Engineering Commons^™

Numerical Study Of Confined Flow Past An Airfoil Injector With A Planar Jet, Omar A. Alabbasi

Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering Theses & Dissertations

Vortex shedding from an airfoil injector in a channel is investigated by using a numerical solution for unsteady, two-dimensional, Navier-Stokes Equations. A second-order implicit finite-volume scheme is employed to solve the equations. The effect on vortex shedding of a planar jet injected from the rear of the injector is studied. The effect of the jet velocity on the vortex shedding and its drag and lift coefficients are also studied at different blockage ratios and Reynolds numbers for laminar flow. Initial results to validate previous numerical simulations are performed on a square cylinder with and without a planar jet. Good agreement …

A Framework For Using Modeling And Simulation-Based Methods In Support Of Project Management In A U.S. Department Of Defense Enterprise Architecture Framework Environment, Jose Leprout Bricio-Neto

Computational Modeling & Simulation Engineering Theses & Dissertations

The Enterprise Architecture, Analysis and Project Management (EA2PM) framework developed and proposed in this study enables better evaluation of the ability for enterprise architects, project managers and analysts to share system data using their own domain-specific software tools with a focus on the capability to automatically generate a discrete-event simulation model. EA2PM framework is based on applying a Knowledge Management (KM) construct to establish data and information boundaries, and developing a methodology that allows for high levels of traceability from system architecture's environmental factors through assessment of data and information mediation across domains within a KM system.

An application of …

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 …

Spatiotemporal Estuarine Water Quality Parameterization Using Remote Sensing And In-Situ Characteristics, Kwisun Park Yu

Civil & Environmental Engineering Theses & Dissertations

This dissertation develops a new paradigm in a water quality monitoring approach to parameterize spatiotemporal estuarine water quality with sustainable reliability, less cost and less time. A key underpinning of this paradigm of the spatiotemporal estuarine water quality parameterization is various water quality parameters' interrelationship with ambient water temperature as a common factor, their time dependent characteristics, and spatiotemporal characteristics of remote sensing. It has two core models to provide input data of water quality parameterization model in a system; the transfer function models of the physical system and an analytical temperature time series model. The objective of this dissertation …

A Compact Lidar For Aircraft Ozone Atmospheric Measurements, Joel A. Marcia

Electrical & Computer Engineering Theses & Dissertations

Researchers and the general public have expressed great concern over how human activities exacerbate pollution's deteriorating impact upon the environment. Effects such as global warming, air quality and ozone layer depletion are but a few examples that can have a dramatic effect on the quality of life worldwide.

A compact lidar system for the purpose of aircraft ozone atmospheric measurements was tested and evaluated. This system will eventually be deployed for aircraft-based, and possibly unpiloted atmospheric vehicle (UAV), ozone and aerosol measurements to improve our understanding of ozone production and transport. Each of the major subsystems was characterized and from …

A Hurricane Evacuation Route System Real-Time Monitoring And Distribution Of Load, Anup Khanal

Electrical & Computer Engineering Theses & Dissertations

Hurricane evacuation is one of the major steps in diminishing the devastating effects of hurricanes on lives and properties. The challenge in evacuating a large number of people in a short time is the severe congestion faced in the transportation network, leading to long delays and shortages. Standard hurricane evacuation plans focus on how to best utilize the main arteries. The research challenge is to not overload the fastest routes and to utilize all the routes efficiently. The evacuation routing system proposed in this thesis focuses on distributing the traffic load throughout the network, utilizing alternative routes not considered in …

Implementation Requirements For The Notice Architecture In Vehicular Communications, Dusadee Treeumnuk

Electrical & Computer Engineering Theses & Dissertations

Many studies have been focusing on Vehicular Ad-Hoc Networking (VANET) in order to increase the quality of traffic and life on the road. An important aspect in vehicular communications is maintaining the privacy and security of VANET. NOTICE is an emerging architecture promising efficient traffic notification as well as strong immunity to malicious attacks, leading to improvement of safety and reduction of traffic congestion on roadways. To enable secure traffic notification, the NOTICE system employs vehicle-to-infrastructure (V2I) communication rather than vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V) communication like in traditional VANET. The infrastructure consists of sensor belts which are embedded in the roadway and …

