Engineering Commons^™

Optimization Of Human Interactions In The College Campus Model Via Simio Integration, Benjamin E. Chaback

Doctoral Dissertations and Master's Theses

College campuses are a significant part of life in some cities. Many students each year attend university, pursuing additional knowledge from faculty members. Both staff and faculty members rely on these students to have successful jobs and to ensure the university functions. Yet recently, more and more students are attending, leading to overcrowding, lower admission rates, and difficulty getting into good programs. Previous work exists on qualitative student affairs and quantitative retention data, yet little on using simulations to model this problem. This work aimed to (a) Determine the ability to successfully model human interactions/people flow on a college campus, …

Containerization Of Seafarers In The International Shipping Industry: Contemporary Seamanship, Maritime Social Infrastructures, And Mobility Politics Of Global Logistics, Liang Wu

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

This dissertation discusses the mobility politics of container shipping and argues that technological development, political-economic order, and social infrastructure co-produce one another. Containerization, the use of standardized containers to carry cargo across modes of transportation that is said to have revolutionized and globalized international trade since the late 1950s, has served to expand and extend the power of international coalitions of states and corporations to control the movements of commodities (shipments) and labor (seafarers). The advent and development of containerization was driven by a sociotechnical imaginary and international social contract of seamless shipping and cargo flows. In practice, this liberal, …

Dynamics Modeling Of Molten Salt Reactors, Visura Umesh Pathirana

Doctoral Dissertations

The abundance of energy is a necessity for the prosperity of humans. The rise in energy demand has created energy shortages and issues related to energy security. Nuclear energy can produce vast amounts of reliable energy without many of the negative externalities associated with other competing energy sources, such as coal and natural gas. As a result, public interest in nuclear power has increased in the past decade. Many new types of nuclear reactor are proposed. These nuclear reactor designs feature many passive technologies that can operate without external influence. Reactors that feature advanced passive safety features are catagorized as …

Reliability Modeling And Improvement Of Critical Infrastructures: Theory, Simulation, And Computational Methods, José Carlos Hernández Azucena

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation presents a framework for developing data-driven tools to model and improve the performance of Interconnected Critical Infrastructures (ICIs) in multiple contexts. The importance of ICIs for daily human activities and the large volumes of data in continuous generation in modern industries grant relevance to research efforts in this direction. Chapter 2 focuses on the impact of disruptions in Multimodal Transportation Networks, which I explored from an application perspective. The outlined research directions propose exploring the combination of simulation for decision-making with data-driven optimization paradigms to create tools that may provide stakeholders with optimal policies for a wide array …

Task Optimization Utilizing Digital Transformation Concepts - Automation Project Execution Via Agile Methodology, Anthony Steven Maiello

Theses and Dissertations

Task Optimization via the use of automated process improvements is becoming more widespread as more industries lean into the concepts surrounding digital transformation. This shift also necessitates a complementary adaptation in project management methodologies to support the rapid and ever-changing environment, requirements, and innovations. This thesis examines the effectiveness of Agile methodology in managing digital automation projects, with a specific focus placed on process improvements with systems engineering. It accomplished this by contrasting the original model, designed and derived utilizing traditional project management techniques, with the proposed model which is a direct result of the application of Agile project practices. …

Towards Agile Academia: An Approach To Scientific Paper Writing Inspired By Software Engineering, Tyler Procko

Doctoral Dissertations and Master's Theses

The construction of scientific papers is performed in service of the greater scientific community. This iterative process is, in effect, an academic economy, where all members benefit from well-written papers. However, many published scientific papers are poorly written; they often lack sufficient detail to allow replication, there is improper usage of citations or a lack of regard to relevant work, reporting is vague or without linked empirical data to allow verification, figures do not correspond to text or are non-sensical, literary elements, e.g., bulleted lists, are used ineffectively, formatting renders certain sections unreadable, and grammatical errors abound. The issues of …

Evaluating Eeg–Emg Fusion-Based Classification As A Method For Improving Control Of Wearable Robotic Devices For Upper-Limb Rehabilitation, Jacob G. Tryon

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Musculoskeletal disorders are the biggest cause of disability worldwide, and wearable mechatronic rehabilitation devices have been proposed for treatment. However, before widespread adoption, improvements in user control and system adaptability are required. User intention should be detected intuitively, and user-induced changes in system dynamics should be unobtrusively identified and corrected. Developments often focus on model-dependent nonlinear control theory, which is challenging to implement for wearable devices.

