Engineering Commons^™

Transformation Of Combat Data In Support Of Battle Trace, Hyoung-Kyu Choi

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to find an appropriate way of characterizing battle data as a function of time. This study was initially designed to remove the numerical instability problem cited in Barr's battle trace methodology as suggested by TRAC-MTRY. The research focused on the instability problem and identifying/recommending a technique that improved the efficiency of computation, and enhanced an analyst's ability to meaningfully interpret the battle trace. Two Lanchester's Square Law based methodologies are introduced and analyzed. The results of this analysis indicate that the battle trace of a constant value generated by Lanchester's Square Law integration seemed …

Visual Information Processing And Response Time In Traffic-Signal Cognition, Hasan H. Demirarslan

Theses and Dissertations

In man-machine design, it is important to quantify the reaction time components instead of simply determining the lump-sum reaction time to stimulus. The primary purpose of this thesis was to investigate the reaction time components, such as visual perception and muscle response time, and to quantify them by separating from their aggregated sum. The prime example, traffic-signal cognition simulation was used to examine human reaction time to signal change. With a modified computer program that stimulates the driver's approach to the intersection, we measured the subject's reaction times and examined behavioral patterns. Twelve subjects were involved in the experiment. A …

An Investigation Of Modifications To The Tac Campaign Model, Efgan Denguer

Theses and Dissertations

This research investigates the cost and budget modifications to Mixmaster which is an aggregate version of the Theater Attack Model (TAM). Seven simple cost employment methods, a goal programming approach, a probabilistic approach for determining cost coefficients, and goal programming version of that probabilistic approach were applied to Mixmaster. Also, Mixmaster was enhanced with an additional leading constraint to incorporate the Air Force tactical considerations in a campaign scenario. The results favor the advantages of the goal programming approaches. In addition, the probabilistic approach introducing the time factor in the computations promises more accurate results, given that the required parameters …

Automating The Weekly Flight Scheduling Process At The Usaf Test Pilot School, Gary G. Foster

Theses and Dissertations

This study investigated different scheduling solution approaches that could be automated and applied at the USAF Test Pilot School (TPS). Currently at the TPS, flight schedules are manually developed on a daily basis. Weekly flight schedules are not developed due to the large quantity of data that must be processed to develop a flight schedule for an entire week. A weekly flight scheduling approach would reduce the occurrence of scheduling problems and unbalanced resource utilization, both of which are often the result of a daily flight scheduling approach. In addition, posting a flight schedule for the entire week would improve …

Optimization Of Stochastic Response Surfaces Subject To Constraints With Linear Programming, Robert G. Harvey

Theses and Dissertations

This research investigated an alternative to the traditional approaches of optimizing a stochastic response surface subject to constraints. This research investigated the bias in the expected value of the solution, possible alternative decision variable settings, and a method to improve the solution. A three step process is presented to evaluate stochastic response surfaces subject to constraints. Step 1 is to use a traditional approach to estimate the response surface and a covariance matrix through regression. Step 2 samples the objective function of the linear program (i.e., response surface) and identifies the extreme points visited. Step 3 presents a method to …

An A Priori Multiobjective Optimization Model Of A Search And Rescue Network, Joseph C. Imsand Jr.

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to determine the most robust frequency assignment for a search and rescue network. The focus was to assign weights to the transmitter areas of the network to determine which weight sequence produced the most robust frequency assignment. The DoD furnished weight sequences for twelve two-hour time blocks. These weight sequences were compared to a weight sequence with all weights having equal value. Network and linear programming were used to-solve this problem and generate frequency assignments for all weight sequences. Classical and tolerance sensitivity analysis were used to analyze the frequency assignments generated by the …

Confidence Interval Estimation For Output Of Discrete-Event Simulations Using The Kalman Filter, Randall B. Howard

Theses and Dissertations

Discrete-event simulation is computer modeling of stochastic, dynamic systems. The Kalman filter is a Bayesian stochastic estimation algorithm. Because of the correlated nature of simulation output, it is difficult to apply the methods of classical statistics directly when constructing confidence intervals of discrete-event simulation parameters. Through the determination of a dynamics equation and application of the Kalman filter to simulation output data, three new confidence interval construction techniques have been developed. One technique obtains an estimate of the mean value and its associated variance from an estimated Kalman filter. The second technique utilizes Multiple Model Adaptive Estimation (MMAE) techniques to …