Mitigating Crack Propagation In A Highly Maneuverable Flight Vehicle Using Life Extending Control Logic, Mohamed Mostafa Yousef Bassyouny Elshabasy

Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering Theses & Dissertations

In this research, life extending control logic is proposed to reduce the cost of treating the aging problem of military aircraft structures and to avoid catastrophic failures and fatal accidents due to undetected cracks in the airframe components. The life extending control logic is based on load tailoring to facilitate a desired stress sequence that prolongs the structural life of the cracked airframe components by exploiting certain nonlinear crack retardation phenomena. The load is tailored to include infrequent injections of a single-cycle overload or a single-cycle overload and underload. These irregular loadings have an anti-intuitive but beneficial effect, which has …

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 …

Characterization Of Microwave Cavity Discharges In A Supersonic Flow, Dareth Janette Drake

Physics Theses & Dissertations

A partially ionized gas is referred to as either a plasma or a discharge depending on the degree of ionization. The term discharge is usually applied to a weakly ionized gas, i.e. mostly neutrals, where as a plasma usually has a larger degree of ionization. To characterize a discharge the plasma parameters, such as the rotational temperature, vibrational temperature, and electron density, must be determined. Detailed characterization of supersonic flowing discharges is important to many applications in aerospace and aerodynamics. One application is the use of plasma-assisted hydrogen combustion devices to aid in supersonic combustion. In conditions close to the …

Multidisciplinary Design Optimization For Sonic Boom Mitigation, Isik A. Ozcer

Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering Theses & Dissertations

Automated, parallelized, time-efficient surface definition and grid generation and flow simulation methods are developed for sharp and accurate sonic boom signal computation in three dimensions in the near and mid-field of an aircraft using Euler/Full-Potential unstructured/structured computational fluid dynamics. The full-potential mid-field sonic boom prediction code is an accurate and efficient solver featuring automated grid generation, grid adaptation and shock fitting, and parallel processing. This program quickly marches the solution using a single nonlinear equation for large distances that cannot be covered with Euler solvers due to large memory and long computational time requirements. The solver takes into account variations …

Tree-D-Seek: A Framework For Retrieving Three-Dimensional Scenes, Saurav Mazumdar

Electrical & Computer Engineering Theses & Dissertations

In this dissertation, a strategy and framework for retrieving 3D scenes is proposed. The strategy is to retrieve 3D scenes based on a unified approach for indexing content from disparate information sources and information levels. The TREE-D-SEEK framework implements the proposed strategy for retrieving 3D scenes and is capable of indexing content from a variety of corpora at distinct information levels. A semantic annotation model for indexing 3D scenes in the TREE-D-SEEK framework is also proposed. The semantic annotation model is based on an ontology for rapid prototyping of 3D virtual worlds.

With ongoing improvements in computer hardware and 3D …

C2 Domain Ontology Within Our Lifetime, Leslie Winters, Andreas Tolk

Computational Modeling & Simulation Engineering Faculty Publications

Agile Command and Control (C2) requires agile information sharing with an increasingly wide variety of military and non-military partners. While current net-centric approaches may improve information sharing within a particular niche of C2, they do not support information sharing across the larger C2 domain. Although not a silver bullet, the development and application of a C2 domain ontology to improve C2 data and service integration appears to be increasingly realistic. In fact, there are several examples of successful ontology applications in domains such as medicine, biology, and engineering, and the new discipline of Applied Ontology is emerging. C2 data, architecture, …

Conceptual Requirements For Command And Control Languages, Andreas Tolk, Curtis L. Blais, Saikou Y. Diallo, Charles Turnitsa

Computational Modeling & Simulation Engineering Faculty Publications

The current Coalition Battle Management Language initiative (C-BML) will define a language to unambiguously exchange command and control information between systems. This paper introduces a categorization that may be used to guide the process of developing C-BML effectively by enumerating the conceptual requirements the authors have identified in model-based data engineering and process engineering based studies in various domains.