One alternative is to incorporate bioelectrical signal-based machine learning into the system, allowing for simpler controller designs to be augmented by supplemental brain (electroencephalography/EEG) and muscle (electromyography/EMG) information. To extract user intention better, sensor …

Reinforcing Digital Trust For Cloud Manufacturing Through Data Provenance Using Ethereum Smart Contracts, Trupti Narayan Rane

Engineering Management & Systems Engineering Theses & Dissertations

Cloud Manufacturing(CMfg) is an advanced manufacturing model that caters to fast-paced agile requirements (Putnik, 2012). For manufacturing complex products that require extensive resources, manufacturers explore advanced manufacturing techniques like CMfg as it becomes infeasible to achieve high standards through complete ownership of manufacturing artifacts (Kuan et al., 2011). CMfg, with other names such as Manufacturing as a Service (MaaS) and Cyber Manufacturing (NSF, 2020), addresses the shortcoming of traditional manufacturing by building a virtual cyber enterprise of geographically distributed entities that manufacture custom products through collaboration.

With manufacturing venturing into cyberspace, Digital Trust issues concerning product quality, data, and intellectual …

Resilience Model For Teams Of Autonomous Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (Uav) Executing Surveillance Missions, Robert Koeneke

Doctoral Dissertations and Master's Theses

Teams of low-cost Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) have gained acceptance as an alternative for cooperatively searching and surveilling terrains. These UAVs are assembled with low-reliability components, so unit failures are possible. Losing UAVs to failures decreases the team's coverage efficiency and impacts communication, given that UAVs are also communication nodes. Such is the case of a Flying Ad Hoc Network (FANET), where the failure of a communication node may isolate segments of the network covering several nodes. The main goal of this study is to develop a resilience model that would allow us to analyze the effects of individual UAV …

Fungi In Flux | Designing Regenerative Materials And Products With Mycelium, Arvind Bhallamudi

Masters Theses

As the world grapples with the escalating crisis of climate threats and environmental degradation, this research delves into the synergistic potential of design and biology, developing safe and sustainable materials for applications in prototyping, furniture and interior design. Harnessing the power of a unique organism - fungi, the study proposes an accessible, efficient, and resilient material resource system. It utilizes local waste streams and mycelium (the vegetative part of fungi) to grow functional structures. An experimental and small-scale protocol is modeled by testing bio-fabrication and bio-printing methods. The composites' performance qualities and characteristics are evaluated through mechanical testing and a …

Tank Level Controller Plc Lab, Siddhi Upadhyaya, Teghvir Grewal

Electrical Engineering

The California Polytechnic State University San Luis Obispo’s Electrical Engineering Department is currently developing lab experiments for the new EE435 (Industrial Power Control and Automation) class. In order to support these efforts, fourth year Cal Poly students are expected to develop laboratory experiments that will be conducted during this new class for the semester system. The lab experiment focused on in this project is called the Tank Level Controller. This experiment will introduce EE 435 students to Schneider Electric Programmable Logic Controller (PLC) hardware and software, which is prominent in the automation industry.
This experiment will require students to develop …

Cybersecurity In Industrial Automation Lab Design For Ee 435, Jules Khalil Emile Hajjar, Emily Zhou

Electrical Engineering

This project involves the creation of an instructional laboratory aimed at teaching cybersecurity for industrial automation applications. Specifically tailored for Electrical Engineering students at Cal Poly, the experiment focuses on configuring the Modicon M580, a PLC from Schneider Electric, and serves to introduce students to relevant cybersecurity protocols and techniques. This project will be implemented into the EE435 (Industrial Power Control and Automation) course curriculum upon Cal Poly’s transition to the semester system.

