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Acuta Enews September 1996, Vol. 25, No. 9

ACUTA Newsletters

In This Issue

From the President

New Legislation

User Group Reports

Changes Come to Campus Directories

From ACUTA Headquarters

Improving The Performance Of Cellular Manufacturing By A Dynamic Part Assignment Approach, Hamid Seifoddini, Manocher Djassemi

Industrial Technology and Packaging

In this paper, a simple dynamic part assignment (DPA) procedure is introduced and its effects on the performance of cellular manufacturing systems is evaluated. In this procedure rerouting of parts among machine cells is allowed for better machine utilization. Three data sets are used to compare the performance of manufacturing systems under job shop and cellular manufacturing when DPA is employed. The results of simulation runs indicate that the proposed DPA method improves the performance of cellular manufacturing significantly by reducing the congestion in machine cells with long waiting lines.

Acuta Enews August 1996, Vol. 25, No. 8

ACUTA Newsletters

In This Issue

Silver Anniversary Celebration 25 Years of Excellence

President's Message

Chicago Presentations Inspire, Inform, and Entertain

Executive Director

DC at a Glance

Record Number of Exhibitors in Chicago

From ACUTA Headquarters

A Comparison Of Traffic Models: Part 1, Framework, Hong Lo, Wei-Hua Lin, Lawrence Liao, Elbert Chang, Jacob Tsao

Faculty Publications

This report defines a framework for comparing dynamic traffic models. It emphasizes four dimensions: functionality, traffic dynamics, route choice dy namics, and overall network performance. The first dimension compares the models through a check-list of model functions. Regarding the last three comparison dimensions, a total of five networks and twelve scenarios are defined. These test scenarios are designed to accentuate model properties and differences. Also included in the report are a list of performance measures for comparison purpose, and a discussion of the interpretation of results.

Dynamic Traffic Assignment For Automated Highway Systems: A Two-Lane Highway With Speed Constancy, H.-S. Jacob Tsao

Faculty Publications

Dynamic traffic assignment through analytical modeling and optimization has been widely accepted by the IVHS R&D community as a promising traffic control tool for understanding and relieving traffic congestion on conventional highways and city streets. Due to the completely controlled nature of AHS traffic, dynamic assignment of AHS traffic is even more promising. One added dimension of complexity associated with AHS dynamic traffic assignment is lane assignment. Lane changes, for fully utilizing AHS capacity or for exiting, incur disturbances to and hence reduction of longitudinal flow. Intelligent lane assignment is necessary to ensure a high rate of successful exiting, to …

Applications Of Artificial Neural Networks In Interactive Simulation, Payman Jula

Masters Theses

Although there have been many improvements in simulation technology over the past few years, it still suffers from many limitations. Simulation methods are usually time consuming and hence not suitable for the interactive decision making processes.

In this project, applications of Artificial Neural Networks (ANNs) to simulate manufacturing systems have been studied. The backpropagation Multiple Layer Perceptrons (MLPs) have been applied to simulate manufacturing systems. Some guidelines for developing appropriate ANNs have been presented. The results of ANN approach have been compared to those of conventional simulation methods.

Acuta Enews July 1996, Vol. 25, No. 7

ACUTA Newsletters

In This Issue

New Board of Directors Prepares for 1996-97

ACUTA Announces Quarterly Journal

President's Message

Do You Tax Student Long Distance Bills?

DC at a Glance

University of Washington Fills Service Niche with T1 Channel Banks

How to Subscribe to ACUTA Listserves

Everyone Wants Voice Mail

Campus New Briefs

Welcome New Members

Industry Insights

An Artificial Life Model Of Engineering Attrition Contemplation: Why Do Federally Employed Civilian Engineers Think Of Quitting?, John William Herweg

Engineering Management & Systems Engineering Theses & Dissertations

The research objective is, using engineer turnover, to develop an Artificial Life (A-Life) model and simulation methodology useful for studying behavioral variables of individuals in an organization.

One consequence of work stress is burnout, and its extreme expression is quitting or turnover. Various models have been used to explain and predict this behavior. Behavior models are useful tools to explore the ability of organizational policies to reduce stress levels and turnover. Advancing the usefulness of models is a goal which assists all research on human behavior. A-Life offers a new and different methodology for this purpose. It provides an ability …

Reaction Based Grasp Force Assignment, Mark W. Hunter

Theses and Dissertations

An iterative method is developed by which the contact forces required to apply an arbitrary wrench (six elements of force and moment) to a stably grasped object may be calculated quickly. The assignment of contact forces, given a required object wrench, is accomplished with the use of fuzzy logic. This concept is referred to as the fuzzy logic reactive system (FLRS). The solution is versatile with respect to goals inherent in the rulebase and the input parameters, and is also applicable for an arbitrary number of contacts. The goal presented in this research, to illustrate the concept of the FLRS, …

The Noaa Corps -- A Participant Action Research Of A Uniformed Service Facing Termination, Richard Eugene Marriner Ii

Engineering Management & Systems Engineering Theses & Dissertations

The NOAA Corps is a uniformed service of the Federal Government. It is composed of officers commissioned by the President of the United States as are the officers of the Air Force, Army, Coast Guard, Marines, Navy, and Public Health Service. "NOAA" is the acronym for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, an agency within the U.S. Department of Commerce.

