Engineering Commons^™

A Comparative Analysis Of An Original And A Post-Hoc Application Of Lean Six Sigma Methodology, Jin Qiu

Open Access Theses

Current society develops faster and faster every day with customers' demands increasing rapidly. Decreasing time for product development and enhancing customer satisfaction are becoming more significant. In the business world, there is no industry that could exist without an efficient supply chain. In the fierce competitive environment of today, the supply chain must address potential problems and risks that may exist and assure continuous improvement.

One common supply chain management practice in many industries is to apply lean methodology to the supply chain model in order to maximize the customers' value and eliminate waste. By eliminating waste, the process can …

Retrofiting Lid Practices Into Existing Neighborhoods: Is It Worth It?, Timothy Wright

Open Access Theses

Low impact development (LID) practices are gaining popularity as a way to manage stormwater close to the source. This reduces infrastructure requirements and helps to maintain hydrologic processes close to predevelopment conditions. Studies have shown LID practices to be effective in reducing runoff and improving water quality. However, little has been done to aid decision makers in selecting the most effective practices for their needs and budgets.

To this end, the L-THIA LID model has been applied. Using readily available data sources, multiple scenarios can quickly be examined, and then analyzed to determine the cost of implementation and the approximate …

The Effect Of Job Performance Aids On Quality Assurance, Erik David Fosshage

Open Access Theses

Job performance aids (JPAs) have been studied for many decades in a variety of disciplines and for many different types of tasks, yet this is the first known research experiment using JPAs in a quality assurance (QA) context. The objective of this thesis was to assess whether a JPA has an effect on the performance of a QA observer performing the concurrent dual verification technique for a basic assembly task. The JPA used in this study was a simple checklist, and the design borrows heavily from prior research on task analysis and other human factors principles. The assembly task and …

The Relationship Among Hfacs Levels And Analysis Of Human Factors In Unmanned And Manned Air Vehicles, Veysel Yesilbas

Engineering Management & Systems Engineering Theses & Dissertations

This dissertation analyzes the structural relationships among the Human Factors Accident Classification System levels for unmanned air vehicle and manned air vehicle accidents and the common relationships between unmanned air vehicle and manned air vehicle accident causes. The study acquired DOD HFACS accident classification data from 347 United States Air Force Class A accident reports for the years between 2000 and 2013.

The dissertation utilized a set of analysis that is considered to contribute substantially to the respective domain of the study. The correlations found among categorical levels were applied to HFACS taxonomy based on the Reason Model via path …

Transparent Spectrum Co-Access In Cognitive Radio Networks, Jonathan Daniel Backens

Electrical & Computer Engineering Theses & Dissertations

The licensed wireless spectrum is currently under-utilized by as much as 85%. Cognitive radio networks have been proposed to employ dynamic spectrum access to share this under-utilized spectrum between licensed primary user transmissions and unlicensed secondary user transmissions. Current secondary user opportunistic spectrum access methods, however, remain limited in their ability to provide enough incentive to convince primary users to share the licensed spectrum, and they rely on primary user absence to guarantee secondary user performance. These challenges are addressed by developing a Dynamic Spectrum Co-Access Architecture (DSCA) that allows secondary user transmissions to co-access transparently and concurrently with primary …

An Investigation Of Business Transformation Disruptors At The Military Strategic Command Level, Thomas Bock

Engineering Management & Systems Engineering Theses & Dissertations

This dissertation contributes an empirical research on business transformation disruption in the military. Specifically, this exploratory research seeks a better understanding of disruption of business transformation and some of the factors that are likely to impact the transformation process at the military strategic command level. A lack of empirical studies existing in the literature, coupled with the continuous transformation challenges faced by military organizations, make it necessary to conduct this empirical study of business transformation disruption in the military.

This research was carried out utilizing a two-phase mixed-methods approach. The first phase included qualitative data gathering through a series of …

Differential Effects Of Refractive Blur On Day And Nighttime Driving Performance, Joanne M. Wood, Michael J. Collins, Alex Chaparro, Ralph Marszalek, Trent Carberry, Philippe Lacherez, Byoung Sun Chu

Publications

PURPOSE. To investigate the effect of different levels of refractive blur on real-world driving performance measured under day and nighttime conditions.

