Engineering Commons^™

Understanding Cnc Capacity Through Production Time Estimation, Kaitlin Bluhm

Honors Theses

Landscape Forms is a high-end outdoor furniture company. This thesis was completed at the Landscape Forms woodshop located in Kalamazoo, MI. Landscape Forms initially reached out regarding their CNC machines being the bottleneck and it was determined that the current product standards and capacity of the CNC machines at Landscape Forms were not accurate. This causes issues when planning and scheduling their incoming orders. During this thesis, two tools were developed over the course of two semesters. The first tool helped to create accurate product standards for their CNC machines depending on the different product types and second, a CNC …

Student Success And Evaluation Metrics, Ricky L. Singletary Jr, Andrew I. Morgan, Elena S. Van Zanten

Senior Design Project For Engineers

In so many instances, students drift through high school and are unaware of what types of job opportunities are out there for them. It is easy to see that a student can get overwhelmed by the number of career options, or they may not know what they want to do at all. The Blue Barred has generated a solution that allows students to see their options much more clearly through the analysis of six factors and their contribution to success: Engagement, Value Added Learning, Network-ability, Literacy, Numeracy, and Graduation Rates. Through the usage of tools such as literary research, surveys, …

Natural Resources Management Framework For Agricultural Irrigation Systems Optimization, Juan Valentin Fernandez

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Water scarcity has increased substantially in the last decades in many parts of the world, and it is expected to worsen due to the significant increase in global water withdrawals, intensive population growth, and climate change. Water is easily one of the most essential and invaluable global resources due to its many uses, such as drinking, industrial processes, and irrigation. The agriculture sector is one of the most significant water users globally, accounting for nearly 70% of global freshwater withdrawals. Cities and industries compete with the agriculture sector for water sources, producing alarming levels of stress and pollution in the …

Evaluation And Implementation Of Lean Engineering Principles For Improving A University Rocket Team, Alan Garcia

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

In the present day, lean is a tool applied to manufacturing industries trying to reduce wasteand non-value-added work to every process during the supply chain. While implementing lean thinking in the industry has been highly effective, it is less common for academic purposes. However, it can also improve performance if the concept is correctly applied. The purpose of this thesis is to show and analyze the application of Lean Engineering thinking and its six principles to the Sun City Summit Rocket Team from the University of Texas at El Paso which competed in the Intercollegiate Rocket Engineering Competition (IREC) Spaceport …

Interoperability In An Electrified Pavement System: A Model-Based Systems Engineering Perspective, Beatriz Irene Soto

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

In a 2021 statement provided by The White House, (The White House, 2021), the Biden administration announce the goal for electric vehicles to account for 50% of new vehicle sales in the United States by 2035. In addition, the legislation allocates a budget of $7.5 billion to build out a national network of EV chargers along highway corridors to facilitate long-distance travel and within communities to provide convenient charging where people live, work, and shop. This investment will support the President's goal of building a nationwide network of 500,000 EV chargers to accelerate the adoption of EVs, reduce emissions, improve …

A Novel Approach To Orbital Debris Mitigation, Timothy S. Turk

Doctoral Dissertations

Since mankind launched the first satellite into orbit in 1957, we have been inadvertently, yet deliberately, creating an environment in space that may ultimately lead to the end of our space exploration. Space debris, more specifically, orbital debris is a growing problem that must be dealt with sooner, rather than later. Several ideas have been developed to address the complex problem of orbital debris mitigation.

This research will investigate the possibility of removing orbital debris from the Low Earth Orbit (LEO) regime by using a metaheuristic algorithm to maximize collection of debris resulting from the February 2009 on-orbit collision of …

Evaluation Of Metaverse Integration Of Freight Fluidity Measurement Alternatives Using Fuzzy Dombi Edas Model, Muhammet Deveci, Ilgin Gokasar, Oscar Castillo, Tugrul Daim

Engineering and Technology Management Faculty Publications and Presentations

Developments in transportation systems, changes in consumerism trends, and conditions such as COVID-19 have increased both the demand and the load on freight transportation. Since various companies are transporting goods all over the world to evaluate the sustainability, speed, and resiliency of freight transportation systems, data and freight fluidity measurement systems are needed. In this study, an integrated decision-making model is proposed to advantage prioritize the freight fluidity measurement alternatives. The proposed model is composed of two main stages. In the first stage, the Dombi norms based Logarithmic Methodology of Additive Weights (LMAW) is used to find the weights of …

Simulating Emergency Evacuation Response In An Auditorium Space, Anna Lee

Industrial Engineering Undergraduate Honors Theses

The successful execution of emergency evacuations is very important for the protection of the public. Some emergency events, such as fires, can occur with very little warning and turn into a dangerous situation in less than a minute. With high population densities, universities have increased risk involved with evacuations. One specific area that presents high risk is auditorium spaces such as lecture halls with high densities combined with added barriers such as tables and chairs. The ability to assess a building’s emergency preparedness is necessary for keeping the public safe. Simulation is a way to conduct a theoretical event and …

