Engineering Commons^™

Saber: A Theater Level Wargame, William F. Mann Iii

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis provides a foundation to build a new theater level computerized wargame for the Air Force Wargaming Center, Maxwell AFB, AL to replace the Theater War Exercise (TWX), also known as Agile. Given a recently developed land battle, this thesis' effort links US Air Force doctrine with a conceptual model's framework and designs a new air battle module. The integration of both the air and land battles forms a new game, Saber. This thesis redefines the ground combat units of the land battle, and adds theater air defense units, bases and aircraft packages. This thesis introduces stochastic attrition between …

Analysis Of The Effects Of The Commander's Battle Positioning On Unit Combat Performance, Thomas I. Pratt

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of the Commander's battle positioning on unit combat performance. Research was focused on analyzing the location of the Battalion/Task Force Commander during daytime deliberate attacks conducted at the U.S. Army's National Training Center, Fort Irwin, CA. Forty battles, from January 1986 to September 1989, provided the basis for this study. Information that described the Commander's location, a general description of the battle, and unit measures of effectiveness, was collected for each battle and put in a format that allowed for ease of analysis. This study database was explored using numerous …

A Network Flow And Goal Programming Approach To Modeling The Impact Of Pre-Accession Training To The Trained Personnel Requirements Process, William J. Beveridge

Theses and Dissertations

HQ ATC was tasked to analyze the impact of pre-accession training to the Trained Personnel Required (TPR) and training production process. Pre- accession training is a policy of providing contracted initial skills training to enlistees prior to entering basic military training. The purpose of this study was to develop a method to model the impact of pre-accession training. A network modeling and goal programming approach was used. Comparisons between the current training policy and a pre-accession training policy were made. Sensitivity was conducted on the impact of a balk rate on the new policy. The balk rate is the percent …

A Solution Methodology For The Variable-Level Scheduling Problem, Dennis R. Benson

Theses and Dissertations

This study looked at a specific scheduling problem for a Department of Defense agency. A heuristic algorithms was developed to solve a general variable-level scheduling problem and was applied to this specific problem. This heuristic used linear programming and integer programming to find the minimum number of weekly billable hours for five alternative schedules. The best alternative schedule was further developed into a spreadsheet designed, squad level, master schedule. The result of this study was a proposed schedule that would save the United States government 8.2% of their security costs for this one part of the governmental agency. These savings …

The Utility Of Elliptical And Circular Confidence Regions For Hfdf Receivers, Paul T. Nemec

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis investigates HFDF confidence region (CR) shape exhibited by geolocations in a search-and-rescue context. In Phase I, a Keeney-Raiffa multiattribute utility function was developed which allowed an analytical measure of preference between elliptical and equivalent- probability circular CRs. Phase II utilized a likelihood approach to establish CR shape for sample operational geolocations having multiple points of bearing intersections. For 12 sample Phase I geolocations, the elliptical CR always had higher utility than its corresponding circular CR. For accepted sample geolocations, a preference condition was developed whereby a circular CR would only be preferred over the corresponding elliptical CR if …

Multicriteria Network Routing Of Tactical Aircraft In A Threat Radar Environment, Ernst K. Isensee

Theses and Dissertations

Real-time route planning for tactical aircraft has established a requirement for analytical tools which prescribe optimal solutions. The Air Force Electronic Warfare Center has developed a computerized routing aid which enhances the ability to plan tactical flight missions under real-time constraints. The decision aid known as the Improved Many-on-Many (IMOM) allows the user to subjectively evaluate flight routes within enemy radar coverages. However, the mission planner is required to intuitively assesses the survivability risks associated for each user defined route. As an alternative to this method, the deterministic procedures of dynamic programming and the shortest path algorithms offer techniques which …

Incorporating Value Systems In Strategic Force Analysis, Nancy D. Snyder

Theses and Dissertations

Deterring potential Soviet aggression depends on our ability to hold at risk those assets they value most. This research investigates target valuation as an added dimension to force structure analysis. An extensive literature review is followed by the development and demonstration of a methodology defining development and use target values. The literature review covers arms control concepts to give a foundation for an important use of force structure analysis. It also covers measures of effectiveness. The final part of the review is comprised of definitions of perspectives on nuclear war. The methodology defines motivations for force structuring in the form …