METHODS. Participants included 12 visually normal, young adults (mean age = 25.+- 5.2 years) who drove an instrumented research vehicle around a 4 km closed road circuit with three different levels of binocular spherical refractive blur (+0.50 diopter sphere [DS], +1.00 DS, +2.00 DS) compared with a baseline condition. The subjects wore optimal spherocylinder correction and the additional blur lenses were mounted in modified fullfield goggles; the order of testing of the blur conditions was randomized. Driving …

Plastic Deformation Of Steel Plates Under High Impact Loading, Brendan O'Toole

NSTec UNLV Symposium

• UNLV Two-stage Light Gas Gun
• Experimental Measurements
• Physical Results of Impact on Target Plates
• Research Objectives
• Computational Analysis Methods
• Material Models used in Computational Analysis
• Simulation Comparison: Crater and Deformation
• Simulation Comparison: Free Surface Velocity
• High Speed Video of Experiments
• Microscopy of Failure Surface: Is Phase Change an Issue?
• Electron Back Scatter Diffraction (EBSD) of Failure Surfaces
• On-going Plans and Future Work

Fearless Friday: Kirsten Crear, Kirsten Crear

SURGE

Even in her last semester here at Gettysburg, Kirsten Crear ’14 is fearlessly working to make changes for the future of the campus community. This semester, Kirsten introduced a STEMinists club on campus that will give female students who are STEM (an acronym for Science-Technology-Engineering-Mathematics) majors the opportunity to come together and create a community, share and discuss the difficulties they face as women in their fields of study, and support and mentor each other as they prepare to enter their fields.

Kirsten is passionate, driven, and determined, taking the initiative to bring this group of women together on campus …

Fema Region Iii Coastal Flood Study - Hampton Roads Adaptation Forum, Robin Danforth

March 28, 2014: Addressing Current and Future Vulnerability through Floodplain Management

No abstract provided.

Diversity Catalysts Involvement And Impact, Klod Kokini, Patrice M. Buzzanell, Clint Chapple, Andrew Hirsch, Kathleen Howell

ADVANCE-Purdue Gender and STEM Research Symposium

The National Science Foundation’s (NSF) ADVANCE program has funded over $130 million USD in efforts “to increase the representation and advancement of women in academic science and engineering careers, thereby contributing to the development of a more diverse science and engineering workforce” (http://www.nsf.gov/crssprgm/advance/index.jsp). The PURDUE-ADVANCE project has three major goals: 1) to increase the number and success of STEM women faculty of color; 2) to increase the success and leadership of women faculty in STEM, and 3) to educate all the faculty and in particular, the majority, about the benefits of diversity and inclusion (see http://www.purdue.edu/discoverypark/advance/). Across …

Appreciating Episodic Mentoring: Reconsiderations Of And Interventions For A Comprehensive Mentoring Process For Engineering Faculty, Patrice M. Buzzanell, Ziyu Long, Klod Kokini, Lindsey B. Anderson, Jennifer C. Batra

ADVANCE-Purdue Gender and STEM Research Symposium

The benefits of formal and informal mentoring systems in academe and other organizational settings are well documented. However, a third form of mentoring—known as episodic or spontaneous mentoring as well as mentoring moments—offers a different entrée point into the everyday construction of mentoring. Whereas most mentoring either focuses on one-on-one long-term relationships or group/cluster mentoring arrangements, episodic mentoring emphasizes processes, relational aspects of the mentoring experiences, multiple inputs, and individual empowerment. Based on inductive-deductive analyses of in-depth interviews and other empirical data about engineering faculty members' mentoring experiences in a mid-western university, we discuss how episodic mentoring is a way …

Navigating Pregnancy And Parenthood: Work-Family Considerations For Men And Women Graduate Students In Stem And Other Disciplines, Ziyu Long, Patrice M. Buzzanell, Abigail Selzer King

ADVANCE-Purdue Gender and STEM Research Symposium

Scholars and non-academicians consider popular key advantages to be flexibility in career trajectories as well as autonomy and control over one’s schedule and the work that one chooses to do (e.g., Buzzanell & Lucas, 2006, 2013). Although academic careers seem to offer these benefits, there are questions about whether and how such flexibility actually occurs, particularly in times of pregnancy/adoption, family leave, and work-life “balance” (e.g., Stone, 2008). Implicit in academic flexibility is that graduate student careers might evidence some of the same flexibility but within institutional structures that can range from lockstep to a build-you-own-plan and timetable model. In …

Agenda: Fracking, Water Quality And Public Health: Examining Current Laws And Regulations, Network For Public Health Law, American Society Of Law, Medicine & Ethics, Public Health Law Research Program

Fracking, Water Quality and Public Health: Examining Current Laws and Regulations (March 20)

Improved technology developments in directional drilling and hydraulic fracturing, more commonly known as "fracking," have resulted in an oil and gas production boom nationwide. Fracking involves pumping pressurized water, sand, and chemicals down wells to crack bedrock, freeing petroleum and natural gas. Wastewater discharges, hydraulic fracturing fluid releases, and other accidental spills pose potential water quality risks, sparking concern for public health.

