Digital Commons Network^™

Physical Fitness And The Expeditionary Air Force, Elizabeth T. Lewis

Theses and Dissertations

The Air Force is constantly evolving. With the many changes and the Expeditionary Air Force structure put in place, it is more important now than ever that the Air Force has a physical fitness program to keep its members healthy and productive. By doing this, it can ensure success in completing the Air Force mission while keeping the organization at the highest level of readiness possible. This thesis looks at what the Air Force values in having a fitness program. These values are taken from Air Force doctrine and related instructions. Using these values, fitness programs can be evaluated to …

Analysis Of Organizational Architectures For The Air Force Tuition Assistance Program, Krista Z. Lapietra

Theses and Dissertations

The consideration of restructuring through a change in organizational architecture is often a fiercely debated issue within an organization. The argument for restructuring to improve quality, customer service, and financial management is pitted against perceived lack of job security and historically poor results from previous restructuring initiatives. To balance all sides when considering a change in organizational architecture, the organization should use a method of evaluating potential architectures that assists in determining the best new architecture and generates support from those involved. The objective of this research is to provide the Air Force Education Division with a defendable methodology for …

Simulation Of Autonomic Logistics System (Als) Sortie Generation, Paul D. Faas

Theses and Dissertations

The Air Force needs tools for analysis and evaluation of new logistic operational concepts. The purpose of this research was to conflict a discrete event simulation model of the aircraft sortie generation process to permit what-if analyses of these concepts. The current Air Force logistics operations system is reactive in nature meaning that after the aircraft detects a part failure, the maintenance person must perform fault isolation procedures and then steps are taken to repair or replace the faulty item. The Autonomic Logistics System (ALS) concept changes the reactive process into a proactive one with the employment of technologies such …

An Analysis Of Multiple Layered Networks, Kevin T. Kennedy

Theses and Dissertations

Current infrastructure network models of single functionality do not typically account for the interdependent nature of infrastructure networks. Infrastructure networks are generally modeled individually, as an isolated network or with minimal recognition of interactions. This research develops a methodology to model the individual infrastructure network types while explicitly modeling their interconnected effects. The result is a formulation built with two sets of variables (the original set to model infrastructure characteristics and an additional set representing cuts of interdependent elements). This formulation is decomposed by variable type using Benders Partitioning and solved to optimality using a Benders Partitioning algorithm. Current infrastructure …

A Simulation Based Comparative Analysis Of Alternatives For Tuition Assistance Organizational Structures, Tamiko L. Ritschel

Theses and Dissertations

The military services have experienced enormous downsizing efforts in the last decade. With these initiatives, organizations have had to derive innovative ways to meet their objectives with fewer resources. An organization's structure is an avenue to address these challenges within the atmosphere of a shrinking capital budget. Organizational structure changes can affect every aspect of the organization. Such an impact suggests proposals for drastic organizational changes must meet the rigors of a full analysis. The intent of this research is to provide a comprehensive analysis of centralization options for Air Force Tuition Assistance efforts. This thesis effort involves the development …

Models For Sortie Generation With Autonomic Logistics, Nicholaus A. Yager

Theses and Dissertations

The primary objective of this research is to investigate the impact of an autonomic logistics system (ALS) on the sortie generation process for an individual airbase. As in some prior studies of this process, the methodology used to model the sortie generation process is a queueing network containing fork-join nodes for concurrent maintenance activities. The sortie generation rate is commonly regarded as the primary performance measure of the sortie generation process. This measure coincides with the throughput and is used to compare two models: (1) pre-ALS operations and (2) ALS-enhanced airbase operations. Analysis of the models shows that the ALS …

A System Dynamics Approach For Information Technology Implementation And Sustainment, Nathan W. Fonnesbeck

Theses and Dissertations

The goal of this research is to bring a new, dynamic modeling perspective to organizational information technology (IT) implementation systems (using the Air Force GeoBase initiative as a real-world example) without compromising principles from the research literature. Undesired behavior patterns, from historically poor IT implementation performance, versus desired behavior patterns are incorporated into the model structure. Using a system dynamics approach, multiple simulation runs under various initial conditions and organizational contexts are performed and compared over a short-term versus a long-term period of time. Based on these simulation ruins, various mixes of management interventions, under varying conditions, are recommended to …

Optimizing An In Situ Bioremediation Technology To Manage Perchlorate-Contaminated Groundwater, Mark R. Knarr

