Engineering Commons^™

Optimizing Power Consumption Of Freight Railroad Bearings Using Laboratory Experimental Data, Carlos E. Lopez Iii, Constantine Tarawneh, Arturo A. Fuentes, Harry Siegal

Mechanical Engineering Faculty Publications

Based on projected freight truck fuel efficiency, freight railroad and equipment suppliers need to identify, evaluate and implement technologies and/or operating practices to maintain traditional railroad economic competitiveness. The railway industry uses systems that record the total energy efficiency of a train but not energy efficiency or consumption by components. Lowering the energy consumption of certain train components will result in an increase in its overall energy efficiency, which will yield cost benefits for all the stakeholders. One component of interest is the railroad bearing whose power consumption varies depending on several factors that include railcar load, train speed, condition …

Estimating The Inner Ring Defect Size And Residual Service Life Of Freight Railcar Bearings Using Vibration Signatures, Jennifer Lima, Constantine Tarawneh, Jesse Aguilera, Jonas Cuanang

Mechanical Engineering Faculty Publications

There are currently two primary wayside detection systems for monitoring the health of freight railcar bearings in the railroad industry: The Trackside Acoustic Detection System (TADS™) and the wayside Hot-Box Detector (HBD). TADS™ uses wayside microphones to detect and alert the train operator of high-risk defects. However, many defective bearings may never be detected by TADS™ since a high-risk defect is a spall which spans about 90% of a bearing’s raceway, and there are less than 30 systems in operation throughout the United States and Canada. HBDs sit on the side of the rail-tracks and use non-contact infrared sensors to …

Optimization Of Railroad Bearing Health Monitoring System For Wireless Utilization, Jonas Cuanang, Constantine Tarawneh, Martin Amaro Jr., Jennifer Lima, Heinrich D. Foltz

Mechanical Engineering Faculty Publications

In the railroad industry, systematic health inspections of freight railcar bearings are required. Bearings are subjected to high loads and run at high speeds, so over time the bearings may develop a defect that can potentially cause a derailment if left in service operation. Current bearing condition monitoring systems include Hot-Box Detectors (HBDs) and Trackside Acoustic Detection Systems (TADS™). The commonly used HBDs use non-contact infrared sensors to detect abnormal temperatures of bearings as they pass over the detector. Bearing temperatures that are about 94°C above ambient conditions will trigger an alarm indicating that the bearing must be removed from …

Remote Sensing And Three-Dimensional Photogrammetric Analysis Of Glaciofluvial Sand And Gravel Deposits For Aggregate Resource Assessment In Mchenry County, Illinois, Usa, Xiaodong Miao, Christopher J. Stohr, Paul R. Hanson, Qiansuo Wang

School of Natural Resources: Faculty Publications

Sand and gravel deposits, one of the most common natural resources, are used as aggregates mostly by the construction industry, and their extraction contributes significantly to a region's economy. Thus, it is critical to locate sand and gravel deposits, and evaluate their quantity and quality safely and quickly. However, information on aggregate resources is generally only available from conventional two-dimensional (2-D) geologic maps, and direct field measurements for quality analysis at outcrops are time consuming and are often not possible due to safety concerns, or simply because exposures are too difficult to access. In this study, we presented a methodology …

Effective Communication Message Strategy For Enhancing Traffic Safety In Fresno County: The Role Of Time Horizon, Regulatory Focus, And Perceived Personal Control, Samer Sarofim

Mineta Transportation Institute

This research empirically investigated the differential effect of message framing on message recipients’ attitudes and intended behaviors related to pedestrian, cyclist, and motorist traffic safety practices. The framework empirically investigated time horizon (expansive vs. limited) and regulatory focus (prevention vs. promotion) message framing.

