Digital Commons Network^™

Reducing Uncertainty In Effects-Based Operations, Wilburn B. Mclamb

Theses and Dissertations

Known as the fog of war, uncertainty has been prevalent in the conduct of military operations throughout human history. Intelligence collection efforts are tasked to reduce this uncertainty through the collection of information. Utilizing Shannon's entropy as a measure of the expected information gain due to an intelligence collection effort, a methodology is developed to prioritize and allocate intelligence assets in an efficient manner. Incorporated in this methodology are target priority and the requirement to reassess dynamic targets. The application area for the methodology is Effects-Based Operations. A generalized state model is developed to conduct adversary system-of-systems analysis. This model …

A Decision Model For Choosing Among Photovoltaic Technologies To Generate Electricity At Grid-Connected Air Force Facilities: A Value-Focused Approach, Mostyn O. Kellner

Theses and Dissertations

The United States is currently consuming fossil fuels faster than natural processes can replace them. Our nation's leaders recognize that a diverse energy portfolio including renewable energy is the key to maintaining our economy, security, and the environment. The federal government is by far the greatest energy consumer; thus, our nation's leaders have directed federal agencies to strive to increase the use of renewable energy at federal facilities. Solar electricity technologies, in the form of photovoltaics, have great potential in the renewable energy mix. Although a major strategy should be integrating photovoltaics into the design of new facilities, an important …

An Analysis Of Usaf Aircraft Noise And Hedonic Property Values, Melissa R. Johnson

Theses and Dissertations

The primary purpose of the research was to evaluate whether there was a significant difference in housing values of those affected by the noise of USAF aircraft. The secondary purpose was to evaluate whether there was a significant difference in housing values located near USAF bases with and without aircraft noise and to evaluate whether type of aircraft changed the results created by the aircraft noise. This research effort found that homes located within the 65 dB DNL contour of US Air Force installations showed a significant negative impact due to the presence of aircraft noise when studied with the …

Quantification Of Energy Consumption And Emissions Using Biodiesel In An Urban Bus Fleet, A. R. Branco, R. Silva, A Vasconcelos, T. L. Farias, L. T. Moura,

Bioenergy - I: From Concept to Commercial Processes

No abstract provided.

Biogas Potential In Chile, Rolando Chamy, Elba Vivanco

Bioenergy - I: From Concept to Commercial Processes

No abstract provided.

Enhanced Profitability Through Technology, Integration And Diversification, Jeffrey Robert

Bioenergy - I: From Concept to Commercial Processes

No abstract provided.

Ethanol Processing Co-Products - Current Constraints And Future Directions, Kurt A. Rosentrater

Bioenergy - I: From Concept to Commercial Processes

No abstract provided.

A Comparative Assessment Of Rapeseed Oil And Biodiesel (Rme) To Replace Petroleum Diesel Use In Transportation, João Malça , Fausto Freire

Bioenergy - I: From Concept to Commercial Processes

No abstract provided.

Poster: Effect Of Sparger Design On The Hydrodynamics Of Anaerobic Digester Mixed By Gas Recirculation Using Advanced Measurement Techniques, Rajneesh Varma , Muthanna Al-Dahhan

Bioenergy - I: From Concept to Commercial Processes

No abstract provided.

Poster: Valorization Of Manure Using Combined Anaerobic Digestion / Algal Tag Production, Alexandra Holland, Rhonda Schmidt, Nam Nguyen

Bioenergy - I: From Concept to Commercial Processes

No abstract provided.

Program - Bioenergy I: From Concept To Commercial Processes - March 5-10, 2006 - Tomar, Portugal

Bioenergy - I: From Concept to Commercial Processes

No abstract provided.

Effect Of Mixing And Scale On The Performance And Hydrodynamics Performance And Hydrodynamics Of Anaerobic Digesters , Mehul Vesvikar, Muthanna Al--Dahhan

Bioenergy - I: From Concept to Commercial Processes

No abstract provided.