Location And Routing Of The Defense Courier Service Aerial Network, Steven F. Baker

Theses and Dissertations

This study extends work done by the Military Airlift Command's Analysis Group on reducing the operating costs of the Defense Courier Service aerial network. The study's primary focus is to minimize those costs by varying the number and location of servicing depots, and the routes flown from those depots. The theoretical algorithm used in the methodology is an expansion of Laporte's (1986) formulation of the multiple depot multiple travelling salesmen facility-location problem. Multiple servicing frequency is addressed by clustering co-located demands with Kulkarni's (1985) subtour breaking constraint. Vehicle range is considered by redressing a shortfall of the subtour breaking constraint, …

Investigation Of A Zero-One Integer Programming Approach To Automating The Scheduling Process At The Usaf Test Pilot School, Lisa M. Hassel

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis investigated models that could be used to determine a feasible schedule for the Test Pilot School (TPS) training program and form the basis for an automated scheduling system. The TPS problem is formulated as a 0-1 integer linear program and is solved using preprocessing techniques and the Branch-and-Bound algorithm. The method produced feasible solutions for small problems that equate to portions of the TPS schedule but cannot efficiently solve large problems like the full TPS problem. More investigation should be conducted to alter the method developed in the study so it could be used for large problems. A …

Acuta Enews February 1991, Vol. 20, No. 2

ACUTA Newsletters

In This Issue

ACUTA gains new tax status

Stopping a runaway dialer

Just what is an engineer?

FCC ruling awaited

Party Line

In-house accounting

The Optimal Location Of Geodss Sensors In Canada, Pierre J. Forgues

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis studies the maximal coverage p-median and the set covering facility location problems as applied to the GEODSS location problem. The classical single-objective mathematical formulations of the p-median and set covering problems are converted into network-flow formulations and various solution methods are developed using a scaled-down version of the GEODSS problem. The next step is the introduction of a second criterion function into the problem. This second function consists of minimizing the sum of the variance in coverage at the selected locations. Research reveals the deficiencies of MOLP (multiobjective linear programming) techniques in generating the efficient frontier of an …

Acuta Enews January 1991, Vol. 20, No. 1

ACUTA Newsletters

In This Issue

ECCI founder honored

Pocket phone test at UGA

Giving pays off for Emory

Digitizing X-rays

Illicall lists rates

Party Line

Information Technology And Wealth: Cybernetics, History And Economics, Elin Whitney-Smith

Engineering Management & Systems Engineering Theses & Dissertations

Capitalism developed where and when it did because there was high information access. There was high information access because of a major advance in information technology--the press. Where the technology was not controlled by the "powers that be" there was economic growth and a shift in the entire social structure. Where it was controlled there was no structural change and there was economic ruin. The development of capitalism is a major step change in economic growth. It is also a major change in the way people organize themselves into groups.

Major step changes in the growth and in the organization …

An Unsolicited Sociotechnical Intervention In A Public System: A Participatory Action Research Approach, Ely Alfred Dorsey Jr.

Engineering Management & Systems Engineering Theses & Dissertations

This research concerns itself with Participatory Action Research in a hostile setting. The thrust is a sociotechnical one, with the intent being to enhance the capacity of the Wallop Public School System, Wallop, USA, to address its problem of racial disparate treatment of Black children. The potential for Organizational Learning among the school system's senior staff is studied. Some new theory about such hostile interventions is proposed. Also discussed are questions about reliability and construct validity within the context of the multiple role playing that an interventionist has in this setting. The role of the press is reflected in the …

A Technological Development Model For Strategy Formation, Halvard E. Nystrom

Engineering Management and Systems Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Summary form only given, as follows. The author presents a technological development model for product and company development based on a distinction between explicit and implicit technologies. Implicit technologies are evolving technologies while explicit technologies are established technologies. Based on empirical data from Swedish companies, a number of strategic dimensions are discussed such as network interaction and combining knowledge from various sources. These concepts are then used to present an integrated model of strategy formation and product and company development. It is argued that this view of technological development facilitates the understanding and analysis of innovation and entrepreneurship in highly …