On January 24, 1996 the Clinton administration formally proposed that the NOAA Corps be terminated on October 1, 1996. If this were to become reality it would be the first time in U.S. History that a uniformed service has been …

Exploring Knowledge Processes For Technology Assimilation, Rochelle K. Young

Engineering Management & Systems Engineering Theses & Dissertations

In the emerging knowledge society, the ability to make the experience and expertise of those involved in and affected by new technology unconditionally available to all members of an organization is becoming increasingly important. One of the problems in developing such knowledge processes for technology assimilation is that current social structures do not easily accommodate unconditional participation. Since the implementation of modern information technology is changing the workplace and the nature of work itself, alternative social structures are needed. This research takes as given that deep questions concerning knowledge processes and social transformation are in principle undecidable; and, only questions …

Applying Informal Cooperative Learning Groups Techniques In The Classroom, Susan L. Murray

Engineering Management and Systems Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

The application of informal cooperative learning (CL) groups techniques in the courses including operation research, and computer simulation, is discussed. The informal CL activities can be accomplished in small groups consisting of two or three students. It increases student participation and revitalizing passive lecturers. Students work example problems or homework problems in groups.

Acuta Enews June 1996, Vol. 25, No. 6

ACUTA Newsletters

In This Issue

From the President

Virtual LAN at Univ. of Mississippi

DC at a Glance

Internet Phone

From ACUTA Headquarters

Acuta Enews May 1996, Vol. 25, No. 5

ACUTA Newsletters

In This Issue

From the President

DC at a Glance

Letter to FCC

High-Tech Crime

From ACUTA Headquarters

A New Grouping Measure For Evaluation Of Machine-Component Matrices, Hamid Seifoddini, Manocher Djassemi

Industrial Technology and Packaging

The machine-component matrix is the main input to most machine-component grouping models used in cellular manufacturing. A number of measures have been developed for performance evaluation of machine-component grouping algorithms. In this paper, the relationship between these measures and the performance of the corresponding cellular manufacturing system is evaluated and a new grouping measure is developed which is more consistent in predicting the suitability of a manufacturing system for cellular manufacturing.

Developing An Expert System For Processing Planning, Mahmoud M Abdel Wahab

Archived Theses and Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Implementation Of An Integrated Cost And Schedule Control System In The Egyptian Construction Industry, Nahla Mofid El-Ebiary

Archived Theses and Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Acuta Enews April 1996, Vol. 25, No. 4

ACUTA Newsletters

In This Issue

From the President

Pasadena Community College

Port by Every Pillow at WCU

Multi-Media at Sewanee

DC at a Glance

From ACUTA Headquarters

A Total Systems Analysis Method For The Conceptual Design Of Spacecraft: An Application To Remote Sensing Imager Systems, Knut I. Oxnevad

Engineering Management & Systems Engineering Theses & Dissertations

Increased emphasis is being placed on improving the performance of space projects, within tighter budgets and shorter development times. This has led to a need for more efficient space system design methods. The research described here represents an effort to develop and evaluate such a method.

Systems engineering and concurrent engineering together provide the theoretical foundation for the method. The method, derived from both this theoretical foundation and ideas from experts in the space industry, emphasizes a total systems analysis approach, taking into account given mission requirements, and the mathematical modeling of interactions between system variables and between subsystems. The …

Dynamic Lot Sizing And Scheduling In A Multi-Item Production System, Padmanabhan Soundar

Engineering Management & Systems Engineering Theses & Dissertations

In this research, algorithms are developed to address the problem of dynamic lot sizing and scheduling in a single level (or single operation) production system. This research deviates from previous research in this area in that it does not have the kind of assumptions regarding the real world production system that normally were made to reduce the complexity of the problem. Specifically, this research explicitly considers finite capacity, multiple items, known deterministic dynamic demand, sequence dependent setup times and setup costs, setup carryover and variable backlogging. The objective is to simultaneously determine the lot size and the sequence of production …

An Investigation Of Learning Curves And Their Use In Simulation, Jennie H. Lommel

Theses and Dissertations

In 1995, the C-17 Factory Simulation Model (FSM) was developed to enable analysts to address 'what-if' questions about the resources required to build future aircraft, and is based on learning curve models that are used to both portray and simulate future aircraft production. In this thesis, we examine and develop alternate learning curve models that also utilize a small amount of initial production data to portray the relationship between the number of aircraft built and the resources required to build them. The goal is to identify a model which not only provides a good fit and forecast based on a …

Developing Methods To Measure And Project Levels Of Combat Readiness In A Naval Aviation Squadron At The Unit Level, Michael Lawrence White