A Novel Membrane Reactor For The Continuous Production Of Biodiesel, Marc A. Dubé, André Tremblay, Peigang Cao

Bioenergy - I: From Concept to Commercial Processes

No abstract provided.

Bioenergy Production: Econimics, Policies, And Environmental Considerations, Hosein Shapouri

Bioenergy - I: From Concept to Commercial Processes

No abstract provided.

Biofuels Production In Portugal: An Overview, Ana Cristina Oliveira, Maria Fernanda Rosa

Bioenergy - I: From Concept to Commercial Processes

No abstract provided.

Determination Of The Blend Level Of Mixtures Of Biodiesel With Mineral Diesel Fuel Using Near Infrared Spectroscopy, J.G. Pacheco Filho, M.F. Pimentel, L. Stragevitch, L .S. G. Teixeira, G. M.G. Ribeiro, R. S. Cruz

Bioenergy - I: From Concept to Commercial Processes

No abstract provided.

Poster Session, Kentucky Water Resources Research Institute, University Of Kentucky

Kentucky Water Resources Annual Symposium

• Limestone-Based Material for Arsenic Removal from Drinking Water, Chelsea Campbell and others, Dept of Chemistry, WKU
• Opportunistic Water Education, Amanda Abnee Gumbert, Extension Associate for Environmental and Natural Resources Issues, UK
• Ten-Year Solute Concentration Patterns in Two Streams of Contrasting Land-Use in Western Kentucky and Tennessee, Susan P. Hendricks, Hancock Biological Station, Murray State University
• Pathogen TMDL Development using Load Duration Curves for Two Stream Segments in Rockcastle County, Kentucky, Joseph M. Ferguson, Kentucky DOW
• Beargrass Creek Water Quality Tool and TMDLs, Ward Wilson and others, Tetra Tech
• Pathogen and Sediment Transport in Muddy Creek …

Session 1d: Monitoring, Kentucky Water Resources Research Institute, University Of Kentucky

Kentucky Water Resources Annual Symposium

• An Examination of Statewide Watershed Watch Project Monitoring Data for 2005 Using GIS, Ken Cooke, Kentucky Division of Water, Frankfort
• Taking Watershed Watch to the Next Level: Grabbing the Attention of Local Elected Officials, Ken Cooke, Kentucky Division of Water, H. David Gabbard, LFUCG, Lexington
• Water Quality Data from Citizen Monitoring in the Licking River Region Kentucky 1998-2005: Trends and Issues, M.F. Hult, Daniel Carter Beard Environmental Center, and B.C. Reeder, Center for Environmental Education, Morehead State University
• Water Quality in the Upper Licking River Basin 2003-2005, Brian Reeder and others, Dept of Biological and Environmental …

Session 1c: Superfund, Kentucky Water Resources Research Institute, University Of Kentucky

Kentucky Water Resources Annual Symposium

• The University of Kentucky Superfund Basic Research Program: Overview and Examples of Research Projects, Bernhard Hennig, Leonidas Bachas, and Lindell Ormsbee, UK
• Reductive Dechlorination of Toxic Organics by Bimetallic Nanoparticles in Polyacrylic Acid (PAA) Functionalized MF Membranes, Jian Xu and Dibakar Bhattacharyya, Dept Chemical and Materials Engineering, UK
• Chlorinated Organic Compounds Destruction by Modified Fenton Reaction Involving Immobilized Iron-Chelate, YongChao Li, Leonidas Bachas, and Dibakar Bhattacharyya, Dept Chemical and Materials Engineering, UK
• An Outreach Program Translates Basic Research for Superfund Communities to Improve Health through Nutrition, Lisa Gaetke and Sandra Bastin, Dept Nutrition and Food Science, …

Session 1b: Groundwater, Kentucky Water Resources Research Institute, University Of Kentucky

