Engineering Commons^™

Characterization Of Pet Samples Processed In An Rf Oxygen Discharge, Russell L. Rhoton

Master's Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

A radio frequency plasma (13.56 MHz) was used to modify the surface of a poly (ethylene terepthalate) (PET) sample. The plasma was generated in a pure oxygen process atmosphere at pressures of 100 mTorr, and 2.0 Torr at output powers of 250 Watts and 500 Watts.

Optical emission spectroscopy (OES) was used to characterize the plasma/sample interaction. Spectra were measured from 250 nm to 900 nm during each of the processing sessions.

The spectra showed changes depending upon the pressure of the plasma. Molecules of OH and atomic oxygen were observed at low pressures (100 mTorr), whereas CO and atomic …

Acuta Enews April 2009, Vol 38, No. 4

ACUTA Newsletters

ln This lssue

From the President.. .....Corinne Hoch, Columbia Univ., ACUTA President

Board Report......... Riny Ledgerwood, San Diego State Univ., ACUTA Secretory/Treasurer

Tech Talk: After a Long Dry Spell, We Find a Good Acronym ....... Kevin Tanzillo, Dux PR

Corporate Liaison Committee

DC Update ................ Dave Ostrom, Washington State Univ. (retired)

"Financial Crisis Activity in Washington" Newsletter for ACUTA Members

Turning Business Relationships into Partnerships ..... Don Leone, Siemens Enterprise Communications

Q & A from the ACUTA Listserv

lnfo Links .......... Randy Hayes, Univ. of Northern lowa

Welcome New Members

Check lt Out: Press Releases...Job Postings...RFls/RFPs

Recent Progress In Acoustic Travel-Time Tomography Of The Atmospheric Surface Layer, Vladimir E. Ostashev, Sergey N. Vecherin, D. Keith Wilson, Astrid Ziemann, George H. Goedecke

United States Army: Publications

Acoustic tomography of the atmospheric surface layer (ASL) is based on measurements of the travel times of sound propagation between sources and receivers which constitute a tomography array. Then, the temperature and wind velocity fields inside the tomographic volume or area are reconstructed using different inverse algorithms. Improved knowledge of these fields is important in many practical applications. Tomography has certain advantages in comparison with currently used instrumentation for measurement of the temperature and wind velocity. In this paper, a short historical overview of acoustic tomography of the atmosphere is presented. The main emphasis is on recent progress in acoustic …

A Sensitivity Analysis Of Scheduling Changes On Flight Training Resource Utilization Using Discrete Event Simulation, Melissa A. Findlay

Master's Theses - Daytona Beach

This study presented a scheduling model of the Flight Training Department at Embry Riddle Aeronautical University's Daytona Beach Campus built using ARENA 12.0. The purpose of the study was to determine if the Flight Training Department system was sensitive to changes in the resources available to students in Flight Training Device (FTD) course modules. Historical data from the Flight Training Department was used to build the model. As no significant difference was found between the actual real world system and the model for the number of active students and for the time it took students to complete the program, the …

Optimizing Service Systems Based On Application-Level Qos, Qianhui Liang, Xindong Wu, Hoong Chuin Lau

Research Collection School Of Computing and Information Systems

Making software systems service-oriented is becoming the practice, and an increasingly large number of service systems play important roles in today's business and industry. Currently, not enough attention has been paid to the issue of optimization of service systems. In this paper, we argue that the key elements to be considered in optimizing service systems are robustness, system orientation, and being dynamic and transparent. We present our solution to optimizing service systems based on application-level QoS management. Our solution incorporates three capabilities, i.e., 1) the ability to cater to the varying rigidities on Web service QoS in distinct application domains …

Assessment Of Superstructure Ice Protection As Applied To Offshore Oil Operations Safety, Charles C. Ryerson