Engineering Management & Systems Engineering Theses & Dissertations

Among the various missions and levels in a military organization, the term "Combat Readiness" is defined in many ways. To a unit-level command, such as an aircraft squadron, it simply refers to the unit's capability to perform its assigned mission when called upon. The proof of that capability is evident in the aftermath of combat, however, it is too late at that point to address any shortcomings that may exist. The problem is, how can the unit effectively define, continuously measure, and confidently forecast its ability to perform in combat? A quantitative model based upon historical data that encompasses all …

Acuta Enews March 1996, Vol. 25, No. 3

ACUTA Newsletters

In This Issue

From the President

Seeking a Wireless Solution

DC at a Glance

Telecom & Leg/Reg Listserves

From ACUTA Headquarters

Modeling Space In The Air Force Command Exercise System (Aces), Robert Payne Jr.

Theses and Dissertations

In response to the increased influence of space forces on today's battlefield, several theater level models were analyzed for the presentation of space forces. These models were the Extended Air Defense Simulation (EADSIM), the Joint Theater Level Simulation (JTLS), the Integrated Theater Engagement Model (ITEM), the Tactical Warfare Model (TACWAR), Thunder, Janus, and the Aggregate Level Simulation Protocol (ALSP). While ALSP is not a model but a simulation protocol connecting various models, it was studied because it appears to be the future of modeling. The consensus of the analysis was that space forces are virtually ignored by most of the …

International Space Station Traffic Modeling And Simulation, Jillene B. Rylaarsdam

Theses and Dissertations

In an effort to provide NASA with an alternative perspective and some insights to the operational planning of the International Space Station (ISS), this research developed a simulation environment for the ISS and devised a method to evaluate various altitude strategies. The simulation environment allowed us to incorporate the natural random behaviors which affect the lifetime of objects in low earth orbit. We created prototype models of the operational planning process to analyze current altitude strategy approaches and acquire new strategies from insights observed. In addition, by extrapolating random future solar activity values from the interpolation of historical data, we …

The Effects Of Changing Force Structure On Thunder Output, Michael R. Farmer

Theses and Dissertations

In today's reduction of America's national defense, campaign level models are being used more in the development of force structure. The effects of drawdown are of significant interest to those at the highest levels of authority. Campaign models can bring those high ranking officials the answers they seek with high confidence. THUNDER is a campaign model used frequently by the United States Air Force and many of its contractors. The effects of changing the force structure within THUNDER require modifying variables before executing a new experimental run. Changes in such issues as force structure cannot be immediately addressed. Response Surface …

Replicative Use Of An External Model In Simulation Variance Reduction, Thomas H. Irish

Theses and Dissertations

The use of control variates is a well-known variance reduction technique for discrete event simulation experiments. Currently, internal control variates are used almost exclusively by practitioners and researchers when using control variates. The primary objective of this study is to explore the variance reduction achieved by the replicative use of an external, analytical model to generate control variates. Performance for the analytical control variates is compared to the performance of typical internal and external control variates for both an open and a closed queueing network. Performance measures used are confidence interval width reduction, realized coverage, and estimated Mean Square Error. …

Forecasting And Explanatory Models For Middle Eastern Defense Budgets: A Case Study Of Saudi Arabia, Robert S. Renfro Ii

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis focuses on means of forecasting Saudi Arabian military expenditures and the effect of such expenditures on the United States. Saudi Arabia is one of the largest purchasers of American arms and will continue to be for many years. Saudi Arabia has experienced several recent changes in economic and government policy. Using exponential smoothing techniques and linear regression, we isolated several trends in Saudi Arabian military expenditures. Using two linear regression models, military expenditures were then forecast with excellent results. The first model considered the assumption that Gulf War spending would continue. This model uses Saudi Arabian Gross Domestic …

Performance Study Of Shared Versus Nonshared Bandwidth On A Packet-Switched Network, John P. Stevens

Theses and Dissertations

In wide area computer data communications, many networks have evolved by satisfying increased user demands in the most expedient manner. In some cases, new users’ demands are satisfied by installing a new link, rather than sharing the links that are already in place. This research investigates the differences in performance between using a dedicated link for each source destination pair (nonshared bandwidth) and using a single link to be used by all source destination pairs (shared bandwidth). Simulation models are developed for a wide area network using shared bandwidth, and a wide area network using nonshared bandwidth. The quality of …

Modeling Mobility Engineering In A Theater Level Combat Model, Brian K. Hobson

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis describes the development of a methodology to model theater-level mobility engineering assets in the Joint Staff's Joint Warfare Analysis Experimental Prototype (JWAEP) and to quantify the joint and Army doctrine that guides the task organization of engineers for combat and which quantifies engineer mobility effects in combat. The methodology incorporates theater-level mobility engineering assets into the JWAEP by using Mission, Enemy, Troops available, Terrain, and Time (MET-T principles which reflect joint and Army doctrine, and combines them with the existing basic concepts in other theater-level models. Additional aspects of the problem include determining the manmade and natural obstacles' …