Developing Cmmca Flight Profiles For Cruise Missile Tracking, Andrew C. Hachman

Theses and Dissertations

The Air Force has recently acquired two aircraft dedicated for cruise missile tracking. These aircraft, known as the Cruise Missile Mission Control Aircraft (CMMCA), are responsible for collecting data from the missile and United States. Due to tracking and positively controlling the missile during live fire testing over the western the limited tracking radar range and the flight characteristics of the CMMCA, tracking cruise missiles through complex maneuvers is not always possible. A FORTRAN optimization, based on flight simulation and optimal control theory, was written in a prior thesis effort in order to determine optimal CMMCA flight profiles for tracking …

An Outline For A Manufacturing Planning And Control System For A Repair/ Overhaul/Rebuilding Environment, Peter H. Miyares

Theses and Dissertations

This study outlines a structure for a manufacturing planning and control (MPC) system for a repair/overhaul/rebuilding environment. Included an examination of the organizational components that must be incorporated into the system and the planning functions for which the system can be used. The study compares and contrasts the differences between an MPC system for a maintenance organization and a manufacturing organization and concludes that the MPC system for a maintenance organization must account for the greater degree of variability that occurs within the process. The proposed system is composed of an information system which collects data from throughout an organization …

Saber: Airland Combat Training Model Credibility Assessment And Methodology, David L. Scagliola

Theses and Dissertations

Saber is a theater-level, airland combat training model, designed by a number of computer science and engineering students and faculty at the Air Force Institute of Technology (AFIT). Saber is intended to replace the Agile model, which is currently used at the Air Force Wargaming Center, Maxwell AFB, Alabama for Theater Warfare Exercise (TWX) training purposes. This thesis focuses on the progress made towards generating the Saber training model, its ability to meet the objectives specified by the Wargaming Center, and its ability to represent actual combat. Specifically, this thesis is directed towards characterizing, establishing a credibility assessment, and developing …

Multilayer Perceptrons For Classification, Lisa M. Belue

Theses and Dissertations

Techniques for training, testing, and validating multilayer perceptrons are thoroughly examined. Results obtained using perceptrons are compared and contrasted with two multivariate discriminant analysis techniques- logistic regression and k neighbor. Methods for determining significant input features are investigated and a procedure for examining the confidence to place in the significance of these features is developed. Procedures to evaluate the applicability of high-order feature inputs are examined. These methods and procedures are applied to two very different applications. The first application concerns the prediction of Air Force pilot retention/separation rates for input to force projection models. The second application concerns the …

Causal Univariate Spatial-Temporal Autoregressive Moving Averages (Starma) Modelling Of Target Information To Generate Tasking Of A World-Wide Sensor System, Kelly A. Greene

Theses and Dissertations

The Department of Defense employs a resource limited world-wide sensor system to detect certain events of interest. The purpose of this research was to establish a methodology using a univariate causal STARMA model for forecasting the relative probability of an event occurring in a geographical location during a time block of the day. These relative probabilities are used as input for a tasking model that assigns the scarce sensor resources so as to optimize the detection of these events. The STARMA model is appropriate for forecasting the relative probabilities because a definite temporal relationship and a definite spatial relationship exists …

Modular Simulation Of Hei Fragments And Blast Pressure, Gordon L. Galloway

Theses and Dissertations

The fragmentation and blast pressure of High Explosive Incendiary projectiles are major causes of aircraft fuel fires. Because Halon 1301 is being banned from DoD use as a fire suppressant, alternative fire suppressants must be developed and tested. These new suppressants must counteract the fire directly or eliminate one or more of the factors which cause the fire. To this end, this thesis takes a detailed look at the HEI processes that lead to a fire. A comprehensive review of the current knowledge and understanding of these processes is presented. In addition, hypothesized dependencies between the various processes are stated. …

Spartan: An Instructional High Resolution Land Combat Model, David K. Cox

Theses and Dissertations

This project developed an instructional high resolution land combat simulation model. The purpose of this model is to demonstrate common techniques of modeling used in the present generation of US Army land combat models. This model is stochastic and uses an event scheduling type of discrete event time algorithm. The model represents a maximum of two six-man infantry squads in direct fire combat. The individual soldiers move, search for targets, engage targets, and react to hostile encounters. The data values provided will the model are all. generic and hypothetical. The model is only intended as a demonstration tool and has …