This webinar will examine the laws and regulations governing water quality issues related to fracking, recent state court decisions affecting regulations, and implications for public health.

Slides: Best Management Practices For Oil And Gas Development And Comparative Water Quality Database Of Regulations Relating To Shale Oil And Gas, Matt Samelson, University Of Colorado Boulder. Getches-Wilkinson Center For Natural Resources, Energy, And The Environment. Intermountain Oil And Gas Bmp Project

Fracking, Water Quality and Public Health: Examining Current Laws and Regulations (March 20)

Presenter: Matt Samelson, J.D., Attorney, Consultant for Intermountain Oil and Gas Best Management Practices (BMP) Project, Getches-Wilkinson Center for Natural Resources, Energy and the Environment, University of Colorado Law School

34 slides

An Analysis Of Bicycle-Vehicle Interactions At Signalized Intersections With Bicycle Boxes, William Robert Farley

Dissertations and Theses

A before-and-after analysis was performed at eleven intersections where a bike box was installed in Portland, Oregon to explore the safety effects of the treatment. Video data were gathered prior to installation at 14 intersections where a bike box installation was planned by the Portland Bureau of Transportation. Cameras were set up to capture three full twenty-four hour days (72 hours) of data for each intersection from Tuesday through Thursday. Of the 14 original selected intersections, 11 intersections actually received the bike box treatment. Video data were again gathered for these intersections after the installation of the bike box for …

Understanding The Global Energy Crisis, Eugene D. Coyle, Richard A. Simmons

Purdue University Press Books

We are facing a global energy crisis caused by world population growth, an escalating increase in demand, and continued dependence on fossil-based fuels for generation. It is widely accepted that increases in greenhouse gas concentration levels, if not reversed, will result in major changes to world climate with consequential effects on our society and economy. This is just the kind of intractable problem that Purdue University’s Global Policy Research Institute seeks to address in the Purdue Studies in Public Policy series by promoting the engagement between policy makers and experts in fields such as engineering and technology.

Major steps forward …

Agricultural And Water Harvesting Opportunities In Kenya, Via A Crowd-Sourced, Citizen Science Hybrid Paradigm, Benjamin D. Branch, James Tindall, Rosemary Moki, Peter N. Baker, Jai Xu, Elisa Bertino

Libraries Faculty and Staff Presentations

This is potential joint collaborative research between the Purdue University and citizens of Kenya via the Global Engineering Program in the areas of agriculture in water harvesting. Specifically, in the rural part of Kenya, outside of Nairobi, lives can be greatly impacted. Libraries of tomorrow will have global capacity and responsibility to serve all aspects of global citizenry. Herein is one possible Kenyan example.

In partnership with the Tinmore Institute, an International Food, Water, and Energy Security team of experts, such international collaboration with Purdue's Global Engineering program could be quite successful within the areas of agricultural and water security …

Autonomous Indoor Localization Via Field Mapping Techniques, With Agricultural Big Data Application, Yan Cui, Kartik Ariyur, Benjamin D. Branch

Libraries Faculty and Staff Presentations

This joint collaboration between the library, the Mechanical Engineering department shows the current research of localizing an Android smartphone using big data collection and sensor fusion techniques. The original work is Autonomous Indoor Localization via Field Mapping Techniques which primarily designed as indoor fire and safety aid.

For Agricultural Big Data Use, the Android smartphone is being applied to in indoor greenhouse fire, safety and data knowledge design. Such may aid big data tool value to greenhouse fire and safety design and any data that may be important fieldwork considerations.

The indoor agricultural mapping application may be application to greenhouses …

A Cris Data Science Investigation Of Scientific Workflows Of Agriculture Big Data And Its Data Curation Elements, Benjamin D. Branch, Peter N. Baker, Jai Xu, Elisa Bertino

Libraries Faculty and Staff Presentations

This joint collaboration between the Purdue Libraries and Cyber Center demonstrates the next generation of computational platforms supporting interdisciplinary collaborative research. Such platforms are necessary for rapid advancements of technology, industry demand and scholarly congruence towards open data, open access, big data and cyber-infrastructure data science training. Our approach will utilize a Discovery Undergraduate Research Investigation effort as a preliminary research means to further joint library and computer science data curation research, tool development and refinement.