First, it is important to distinguish if application of the language will support the planning, execution, or observation phase of command and control. While C-BML already distinguishes between tasking and reporting, planning is a category with different requirements.

Second, the language …

Harmonizing Bml Approaches: Grammars And Data Models For A Bml Standard, Dietmar Kunde, Thomas Orichel, Andreas Tolk, Ulrich Schade, Michael R. Hieb

Computational Modeling & Simulation Engineering Faculty Publications

Battle Management Language (BML) is being developed as an open standard that unambiguously formalizes and specifies Command and Control information, including orders and reports built upon precise representations of tasks. BML is a language specification, based on doctrine and consistent with Coalition standards. The goal of BML is to enable and improve the interoperability in the C2 area, especially by enabling also the military communication with simulation systems and future robotic forces.

Although the need for BML is well documented, a SISO standard has still not been achieved. At present, there are two recommended approaches focusing on different aspects. In …

An Extended Interoperability Framework For Joint Composability, Andreas Tolk, Charles D. Turnitsa

Computational Modeling & Simulation Engineering Faculty Publications

Interoperation of systems is defined by the aspects of integratability, interoperability, and composability. It is therefore needed, to address all levels of interoperation - from conceptual models via implemented systems to the supported infrastructure - accordingly in an interoperation framework.

Several candidates are available and provide valuable part solution. This paper evaluates the Base Object Models (BOMs), Discrete Event Simulation Specifications (DEVS), Unified Language Model (UML) artifacts as used within the Test and Training Enabling Architecture (TENA), the Object-Process Methodology (OPM), and Conceptual Graphs (CG) regarding their contribution.

Using the Levels of Conceptual Interoperability Model (LCIM), an extended interoperability framework …

Exploring Primitives Of Meaning In Support Of Interoperability, Charles D. Turnitsa, Andreas Tolk, Robert Kewley

Computational Modeling & Simulation Engineering Faculty Publications

Semantic mismatch between systems is due, in part, to the grouping together of terms who have defined meaning in different levels of granularity, and which are composed together into different groupings by distinct systems. It has been proposed that making use of elemental concepts (referred to here as primitives of meaning) can assist in interoperability, but seeking to define all terms at a level of granularity equal to or greater than that of all involved systems.

By decomposing a system’s groups of composed terms into primitives of meaning, the building blocks that can be reassembled into the compositions required by …

Applying Model-Based Data Engineering To Evaluate The Alignment Of Information Modeled Within Jc3iedm, Msdl, And Matrex-Fom, Anil Ustun, Andreas Tolk, Saikou Diallo

Computational Modeling & Simulation Engineering Faculty Publications

The need for a common representation of entities and their relations to support the easier composition and federation of independently developed solutions in support of the user has been identified and addressed in several papers presented during recent simulation interoperability workshop. One of the underlying assumptions is that standards derived from the same conceptual domain can easily be converted into each others, as they deal with the same concepts. In a project conducted for the U.S. Army’s Program Executive Office (PEO) Soldier, three of such solutions for military operations (with focus on the land forces) were utilized to capture the …

Utilizing Strategic Project Management Processes And The Nato Code Of Best Practice To Improve Management Of Experimentation Events, Andreas Tolk, Rafael E. Landaeta, Robert H. Kewley, Thomas T. Litwin

Computational Modeling & Simulation Engineering Faculty Publications

Systems engineering and project management are two core engineering management processes supported by core quantitative disciplines within engineering management problems. Traditional approaches to systems engineering focus on a single system being engineered and managed (i.e., project managed), while challenges addressing composition of systems of systems and the reuse of systems for new solutions require a strategic management approach that promote a process flow in which the outputs of one project (e.g., deliverables, knowledge, work documents) are captured for the benefit of other projects within and outside the project-based organization. Two other core processes of engineering management are therefore critical to …

The Impact Of Communication Medium On Team Performance Patterns, Pilar Pazos, Mario G. Beruvides