Theses and Dissertations

Combining horizontal flow treatment wells (HFTWs) with in situ biodegradation is an innovative approach with the potential to remediate perchlorate-contaminated groundwater. A technology model was recently developed that combines the groundwater flow induced by HFTWs with in situ biodegration processes that result from using the HFTWs to mix electron donor into perchlorate-contaminated groundwater. A field demonstration of this approach is planned to begin this year. In order to apply the technology in the field, project managers need to understand how contaminated site conditions and technology design parameters impact technology performance. One way to gain this understanding is to use the …

A Life Cycle Assessment And Economic Analysis Of Wind Turbines Using Monte Carlo Simulation, Edward J. Liberman

Theses and Dissertations

The United States depends heavily on nonrenewable fossil fuels to generate electricity. Using renewable energy sources, such as wind, could reduce air emissions and fossil fuel dependency. Previous studies have examined the life cycle costs and environmental impacts of using wind to generate electricity, but results have varied due to inconsistent modeling assumptions. This research uses Monte Carlo simulation to conduct an economic payback analysis and life cycle assessment of 11 modern, utility-scale wind turbines. Hourly meteorological data was used to evaluate 239 U.S. locations. For each location, the wind turbine with the shortest median payback period was assumed to …

Palladium-Catalyzed Destruction Of Nitro Aromatic-Contaminated Groundwater, Dennis Landon Phillips

Theses and Dissertations

Of the over 17,000 DoD sites that potentially require remediation, sites containing soil and groundwater contaminated by energetic compounds are prevalent (Larson et al., 2001). Production of energetics such as 2,4,6-trinitrotoluene (TNT), hexahydro-1,3,5 - trinitro- 1,3,5 -triazine (RDX), and octahydro-1,3,5,7-tetranitro- 1,3,5,7-tetrasocine (HMX) for use in munitions has created a DoD-wide problem due to improper disposal techniques (Price et al., 2001), Nitro aromatic compounds (NACs) similar to those used in explosives can also be found in insecticides, herbicides, pharmaceuticals, dyes, plastics, and many other commonly used products. The natural breakdown of these contaminants creates byproducts such as amines, which are known …

Using The Gps To Improve Trajectory Position And Velocity Determination During Real-Time Ejection Seat Design, Test And Evaluation, Christina G. Schutte

Theses and Dissertations

Test and evaluation of the United States Air Force’s latest aircraft escape system technology requires accurate position and velocity profiles during each test to determine the relative positions between the aircraft, ejection seat, manikin and the ground. Current rocket sled testing relies on expensive ground based multiple camera systems to determine the position and velocity profiles. While these systems are satisfactory at determining seat and manikin trajectories for sled testing, their accuracy decreases when they are used for in-flight testing, especially at high altitudes. This research presents the design and test results from a new GPS-based system capable of monitoring …

Outsourcing Information Technology And The Insider Threat, Valerie L. Caruso

Theses and Dissertations

As one of our nation's top critical infrastructures, telecommunications is an essential element of many aspects of our lives upon which we, as a society, are becoming increasingly dependent. Computers, digital telephone switches, and interconnected information technology (IT) systems impact finances, travel, infrastructure management, and missions of national defense. This research examined whether the trend in increased outsourcing of information technology systems is a significant contributing factor to a reportedly increasing amount of insider attacks. In light of changing social, global economic, and technological conditions, the paradigm in which risk analysis, management practices, and operational and personnel security practices are …

Strategies For Improving Neural Signal Detection Using A Neural-Electronic Interface, Robert B. Szlavik

Biomedical Engineering

There have been various theoretical and experimental studies presented in the literature that focus on interfacing neurons with discrete electronic devices, such as transistors. From both a theoretical and experimental perspective, these studies have emphasized the variability in the characteristics of the detected action potential from the nerve cell. The demonstrated lack of reproducible fidelity of the nerve cell action potential at the device junction would make it impractical to implement these devices in any neural prosthetic application where reliable detection of the action potential was a prerequisite. In this study, the effects of several different physical parameters on the …

The Air Force Operational Risk Management Program And Aviation Safety, Matthew G. Cho

Theses and Dissertations

Aviation mishaps are extremely costly in terms of dollar value, public opinion, and human life, The Air Force drastically reduced Class A mishap rates in its formative years. The rate plummeted from 44.22 mishaps per 100,000 flight hours in 1947 to 2.33 mishaps in 1983 and has held steady around 1.5 mishaps since. The Air Force implemented the Operational Risk Management (ORM) program in 1996 in an effort to protect their most valuable resources: aircraft and aviators. An AFIT thesis conducted in 1999 by Capt Park Ashley studied the Army similar Risk Management (RM) program. Ashley concluded that since his …

