Engineering Commons^™

Supporting Shrinkage: Planning And Decision Making For Legacy Cities, Michael P. Johnson Jr., Justin Hollander, Eliza Whiteman Kinsey, George Chichirau, Charla Burnett

Public Policy and Public Affairs Faculty Publication Series

Supporting Shrinkage describes a new approach to citizen-engaged, community-focused planning methods and technologies for cities and regions facing decline, disinvestment, shrinkage, and social and physical distress. The volume evaluates the benefits and costs of a wide range of analytic approaches for designing policy and planning interventions for shrinking cities and distressed communities. These include collaborative planning, social media, civic technology, game design, analytics, decision modeling and decision support, and spatial analysis. The authors present case studies of three US cities addressing shrinkage and decline, with a focus on issues of social justice, democratization of knowledge, and local empowerment. Proposed as …

Determination Of Effectiveness Of Energy Management System In Buildings, Vivash Karki

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Building Energy Management Systems (BEMS) are computer-based systems that aid in managing, controlling, and monitoring the building technical services and energy consumption by equipment used in the building. The effectiveness of BEMS is dependent upon numerous factors, among which the operational characteristics of the building and the BEMS control parameters also play an essential role. This research develops a user-driven simulation tool where users can input the building parameters and BEMS controls to determine the effectiveness of their BEMS. The simulation tool gives the user the flexibility to understand the potential energy savings by employing specific BEMS control and help …

Wireless Mobile Phone Technology, Deregulation Policy, Competition And Economic Welfare In Nigeria’S Telecom Industry: An Analytic Model, Onochie J. Dieli Phd

Journal of International Technology and Information Management

This analytic model is about the Nigerian telecom industry’s structural change caused by the arrival of a new wireless mobile phone technology. Nigeria’s telecom industry transformed from natural monopoly to competitive market as a result of deregulation that occurred in 1999. Under the price regulation using underground or above the ground cable telephone lines, it could run only with the help of government subsidies. This study argues that the arrival of a new telecomm technology was the key to success of Nigeria’s deregulation of its telecom industry. An analysis of a simple microeconomic model shows that with the new wireless …

Aligning Performance Management Systems For Lasting Outcomes In Humanitarian Operations, Kalyn M. Howard

Theses and Dissertations

Logistics is dynamic, expansive, and critical to organizational success. While it is generally believed that effective logistics management is associated with positive performance outcomes, the links between organizational practice and performance are understudied. This dissertation leverages resource-based theory and organizational learning theory to examine organizational practice and performance in non-traditional logistics settings, with particular focus on military organizations and humanitarian operational settings. First, a meta-analytical study establishes generalizable associations between various operations management practices and performance outcomes. Then, this is applied to dynamic humanitarian logistics settings, exploring how practitioners perceive practice and performance, and how this is reported and documented …

Neural Network Model Of Information Fusion For Coal Storage And Kinetic Energy Of Ball Mill, Bai Yan, He Fang

Journal of System Simulation

Abstract: A dynamic mathematical model of coal pulverizing system was analyzed. Simulation experiments on mill operation process were conducted by PFC3D software platform based on discrete element method. The associated data between different coal quality, coal storage and balls' motion were obtained under certain quantitative optimized operating parameters configuration. Neural network model of information fusion for coal storage and kinetic energy of ball mill was established by using an adaptive combination learning algorithm. Coal storage in mill cylinder was predicted from the energy point of view. The results indicate that there is a close relationship between coal storage, pulverizing efficiency …

Automatic Pipelining Mechanism Design For Maize Ear Analysis, Boxiang Xiao, Chuanyu Wang, Xinyu Guo, Wu Sheng, Jianjun Du

Journal of System Simulation

Abstract: Aiming at automatic character information acquisition for maize ear analysis, a pipelining mechanism was designed including two main modules: weight measurement and images collection. The system supported automatic collection of weight data and images in batches. And then, the system was analyzed in mechanical properties by kinematic parameters. A three-dimensional simulation system was developed by use of computer graphics technologies to evaluate the performance of the presented pipelining mechanism. The feasibility of the design for maize ear analysis was discussed, which can support high precise and efficient maize ear analysis as a practical tool and technical references.

