Engineering Commons^™

Supporting The Development And External Review Of Course Portfolios, Paul Savory, Dan Bernstein, John Comer, Jennifer Robinson

Department of Industrial and Management Systems Engineering: Faculty Publications

This presentation introduces the Peer Review of Teaching project for the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. The faculty fellowship program is described and the process by which faculty create course portfolios is explained. How portfolios are used for formative and summative assessment are discussed.

Analysis Of Air Force Contingency Contracting Training Needs, Peter S. Lasch

Theses and Dissertations

This research examines the Air Force training needs of contingency contracting officers (CCOs). The study utilized the deductive approach to research. A survey instrument captured the data for the study. The survey captured input from CCOs with deployment experience and each of the Air Force components and MAJCOMs. Series 1 of the survey polls CCOs with deployment experience to determine the training CCOs require based on their personal experiences. Series 2 surveys the component and MAJCOM level supervisors to determine their perception of the training that should be required for CCOs. Comparing the two series will identify any differences in …

Beyond A-76: How To Achieve The Goals Without The Pain, Kurt A. Chelf

Theses and Dissertations

The Department of Defense has determined that Outsourcing and Privatization is key to reducing operating costs and subsequently providing the fiscal dollars necessary to modernize the U.S. Armed Forces. In an effort to achieve this goal, the DoD has mandated that the Air Force study at least 5% of its manning positions for possible conversion to contract. This mandate effects over 200,000 positions throughout the department. Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Circular, Number A-76, Performance Of Commercial Activities dictates the process used to study the appropriateness of these conversions. This thesis explores the usefulness and applicability of this process, …

Task Load And Automation Use In An Uncertain Environment, Mark A. Daly

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this research was to investigate the effects that user task load level has on the relationship between an individual's trust in and subsequent use of a system's automation. Automation research has demonstrated a positive correlation between an individual's trust in and subsequent use of the automation. Military decision-makers trust and use information system automation to make many tactical judgments and decisions. In situations of information uncertainty (information warfare environments), decision-makers must remain aware of information reliability issues and temperate their use of system automation if necessary. An individual's task load may have an effect on his use …

An Analysis Of The Knowledge And Skill Levels Required To Effectively Support Analytical Cost Decisions In Source Selections, Anthony L. Smith

Theses and Dissertations

We analyze these three factors (education, experience, and training) in an effort to identify the knowledge and skills necessary for cost analysts to possess to be effective members of cost panel evaluation teams during source selections. This research effort assesses whether the cost panel members and senior Air Force acquisition military and civilian personnel associate the levels of education, experience, and training as being key factors in fulfilling cost analysts duties while supporting the selection of a source in the government procurement process. To accomplish this objective, a literature review, personal interviews, and questionnaires were utilized. Descriptive statistics and hypothesis …

A Collaborative Visualization Framework Using Jini™ Technology, Chad M. Harris

Theses and Dissertations

It is difficult to achieve mutual understanding of complex information between individuals that are separated geographically. Two well-known techniques commonly used to deal with this difficultly are collaboration and information visualization. This thesis develops a generic flexible framework that supports both collaboration and information visualization. It introduces the Collaborative Visualization Environment (COVE) framework, which simplifies the development of real-time synchronous multi-user applications by decoupling the elements of collaboration from the application. This allows developers to focus on building applications and leave the difficulties of collaboration (i.e., concurrency controls, user awareness, session management, etc.) to the framework. The framework uses an …

Empirical Analysis Of Various Multi-Dimensional Knapsack Heuristics, Yong Kun Cho

Theses and Dissertations

Since the multidimensional knapsack problems are NP-hard problems, the exact solutions of knapsack problems often need excessive computing time and storage space. Thus, heuristic approaches are more practical for multidimensional knapsack problems as problems get large. This thesis presents the results of an empirical study of the performance of heuristic solution procedures based on the coefficients correlation structures and constraint slackness settings. In this thesis, the three representative greedy heuristics, Toyoda, Senju and Toyoda, and Loulou and Michaelides’ methods, are studied. The purpose of this research is to explore which heuristic of the three representative greedy heuristics performs best under …

Selecting Salient Features In High Feature To Exemplar Ratio Conditions, Ismail Aslan

Theses and Dissertations

A key tenet to the Air Force's vision of Global Vigilance, Reach, and Power is the ability to project power via the use of aerial refueling. Scheduling of limited tanker resources is a major concern for Air Mobility Command (AMC). Currently the Combined Mating and Ranging Planning System (CMARPS) is used to plan aerial refueling operations, however due to the complex nature of the program and the length of time needed to run a scenario, the need for a simple tool that runs in much shorter time is desired. Ant colony algorithms are recently developed heuristics for finding solutions to …