United States Army: Publications

Offshore oil exploration and production operators in high latitude regions recognize icing as a seasonal challenge. Icing is often accepted as an inconvenience, but that tolerance can rapidly become a safety hazard that requires solutions. This report evaluates the superstructure and atmospheric icing hazard on offshore platforms and supply boats with location and operation on the structure. It also explains the potential impact of icing on these locations and operations by icing type: sea spray, snow, glaze, rime, frost, and sleet. Fourteen ice protection technology categories are identified for anti-icing, deicing, and ice detection. These technologies include chemicals, icephobic coatings, …

Design-An Opportunity In Reducing Corrugated Fiberboard Carbon Footprint, Jay Singh, R. Kisch, J. Chhun, Eric Olsen

Industrial Technology and Packaging

Telescoping Half Slotted Containers (HSC) and Diagonal Corner Bliss style containers are popular choices for packaging agricultural products such as apples, pears, citrus, potatoes, garlic and most vegetables. This study evaluated two unique corrugated container designs, Kisch Full Circle Tray (FCT) and Single V Kisch Bliss, which are both viable designs available to replace the presently used styles of boxes for produce distribution. This paper presents the compression strength results of Telescoping HSC containers as compared to two possible replacements and the Diagonal Corner Bliss designs when stored under standard, refrigerated and tropical conditions. It also compares the material savings …

Flexography Printing Performance Of Pla Film, J. Jacobson, Malcom Keif, Xiaoying Rong, Jay Singh, Keith Vorst

Industrial Technology and Packaging

During the past decade polylactide acid (PLA) polymer has been the subject of numerous researches aimed at comparing it with traditional petroleum based polymers for many packaging applications. PLA is biodegradable and derived from agricultural by-products such as corn starch or other starch-rich substances like maize, sugar or wheat.While PLA is currently being used in many packaging applications with well documented performance, little work has been done comparing printing processes and performance. This study presents PLA printing performance and sustainability findings using the common flexography printing process. Various analytical methods were used to evaluate performance and provide recommendations for optimized …

Towards The Quantitative Analysis Of The Connectivity Value Of Networked Operations, Dean Deller

Engineering Management & Systems Engineering Theses & Dissertations

While the nature of and the approach to command and control is evolving in order to meet the challenges of Information Age warfare, the essential functions that must be accomplished remain constant. One of those essential functions is the arrangement of the assets within a combat force. Certainly, the many different ways to arrange a given set of assets will have different impacts on the combat effectiveness of the force. Some arrangements will enable self-synchronization, while other arrangements will impede it. How then, should an Information Age combat force be organized in order to optimize its effectiveness?

The concept of …

Investigating The Relationship Between An It Project Manager's Emotional Intelligence And The Customer's Perception Of Success, William Jacob Lamarsh Ii

Engineering Management & Systems Engineering Theses & Dissertations

This research focuses on the intersections of Project Management, Information Technology (IT), and Emotional Intelligence. The Project Management Institute (PMI) created the Project Management Professional (PMP) certification, which is one of the most highly regarded and sought after professional certifications (Project Management Institute 2005, p. 15-18). This certification acknowledges the holder as a knowledgeable practitioner in Project Management. The purpose behind Project Management is to obtain requirements, sometimes fluid at best, and develop solutions that are traceable by schedule and cost controls. This approach allows a Project Manager to monitor and control the project through successful completion. However, the PMI …

Network Optimization Of Dynamically Complex Systems, Ramez Ahmed Shamseldin

Engineering Management & Systems Engineering Theses & Dissertations

The aim of this research is to optimize large scale network handling capabilities for large system inventories and to implement strategies for the purpose of reducing capital expenses. As computers become more and more networked, it is easier to share files among storage media. In addition, more bandwidth will be consumed by network flow because customers will be connected through networks which will transfer files and data, such as video files (MPEGn, AVI, WMV, etc.) to be watched at a customer's computer (host). Furthermore, these networks terminals will be used as mini warehouses to save files and data. Selective files …

Operational Knowledge Transfer In Municipal Utility Organizations, G. Christian Guvemator Iv