An Online Adaptive Machine Learning Framework For Autonomous Fault Detection, Nolan Coulter

Doctoral Dissertations and Master's Theses

The increasing complexity and autonomy of modern systems, particularly in the aerospace industry, demand robust and adaptive fault detection and health management solutions. The development of a data-driven fault detection system that can adapt to varying conditions and system changes is critical to the performance, safety, and reliability of these systems. This dissertation presents a novel fault detection approach based on the integration of the artificial immune system (AIS) paradigm and Online Support Vector Machines (OSVM). Together, these algorithms create the Artificial Immune System augemented Online Support Vector Machine (AISOSVM).

The AISOSVM framework combines the strengths of the AIS and …

Smart Warehousing Implementaion And Education Of Supply Chain Management Leaders, David Quintanilla

Doctoral Dissertations

Paper #1 Overview

Businesses have to adapt to new challenges and technologies in the marketplace which influence warehousing. In order to support this growth, Industry 4.0 technologies have been implemented along the value chain to optimize their organizations and production processes; however, there are still gaps for warehousing research for Industry 4.0. We present four pillars¾location strategy, infrastructure/design, data management, and advanced planning and control¾ as a framework for businesses to use for their adaptation into smart warehousing. In particular, this framework will guide companies in their logistics journey into Industry 4.0. Industry experts and senior logistics professionals were interviewed …

High-Level Requirements For Conceptual Design Of Bridge Deflection Measurement System Using Model-Based Systems Engineering, Mariana Villalabeitia Arenas

Theses and Dissertations

Bridges are essential in the infrastructure transportation system. Repairs and maintenance are the key activities to keep them safe for use. Over the years, the evolution of technology has been applied to improve the way bridges are designed, built, monitored, inspected, and repaired. Nevertheless, there is still a gap between the research efforts and the application of this knowledge in the practical field of bridge inspections. Model-based Systems Engineering is a formalized methodology in the system design that is centered around the model throughout all the life cycle stages of a system, supporting the requirements, design, analysis, verification, and validation …

Modeling The Impact Of Scheduling Risks On Multi-Team Agile Projects, Bria Marie Booth

Theses and Dissertations

Agile project management allows for a quick response to a changing project environment. This opens possible avenues for new opportunities, but also may expose ongoing projects to previously unknown or unexpected threats. Risks must be continuously monitored as a product is worked on to avoid lost potential. This paper will propose a discrete event simulation model that multi-team projects may use to predict the impact to the project’s schedule. Using discrete event simulation early in the project’s planning cycle offers a greater understanding of the possible or probable impact of risks on the schedule. This would help to prepare project …

Geometric Inference In Machine Learning: Applications Of Fisher Information For Model Selection And Other Statistical Applications, Trevor Herntier

Theses and Dissertations

We consider the problem of model selection using the Minimum Description Length (MDL) criterion for distributions with parameters on the hypersphere. Model selection algorithms aim to find a compromise between goodness of fit and model complexity. Variables often considered for complexity penalties involve number of parameters, sample size and shape of the parameter space, with the penalty term often referred to as stochastic complexity. Because Laplace approximation techniques yield inaccurate results for curved spaces, existing criteria incorrectly penalize complexity. We demonstrate how the use of a constrained Laplace approximation on the hypersphere yields a novel complexity measure that more accurately …

Causal Modeling Framework For Nuclear Power Plant Licensing Process, Lauren Kimberly Kiser

Theses and Dissertations

Interests in clean energy revived the nuclear power industry. For the first time in decades, innovative technologies and plant designs are being considered by regulatory agencies. This dissertation explores a Bayesian Network and AHP approach to causal modeling of the Combined License review process for new nuclear power plants (NPP). Historically lengthy and expensive, NPP licensing is critical to ensuring safe operation of the plants. With this comes a high standard for applicants to reach that can result in multiple revision cycles and long review times. New plant designs and fluctuating public support lead to a complex and dynamic series …