Estimation Of Contamination Source By Using Qpso With Perturbation Operator, Tian Na, Zhicheng Ji

Journal of System Simulation

Abstract: An improved quantum-behaved particle swarm optimization (QPSO) with perturbation operator was proposed and applied to solve the convection-diffusion inverse problem of estimating time-varying contamination source. Because the contamination source is time-dependent, the inverse problems are classified into function estimation problem. To transform the inverse problem to optimization problem, the nonlinear least square method was used. Meanwhile, Tikhonov regularization was used to stablize the solution with noisy measured data. And the regularization parameter was chosen by L-curve method. The simulation results tell that QPSO with perturbation operator outperforms QPSO and PSO. Moreover, tests over different views (regularization terms, noise level, …

Improved Quantum-Behaved Particle Swarm Optimization For Solving Multi-Objective Flexible Job-Shop Scheduling Problems, Tian Na, Zhicheng Ji

Journal of System Simulation

Abstract: Due to the complexity of flexible job-shop scheduling problem (FJSP), it is still the hot topic for research. FJSP was given deep insight into with three objectives to be minimized simultaneously: makespan, maximal machine workload and total workload. Quantum-behaved particle swarm optimization (QPSO) with different coefficient selection methods was compared. The benchmark function tests show that QPSO with adaptive coefficient outperforms other selection methods in unimodal functions, while QPSO with cosine coefficient performs better in multi-modal functions. Therefore, QPSO with cosine decreasing coefficient is adopted to solve the multi-objective FJSP, which is a complex multi-modal optimization problem. Simulation results …

Evolutionary Game-Based Spectrum Sharing Scheme In Cognitive Radio Network, Huanhuan He, Xingwei Wang, Huang Min

Journal of System Simulation

Abstract: In order to solve the waste of resources caused by the static spectrum allocation policy, cognitive radio technology can be used to dynamically and efficiently manage spectrum, and spectrum sharing becomes the key issue. To make secondary users to share spectrum fairly, an evolutionary game-based spectrum sharing scheme in cognitive radio network was proposed. Because cognitive radio network was dynamic and heterogeneous, the wireless channel was unreliable and affected by environment easily, the knowledge of fuzzy mathematics was introduced to characterize the parameters related to the secondary user satisfaction degree, and the Gas Brownian Motion Optimization algorithm was …

Research On Adaptive Analysis For Battlefield Environment Voxel Model And Classification Method Of Volume Elements, Bingchuan Jiang, Wan Gang, Chengxiao Fan, Xia Qing

Journal of System Simulation

Abstract: For the lack of battlefield environment modeling based on surface model, the whole elements and details of the battle-field environment were described. The fundamental conception and feature of the voxel and voxel model were discussed. The battle-field environment modeling and visualization like battle-filed terrestrial environment, weather environment, electromagnetic environment and ocean environment were analyzed and researched using the voxel model. The adaptability of each battlefield environment elements modeling was discussed using the Voxel model, and the elements were classified which were suitable with the voxel model. It is the basis for modeling and visualizing the battlefield environment elements using …

High-Fidelity Simulation Of Video-Assisted Thoracoscopic Surgery Lobectomy, Peng Liu, Weixin Si, Zheng Rui, Xiangyun Liao, Dongliang Xu, Ping'an Wang

Journal of System Simulation

Abstract: The virtual reality simulator of the video-assisted thoracoscopic (VATS) surgery lobectomy is of great value to the surgeon's surgical training and planning. In order to simulate the high-fidelity video-assisted thoracoscopic lobectomy, a VATS lobectomy simulator to realistically and efficiently simulate the different surgical operations during the VATS lobectomy procedure is developed. Based on the Position-Based Dynamics framework, the deformation induced by tool-tissue and tissue-tissue interactions, soft tissue cuts as well as subsequent surgical suture operations is simulated. The Marching Cubes algorithm is employed to achieve the surface rendering, especially for the cutting process. The GPU parallel computing technique is …

A System Dynamics Model Of Supply-Side Issues Influencing Beef Consumption In Nigeria, Kelechukwu G. Odoemena, Jeffrey P. Walters, Holger Maximilian Kleemann

Faculty Publications - Biomedical, Mechanical, and Civil Engineering

The per capita consumption of beef in Nigeria is reducing amidst a rising population that is dependent on beef as a major source of animal protein. In this paper, a system dynamics (SD) model was developed with the aim of testing exploratory policies aimed at reversing this trend. The simulations of various policy tests showed that, of all the policies tested, having a higher carcass yield seems to be the most efficient solution, but its feasibility faces some steep biological and ecological challenges. However, a combination of policies that cuts across the land–cattle–market nexus is necessary to obtain a consumption …

Preferred Treatment Methods For Patients With Inflammatory Bowel Disease, James L. Deitschel