Novel Mixed Integer Programming Approaches To Unit Commitment And Tool Switching Problems, Najmaddin Akhundov

Doctoral Dissertations

In the first two chapters, we discuss mixed integer programming formulations in Unit Commitment Problem. First, we present a new reformulation to capture the uncertainty associated with renewable energy. Then, the symmetrical property of UC is exploited to develop new methods to improve the computational time by reducing redundancy in the search space. In the third chapter, we focus on the Tool Switching and Sequencing Problem. Similar to UC, we analyze its symmetrical nature and present a new reformulation and symmetry-breaking cuts which lead to a significant improvement in the solution time. In chapter one, we use convex hull pricing …

Integrating Model-Based Systems Engineering Industry Transformations For Workforce Development, Wilma Analisa Ankobiah

Theses and Dissertations

This study explores whether MBSE industry workforce requirements are being satisfied by the academic curricula of US institutions. Using an industry survey, which is highlighted in Chapter 3, identifies the existing perception of MBSE from various industries and explores the MBSE needs of professionals, such as tools concepts and languages. It examines how industry professionals perceive MBSE, the advantages and challenges of MBSE use and the preferred MBSE tools, languages and knowledge of concepts deemed necessary to ensure project success in the respective industry sectors. Results of phase 1 industry survey will summarize the current MBSE concepts, tools and languages …

Essays On Perioperative Services Problems In Healthcare, Amogh S. Bhosekar

All Dissertations

One of the critical challenges in healthcare operations management is to efficiently utilize the expensive resources needed while maintaining the quality of care provided. Simulation and optimization methods can be effectively used to provide better healthcare services. This can be achieved by developing models to minimize patient waiting times, minimize healthcare supply chain and logistics costs, and maximize access. In this proposal, we study some of the important problems in healthcare operations management. More specifically, we focus on perioperative services and study scheduling of operating rooms (ORs) and management of necessary resources such as staff, equipment, and surgical instruments. We …

Investigation Into The Economic Viability Of Industry 4.0 Practices In A Small Start-Up Setting: A Case Study, Joseph Lindley

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Industry 4.0 has been a hot button topic since the first rumouringâ??s of a fourth industrial revolution taking place in the early 2010s. Since that time many companies have attempted to transform their process, procedures, and systems to become streamlined, efficient, and overall, more profitable. An example of this can be seen in companies such as Microsoft and IBM, Mitsubishi and Siemens who have gained a stronger foothold in their respective markets by their efficient implementation of Industry 4.0. Before we can address how small start-up companies can begin to compete with these behemoths, we must address the question; what …

Productivity And Quality Evaluation In Assembly Using Collaborative Robots, Carlos F. Manzanares Vega

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

In Industry 4.0, various technologies have been applied to achieve automation for traditional manufacturing and practices. For this reason, Smart Manufacturing (SM) environments utilize collaborative robots for process optimization by integrating the Internet of Things (IoT). Cobots are equipped with sensors and/or other devices to be able to transmit data in real-time while performing their tasks. Consequently, such SM implementations improves the decision making and business development, such as supply chain and operations, by sharing real-time data from a plant operational level. The collaborative robots are also designed to safely interact and collaborate with humans to perform tasks and optimize …

Optimal Scheduling Of Aircraft Test And Evaluation Fleets To Balance Availability For Testing And Training, Sarah E. Hoops

Theses and Dissertations

The 96th Test Wing at Eglin Air Force Base manually schedules a fleet of approximately 26 aircraft to conduct a range of missions over a one-to-two year planning period. This study automates the scheduling process, does so in a manner that optimizes multiple planning goals related to aircraft availability for training, and provides the 96th Test Wing with a software tool for the implementation that can be used by operational analysts within the command. We formulate the scheduling problem as a multiobjective, nonlinear, binary integer math program that seeks to maximize both the lowest percent of time any aircraft is …

On Variants Of Sliding And Frank-Wolfe Type Methods And Their Applications In Video Co-Localization, Seyed Hamid Nazari

All Dissertations

In this dissertation, our main focus is to design and analyze first-order methods for computing approximate solutions to convex, smooth optimization problems over certain feasible sets. Specifically, our goal in this dissertation is to explore some variants of sliding and Frank-Wolfe (FW) type algorithms, analyze their convergence complexity, and examine their performance in numerical experiments. We achieve three accomplishments in our research results throughout this dissertation. First, we incorporate a linesearch technique to a well-known projection-free sliding algorithm, namely the conditional gradient sliding (CGS) method. Our proposed algorithm, called the conditional gradient sliding with linesearch (CGSls), does not require the …