Sealion Cubesat Mission Architecture Using Model Based Systems Engineering With A Docs As Code Approach, Kevin Yi-Tzu Chiu

Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering Theses & Dissertations

CubeSats are a growing population within the space industry. Every year, universities launch numerous amounts of CubeSats due to their inexpensive cost of development, launch, and deployment. However, this comes with numerous challenges. As the number of university-CubeSats grow, so too do the numbers that fail. With development teams consisting mainly of students with little to no training, proper and yet easy to use tools or methods should be implemented to help ensure mission success. Especially in the critical stages of planning before and during development, a technical approach to quickly track life cycle development of a CubeSat is needed. …

Water Resources Planning Under Deep Uncertainty For Physically, Socially, And Politically Complex Systems, Sarah St. George Freeman

Doctoral Dissertations

Water supply systems, particularly those of large cities, are complex systems linking supply, regulatory and distribution infrastructure, and points of use. Despite their physical complexities, it is infrequent that full supply, distribution, end use, and feedbacks therein are considered in an integrated manner. These complex systems-of-systems face large uncertainties related to physical aspects such as degradation of infrastructure, changing demand, and climate variability and change. Though great, such physical uncertainties often pale in comparison to the those related to the human systems in place to manage them and yet uncertainty in the decision-making landscape is often grossly simplified in our …

The American Multi-Modal Energy System: Model Development With Structural And Behavioral Analysis Using Hetero-Functional Graph Theory, Dakota John Thompson

Dartmouth College Ph.D Dissertations

In the 21st century, infrastructure is playing an ever greater role in our daily lives. Presidential Policy Directive 21 emphasizes that infrastructure is critical to public confidence, the nation's safety, and its well-being. With global climate change demanding a host of changes across at least four critical energy infrastructures: the electric grid, the natural gas system, the oil system, and the coal system, it is imperative to study models of these infrastructures to guide future policies and infrastructure developments. Traditionally these energy systems have been studied independently, usually in their own fields of study. Therefore, infrastructure datasets often lack the …

Model Based Systems Engineering Approaches To Chemicals And Materials Manufacturing, Quang Le

Theses and Dissertations

Model-based systems engineering (MBSE) is part of a long-term trend toward model-centric approaches adopted by many engineering disciplines. This work establishes the need for an MBSE approach by reviewing the importance, complexity, and vulnerability of the U.S. chemical supply chains. The origins, work processes, modeling approaches, and supporting tools of the systems engineering discipline (SE) are discussed, along with the limitations of the current Process Systems Engineering (PSE) framework. The case is made for MBSE as a more generalizable and robust approach. Systems modeling strategies for MBSE are introduced, as well as a novel MBSE method that supports the automation …

Investigating Collaborative Explainable Ai (Cxai)/Social Forum As An Explainable Ai (Xai) Method In Autonomous Driving (Ad), Tauseef Ibne Mamun

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports

Explainable AI (XAI) systems primarily focus on algorithms, integrating additional information into AI decisions and classifications to enhance user or developer comprehension of the system's behavior. These systems often incorporate untested concepts of explainability, lacking grounding in the cognitive and educational psychology literature (S. T. Mueller et al., 2021). Consequently, their effectiveness may be limited, as they may address problems that real users don't encounter or provide information that users do not seek.

In contrast, an alternative approach called Collaborative XAI (CXAI), as proposed by S. Mueller et al (2021), emphasizes generating explanations without relying solely on algorithms. CXAI centers …

Dynamic Modeling, Data Reconciliation, Parameter Estimation, And Health Monitoring Of A Supercritical Power Plant, Katherine Grace Hedrick

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports

With the introduction of a larger portion of renewable sources of power coming onto the U.S. power grid in recent decades, the operational strategy of coal-fired power plants has changed significantly to focus more on flexibility in response to the changing energy market. This has naturally led to different operational challenges. Many of these challenges are focused on the boilers within these plants, as they are producing more emissions and experiencing increased damage during load-following, which in turn leads to increased costs from penalties for not achieving emission standards or maintenance costs as boilers accumulate damage from the cycling behavior. …