Identifying Enlisted Stay And Leave Population Characteristics With Discriminant Analysis, Zabrina Y. Hoggard

Theses and Dissertations

The research contribution of this thesis is the first known integrated architecture and feature selection algorithm for Radial Basis Neural Networks (RBNNs). The objective is to apply the network iteratively to determine the final architecture and feature set used to evaluate a problem. Additionally, this thesis compares three different classification techniques, Discriminant Analysis (DA), Feed-Forward Neural Networks (FFN) and RBNNs against several hard to solve problems. These problems were used to evaluate general classifier performance as well as the performance of the feature selection techniques. This thesis describes the classification techniques as well as the measures used to evaluate them. …

An Integrated Architecture And Feature Selection Algorithm For Radial Basis Neural Networks, Timothy D. Flietstra

Theses and Dissertations

There are two basic ways to control an Unmanned Combat Aerial Vehicle (UCAV) as it searches for targets: allow the UCAV to act autonomously or employ man-in-the-loop control. There are also two target sets of interest: fixed or mobile targets. This research focuses on UCAV-based targeting of mobile targets using man-in-the-loop control. In particular, the interest is in how levels of satellite signal latency or signal degradation affect the ability to accurately track, target, and attack mobile targets. This research establishes a weapon effectiveness model assessing targeting inaccuracies as a function of signal latency and/or signal degradation. The research involved …

Modeling The Pre-Positioning Of Air Force Precision Guided Munitions, Daniel P. Johnstone

Theses and Dissertations

There exist factors that play a major role in an enlisted Airman's decision to either stay on active duty in the Air Force or separate. The current force structure of the U.S. Air Force and increased loss of enlisted personnel is a major concern as we look at maintaining manpower to meet the needs of the Air Force. The Air Force is reacting to this low retention problem by increasing the bonuses for initial enlistments and reenlistments, home basing, increasing quality of life for Air Force personnel with enlisted dormitory plus-ups, and under AEF personnel have increased predictability of deployment. …

Robust Sensitivity Analysis For Multi-Attribute Deterministic Hierarchical Value Models, Yucel R. Kahraman

Theses and Dissertations

The Air Force's ability to deploy, employ, and sustain operations in forward locations is a key to mission success. An integral part of this strategy is equipment pre-positioning, to include: vehicles, aircraft support, consumable inventory, and munitions. This research focuses on defining and developing a model to aid decision makers with the afloat pre-positioning and deployment of munitions in an effort to ensure that the right weapons are available when, and where needed. This research places a particular focus on the strategic, global pre-positioning of the Afloat Pre-positioning Fleet (APF) in an effort to minimize the overall response time involved …

Modeling And Analysis Of Multicommodity Network Flows Via Goal Programming, Matthew A. Scott

Theses and Dissertations

In this research we focused on the mobility system modeled by the AMC mobility planner's calculator (AMPCALC). We developed AMPCALC as a user-friendly tool and allow the user to easily carry out strategic airlift, air refueling and aeromedical evacuation calculations that are covered in Air Force Pamphlet 10-1403. In this study, Excel software and its macro language, Visual Basic for Application, are our two main tools. In the methodology of the thesis we examined fundamental aspects of the mobility system in AMPCALC. We discussed formulation logic of the mobility cycle. We presented ramp use optimization and tanker optimization processes. We …

Quicklook Air Mobility Modeling, Mustafa K. Pektas

Theses and Dissertations

This research is a framework for understanding issues in modeling the military aspect of space, with particular regard to capturing its value. Space power is a difficult and far-reaching topic, with implications that go beyond the military aspects. The United States military increasingly relies on space-based systems and information for success in daily operations. Telecommunications, navigation and timing, intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance, and weather prediction are instances of services that have become dependent on satellite systems. If this reliance on space is not fully understood, U.S. national security will be at risk as the result of space information degradation or denial. …

Development Of A Systems Engineering Model Of The Chemical Separations Process: Quarterly Progress Report 11/16/01- 2/15/02, Yitung Chen, Randy Clarksean, Darrell Pepper

Separations Campaign (TRP)

The AAA program is developing technology for the transmutation of nuclear waste to address many of the long-term disposal issues. An integral part of this program is the proposed chemical separations scheme.