An Improved Scheduling Algorithm For Eglin Afb Test Ranges, Jeffrey S. Antes

Theses and Dissertations

This research develops an algorithm that integrates into an existing computerized scheduling system to improve the mission scheduling function for Eglin AFB test ranges. The primary objective of this research was to design an improved computerized scheduling aid. The measure of performance for this approach is the number of missions scheduled using this aid as compared to current Eglin capabilities. Constructive heuristics are used in the algorithm to schedule missions according to critical resource groups while ensuring mission priority is not violated. The success of this new interactive scheduling algorithm is measured against a schedule produced by the current computer …

Gettysburg: An Analysis Of The Training Value Of Commercial Models, Jude C. Fernan

Theses and Dissertations

This study investigated the possibilities of using commercial combat models/war games dealing with the battle of Gettysburg as aids for the training of soldiers and leaders in the military. With the downsizing of the military and the high cost of training, there exists a need to reduce training costs while not affecting the quality of training. The military employs various military models to assist in training but has yet to fully tap the wealth of commercial combat models. One reason may be the lack of an investigative analysis into the soundness and applicability of commercial combat models to military training. …

A Decision-Theoretic Approach To Recommending Action In The Air-To- Ground Aircraft Of The Future, Garrison H. Flemings

Theses and Dissertations

Designers of air-to-ground fighters of the future should consider including decision support systems to relieve pilots of some of the present workload. Those decision support systems should use utility theory. This work reviews two techniques of utility theory (decision trees and influence diagrams) and a new technique due to Morlan (probability ratio nets). The work includes a proposed structure for action recommendation systems in air-to-ground fighters of the future. The work describes an implementation of probability ratio nets. The work demonstrates the value of decision theory to air-to-ground fighters of the future by way of solving an example problem and …

Acuta Enews February 1992, Vol. 21, No. 2

ACUTA Newsletters

In This Issue

Call for RD Nominations

President's column

Workshop announcement

Alabama college takes case to PSC

Party Line

Rating to Tucson seminars

A Computer Based Educational Aid For The Instruction Of Combat Modeling, Richard S. Moore

Theses and Dissertations

The Air Force Institute of Technology is one of few institutions that teaches combat modeling. Combat models are typically dynamic computer simulations of specialized dynamic processes. Great difficulty exists in portraying these dynamic and recurrent processes with conventional static diagrams. This thesis produced a computer-based instructional aid which presents animated examples of processes common to combat models, demonstrates a simple few-on-few aerial combat model, and encourages student exploration and interaction with these presentations. This aid provides dynamic examples of random number generation, detection processes, target selection, and target destruction. A complete combat model demonstrating a few-on-few air duel is animated …

Acuta Enews January 1992, Vol. 21, No. 1

ACUTA Newsletters

In This Issue

Are you ready for the ADA?

Alabama regulators take aim at campus phone services

NATA asks that blocking services be mandatory for LECS

Distance education programs, technology continue to mature

Message From The President

Merging technologies may mean crossfire of competition

Monographs: opportunity to share knowledge

ADA to have far-reaching effect on telecommunications

Party Line

Annenberg announces distance learning grants

Marketplace Update

An Intrusive Fluid Mud Surveying System, Allen Teeter, Glynn Banks, Michael Alexander, Andrew Salkield

United States Army: Publications

A towable sled was developed at the Hydraulics Laboratory of the Waterways Experiment station in conjunction with SIRAD, Inc. to survey navigation channels with "fluff" or fluid mud. Fluid mud layers on the bottom of navigation channels can result in a false bottom record when surveyed with conventional acoustic fathometers. The WES gage was designed to tow along channel bottoms at a specific gravity of about 1.15- 1.20 g/cc and coincide with nautical depth. To monitor this towed density value, a nuclear density gage was installed in the original prototype. Field trials have been completed at the Gulfport, MS, Calcasieu, …

On Capacity Modeling For Production Planning With Alternative Machine Types, Robert C. Leachman, Tali F. Carmon

Industrial and Manufacturing Engineering

Analyzing the capacity of production facilities in which manufacturing operations may be performed by alternative machine types presents a seemingly complicated task. In typical enterprise-level production planning models, capacity limitations of alternative machine types are approximated in terms of some single artificial capacitated resource. In this paper we propose procedures for generating compact models that accurately characterize capacity limitations of alternative machine types. Assuming that processing times among alternative machine types are identical or proportional across operations they can perform, capacity limitations of the alternative machine types can be precisely expressed using a formulation that is typically not much larger …

Hydrodynamics For Water Quality Models, Mark Dortch, Billy Johnson

United States Army: Publications

During the past decade, the US Army Engineer Waterways Experiment station (WES) has developed and applied a variety of numerical water quality models for surface waters. In most cases, the transport terms of these models have been computed using output from numerical hydrodynamic models. This paper summarizes the experience of linking water quality models to hydrodynamic models and examines the need for such linkages.