Engineering Management & Systems Engineering Theses & Dissertations

Municipal water and wastewater utility systems experience several challenges related to maintaining an experienced operations workforce. One of these issues is the loss of operational knowledge as the current experienced workforce reaches the age of retirement. The future success of system operability depends upon a process that transfers the knowledge of the experienced employee into the organization before he or she retires. Recent investigations highlight the importance of, and the methods for, knowledge transfer; however, current literature does not include significant information on the municipal utility industry. The objective of this investigation is to identify how operational knowledge is being …

On The Role Of Assertions For Conceptual Modeling As Enablers Of Composable Simulation Solutions, Robert Dennis King

Computational Modeling & Simulation Engineering Theses & Dissertations

This research provides a much needed systematic review of the roles that assertions play in model composability and simulation interoperability. In doing so, this research contributes a partial solution to one of the problems of model composability and simulation interoperability—namely, why do simulation systems fail to achieve the maximum level of interoperability possible? It demonstrates the importance of the assertions that are made during model development and simulation implementation, particularly as they reflect the unique viewpoint of each developer or user. It hypothesizes that it is possible to detect composability conflicts by means of a four-step process developed by the …

Neural Network Control Of Mobile Robot Formations Using Rise Feedback, Jagannathan Sarangapani, Travis Alan Dierks

Electrical and Computer Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

In this paper, an asymptotically stable (AS) combined kinematic/torque control law is developed for leader-follower-based formation control using backstepping in order to accommodate the complete dynamics of the robots and the formation, and a neural network (NN) is introduced along with robust integral of the sign of the error feedback to approximate the dynamics of the follower as well as its leader using online weight tuning. It is shown using Lyapunov theory that the errors for the entire formation are as and that the NN weights are bounded as opposed to uniformly ultimately bounded stability which is typical with most …

Determining The Orbit Locations Of Turkish Airborne Early Warning And Control Aircraft Over The Turkish Air Space, Nebi Sarikaya

Theses and Dissertations

The technology improvement affects the military needs of individual countries. The new doctrine of defense for many countries emphasizes detecting threats as far away as you can from your homeland. Today, the military uses both ground RADAR and Airborne Early Warning and Control (AEW&C) Aircraft. AEW&C aircraft has become vital to detect low altitude threats that a ground RADAR cannot detect because of obstacles on the earth. Turkey has ordered four AEW&C aircraft for her air defense system because of the lack of complete coverage by ground RADAR. This research provides optimal orbit locations that can be updated according to …

Teaming Multi-Level Classes On Industry Projects, Lizabeth Schlemer, Jose Macedo

Industrial and Manufacturing Engineering

For the past few years we experimented with teaming students from a sophomore-level class and a senior-level class to work on industry projects. The classes are “work design” and “facilities design.” Projects are selected to require the application of knowledge from both disciplines. In addition, the projects are selected from small local companies. The intent of this paper is to describe the benefits and difficulties associated with this methodology. While specific classes in this experience are typical of an industrial engineering curriculum, the lessons learned and benefits could translate to other disciplines.

Developing A Tool For The Location Optimization Of The Alert Aircraft With Changing Threat Anticipation, Okan Arslan

Theses and Dissertations

The threat to the airspace is posed by the outside world in conventional terms as well as hostilities from within the airspace such as hijacked aircraft. Alert aircraft are located with the sole responsibility of responding to any incident. Different regions of the airspace may have different alert states depending on current intelligence input. Due to non-constant states of threat level, the Turkish Air Force must deploy aircraft to cover the more sensitive regions with a greater number of aircraft with a relatively short response time. This research deals with the problem by developing a tool for the location optimization …

Application Of Reliability And Linear Regression To Enterprise Architecture In Support Of The Us Air Force's Capability Review And Risk Assessment, Peter C. Mastro, Richard L. Orcutt