Two activities are proposed in this Phase I task: the development of systems engineering model and the refinement of the Argonne code AMUSE (Argonne Model for Universal Solvent Extraction). The detailed systems engineering model is the start of an integrated approach to the analysis of the materials separations associated with the AAA Program. A second portion of the project is to streamline and improve an integral part of …

Acuta Enews February 2002, Vol 31, No. 3

ACUTA Newsletters

Nominations Sought for Board of Directors

Board Report

DC Update

In Memory Of............... Ruth Michalecki

What You've Got and What You Need (Information Gathering)

Welcome New Members

Positions Available

FCC

Formation Of 2-Chlorobenzylidenemalononitrile (Cs Riot Control Agent) Thermal Degradation Products At Elevated Temperatures, Timothy A. Kluchinsky, Michael Sheely, Paul B B. Savage, Philip A. Smith

United States Army: Publications

2-Chlorobenzylidenemalononitrile (CS riot control agent) has been shown to produce a number of thermal degradation products when dispersed at high temperature.We hypothesized that these CS-derived compounds are formed by energy input from heating during the dispersion process. Here we identified organic CS-derived compounds formed from purified CS subjected to temperatures ranging from 300 to 900 degrees C in an inert atmosphere with analysis of tube furnace effluent by gas chromatography and mass spectrometry. We conclude that the production of many CS-derived compounds previously observed during high-temperature dispersion is likely to be heat related.

Acuta Enews January 2002, Vol 31, No. 1

ACUTA Newsletters

In This Issue

Univ. of Wisconsin-Stout Wins Baldrige Award

Bringing New Members to ACUTA

DC Update

Managing the Cable Distribution Plant

What Are You Afraid Of? (Risk Analysis)

Board Report

New Members

Job Postings

Use Of Pyrolysis Gc/Ms For Predicting Emission Byproducts From The Incineration Of Double-Base Propellant, Donald Cropek, Patricia Kemme, Jean Day, Jane Cochran

United States Army: Publications

Gas chromatography/mass spectrometry was used to analyze the pyrolytic byproducts from an Army-unique propellant compound (AA2) that is composed of predominantly nitrocellulose and nitroglycerin. Compounds produced by AA2 pyrolysis were compared to compounds detected in the gaseous effluent from AA2 incineration. The light permanent gases and most of the higher molecular weight byproducts produced by AA2 incineration are replicated by laboratory pyrolysis on AA2. The reverse case also holds whereby 18 out of 24 high molecular weight AA2 pyrolytic byproducts are found in the incinerator emissions. Poor matching, however, was obtained between the two processes for the volatile, water-soluble species. …

The Need For Pfc Abatement In Semiconductor Manufacturing, Mohsen Manesh, Brian Kendrick

Inquiry: The University of Arkansas Undergraduate Research Journal

Perfluorocompounds (PFCs) are highly stable chemical compounds used in two integral steps of semiconductor manufacturing: chemical vapor deposition (CVD) chambers and etch chambers. Unfortunately, PFCs are also greenhouse gases linked to global warming. This, combined with their long atmospheric lifetimes gives them global warming potentials much higher than C02 the principal greenhouse gas. In a series of voluntary agreements with the United States and other national governments, the worldwide semiconductor industry has set a goal of reducing PFC emissions to 90% of their 1995 levels. To reach this goal, researchers have explored four main methods of reduction: substitution of PFCs, …

The Quality Problem Solving Method And Its Effectiveness At Nortech Inc., Jeffrey Henderson

Honors Capstones

Capstone submitted as a graduation requirement for the BSU Honors Program.

Use Of Snow-Covered Ranges To Estimate Explosives Residues From High-Order Detonations Of Army Munitions, Thomas F. Jenkins, Marianne E. Walsh, Paul H. Miyares, Alan D. Hewitt, Nicholas H. Collins, Thomas A. Ranney

United States Army: Publications

Estimation of the amounts of residues resulting from high-order detonation of munitions is complicated by the presence of residues from previous detonations and the inability to easily obtain adequately-sized samples to overcome spatial heterogeneity in residue deposition. This study was conducted to assess the use of snow-covered ranges to provide these types of estimates. Specifically, snow-covered ranges were used to estimate the amount of explosives residues that resulted from detonation of individual mortar rounds and a small antipersonnel land mine. At Fort Drum, NY, 60 mm mortars were fired and at Camp Ethan Allen, VT, 81 mm mortars and a …

Effect Of Exposure Time On The Fatigue Crack Growth Behavior Of Aircraft Skin Material, Kathryn Lemasters, Tarun Goswami

Biomedical, Industrial & Human Factors Engineering Faculty Publications

The objective of this research project is to identify the effects of service exposure on aircraft materials. The senior author participated in the KC-135 Corrosion Prevention Program conducted by the University of Utah, Salt Lake City. Data from this research program was analyzed to compare the fatigue crack growth rates of aged aircraft materials with those of virgin materials. 2024-T3(clad) Middle Tension (M(T)) specimens were machined from the fuselage and upper wing skins of a retired aircraft. Fatigue crack growth rate (da/dN) and mode 1 stress intensity factor range (Δ K) plots were generated for both sets of data. The …