Physical Modeling Of A High Velocity Covered Urban Drainage Channel, Stephen E. Stump, Charles H. Tate, Robert U. Castle

United States Army: Publications

The design of Oak Street Drain, a 3-mile-long rectangular open channel project in Corona, CA, requires a covered section with a sinuous alignment to avoid commercial development. The alignment includes a reverse 100-ft-radius curve and a long 200-ft-radius curve to convey the 100-year design flow of 7,100 cfs at velocities of 40 fps. A physical model was constructed to verify that the proposed design would pass the design flow without adverse hydraulic conditions.

Hydrodynamic Forces And Evolution Of A Nearshore Berm At South Padre Island, Texas, James A. Aidala, Cheryl E. Burke, T. Neil Mclellan

United States Army: Publications

The evolution of a nearshore feeder berm was correlated to the hydrodynamic forces acting on it for periods of time during which bathymetric and hydrodynamic data sets were available. The evolution of the berm was described in the context of movement and erosion based on wave orbital velocity and bottom current. The berm was constructed and placed offshore at South Padre Island, Texas.

Visualization Of Groundwater Contaminant Parameters, Gregory D. Comes, James Warner, Paul Miller

United States Army: Publications

Numerical groundwater contaminant modeling is a powerful tool to study the extent of subsurface contamination. Three-dimensional contaminant transport models can predict the future lateral and vertical extent of contamination. Geotechnical and hydrological data is required for the calibration and operation of such models. Understanding the interrelationships of the enormous volumes of data required becomes an onerous task. Visualization of both the input and output data aids the researcher in calibration and comprehension of numerical model results. This paper describes the integration of three-dimensional computer visualization with geotechnical and hydrological parameters for numerical groundwater contaminant modeling. Visualization of subsurface parameters in …

The Application Of Ultrasonic Surface Detectors To Hopper Dredge Production Monitoring, Stephen H. Scott, Angela Freeman

United States Army: Publications

Ultrasonic surface detectors were installed on the us Army Corps of Engineers hopper dredge WHEELER for measuring dredge production. Ultrasonic sensors were installed over the bow and stern of the vessel, port and starboard, to measure vessel draft as a function of dredged material load in the hopper. Four ultrasonic sensors were installed over the hopper to measure the bin water depth in the hopper. This paper describes the ultrasonic sensor operation and installation, and data acquisition and analysis for the test series.

Three-Dimensional Incompressible Flow Calculations With Maccormack's Method, Robert S. Bernard, Michael L. Schneider

United States Army: Publications

MAC3D is a finite-volume computer code that uses MacCormack's method to calculate three-dimensional incompressible flow on staggered Marker-and-Cell grids. The code accepts nonuniform, nonorthogonal grids for any curvilinear domain that can be mapped onto a single rectangular block. It is applicable for free-surface flow at low Froude number, and for confined flow in general. Computed results from MAC3D are presented for laminar flow in channels with internal obstacles and curved boundaries.

Improved Thermal Predictions In Ce-Qual-W2, Raymond S. Chapman, Thomas M. Cole

United States Army: Publications

Recent modifications to the transport scheme within the two-dimensional hydrodynamic and water quality model CEQUAL- W2 have resulted in a significant improvement in the prediction of temperature distributions by reducing numerical diffusion. These changes allow for a more accurate description of wind effects in the model. This paper briefly describes the modifications to CE-QUAL-W2 and presents results of two simulations both with and without the improvements to the transport algorithm.

Release Alternatives On A 3-D Salinity Simulation, Bernard B. Hsieh

United States Army: Publications

Hydraulic structures such as darns, locks or diversion gates, in the upstream or tributary of an estuary system can control necessary freshwater discharge to meet downstream water quality standards. One of the most significant purposes of these structures is maintaining target salinity to satisfy the environment concerns, such as fishery spawning in the high-flow season and drinking water criteria in the low-flow period. In order to evaluate possible alternative regulations for the reservoir operation, a reliable three-dimensional (3-D) hydrodynamic model is required as a management tool to simulate the impact of salinity variations due to release policy changes. This paper …