Theses and Dissertations

Shared decision making is the concept of physicians involving patients in the treatment planning process. The University of Maryland Medical Center is interested in applying shared decision making to the treatment of patients with Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD). The two treatment methods analyzed in this study were medical management and surgery. To explore patient preferences between these two alternatives, a discrete choice experiment (DCE) was employed. The responses for the DCE were binary, so logistic regression models were explored. The conditional logistic regression model was determined to be the most appropriate for this analysis. After step-wise regression was performed, a …

Understanding Rural Water Services As A Complex System: An Assessment Of Key Factors As Potential Leverage Points For Improved Service Sustainability, Nicholas Valcourt, Jeffrey P. Walters, Amy Javernick-Will, Karl Linden, Betelhem Hailegiorgis

Faculty Publications - Biomedical, Mechanical, and Civil Engineering

Rural water supply services worldwide consistently fail to deliver full public health impacts as intended due to a low service sustainability. This failure is increasingly attributed to weak local systems composed of social, financial and environmental factors. Current approaches in the water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) sector for understanding and improving these systems typically focus on the strength and capacity of these factors, but not the interactions between them. We contend that these approaches overlook the inherent complexity and context-specific nature of each local system. To assess this complexity, we conducted four participatory factor mapping workshops with local stakeholders across …

System Approaches To Water, Sanitation, And Hygiene: A Systematic Literature Review, Nicholas Valcourt, Amy Javernick-Will, Jeffrey P. Walters, Karl Linden

Faculty Publications - Biomedical, Mechanical, and Civil Engineering

Endemic issues of sustainability in the water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) sector have led to the rapid expansion of ‘system approaches’ for assessing the multitude of interconnected factors that affect WASH outcomes. However, the sector lacks a systematic analysis and characterization of the knowledge base for systems approaches, in particular how and where they are being implemented and what outcomes have resulted from their application. To address this need, we conducted a wide-ranging systematic literature review of systems approaches for WASH across peer-reviewed, grey, and organizational literature. Our results show a myriad of methods, scopes, and applications within the sector, …

A Framework Of International Competencies For Systems Engineers, Annlizé L. Marnewick, Holly A.H. Handley

Engineering Management & Systems Engineering Faculty Publications

In the course of their career, many systems engineers are likely to interact with engineers of other nationalities as they collaborate on large, complex projects and system of system problems. These partnerships are necessary to support international goals, such as those for sustainable development. System engineers may even work onsite in other countries where they must adapt to different styles of doing business. This requires a set of global skill sets for cooperating and decision making, as well as basic social skills for interacting with the local community. These global skills can be included in a graduate level system engineering …

Multiple Criteria Decision-Making Approach To Support Timber Transportation Planning – Case Study In Brazil, Marinna Lopes Ferreira Gomes

Cal Poly Humboldt theses and projects

Timber transportation is one of the costliest activities for a forest company in Brazil and in many other countries, and it is a determining factor for the success of the forest enterprise. Thus, decision support tools are commonly used as methods to reduce these costs. The purpose of this study was to develop and analyze mathematical models to define the weekly timber transport schedule based on the monthly demands of the customers. The goal is to minimize the operational costs of forest transportation related to distances, timber freshness and road qualities. The decision process was made in two steps; the …

Assessment Of Heat Stress For Outdoor Work Conditions In Saudi Arabia, Jamal Alanazi

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Outdoor workers have an increased risk of heat stress in Saudi Arabia since it is one of the hottest places in the Middle East. Recently, the government decided to limit outdoor work hours during the months of June, July, and August every year, and banned working under the direct sunlight from 12:00 to 03:00 p.m., although outdoor workers in the petroleum, natural gas, or emergency maintenance work industries are exempt from this prohibition. Traditionally, the efforts by safety and health professionals to mitigate work-related heat injury has been directed toward the assessment of environmental heat stress (e.g., wet-bulb globe temperature), …

Capital Equipment Upgrade Strategy In The Context Of Servitization, Muztoba Ahmad Khan

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Building on manufacturing servitization and Product-Service Systems (PSS) business models, the midlife equipment upgrade services introduce promising alternative to traditional equipment replacement, which is often capital intensive and time consuming. Midlife upgrade describes the process of improving the performance of and adding new functional capabilities into equipment during their active usage period by embedding technological innovation while satisfying evolving customers’ preferences over time. This strategy, however, has thus far been discussed primarily from a conceptual perspective in literature, and the state of the art lacks empirical evidence regarding the potential and outcome of successful midlife upgrades. Additionally, explorative studies report …