The time horizon in the message can make someone either think of the future (expansive) or the present (limited). For example, an expansive time horizon message communicates that life is long and directs the focus on the future. On the contrary, a limited time horizon message communicates that life is short and directs the focus on the …

Research On School Zone Safety, Aemal Khattak, Yashu Kang

Nebraska Department of Transportation: Research Reports

This research investigated different aspects of school zone safety including the effects of speed differentials on drivers’ speeds in active school zones, the effects of school and surrounding characteristics on drivers’ speeds in active school zones, and the safety benefits and costs associated with active school zones. The research team identified 18 schools in Nebraska for data collection that consisted of drivers’ speed data, school and surrounding characteristics, and 2014-2018 reported crash data. The 18 schools were categorized by the school zone speed limit differentials: 35 to 25 mph, 40 to 25 mph, 30 to 25 mph, and 35 to …

The Effects Of Covid-19 On The Commercial Construction Industry In California: A Case Study, Emily G. Bohannon

Construction Management

As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, construction companies across California have been forced to quickly adapt to new protocols and regulations. Since certain areas of California have been more impacted by the pandemic, construction companies in those counties have been forced to comply with stricter coronavirus guidelines. Between the regions researched in this case study, the Bay Area has been affected the most by COVID-19 shutdowns and regulations. Then, Los Angeles County and San Diego County, which faced similar restrictions. The least restrictive area to build during the pandemic is the Central Valley, where there were less reported cases. …

Fitting In: Analyzing The Fit Of Safety Vests In The Construction Industry, Lizette Galvez Puentes

Construction Management

The construction industry continues to be a male-dominated industry; however, recent decades have seen a change of demographic, including an increase of women leadership. With the changing demographics, there is a lack of awareness and proactive integration of properly fitting safety vests to accommodate different body types. A properly fitting safety vest is crucial in upholding the safety of individuals working on a construction site, where certain genders are more frequently caught on jobsite material. These circumstances hinder the purpose and functionality of the safety vest’s primary functions, which, for the wearer, is increased visibility and the comfort to carry …

Construction Management Spanish Language Class, Jordan Stephen King

Construction Management

Some research was done by past Cal Poly students into the industry, faculty and student desire for a Spanish Language class through multiple surveys. The results indicated that all parties agreed that a Spanish Language Construction Management class would be beneficial to add to the curriculum. In this project a student at Cal Poly was tasked with creating a Construction Management Spanish Language Class. The deliverables for this project are to provide the Construction Management department with a syllabus, course schedule, thirteen PowerPoints for use as lecture material, thirteen activities for students to apply what they have learned, and thirteen …

State And Prospects Of Production And Operation Of Synthetic Woven Belts (Table) For Load-Handling Devices (Hd) In The Republic Of Uzbekistan, Ibrohim Numanovich Abdullaev, Zhamoldin Dzhalalovich Akhmedov, Bakhodir Kushakovich Rakhmanov, Ruzikhon Toyirzhanovna Zhurabaeva

Journal of Tashkent Institute of Railway Engineers

In the world, the use of synthetic woven tapes (SWT) is increasing in various areas of life, including in construction. In particular, thanks to the development of production of high-strength synthetic fibers in such developed countries as Russia, USA, Germany, progress has been made in the creation and manufacture of heavy-duty lifting slings from STL, and on this basis to improve ergonomics and safety of installers, the safety of transported goods, the reduction of labor input and material on the load capacity.

Method For Evaluating The Residual Resource Of Long Designs, Sergey Vladimirovich Chizhov, Ulugbek Zabixullayevich Shermuxamedov, Sharofat Shavkatovna Kadirova

Journal of Tashkent Institute of Railway Engineers

The article describes a method for calculating the safety of extended structures, in particular tunnels. The probabilistic approach to solving the problem is analyzed using the reliability of the structure with the probability of failure-free operation and assessment of the residual life of the structure. These characteristics make it possible to predict the residual life of the structure within a time value until the design has exhausted its ultimate state. An assessment of the operational reliability of the structure is carried out by measuring and establishing existing structural defects. Based on the data obtained, an analysis was carried out and …

Safety Systems, Culture, And Passengers’ Willingness To Fly In Autonomous Air Taxis, Kenneth Alexander Ward

Doctoral Dissertations and Master's Theses

As city populations grow, the transportation industry plans to alleviate traffic congestion by introducing the urban air mobility (UAM) concept, in which small passenger and cargo aircraft augment metropolitan transportation networks. A key component of UAM is that of air taxis, which are on-demand air services for individuals and small groups. In addition, UAM companies are designing the aircraft to operate fully autonomously: The intent is for the vehicles to arrive and transport people from point to point without input from human pilots.