Theses and Dissertations

This research explored the use of modeling and enterprise architecture in the analysis of Air Force Capabilities. The Air Force accomplishes this through the Capability Review and Risk Assessment (CRRA). The CRRA is currently performed by building architectures which contain Process Sequence Models (PSMs). PSMs are scored by Subject Matter Experts to determine the probability of successfully completing the mission they model and ultimately to determine the risk associated to Air Force capabilities. Two findings were identified. The first is that creating additional architectural viewpoints, some of which are currently being proposed for version 2.0 of the DoD Architecture Framework, …

A Tailored Systems Engineering Framework For Science And Technology Projects, Stephen M. Behm, J. Bradford Pitzer, Jane F. White

Theses and Dissertations

As government and industry becomes subject to a wider range of technology initiatives, science and technology (S&T) research project leadership recognizes the need to incorporate more systems engineering (SE) rigor into their projects. The objective of this research is to develop a tailorable systems engineering framework for S&T project planning, execution, assessment and transition. The key deliverable is an Excel-based tool instantiating the SE framework for a wide range of S&T projects in technology development organizations. It includes a report with tailored methods based on programmatic discriminants.
To develop this framework, a comprehensive understanding of SE principles is applied to …

Project Scheduling To Maximize Positive Impacts Of Reconstruction Operations, Andrew D. Chaney

Theses and Dissertations

Since the decline of the Cold War, the risk of major conflict between powerful industrialized nations has significantly decreased. Insecurity in the twenty-first century is forecast to arise rather from the debris of imploding states. Such situations may require intervention | military or otherwise | by concerned states, and the frequency with which these interventions occur is increasing. To meet this new operational challenge, the US military must adapt its planning procedures to account for Security, Stabilization, Transition, and Reconstruction Operations (SSTRO). This research develops a project scheduling based framework for post-conflict reconstruction that prioritizes and schedules reconstruction activities in …

An Advanced Tabu Search Approach To Solving The Mixed Payload Airlift Load Planning Problem, Robert Larry Nance

Theses and Dissertations

This paper presents a new tabu search based two-dimensional bin packing algorithm which produces high quality solutions to the Mixed Payload Airlift Load Planning (MPALP) problem using C-5 and C-17 aircraft. This algorithm, called Mixed Payload Airlift Load Planning Tabu Search (MPALPTS), surpasses previous research conducted in this area because, in addition to pure pallet cargo loads, MPALPTS can accommodate rolling stock cargo (i.e. tanks, trucks, HMMMVs, etc.) while still maintaining aircraft feasibility with respect to aircraft center of balance, mandatory cargo separations, aircraft floor structural limitations, etc. Furthermore, while this research is currently restricted to C-5 and C-17 aircraft, …

Using Multiple Robust Parameter Design Techniques To Improve Hyperspectral Anomaly Detection Algorithm Performance, Matthew T. Davis

Theses and Dissertations

Detecting and identifying objects of interest is the goal of all remote sensing. New advances, specifically in hyperspectral imaging technology have provided the analyst with immense amounts of data requiring evaluation. Several filtering techniques or anomaly detection algorithms have been proposed. However, most new algorithms are insufficiently verified to be robust to the broad range of hyperspectral data being made available. One such algorithm, AutoGAD, is tested here via two separate robust parameter design techniques to determine optimal parameters for consistent performance on a range of data with large attribute variances. Additionally, the results of the two techniques are compared …

Exploitation Of Intra-Spectral Band Correlation For Rapid Feacture Selection And Target Identification In Hyperspectral Imagery, Michael K. Miller

Theses and Dissertations

This research extends the work produced by Capt. Robert Johnson for detecting target pixels within hyperspectral imagery (HSI). The methodology replaces Principle Components Analysis for dimensionality reduction with a clustering algorithm which seeks to associate spectral rather than spatial dimensions. By seeking similar spectral dimensions, the assumption of no a priori knowledge of the relationship between clustered members can be eliminated and clusters are formed by seeking high correlated adjacent spectral bands. Following dimensionality reduction Independent Components Analysis (ICA) is used to perform feature extraction. Kurtosis and Potential Target Fraction are added to Maximum Component Score and Potential Target Signal …