Coordinated Strategic Planning Of Hydroelectric Energy Usage Using Stochastic Dynamic Programming With Decoupled Production Cost Simulation, Duane David Highley

Masters Theses

"The method of Stochastic Dynamic Programming is applied to the problem of Long-term hydrothermal coordination for a five-reservoir system in the Midwest. The model that has been developed will optimize the monthly reservoir elevations to produce the lowest expected energy production cost. The production cost calculations are decoupled from the Dynamic Programming loop, resulting in shorter execution times. Constraints are included for maximum and minimum reservoir elevations, maximum monthly reservoir rise and drop, and maximum and minimum monthly energy production. These constraints help to reduce the state space and shorten execution time. An additional constraint is modeled to control the …

An Empirical Analysis Of Backpropagation Error Surface Initiation For Injection Molding Process Control, Alice E. Smith, Elaine R. Raterman, Cihan H. Dagli

Engineering Management and Systems Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Backpropagation neural networks are trained by adjusting initially random interconnecting weights according to the steepest local error surface gradient. The authors examine the practical implications of the arbitrary starting point on the error landscape of the ensuing trained network. The effects on network convergence and performance are tested empirically, varying parameters such as network size, training rate, transfer function and data representation. The data used are live process control data from an injection molding plant

Surface Mapping And Automatic Tool Path Generation, Labiche Ferreira

Retrospective Theses and Dissertations

With the use of machine vision systems in the manufacturing cycle of a product, the lead time for producing the final product has been substantially reduced. Efforts in the past have aimed at automating the tasks right from the drawing board stage to final production of the product. Such technologies include CAD, CAM, and CAPP. However the task of tool path (NC code) generation has not yet been fully automated. In the current techniques, the user plays a crucial role in the NC code generation process. There is an increasing trend for using machine vision systems in the fabrication of …

The Production Data-Based Similarity Coefficient Versus Jaccard's Similarity Coefficient, Hamid Seifoddini, Manocher Djassemi

Industrial Technology and Packaging

This paper compares the performance of Jaccard's similarity coefficient with the production data-based similarity coefficient. A number of machine-component charts taken from the literature or randomly generated are used to form machine-component groups. Then, the sum of intercellular and intracellular material handling costs for each machine-component group is calculated and used as a basis for performance evaluation of the two similarity coefficients.

Toward The Development Of Decision Support Tools To Manage The Catis Project Life Cycle, Steven Wayne Mccrary

Doctoral Dissertations

"The American Public Works Administration (1987) states that communities' infrastructures are in need of repair and better management and recommends CATIS (Computer-Assisted Terraspatial Information Systems) as an excellent tool to assist in that endeavor. Small communities have several voids that CATIS technology can fill. This research reports on a life-cycle approach to CATIS adoption that will help small communities to better manage their infrastructure.

It is important for small communities to become aware of the types of systems available and what each system can do. This study presents a straightforward, understandable discussion of CATIS technologies, features, and applications. Justifying the …

Simulation Based Modeling And Scheduling Of A Generalized Flow- Line, Srinivas Anne

Theses

Simulation is a state of art technique, widely used to analyze the behavior of complex and dynamic real time systems. This study consists of two parts. The first part involves in the development of a simulation model of a real time flow line, used to assemble Printed Circuit Boards. The desired performance measures of the system, like, utilization, starving, blocking, failure and maintenance are recorded. The model developed can be used as a test pad to analyze scheduling rules and heuristics. This is illustrated in the second part of the study which consists of studying the behavior of the Apparent …

Manufacturing Automation Protocol Implementation Guide, Richard H. Infantino

Theses

The purpose of this thesis is to provide a starting point for individuals seeking information on the Manufacturing Automation Protocol (MAP) Specification. This thesis is designed to be as comprehensive as possible, yet, still basic enough to be understood by an individual who may not be familiar with computers and networks, and how they function. The intent is to progress gradually from basic networking concepts and characteristics, to defining network requirements, and finally to network design and installation. At the conclusion of the paper is an Organized Method Approach to MAP network design and installation that could serve as a …

Linear Programming By G.V. Shenoy, New Delhi: Wiley Eastern Limited, 1989., A K Rao

IIMB Management Review

No abstract provided.