Modeling Catalytic Destruction Of Subsurface Contaminants In Recirculating Wells, Kerry J. Cadena

Theses and Dissertations

Groundwater and soil contamination is a significant problem throughout the nation, with approximately 300,000 to 400,000 sites affected (National Research Council, 1994). Examples of groundwater contaminants of special interest to DoD and AF installations include fuel hydrocarbons, chlorinated hydrocarbons, and nitroaromatic compounds. Traditional remediation technologies, which include pump-and-treat, permeable reactive barriers, and natural attenuation, have numerous drawbacks associated with them. These drawbacks have prompted researchers to look for innovative contamination clean-up methods. The technology investigated in this thesis, reticulating horizontal flow treatment wells (HFTWs) with in-well palladium (Pd) catalyst reactors, offers the potential for destruction of groundwater contaminants commonly found …

Inside Unlv, Gian Galassi, Jennifer Vaughan, Carol C. Harter, Carolyn Sabo

Inside UNLV

No abstract provided.

An Analysis Of The Efficacy Of The Logistics Composite Model In Estimating Maintenance Manpower Productive Capacity, Kirk B. Pettingill

Theses and Dissertations

The Logistics Composite Model (LCOM) is the tool of choice for many MAJCOM's (ACC, USAFE, AFMC) in determining maintenance manpower requirements. The LCOM is a simulation program capable of modeling the manpower, equipment, supplies, and facilities required to conduct aircraft maintenance activities, Manpower studies conducted with the LCOM result in manpower estimates that end up in Unit Manning Documents (UMD) as "LCOM earned," authorized positions. This research effort focuses on whether the LCOM can also be used to determine maintenance manpower's current capacity. Three different flying units at Cannon AFB, NM were modeled to determine if the LCOM, when programmed …

A Value Focused Thinking Approach To Software Interface In A Complex Analytical Domain, Christopher M. Mcgee

Theses and Dissertations

The intelligence community is faced with an extensive amount of data. Software programs are being developed to examine this issue of data overload and to develop solutions. The responsibility of making the final software decision lies on the analyst, therefore, the interface is the key to linking the intelligence data to the processing and results, If the interface is difficult and complex, the software will be less likely to be used. A methodology must be created which can objectively evaluate the effectiveness of the interface, This methodology will also measure the improvements in the interface's effectiveness that result when various …

Modeling Homeland Security: A Value Focused Thinking Approach, Kristopher A. Pruitt

Theses and Dissertations

The events of September 11, 2001 have propelled the topic of homeland security to the forefront of national concern. The threat of terrorism within the United States has reached an unprecedented level. The pervasive vulnerabilities of the nation's critical infrastructure coupled with the destructive capabilities and deadly intentions of modern terrorists pose extraordinary risks. The United States must mitigate these risks while at the same time balancing the associated costs and impact on civil liberties. Currently, the United States lacks effective methods and measure for assessing the security of the homeland from acts of terrorism. This study outlines a first …

Experimental And Computational Failure Analysis Of Graphite/Bismaleimide Laminated Composite And Carbon Foam In Sandwich Construction, Troy C. Welker

Theses and Dissertations

Sandwich beams consisting of a carbon foam core and graphite/bismaleimide face sheets were constructed and tested. Nine specimens were fabricated using three distinct cross-ply symmetric face sheet layups with a constant core thickness. Four-point bend testing controlled by a constant rate of midspan vertical displacement was used to load the specimens to failure. Displacements and strains from the experiment were compared to analytical sandwich beam theory and displacements and failure loads were compared to a layerwise finite element solution. A phenomenological failure criterion was developed that compares favorably with experimental failure data. The finite element solution gives failure within an …

Bs News

Building Services Engineering

No abstract provided.

Use Of Positron Annihilation Spectroscopy For Stress-Strain Measurements, Ajit K. Roy

Transmutation Sciences Materials (TRP)

The purpose of this collaborative research project involving the University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV) and the Idaho State University (ISU) is to evaluate the feasibility of determining residual stresses of welded, bent (three-point-bend), and cold-worked engineering materials using a new nondestructive technique based on positron annihilation spectroscopy. The proposed technique is to use x-rays from a small MeV electron Linac to generate positrons inside the sample via pair production. This method can be used for materials characterization and investigation of defects in thick samples that could not be accomplished by conventional positron technique or other nondestructive methods. The data …

Design And Analysis Of A Process For Melt Casting Metallic Fuel Pins Incorporating Volatile Actinides, Yitung Chen, Darrell Pepper, Randy Clarksean

Fuels Campaign (TRP)