Multiple Heat Exchanger Cooling System For Automotive Applications – Design, Mathematical Modeling, And Experimental Observations, Zaker Syed

All Dissertations

The design of the automotive cooling systems has slowly evolved from engine-driven mechanical to computer-controlled electro-mechanical components. With the addition of computer-controlled variable speed actuators, cooling system architectures have been updated to maximize performance and efficiency. By switching from one large radiator to multiple smaller radiators with individual flow control valves, the heat rejection requirements may be precisely adjusted. The combination of computer regulated thermal management system should reduce power consumption while satisfying temperature control objectives. This research focuses on developing and analyzing a multi-radiator system architecture for implementation in ground transportation applications. The premise is to use a single …

An Exploration Into The Design Of A Portable Music Player For People With Alzheimer’S And Dementia, Jaxon V. Silva

Liberal Arts and Engineering Studies

An exploration into the design of a portable music player for people with Alzheimer's and dementia.

Callaway Measurement Device, Andre S. Fisher, Roman Hays, Blake Sousa, Grant Gabrielson

Mechanical Engineering

The purpose of this document is to illustrate the Callaway Measurement Device senior project from start to finish. The challenge given to the team was to update and improve a gauge used by Callaway employees to measure the loft, lie, and face angle of their full spectrum of golf clubs. Once the team understood how the pre-existing gauge operates, the team conducted background research into other technologies that could improve the gauge. The team decided to digitalize the device amongst other tweaks to reduce error. Because the CAD files were not available for the pre-existing device, the team began reverse …

Cooperative Wide Area Search Algorithm Analysis Using Sub-Region Techniques, Shawn Whitney

Theses and Dissertations

Recent advances in small Unmmaned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) technology reinvigorates the need for additional research into Wide Area Search (WAS) algorithms for civilian and military applications. But due to the extremely large variability in UAV environments and design, Digital Engineering (DE) is utilized to reduce the time, cost, and energy required to advance this technology. DE also allows rapid design and evaluation of autonomous systems which utilize and support WAS algorithms. Modern WAS algorithms can be broadly classified into decision-based algorithms, statistical algorithms, and Artificial Intelligence (AI)/Machine Learning (ML) algorithms. This research continues on the work by Hatzinger and Gertsman …

Project Selection In Facility And Infrastructure Maintenance Organizations, Bayram M. Kurbanov

Theses and Dissertations

The current Air Force Civil Engineer Center (AFCEC) built infrastructure Facility Sustainment Restoration and Modernization (FSRM) portfolio management methodology results in an unbalanced project portfolio. The consequence of this unbalance is that majority of the funding goes towards buildings on the flightline and Facility Support Services activities do not get adequate funding which leads to further deterioration of those facilities. This research investigates whether decision support framework based on Value-Focused Thinking (VFT) process yields better project selection outcomes for facility and infrastructure maintenance organizations. To accomplish that, the investigation focuses on understanding current AFCEC decision support methodology, building an alternative …

Forming Coalitions And Sharing Payoffs In N-Person Normal Form Games, Emma Owusu Dwobeng

Industrial, Manufacturing, and Systems Engineering Dissertations

For a given n-person normal form game, we form all possible sets of mutually exclusive and collectively exhaustive coalitions of the n players. For each set of coalitions, we define a coalitional semi-cooperative game as one in which these coalitions are taken as the players of this new game, each coalition tries to maximize the sum of its individual players’ payoffs, and the players within a coalition cooperate to do so. For any coalitional semi-cooperative game, the goal of the original n players is to improve their individual payoffs obtained in a Greedy Scalar Equilibrium (GSE) of the original game, …

Additive Manufacturing Of Stretchable Piezo-Resistive Sensors: Fabrication And Performance Evaluation, Mohammad Ahnaf Shahriar

Industrial, Manufacturing, and Systems Theses

Additive manufacturing provides a distinctive layer-wise production method, which is efficient and effective, especially when fabricating products with complex designs and/or multiple materials. One of the promising applications of additive manufacturing is 3D printing flexible piezo-resistive sensors, which measure the strain of human motions by characterizing the changes in resistance. In this research, fused deposition modeling is used to fabricate stretchable piezo-resistive sensors that use thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) as the stretchable layer and the mixture of TPU and carbon nanotube (CNT) as the electrically conductive layer. Extensive experimental efforts are dedicated to investigating proper mixing technique, filament preparation method, and …

Analyzing The Supply Chain Operation Of A Fast-Food Restaurant Using Simulation Modeling And Developing A Cost Estimation Optimization Model In The Disruption Period, Amit Kumar Saha