Kentucky Water Resources Annual Symposium

• A Brief History and Current State of Groundwater Protection in Kentucky, James Webb, Beverly Oliver, and Peter Goodmann, Kentucky DOW, Groundwater Branch
• Summary of Groundwater Quality Data in the Jackson Purchase Region, Kentucky, E.G. Beck, J.S. Dinger, and P.C. Inkenbrandt, KGS
• Groundwater-Quality Assessment and Shallow Aquifer Model of Calloway County, Kentucky, P.C. Inkenbrandt, E.G. Beck, and J.S. Dinger, KGS
• Suspended Sediment and Pathogen Transport in Two Inner Bluegrass Karst Ground-Water Basins, A.E. Fryar and others, Dept Earth and Environmental Sciences, UK
• Locating and Mapping Domestic Water Wells in Marshall County, Kentucky, Wendy D. Langhi, Western …

Proceedings Of 2006 Kentucky Water Resources Annual Symposium, Kentucky Water Resources Research Institute, University Of Kentucky

Kentucky Water Resources Annual Symposium

This symposium was funded in part by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, with Clean Water Act, Section 319(h) grant money through the Kentucky Division of Water and the Kentucky Waterways Alliance, #C9994861-00.

Planning for this conference was conducted as part of the state water resources research annual program with the support and collaboration of the Department of Interior, U.S. Geological Survey and the University of Kentucky Research Foundation, under Grant Agreement No. 01HQGR0133.

The views and conclusions contained in this document are those of the abstract authors and should not be interpreted as necessarily representing the official policies, either expressed …

Evaluation Of Work Zone Safety Operations And Issues, Jerry G. Pigman, Kenneth R. Agent, Eric R. Green

Kentucky Transportation Center Research Report

Work zone activities are one of the areas with a high potential for compromised safety for workers and road users. Various measures have been taken to increase the level of safety in work zones; including the use of double fines for speeding and the application of speed displays based on radar detection. There has been an effort to improve the effectiveness and safety of flaggers by requiring the use of a stop/slow paddle for most work zone conditions, using lights on the paddle, and increasing visibility by using more reflective clothing. It has been suggested that safety in work zones …

Bio-Inspired, Odor-Based Navigation, Maynard John Porter Iii

Theses and Dissertations

The ability of moths to locate a member of the opposite sex, by tracking a wind-borne plume of odor molecules, is an amazing reality. Numerous scenarios exist where having this capability embedded into ground-based or aerial vehicles would be invaluable. The main crux of this thesis investigation is the development of a navigation algorithm which gives a UAV the ability to track a chemical plume to its source. Inspiration from the male moth's, in particular Manduca sexta, ability to successfully track a female's pheromone plume was used in the design of both 2-D and 3-D navigation algorithms. The algorithms were …

Ischemia Reperfusion Dysfunction Changes Model-Estimated Kinetics Of Myofilament Interaction Due To Inotropic Drugs In Isolated Hearts, Samhita S. Rhodes, Amadou Ks Camara, Kristina M. Ropella, Said H. Audi, Matthias L. Riess, Paul S. Pagel, David F. Stowe

Biomedical Engineering Faculty Research and Publications

Background

The phase-space relationship between simultaneously measured myoplasmic [Ca²⁺] and isovolumetric left ventricular pressure (LVP) in guinea pig intact hearts is altered by ischemic and inotropic interventions. Our objective was to mathematically model this phase-space relationship between [Ca²⁺] and LVP with a focus on the changes in cross-bridge kinetics and myofilament Ca²⁺ sensitivity responsible for alterations in Ca²⁺-contraction coupling due to inotropic drugs in the presence and absence of ischemia reperfusion (IR) injury.