UNLV has developed and will continue to develop process models for the analysis of melt casting processes. This work will continue to be performed under the guidance of Argonne National Laboratory (ANL) engineers to insure that their knowledge and experience benefits the project. The research to be conducted during year three will center on performing detailed analyses on a conceptual design of an inductively heated skull-crucible casting furnace. Processing conditions will be analyzed, basic models utilized, and detailed heat and mass transfer models will be developed to analyze the most promising processes. The goal of this third year is to …

Experimental Investigation Of Steel Corrosion In Lead Bismuth Eutectic (Lbe): Characterization, Species Identification, And Chemical Reactions, John Farley, Dale L. Perry, Allen L. Johnson

Transmutation Sciences Materials (TRP)

The goal of the present research is to achieve a basic understanding of corrosion of steels by Lead Bismuth Eutectic (LBE). Liquid LBE is under consideration in the transmuter as both a spallation target and as a blanket coolant. There have been previous studies of LBE, especially by the Russians, who have over 80 reactor-years experience with LBE coolant in their Alpha-class submarine reactors. The Russians found that the presence of small amounts (ppm) of oxygen in the LBE significantly reduced corrosion. However, a fundamental understanding and verification of its role in the corrosion of steels is still very incomplete. …

Compositions And Methods For Wood Preservation, Peter Laks, Patricia Heiden

Michigan Tech Patents

The invention provides a method for incorporating biocides into wood or a wood product. The method comprises incorporating an additive into a nanoparticle, applying the nanoparticle to wood or a wood particle and applying sufficient pressure to force the nanoparticle to penetrate the wood or wood particle.

University Of Nevada, Las Vegas Transmutation Research Program: Quarterly Report, Second Quarter Year 2 (June 2002 To August 2002), Anthony Hechanova

Transmutation Research Program Reports (TRP)

This Quarterly Report is a primary deliverable from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV) Transmutation Research Program (TRP) Director to the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) as described in the UNLV Advanced Accelerator Applications (AAA) proposal, and AAA FY02 Work Package. Note: during this quarter, the AAA national program changed names to the Advanced Fuel Cycle Initiative (AFCI) and the UNLV AAA University Participation Program changed its name to the Transmutation Research Program. The new names will be used in future references.

The TRP Director implements the program’s administration using staff from the Harry Reid Center for Environmental Studies …

Sunup To Sundown - Energygauge Usa 2.0, Florida Solar Energy Center, Robin Vieira

FSEC Energy Research Center®

You need special tools to design high-performance homes - residences where energy efficiency creates greater comfort, health, and energy savings. Making decisions about energy efficiency requires the accurate calculation of energy use and demand, and the comprehensive evaluation of proposed improvements.

A new software tool helps meet these requirements. EnergyGauge USA, an hourly simulation tool for the design and analysis of high-performance homes, performs detailed hourly simulation analysis for energy use, ratings and code calculations. Version 2.0 adds many features to the first-generation product, including thermal mass, photovoltaic (PV) system simulation, solar water heating, and detailed hourly outputs.

The software, …

Statistical And Dempster-Shafer Techniques In Testing Structural Integrity Of Aerospace Structures, Roberto A. Osegueda, Seetharami R. Seelam, Bharat Mulupuru, Vladik Kreinovich

Departmental Technical Reports (CS)

Several techniques are known for non-destructive testing of aerospace structures, such as pulse echo, Eddy current, magnetic resonance, etc. Each of these techniques detects some faults but misses others, so it is desirable to combine (fuse) the results of these techniques. Several methods of data fusion are known. To improve the quality of fault detection, we modified the straightforward statistical method as follows: (1) we computed mean and variance iteratively: detected faults are excluded form the computation on the next iteration; (2) we treated the plate's edge and the inside separately; (3) we dismissed measurements in which only one technique …

Detection Of Cracks At Rivet Holes In Thin Plates Using Lamb-Wave Scanning, Roberto A. Osegueda, Vladik Kreinovich, Soheil Nazarian, Enrique Roldan

Departmental Technical Reports (CS)

This paper describes a Lamb-wave scanning method for the detection of notches simulating cracks at rivet holes in thin plates. The approach requires the generation of an ultrasonic So-Mode Lamb wave using an incident transmitter excited with a tone burst centered at a near non-dispersive frequency. Area scans are performed of a plate with a hole with a notch to generate times series information which is used to create animations illustrating the wave propagation characteristics. The time series are subject to a sifting process to obtain intrinsic mode functions which contain narrow frequency banded information of the signals. The Hilbert-Huang …

Bs News

Building Services Engineering

No abstract provided.