Bicycle Facilities And The Uptake Of Air Pollution By Active Travelers, Alexander Y. Bigazzi, Miguel A. Figliozzi, James F. Pankow, Wentai Luo, Lorne M. Isabelle

Civil and Environmental Engineering Faculty Publications and Presentations

Outlines the research of urban bicyclists' facilities and the uptake of air pollution by active travelers in urban Portland, OR. Outlines the research goals, beginning data collection methods, intake/uptake, modeling results, conclusions and the next steps for future work with the collected data set of direct uptake measurements.

Polarimetric Calibration And Characterization Of The Telops Field Portable Polarimetric-Hyperspectral Imager, Joel G. Holder

Theses and Dissertations

The Telops polarimetric-hyperspectral imager combines polarimetric and hyperspectral technologies to enable enhanced scene characterization. The Defense Threat Reduction Agency funded research at AFIT to leverage this capability to provide more accurate scene information to radiation transport models that will allow for more effective location of radiation sources within a region of interest. To support the objectives of the DTRA effort, there is a requirement for highly accurate radiometric, polarimetric, and spectral data on a pixel-by-pixel basis. The complex nature of the Telops instrument combined with working in the thermal IR waveband makes achieving this accuracy a challenge. This thesis develops …

Tunnel Road Safety: A Look At Older Drivers' Performance And Sight Impairment, Edith Lopez

Master's Theses

In California, there is an observed trend in which collisions cluster in and around tunnels. The break in road continuity created by the tunnels disturbs traffic flow that can lead to collisions. One of the main contrasts between open roads and tunnel roads occurs in lighting. Drivers with sight deficiencies are unable to adapt their sight to the change in the lighting environment and may crash due to misperception of road alignment, vehicle’s speed and other physiological reactions, such as tension. The suspect population group of crashes occurring under the influence of tunnels conditions is older drivers.

The literature suggests …

The Santa Clara, 2014-02-27, Santa Clara University

The Santa Clara

No abstract provided.

Agenda: Natural Resource Industries And The Sustainability Challenge, University Of Colorado Boulder. Getches-Wilkinson Center For Natural Resources, Energy, And The Environment, University Of Colorado Boulder. The Colorado Law Energy Innovation Initiative

Natural Resource Industries and the Sustainability Challenge (Martz Winter Symposium, February 27-28)

"An International Conference hosted by The Getches-Wilkinson Center for Natural Resources, Energy, and the Environment and The Colorado Law Energy Innovation Initiative."

For more than two decades, sustainability has gained currency as a broad organizing principle for efforts to develop and use energy, natural resources, and the environment in ways that allow society to meet its needs without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their needs. More recently, sustainability has been embraced by businesses across multiple sectors as part of a broader movement of corporate social responsibility. Hardly a day goes by without news of another corporate initiative …

Slides: Comments Of Jeff Bingaman, Jeff Bingaman

Natural Resource Industries and the Sustainability Challenge (Martz Winter Symposium, February 27-28)

Presenter: Jeff Bingaman, former Chair of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee and U.S. Senator from New Mexico

6 slides

The Santa Clara,2014-02-20, Santa Clara University

The Santa Clara

No abstract provided.

The Santa Clara, 2014-02-13, Santa Clara University

The Santa Clara

No abstract provided.

The Santa Clara, 2014-02-06, Santa Clara University

The Santa Clara

No abstract provided.

The General Public’S Weather Information-Seeking And Decision-Making Behavior During Tornado Outbreaks In The Oklahoma City Metroplex In May 2013, Chen Ling, Michelle Madison, Jessica Adams, Kevin Warren, Michael Mudd, Kim Graves Wolfinbarger, Lans Rothfusz

Mechanical Engineering Faculty Research

Severe weather impacts the lives of many people. Today's technology allows weather information to be distributed to the general public in many ways. However, it is not clear how people obtain information regarding severe weather, and how they make decisions based on the information. This study surveyed people in the Oklahoma City metroplex about their weather information–seeking and decision-making behaviors during the May 2013 tornado outbreaks. The preliminary results based on 124 survey responses show that people used and trusted television news most to obtain the severe weather information, followed by siren, weather radio, radio, looking at the sky, and …