Engineering Management & Systems Engineering Faculty Publications

The increased impact of globalization and rapidly changing technologies are some of the biggest challenges facing 21st century organizations. Remote teams supported through computer-based systems have been identified as a key lever to help organizations adapt to this turbulent environment. This study sheds some light on how teams perform and adapt by evaluating performance and synergy over time for teams in two different settings: computer supported and face-to-face. Participants in the study were randomly assigned either to a computer-supported or a face-to face group. Each group met over three sessions to perform a series of tasks that were evaluated using …

A Logistic Approximation To The Cumulative Normal Distribution, Shannon R. Bowling, Mohammad T. Khasawneh, Sittichai Kaewkuekool, Byung R. Cho

Engineering Management & Systems Engineering Faculty Publications

This paper develops a logistic approximation to the cumulative normal distribution. Although the literature contains a vast collection of approximate functions for the normal distribution, they are very complicated, not very accurate, or valid for only a limited range. This paper proposes an enhanced approximate function. When comparing the proposed function to other approximations studied in the literature, it can be observed that the proposed logistic approximation has a simpler functional form and that it gives higher accuracy, with the maximum error of less than 0.00014 for the entire range. This is, to the best of the authors’ knowledge, the …

Implementing A Functional Iso 9001 Quality Management System In Small And Medium-Sized Enterprises, Andres Sousa-Poza, Mert Altinkilinc, Cory Searcy

Engineering Management & Systems Engineering Faculty Publications

This conceptual paper provides guidance for the implementation of a functional ISO 9001 quality management system (QMS) in small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). To help a SME understand its starting point, four initial states for QMS implementation are defined. Five paths for moving the QMS from the initial state to the desired state are described. To support the transition from the initial to the desired state, some key considerations in implementing a QMS in SMEs are discussed. The paper is based on site visits and implementation assistance the authors have provided to several SMEs. It is anticipated the paper will …

Sensitivity Analysis Framework For Large And Complex Simulation Models, Ghaith Rabadi, Shannon Bowling, Charles Keating, Resit Unal

Engineering Management & Systems Engineering Faculty Publications

In this paper, a framework for conducting Sensitivity Analysis (SA) on large and complex simulation models is introduced. The framework consists of components that are designed to make the SA a systematic process that is easy to manage and follow by simulation analysts and practitioners. Unlike local SA (one-variable-at-a-time SA), the method presented here is variance-based and it is rooted in the field of Design of Experiments (DoE) where Input Variables are varied and Output Variables are measured. Based on the DoE results, a risk scoring system is developed to identify the sensitivity of the Input Variables, and as a …

A New Pulsed Electric Field Therapy For Melanoma Disrupts The Tumor's Blood Supply And Causes Complete Remission Without Recurrence, Richard Nuccitelli, Xinhua Chen, Andrei G. Pakhomov, Wallace H. Baldwin, Saleh Sheikh, Jennifer L. Pomicter, Wei Ren, Chris Osgood, R. James Swanson, Juergen F. Kolb, Stephen J. Beebe, Karl H. Schoenbach

Bioelectrics Publications

We have discovered a new, ultrafast therapy for treating skin cancer that is extremely effective with a total electric field exposure time of only 180 mu sec. The application of 300 high-voltage (40 kV/cm), ultrashort (300 nsec) electrical pulses to murine melanomas in vivo triggers both necrosis and apoptosis, resulting in complete tumor remission within an average of 47 days in the 17 animals treated. None of these melanomas recurred during a 4-month period after the initial melanoma had disappeared. These pulses generate small, long-lasting, rectifying nanopores in the plasma membrane of exposed cells, resulting in increased membrane permeability to …

An Integrated Probability-Based Approach For Multiple Response Surface Optimization, Okay Isik

Engineering Management & Systems Engineering Theses & Dissertations

Nearly all real life systems have multiple quality characteristics where individual modeling and optimization approaches can not provide a balanced compromising solution. Since performance, cost, schedule, and consistency remain the basics of any design process, design configurations are expected to meet several conflicting requirements at the same time. Correlation between responses and model parameter uncertainty demands extra scrutiny and prevents practitioners from studying responses in isolation. Like any other multi-objective problem, multi-response optimization problem requires trade-offs and compromises, which in turn makes the available algorithms difficult to generalize for all design problems. Although multiple modeling and optimization approaches have been …