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Supply chain operation performance is a much-discussed topic over the last decade which will lead to optimizing the resources required to provide the necessary level of customer service to a specific segment and improve customer service through increased product availability and reduced order cycle time. During disruption in supply chain, performance parameter changes, and the overall supply chain cost at each stage increases. External factors such as labor shortages, delayed and costly supplies, and decreased demand also contribute to this cost. This thesis work presents a research-focused analysis of a small pizza shop, under circumstances that include the loss of …

A Study Of The Link Between Poor Quality And Poor Performance Of Various Health Care Indicators, Lamara L. Glass

Masters Theses

Abstract

Purpose of the Research

The purpose of present research investigation is to explore the correlation between poor performance indicators and poor quality in the Health care industry and to present an idea on improving the quality of the outcome in health care services by altering the KPIs.

The Nature of the Problem

The quality of healthcare may be evaluated using a variety of parameters, including safety, efficacy, and person-centeredness. For example, the former relates to the degree of precision with which procedures may produce desired results. External comparisons between different health care facilities, as well as KPIs specified for …

Operational And Cost Analysis Of A Leo Radar-Based Satellite Constellation, Kyle O. Norbert

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis presents a methodology to assess the ability of a Low-Earth Orbit (LEO) satellite constellation to successfully accomplish the GMTI mission in a cost-effective fashion. A simulation model was developed to test the coverage performance of 512 unique constellation designs. Significant factors were revealed by developing regression models that revealed the most critical constellation trade-offs on measures of performance. A Value-Focused Thinking (VFT) approach was applied to assign weights to a broad range of measures of performance from which the Pareto distribution on a cost-capability plot revealed cost-effectiveness. A novel measure of performance was developed and analyzed that accounted …

Novel Hitch Cargo Cart, Cesilio Sanchez Ramirez, Lance Haidet, Richard Lontoc, Tyler Selinka

Mechanical Engineering

This document presents the engineering design process used to develop, manufacture, and test a new and improved iteration of a hitch cart prototype. This process was performed by a team of four mechanical engineering seniors as part of California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo’s senior design pathway. The goal of this project was to develop a sturdy and reliable iteration of our sponsor’s hitch cart prototype, that integrated the functionality of a vehicle hitch cargo platform and that of a height adjustable cargo cart into a single streamlined and easy to use product. This design could be used by …

Models And Algorithms For Trauma Network Design., Sagarkumar Dhirubhai Hirpara

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Trauma continues to be the leading cause of death and disability in the US for people aged 44 and under, making it a major public health problem. The geographical maldistribution of Trauma Centers (TCs), and the resulting higher access time to the nearest TC, has been shown to impact trauma patient safety and increase disability or mortality. State governments often design a trauma network to provide prompt and definitive care to their citizens. However, this process is mainly manual and experience-based and often leads to a suboptimal network in terms of patient safety and resource utilization. This dissertation fills important …

A Two-Phase Multicommodity Flow Approach For Classroom Assignment, Hannah Smith

Masters Theses

A common problem faced by universities is the assignment of courses to campus-hosted spaces. An optimal solution is difficult to reach, given the number of constraints present. Increasing student enrollment across campus leads to a need for a model that optimally assigns courses to spaces that maximizes the total number of courses taught in person. This paper poses a solution to this problem by generating a two-phase model to allocate courses to campus-hosted spaces. The two-phase approach to classroom assignment consists of a minimum-weighted bipartite matching for priority assignment and a multicommodity flow model to assign remaining courses. The optimal …

Implementation Of The Plan For Every Part (Pfep) Tool And Additional Methodologies For Operational Improvement., Bernardo Luis Borges Pedroso

Masters Theses

The work focused on the inventory management of Dimplex Thermal Solutions, which had a profoundly overstocked warehouse and was suffering from significant operating expenses, due to the absence of a grounded ordering policy and the need to rent external storage space, respectively.

The main objective of the thesis was to solve the primarily mentioned problems, by constructing a Plan For Every Part (PFEP) tool, followed by the application of an inventory policy and the proposal of a redesigned warehouse layout, to compute ideal stock values and calculate the footprint requirements for Dimplex’s updated inventory levels, respectively. The execution step concerned …

Using Reinforcement Learning To Improve Network Reliability Through Optimal Resource Allocation, Henley Wells

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Networks provide a variety of critical services to society (e.g. power grid, telecommunication, water, transportation) but are prone to disruption. With this motivation, we study a sequential decision problem in which an initial network is improved over time (e.g., by adding or increasing the reliability of edges) and rewards are gained over time as a function of the network’s all-terminal reliability. The actions during each time period are limited due to availability of resources such as time, money, or labor. To solve this problem, we utilized a Deep Reinforcement Learning (DRL) approach implemented within OpenAI-Gym using Stable Baselines. A Proximal …