Internet Of Things In Sustainable Energy Systems, Abdul Salam

Computer Information Technology Faculty Publications

Our planet has abundant renewable and conventional energy resources but technological capability and capacity gaps coupled with water-energy needs limit the benefits of these resources to citizens. Through IoT technology solutions and state-of-the-art IoT sensing and communications approaches, the sustainable energy-related research and innovation can bring a revolution in this area. Moreover, by the leveraging current infrastructure, including renewable energy technologies, microgrids, and power-to-gas (P2G) hydrogen systems, the Internet of Things in sustainable energy systems can address challenges in energy security to the community, with a minimal trade-off to environment and culture. In this chapter, the IoT in sustainable energy …

Blockchain Adoption Model For The Global Banking Industry, Zaina Kawasmi, Evans Akwasi Gyasi, Deneise Dadd

Journal of International Technology and Information Management

Blockchain has become the new hype term in the business world for the last decade. Due to the new technology’s characteristics and innovative applications, it is being adopted globally in a wide number of industries including the banking industry, yet no adoption model is provided to guide this process. This research aims to contribute to facilitating the successful adoption and implementation of the blockchain new technology in the banking industry. Building on the assumption that the blockchain’s adoption in banking will be directed by the regulations and best practices guidelines of the global banking regulatory bodies and practitioner, this research …

การพยากรณ์ปริมาณความต้องการเหล็กรีดร้อนภายในประเทศด้วยวิธีการเรียนรู้ของเครื่อง, ชัยพฤกษ์ นิละนนท์

Chulalongkorn University Theses and Dissertations (Chula ETD)

เหล็กเป็นวัสดุที่สำคัญชนิดหนึ่งและมีปริมาณความต้องการใช้งานมากขึ้นทุกปี ในอุตสาหกรรมเหล็ก การพยากรณ์เพื่อวางแผนการจัดซื้อวัตถุดิบ การจัดเตรียมการผลิต และแผนการขายจึงเป็นสิ่งที่สำคัญ การพยากรณ์ที่แม่นยำสามารถทำให้การวางแผนต่าง ๆ เป็นอย่างเหมาะสมและสามารถลดต้นทุนในการผลิตและการดำเนินการได้ งานวิจัยนี้จัดทำขึ้นเพื่อศึกษาการพยากรณ์และเปรียบเทียบความแม่นยำในการพยากรณ์ข้อมูลปริมาณความต้องการเหล็กรีดร้อนภายในประเทศ โดยใช้ข้อมูลตั้งแต่เดือนมกราคมปี ค.ศ. 2014 จนถึงเดือนธันวาคมปี ค.ศ. 2019 ตัวแบบการพยากรณ์ที่ใช้ในงานวิจัยนี้ประกอบไปด้วย ตัวแบบ Holt's Exponential Smoothing, ARIMA, Multiple Regression, Artificial Neural Network, eXtreme Gradient Boosting, Random Forest, Support Vector Regression และ Light Gradient Boosting Machine และตัวแบบผสมที่คัดเลือกจากตัวแบบการเรียนรู้ของเครื่องที่มีความแม่นยำที่สุดสามอันดับแรกมาทำการผสม จากนั้นทำการเปรียบเทียบความแม่นยำด้วยค่าร้อยละความคลาดเคลื่อนสัมบูรณ์เฉลี่ย (MAPE) ผลการวิจัยพบว่าตัวแบบที่มีความแม่นยำมากที่สุดคือตัวแบบผสม Artificial Neural Network, Random Forest และ eXtreme Gradient Boosting โดยใช้ตัวแบบ Artificial Neural Network เป็นตัวผสม มีค่า MAPE เท่ากับ 3.59% แม่นยำกว่าตัวแบบ Artificial Neural Network ที่เป็นตัวแบบการเรียนรู้ของเครื่องที่แม่นยำที่สุดด้วยค่า MAPE เท่ากับ 5.63% ถึง 36.23%

Determining The Effectiveness Of The Health-Edrm Framework And Twitter Data Analysis As The Near Real-Time Source Of Information During The Covid-19 Situation, Kumpol Saengtabtim

Chulalongkorn University Theses and Dissertations (Chula ETD)

Coronavirus pandemic or COVID-19 pandemic is considered to be one of the most severe disasters that affect both lives and economics to all the countries around the world. Health Emergency and Disaster Risk Management Framework or HEALTH-EDRM framework is the disaster management framework established in late 2019. One objective of this framework is to reduce the impact of the disaster that affects the lives of the people. Risk communication which is considered as the main function of this framework is also the main key for reducing the amount of affecting people. In this research, the analysis of the effectiveness of …