Adaptive Pareto Set Estimation For Stochastic Mixed Variable Design Problems, Christopher D. Arendt

Theses and Dissertations

Many design problems require the optimization of competing objective functions that may be too complicated to solve analytically. These problems are often modeled in a simulation environment where static input may result in dynamic (stochastic) responses to the various objective functions. System reliability, alloy composition, algorithm parameter selection, and structural design optimization are classes of problems that often exhibit such complex and stochastic properties. Since the physical testing and experimentation of new designs can be prohibitively expensive, engineers need adequate predictions concerning the viability of various designs in order to minimize wasteful testing. Presumably, an appropriate stochastic multi-objective optimizer can …

Host-Based Multivariate Statistical Computer Operating Process Anomaly Intrusion Detection System (Paids), Glen R. Shilland

Theses and Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Value-Driven Enterprise Architecture Score: Evaluation Applied To Joint Force Protection Future State Design, Larry D. Cotton, Gary A. Haase

Theses and Dissertations

This research presents a methodology to evaluate the quality of a system's architecture using principles drawn from Value-Focused Thinking (VFT) and resulting in a Value-Driven Enterprise Architecture Score (VDEA-Score). This is an overall numerical architecture quality score useful to a system's management team to identify the advantages and disadvantages of a system design and associated architecture documentation or to track its quality across discrete evaluation epochs. This effort determined which aspects of the architecture are most valuable to the stakeholder in the areas of (1) the system effectiveness values (quality of the instantiated system being represented and its ability to …

A Hybrid Templated-Based Composite Classification System, Michael A. Turnbaugh

Theses and Dissertations

An automatic target classification system contains a classifier which reads a feature as an input and outputs a class label. Typically, the feature is a vector of real numbers. Other features can be non-numeric, such as a string of symbols or alphabets. One method of improving the performance of an automatic classification system is through combining two or more independent classifiers that are complementary in nature. Complementary classifiers are observed by finding an optimal method for partitioning the problem space. For example, the individual classifiers may operate to identify specific objects. Another method may be to use classifiers that operate …

The Hybrid Counterinsurgency Strategy: System Dynamics Employed To Develop A Behavioral Model Of Joint Strategy, Ferdinand Maldonado

Theses and Dissertations

Since the recent focus on the Global War on Terror, both military and civilian theorists have begun to “relearn” the intricacies of counterinsurgency warfare. We face difficult challenges when confronting non-state actors that tend to attack in the time between conventional battles and the establishment of stable governments. This research compares and contrasts current counterinsurgency strategies (Hearts and Minds and Cost Benefit Theory) by applying System Dynamics to provide insight into the influences and emergent behavior patterns of counterinsurgency systems. The information gained from the development of the models and from their simulation behaviors is used to construct a System …

Combat Identification Modeling Using Neural Network Techniques, Changwook Lim

Theses and Dissertations

The purposes of this research were: (1) validating Kim’s (2007) simulation method by applying analytic methods and (2) comparing the two different Robust Parameter Design methods with three measures of performance (label accuracy for enemy, friendly, and clutter). Considering the features of CID, input variables were defined as two controllable (threshold combination of detector and classifier) and three uncontrollable (map size, number of enemies and friendly). The first set of experiments considers Kim’s method using analytical methods. In order to create response variables, Kim’s method uses Monte Carlo simulation. The output results showed no difference between simulation and the analytic …

Multi-Objective Stochastic Heuristic Methodology For Tradespace Exploration Of A Network Centric System Of Systems, Atmika Singh, Cihan H. Dagli

Engineering Management and Systems Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

System of systems (SoS) architecting techniques rely on traditional, static tools that were designed for classical stove-piped systems. There is a need for tools that can capture the complex adaptive nature of such SoS. An architecture search methodology using genetic algorithms and a fuzzy assessor was applied to the conceptual architecture design of a generic smart grid and a set of architectures with high fitness was obtained. This set of architectures is intended to serve as a starting point for a systems architect to ultimately be able to converge on the best system design. The SoS architecting process has largely …