Development Of An Image Registration Technique For Polar-Orbiting Satellites, Jerry L. Mehlberg

Theses and Dissertations

In this thesis, a means to perform spatial registration (gridding) of meteorological satellite data is developed. It is applicable to Automatic Picture Transmission (APT) data from the TIROS-N series polar-orbiting satellites operated by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). This technique does not require the use of ground control points. Registration is accomplished using an advanced orbital model to precisely compute the satellite's location based on NORAD two-line element sets and the time of the image. This technique is examined for accuracy and sensitivity to errors in the element set and satellite attitude control. This study involves over 70 …

An Analysis Of The Effects Of Phenytoin In Treating Motion Sickness And The Effects Of Motion Sickness On The Human Electroencephalogram, Todd M. Banducci

Theses and Dissertations

This research had two goals: to continue the ongoing research at AFIT to determine the efficacy of the anticonvulsant drug phenytoin in combating the onset and progression of motion sickness; and to note whether or not there is a discernable similarity in the brains of the test subjects to indicate a common point of origin (epicenter) and propagation pattern of the effects of motion sickness in the brain. Eight male DOD personnel were used as subjects to complete twelve trials. Four subjects completed the phenytoin verses placebo double-blind crossover experiment. These four subjects experienced a 99% mean increase in their …

Improving Reliability In A Stochastic Communication Network, William L. Gaught

Theses and Dissertations

This research investigated the behavior of increasing the reliability of components in stochastic communication networks. A stochastic communication network is one in which the components, links and nodes, are not 100 percent reliable. In addition the reliability value, each component also has a capacity value that limits the flow through the component. The throughput in a stochastic communication network can be improved by increasing the capacity or the reliability of the individual components. A set of linear and nonlinear models was developed to determine the best investment strategy for increasing the reliability of individual components. Once the models were developed, …

Measuring The Effectiveness Of Space: Satellite Weather Systems, Steven T. Wilson

Theses and Dissertations

Using concepts from multivariate utility theory, basic orbital mechanics, and information regarding operational and planned meteorological satellites, this thesis develops a meaningful MOE to support high-level decision making regarding the allocation, acquisition, and operational deployment of space meteorological satellite (METSAT) assets. Satellite meteorological systems were chosen because of the ready availability of pertinent unclassified data. However, the methodology presented may be applied to any type of space system.

Debris Production In Hypervelocity Impact Asat Engagements, Stephen K. Remillard

Theses and Dissertations

This study reviews laboratory experiments on hypervelocity impacts and applies the results from those experiments to predict the mass of debris produced, the number of particles, and the size distribution of the debris particles produced in an ASAT engagement using kinetic energy weapons. The three possible types of hypervelocity collisions are discussed and parameters are provided that will help predict what type of collisions will occur between a given projectile and a target satellite. Once the collision type is determined, various equations are supplied which can be used to calculate debris mass, etc. Next, a notional attack between a miniature …

Proposed Design Of A Tactical Reconnaissance Satellite System, John D. T. Severance

Theses and Dissertations

Tactical reconnaissance is a much needed wartime asset, yet with the deactivation of all active-duty RF-4C squadrons world-wide there appears to be a gap in this country's war-fighting capability. This study proposes a system which utilizes a constellation of small tactical satellites and mobile ground receiving stations that can fulfill the tactical reconnaissance mission. A literature review gives background information on resolution variables, the RF-4C, space reconnaissance, and sensing technologies. After defining system requirements and constraints, a basic system concept is determined. Three alternative systems, separated mostly by threat scenario, technology, and cost, are evaluated using Athey's Systematic Systems Approach. …

An Ergonomic Study Of Meat Processing Operations, Edgar Delgado

Masters Theses

In this study, physical stresses imposed on the different parts of the musculoskeletal system were assessed using a subjective ratings of perceived discomfort (RPD) scale in the meat industry. The effects of a microbreak system on the perceived discomfort of employees were studied. In addition, a comparison of human physical capacities (i.e., anthropometric, strength, and endurance measures) for Caucasian-American and Hispanic-Mexican employees in the meat industry was performed. These measures were also compared against those of employees engaged in manual material handling tasks. Twenty-eight employees participated in the study.

Based on this study, it can be concluded that: (a) RPD …