Supporting Protocols For Structuring And Intelligent Information Dissemination In Vehicular Ad Hoc Networks, Filip Cuckov

Electrical & Computer Engineering Theses & Dissertations

The goal of this dissertation is the presentation of supporting protocols for structuring and intelligent data dissemination in vehicular ad hoc networks (VANETs). The protocols are intended to first introduce a structure in VANETs, and thus promote the spatial reuse of network resources. Segmenting a flat VANET in multiple cluster structures allows for more efficient use of the available bandwidth, which can effectively increase the capacity of the network. The cluster structures can also improve the scalability of the underlying communication protocols. The structuring and maintenance of the network introduces additional overhead. The aim is to provide a mechanism for …

Interconnections Of Nonlinear Systems Driven By L₂-Itô Stochastic Processes, Luis A. Duffaut Espinosa

Electrical & Computer Engineering Theses & Dissertations

Fliess operators have been an object of study in connection with nonlinear systems acting on deterministic inputs since the early 1970's. They describe a broad class of nonlinear input-output maps using a type of functional series expansion, but in most applications, a system's inputs have noise components. In such circumstances, new mathematical machinery is needed to properly describe the input-output map via the Chen-Fliess algebraic formalism. In this dissertation, a class of L₂-Itô stochastic processes is introduced specifically for this purpose. Then, an extension of the Fliess operator theory is presented and sufficient conditions are given under which …

Synthesis And Characterization Of Birnessite And Cryptomelane Nanostructures In Presence Of Hoffmeister Anions, Marcos A. Cheney, Robin Jose, Arghya Banerjee, Pradip K. Bhowmik, Shizhi Qian, Joseph M. Okoh

Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering Faculty Publications

The effect of Hoffmeister anions Cl(-), SO(4) (2-), and ClO(4) (-) on the structure and morphology of birnessite and cryptomelane-type manganese dioxide nanostructures, produced by the reduction reaction of KMnO(4) and MnSO(4) in aqueous acidic media, was studied. The syntheses were based on the decomposition of aqueous KMnO(4) in presence of HCl for birnessite-type and acidified MnSO4 for cryptomelane-type manganese dioxide under soft hydrothermal conditions. They were characterized using X-ray diffraction (XRD), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM) techniques. XRD patterns show the formation of birnessite for the first synthesis and a mixture of cryptomelane and …

Regulation Of Intracellular Calcium Concentration By Nanosecond Pulsed Electric Fields, Shaka S. Scarlett, Jody A. White, Peter F. Blackmore, Karl H. Schoenbach, Juergen Kolb

Bioelectrics Publications

Changes in [Ca²⁺]_i response of individual Jurkat cells to nanosecond pulsed electric fields (nsPEFs) of 60 ns and field strengths of 25, 50, and 100 kV/cm were investigated. The magnitude of the nsPEF-induced rise in [Ca²⁺]_i was dependent on the electric field strength. With 25 and 50 kV/cm, the [Ca²⁺]_i response was due to the release of Ca²⁺ from intracellular stores and occurred in less than 18 ms. With 100 kV/cm, the increase in [Ca²⁺]_i was due to both internal release and to influx across the plasma …

Energy From The Skies: Empowering Future Generations, Petros J. Katsioloudis, Stella Bondi, Walter F. Deal

STEMPS Faculty Publications

The article discusses the development of photovoltaic technology. The first account of the use of solar power during war in western civilization was in the second century B.C. during the battle of Syracuse with Archimedes' famed Death Ray. In the late 1800s and early 1900s many advances occurred including the invention of solar-powered engines, the discovery of the photoconductivity of selenium and its ability to produce electricity when exposed to light, and the construction of the first solar cells from selenium wafers. Photovoltaic technology was born in the U.S. in 1954 when Daryl Chapin, Calvin Fuller, and Gerald Pearson developed …