height reduction by investigating the effects of heating temperature and carbon content in the spring steel. A full factorial experimental design was applied using two factors: heating temperature (250°C, 260°C, and 270°C) and carbon content (0.72%, 0.73%, and 0.74%). Nine treatment combinations were tested, with five replicates each, and the height reduction values were measured after 100 compression cycles. The data were analyzed using …

Exploring The Link Between Emotional States And Coding Task Quality: A Pilot Study, Aquib Reshad, Valentina Nino, Maria Valero, Adriane Randolph, Yang Shi

Faculty Articles

Emotions play a crucial role in shaping cognitive performance, yet their influence on programing remains understudied. This pilot study investigates the relationship between emotional states and coding task quality. Ten participants completed a programing task while their brain activity was recorded using electroencephalography (EEG), with frontal alpha asymmetry (FAI) applied as a neural marker of emotional valence. Emotional self-reports were collected using the Scale of Positive and Negative Experience (SPANE), and coding quality was evaluated through a structured rubric. Preliminary findings indicate a potential association between FAI and coding performance, whereas self-reported affect showed weaker or inconsistent patterns. Given the …

Predicting Simulation Times For Multiphase Thermal-Hydraulic Models, Andrew Yule, Andrew Taylor

SMU Data Science Review

Addressing the challenge of computationally intensive OLGA

simulations in the oil and gas industry, a machine learning framework is

developed for accurate runtime prediction. A specialized feature extraction

pipeline identifies key parameters—such as simulation time, time step,

number of branches, and section count—from OLGA input files that serve as

high-impact predictors. Multiple predictive models, including regression,

tree-based ensembles, and neural networks, are implemented to validate

accuracy and robustness. Results reveal that prioritizing simulations based on

predicted runtimes optimizes licensing resources and reduces operational

costs, making real-time scheduling more efficient. This research demonstrates

the effectiveness of data-driven runtime prediction in enhancing …

Diffog: Differentiable Policy Trajectory Optimization With Generalizability, Zhengtong Xu, Zichen Miao, Qiang Qiu, Zhe Zhang, Yu She

School of Industrial Engineering Faculty Publications

Imitation-learning-based visuomotor policies excel at manipulation tasks but often produce suboptimal action trajectories compared to model-based methods. Directly mapping camera data to actions via neural networks can result in jerky motions and difficulties in meeting critical constraints, compromising safety and robustness in real-world deployment. For tasks that require high robustness or strict adherence to constraints, ensuring trajectory quality is crucial. However, the lack of interpretability in neural networks makes it challenging to generate constraint-compliant actions in a controlled manner. This article introduces differentiable policy trajectory optimization with generalizability (DiffOG), a learning-based trajectory optimization framework designed to enhance visuomotor policies. By …

Experiential Learning And The Revitalization Of Manufacturing Education At The University Of Dayton, Sean Cahill

Research and Reflection on Learning and Teaching in Higher Education

This perspective paper explores the role of experiential learning in preparing future-ready manufacturing engineers at the University of Dayton, set against the backdrop of Dayton’s legacy as an industrial innovator and the broader national movement to revitalize domestic manufacturing. As automation, cyber-physical systems, and Industry 4.0 technologies reshape the manufacturing landscape, there is a growing need for engineers who possess both technical fluency and systems-thinking capabilities. To meet this need, the manufacturing engineering technology department implemented hands-on, integrated lab-and-lecture modules through support from the Experiential Learning Innovation Fund for Faculty (ELIFF). Grounded in Kolb’s Experiential Learning Theory and constructivist learning …