Flow Shop Scheduling Problem: A Computational Study, Amr Arisha, Paul Young, Mohie El Baradie

Conference papers

A computational study has been developed to obtain optimal / near optimal solution for the flow shop scheduling problem with make-span minimization as the primary criterion and the minimization of either the mean completion time, total waiting time or total idle time as the secondary criterion. The objective is to determine a sequence of operations in which to process ‘n’ jobs on ‘m’ machines in same order (flow shop environment) where skipping is allowed. The Simulation approach for deterministic and stochastic flow shop scheduling has been developed. It reads and manipulates data for 500 jobs on 500 machines. Different factorial …

A Task Process Pre-Experimental Model, Holly A. H. Handley, Alexander H. Lewis

Engineering Management & Systems Engineering Faculty Publications

The Adaptive Architectures for Command and Control (A2C2) program is a multidisciplinary program that employs a scientific basis for designing and analyzing adaptive and reconfigurable organizational structures at the Joint Task Force level. As part of its unique model-driven experimentation method, a pre-experimental model is created to support the formulation of hypotheses, the determination of key variables and parameter values, and the prediction of organizational performance. The pre-experimental model is used to explore the parameters of the experimental design in order to determine the appropriate region to conduct officer-in-the-loop experiments at the Naval Postgraduate School. A pre-experimental model based on …

Creep-Fatigue Life Prediction Of Low Alloy Steels, James Toland, Tarun Goswami

Biomedical, Industrial & Human Factors Engineering Faculty Publications

The creep-fatigue behavior of Cr-Mo steels has been examined from published data. The published data were compiled in an earlier effort and used in this paper to develop a multivariate best-fit equation to predict the low cycle fatigue life. The fatigue test temperatures were representative of temperatures experienced in nuclear power plants, which varied from room temperature to 600°C. Within this temperature range, depending upon the test parameters used, creep and fatigue processes interact and failure occurs in the lowcycle fatigue regime.

Prediction Of Electric Load Using Kohonen Maps - Application To The Polish Electricity Consumption, Amaury Lendasse, M. Cottrell, V. Wertz, M. Verleysen

Engineering Management and Systems Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

The Problem of Electrical Load Forecasting Presents Some Particularities, Compared to the Generic Problem of Time-Series Prediction. One of These Particularities is that Several Values (Corresponding to One Day of Consumption) Are Usually Expected as the Result of the Prediction. in This Paper, We Propose an Original Method Dividing the Problem into Three Parts: Prediction of the Daily Mean, of the Daily Standard Deviation and of the Normalized Daily Profile. for the Mean and the Standard Deviation, Radial Function Networks Are Used as Nonlinear Approximations. for the Normalized Profile, a Method based on Kohonen Maps is Proposed. This Method is …

A Distributed Discrete-Time Neural Network Architecture For Pattern Allocation And Control, A.T. Chronopoulos, Jagannathan Sarangapani

Computer Science Faculty Research & Creative Works

No abstract provided.

A Window-Based Software For Fatigue Crack Growth Data Reduction, B. Keeton, Tarun Goswami

Biomedical, Industrial & Human Factors Engineering Faculty Publications

The objective of this research is to develop a Windows-based program to present the fatigue crack growth rate and mode I stress intensity factor range data. Microsoft Visual Basic was used to write the code. The program developed in this study calls out the input data in terms of crack length (α) and the number of cycles (Ν). Secant and seven point polynomial distribution was used to fit the data. The installation procedure for the program was copied onto a disk to install the program. Future work is needed to further modify the a-N data and therefore to present da/dN-ΔΚ …

Dwell Sensitivity Behavior And Modeling, E. Pyburn, Tarun Goswami

Biomedical, Industrial & Human Factors Engineering Faculty Publications

Since engineering materials are exposed to dwell-times in service, it is important to understand the effects of dwell times on the fatigue life. The mechanisms controlling deformation and failure under dwell conditions are in terms of metallographic damage namely; transgranular fracture, intergranular fracture, mixed intergranular transgranular fracture modes, surface striated damage, creep damage and oxidation. These mechanisms are very difficult to include in a quantitative model to predict the dwell sensitivity behavior of high temperature materials. Published creep-fatigue data were compiled from various sources for a number of materials such as copper alloys (NARloy-Z, AMZ1RC), steel alloys (9Cr-lMo), and nickel …