Methods

We used a four state computational model to predict LVP using experimentally measured, averaged myoplasmic [Ca²⁺] transients …

A Platform For Antenna Optimization With Numerical Electromagnetics Code Incorporated With Genetic Algorithms, Timothy L. Pitzer

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis investigation presents a unique incorporation of the Method of Moments (MoM) with a Genetic Algorithm (GA). A GA is used in accord with the Numerical Electromagnetics Code, Version 4 (NEC4) to create and optimize typical wire antenna designs, including single elements and arrays. Design parameters for the antenna are defined and encoded into a chromosome composed of a series of numbers. The cost function associated with the specific antenna of interest is what quantifies improvement and, eventually, optimization. This cost function is created and used by the GA to evaluate the performance of a population of antenna designs. …

Improving Intercontinental Ballistic Missile Maintenance Scheduling Through The Use Of Location Analysis Methodologies, Dale L. Overholts Ii

Theses and Dissertations

The events of September 11, 2001 have led to increased security requirements for all ICBM-related activities. Missile maintenance managers must explore new scheduling techniques to sustain weapon system readiness levels in light of published security enhancements. The problem of improving missile maintenance scheduling is modeled as a two-stage heuristic that utilizes the maximal covering location problem methodology. Maintenance activities are categorized and weighted according to published priority designation and mission impact. The model’s first stage seeks to select two security umbrellas that maximize the weighted sum of maintenance activities. Stage two seeks to determine a maintenance schedule comprised of launch …

Discrete Event Simulation Model Of The Ground Maintenance Operations Cycle Of A Reusable Launch Vehicle, John T. Pope Iii

Theses and Dissertations

The Air Force uses a family of expendable launch vehicles to meet its spacelift needs. Unfortunately, this method is not responsive: months of preparation are typically required and launch costs are high. Consequently, the Air Force seeks a reusable military launch vehicle that can be launched inexpensively and quickly regenerated between flights. Air Force Research Laboratory personnel desire a tool to help evaluate candidate designs and perform tradeoff studies necessary to acquire a launch vehicle that will achieve Air Force goals. The objective of this research was first to develop a conceptual model of maintenance operations needed to regenerate a …

Performance Analysis Of A Cooperative Search Algorithm For Multiple Unmanned Aerial Vehicles Under Limited Communication Conditions, Kevin M. Morris

Theses and Dissertations

This research investigates the impacts of realistic wireless communications upon a group of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) utilizing a distributed search algorithm. The UAVs are used to survey an area for mobile targets and they require communication to cooperatively locate the targets. The mobile targets do not continually radiate energy, which exacerbates the search effort; a UAV could fly directly over a target and not detect it. A simulation of cooperative UAVs is implemented using the OPNET Modeler network simulation tool. The search performance of a group of UAVs is observed when communication range, data rate, and the number of …

Detailed Design Of The Rigidizable Inflatable Get-Away-Special Experiment, Jeremy S. Goodwin

Theses and Dissertations

The Rigidizable Inflatable Get-Away-Special Experiment is a Space Shuttle experiment that will study the effects of the zero-gravity space environment on the deployment and modal analysis of three inflatable and rigidizable tubes using a sub-Tg rigidization technique. In 2004, RIGEX was transitioned from the Space Shuttle's Get-Away-Special (GAS) canister to its Canister for All Payload Ejections (CAPE), requiring several modifications to the design. The results of these modifications, along with further refinements made to previous efforts, combine to form the detailed design of the experiment. In addition to the design modifications, analyses were conducted to determine the containment capabilities of …

Structural Health Monitoring Considering Internal Beam Damage, Jessica B. Chronister

Theses and Dissertations

The present study establishes a nondestructive method of damage detection and assessment in cantilever beams. The specimens used are twelve-inch aluminum 2024-T3 beams with machined notches of varying lengths and locations. Laser Doppler vibrometry is used to obtain the frequency response of vibrating beams. Experimental methods are developed to detect the presence, location and extent of damage by direct observation of the eigenvector in the third through eighth modes. Models in MATLAB and ABAQUS are used to predict and validate the observed data. With this experimental method developed, the validity of the method is tested for specimens that have been …