Demand Forecasting For A Food Condiment Manufacturer In Thailand, Woratanon Sirimak

Chulalongkorn University Theses and Dissertations (Chula ETD)

The food industry is one of the most important industries in Thailand. The case study company is a condiment manufacturer that needs to manage and plan for their business efficiently. One of the most important issues is demand forecasting. The company should precisely forecast their product demands, which will be used for operation planning. This study proposes forecasting models for both short-term and long-term planning for three main condiment products. The data used are monthly condiment product demands from January 2013 to December 2020. The forecasting methods explored in the study are time series, machine learning, combined forecasting, and hybrid …

Integrating Resilience Into Military Infrastructure Mission Assurance Assessments And Decision Making, John Richards

Doctoral Dissertations

“This research created the Mission Assurance Resilience Matrix, a decision framework that integrates existing infrastructure assessment methods with emerging resilience research to model resilience under uncertainty as part of a detailed infrastructure management system. This framework enables military decision makers to easily visualize deficiencies in infrastructure resilience and assess where to most efficiently allocate resources. This research further extends results by including modules on training and education as a component of the scope of work.

There are three significant contributions of this research. The first identifies the gaps of how and where modeling under uncertainty, infrastructure systems management, and resilient …

Development Of Efficient Waste Management System For Guwahati City, Prantar Jyoti Talukdar

Chulalongkorn University Theses and Dissertations (Chula ETD)

As on today, in view of the exponential increase of population, fast urbanisation, technical advancements etc., globally, the waste management is becoming a subject of great concern. Apart from dealing with waste only, any waste management system has to encompass many other variants, including - environments, pollution, public health & hygiene, local eco-system etc. So, it is difficult to frame a common global policy or a country’s specific policy to meet all the requirements of the local service providers and customers. Preferentially, any waste management system need to be developed as per the requirements of the local endeavours. In this …

The Potentials Of Faecal Sludge Treatment Using Local Conditioners In Tanzania: A Review, Doglas Benjamin1

Tanzania Journal of Engineering and Technology (TJET)

Worldwide, every day human beings generate millions of tons of Faecal Sludge (FS), which is rich in water, nutrients, energy, and organic compounds. Yet FS is not being managed in a way that permits us to derive value from its reuse, while at the same time, millions of farmers struggle with depleted soils and lack of water. In most of the developing countries, energy for cooking is mainly derived from cutting of trees, either as wood or charcoal. Resource recovery and reuse from FS can create livelihoods, enhance food security, support green economies, reduce waste and contribute to cost recovery …

Reviewing The Potential And Constraints Of Modified Technology Options For Faecal Sludge Management In Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania, Amour Seleman

Tanzania Journal of Engineering and Technology (TJET)

Cities in the developing world face the challenge of safe management of faecal sludge because of rapid population growth that overwhelms the sanitation infrastructure and services. In developing countries, only 50% of faecal sludge (FS) generated is safely managed the remaining portion is haphazardly disposed of in the environment risking public health and environment. In response to the urgent need for safely managed sanitation services, technological options for containment, desludging and transportation of FS are being modified. This paper reviewed current desludging practices and the potential of modified technological options for addressing FSM at containment, desludging, and transportation in Dar …

A Cloud Service Composition Optimization Based On Hnn, Huili Zhang, Zhihe Li

Journal of System Simulation

Abstract: With the rapid development of Cloud service application, how to effectively optimize the composition of Cloud services on cloud platform and improve the overall performance of cloud platform system have become an urgent research issue. In order to improve the efficiency of Cloud services, a combined optimization model based on Hopfield neural network is proposed. The problem of Cloud services is modeled. The problem is expressed as Hopfield Neural Network energy model for optimization, and a PSO group algorithm with Cauchy disturbance is designed to improve the Hopfield model. The experimental comparison shows that the method can improve …

The Method Summary Of Generating Large-Scale Artificial Population In An Artificial Society, Yuanzheng Ge, Zhichao Song, Rongqing Meng

Journal of System Simulation

Abstract: The generation of large-scale artificial population is the fundamental data of high-resolution agent-based artificial society. By the comparison of typical artificial population models, the basic elements, generating methods, and evolving rules, the development of artificial society, generation of population database, the establishment of spatial-temporal relationship, evolving rules of behavior, and reconstruction of social relationship are analyzed. Furthermore, data-driven method and open interface framework of artificial population are discussed, and the future direction and development are listed.