Accelerating Manufacturing Decisions Using Bayesian Optimization: An Optimization And Prediction Perspective, Taofeeq Olajire

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports

Manufacturing is a promising technique for producing complex and custom-made parts with a high degree of precision. It can also provide us with desired materials and products with specified properties. To achieve that, it is crucial to find out the optimum point of process parameters that have a significant impact on the properties and quality of the final product. Unfortunately, optimizing these parameters can be challenging due to the complex and nonlinear nature of the underlying process, which becomes more complicated when there are conflicting objectives, sometimes with multiple goals. Furthermore, experiments are usually costly, time-consuming, and require expensive materials, …

Framework For Data Acquisition And Fusion Of Camera And Radar For Autonomous Vehicle Systems, Clay Edward Vincent

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports

The primary contribution is the development of the data collection testing methodology for autonomous driving systems of a hybrid electric passenger vehicle. As automotive manufacturers begin to develop adaptive cruise control technology in vehicles, progress is being made toward the development of fully-autonomous vehicles. Adaptive cruise control capability is classified into five levels defined by the Society of Automotive Engineering. Some vehicles under development have attained higher levels of autonomy, but the focus of most commercial development is Level 2 autonomy. As the level of autonomy increases, the sensor technology becomes more advanced with a sensor suite which includes radar, …

Techno-Economic Analysis And Optimization Of Hydrogen And Mechanical Energy Storage Systems, Pavitra Senthamilselvan Sengalani

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports

The increasing significance of renewable energy sources is thrusting the load cycling of fossil-fueled power plants (FFPP), designed to operate under nominal-load conditions. Integration of energy storage systems (ESS) with the FFPPs such as hydrogen energy storage (HES) and mechanical energy storage facility such as compressed air energy storage (CAES) shows the potential to minimize the levelized cost of electricity during high demand scenarios and also minimize the negative impacts of off-design FFPP operation. The deployment of energy storage facilities at the FFPP level have considerable potential advantages as they can be exploited within the existing equipment items and facilities …

A Comparative Analysis Of Coastdown Testing Methods From An Electric Drive Unit Engagement Perspective Using A Student-Designed Parallel Hybrid Electric Vehicle, Dawson Everett Dunnuck

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports

Coastdown testing and road load determination are pivotal parts of the automotive design process. Vehicle manufacturers and independent companies perform and analyze road loads determined through a coastdown or similar method to determine a vehicle’s road load for modeling and EPA certification. For a traditional coastdown, the vehicle’s drivetrain must be disconnected through a clutch between the engine and the transmission while traveling at a high rate of speed to place the vehicle in neutral. This changes for hybrid and electric vehicles. Some hybrid, and most electric, vehicles delivered to customers do not have this clutch action to grant the …

Comparative Analysis Of Fullstack Development Technologies: Frontend, Backend And Database, Qozeem Odeniran

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Accessing websites with various devices has brought changes in the field of application development. The choice of cross-platform, reusable frameworks is very crucial in this era. This thesis embarks in the evaluation of front-end, back-end, and database technologies to address the status quo. Study-a explores front-end development, focusing on angular.js and react.js. Using these frameworks, comparative web applications were created and evaluated locally. Important insights were obtained through benchmark tests, lighthouse metrics, and architectural evaluations. React.js proves to be a performance leader in spite of the possible influence of a virtual machine, opening the door for additional research. Study b …

Like You Search, Gipson Bachman

LMU/LLS Theses and Dissertations

As consumers continue to make their purchases solely online without visiting brick-and-mortar stores, they increasingly look for ways to “touch, feel and try on” products without actually doing so. We believe social media influencers provide a way to do this, with the influencers themselves acting as “stand-ins” for consumers in their place. Finding influencers that look like you in 2022 sounds like it would be easy, but it isn’t. Until now.

LIKE YOU aims to answer this gap in the market by creating a proprietary search engine that, through answering a few questions, recommends a list of influencers that can …