In studies of passengers’ perceptions, researchers found that safety was among the top passenger concerns. The international …

Aircraft Rescue And Fire Fighting Capabilities: Are Today’S Standards Protecting Passenger’S Futures?, Kaetlyn Blocker

Student Works

Few studies have been conducted that have truly considered the relevance and inadequacies of applicable aircraft rescue and firefighting (ARFF) regulations. Fewer still have studied and explored accident cases that directly exemplify the deficiencies and inconsistencies of various regulatory standards and requirements. This study seeks to expose and explain those inadequacies by utilizing a historical, case-study type research method to examine accident cases during which time the governing regulations played a significant role in the ARFF operations. The findings discovered as a result of this multi-case analysis provide evidence that the current regulations governing United States ARFF operations are both …

Alaska Part 135 Operations: The Need For Additional Regulatory Oversight And Continuous Aircraft Tracking, April A. Larsen

Student Works

With a focus on Alaska, this research illustrates the lack of regulatory oversight pertaining to Title 14 CFR Part 135 operators, including SMS, training, and equipment requirements. As of January 2020, under the Federal Aviation Administration’s NextGen initiative, all aircraft flying in controlled airspace are required to have an Automatic Dependent Surveillance – Broadcast (ADS– B) system installed and operational. Many Alaskan operators fly in hazardous terrain, and marginal weather, with little to no communication, yet ADS-B is not a requirement as they are in uncontrolled airspace. Alaska also lacks vital aviation infrastructure including adequate instrument approach procedures, weather monitoring …

Rebar Impalement Safety, Spencer C. Nefores, Steven M. Hoover

Industrial and Manufacturing Engineering

This project is sponsored by Webcor with the purpose of finding a better solution to rebar impalement safety. The current rebar impalement safety caps being used by Webcor were found to frequently fall off after being installed. This results in workers being exposed to the hazard for longer than desired. The research that has been done by the team showed that rebar impalement is a serious hazard and results in injury or death every year. Site visits and interviews were performed to aid in understanding the problem and designing solutions. The customer needs, current state of the problem, existing solutions, …

Increasing Health And Safety Through The Utilization Of 4d Modeling, Rogan J. Wells

Construction Management

Health and safety is one of the most important aspects of the construction industry. Every year there are thousands of work-related injuries in the construction industry. Avoiding these injuries is of the utmost importance on a jobsite. This paper will analyze how building information modeling, specifically the use of 4D building information modeling, can be utilized to increase the overall health and safety of construction jobsite. An exploratory survey was conducted amongst architecture, engineering, and construction industry professionals who hold a wide range of experience. The aim of this survey was to analyze their knowledge and experiences using building information …

Crime And Harassment On Public Transportation: A Survey Of Sjsu Students Set In International Context, Asha Weinstein Agrawal, Anastasia Loukaitou-Sideris, Cristina Tortora, Yajing Hu

Mineta Transportation Institute

Communities around the world are gradually becoming aware that transit riders, and especially women, are often victims of a wide range of offenses of a sexual nature that happen on buses and trains, and at bus stops and train stations. Better understanding the extent and nature of sexual harassment on transit is a critical issue for transit operators and society at large. If fear of sexual crime limits if and how people ride transit, the result is reduced mobility for certain segments of the population, as well as lost ridership for transit agencies.

For this study, we surveyed 891 students …

Empirical Analysis Of Trends In Runway Incursions In The United States From 2001 To 2017, David C. Ison

Journal of Aviation Technology and Engineering

Runway incursions, events in which an aircraft, vehicle, or person is located on a runway surface without authorization, continue to be a constant threat to aviation safety. Previously identified on the ‘‘Most Wanted’’ list of aviation safety issues by the National Transportation Safety Board, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has spent significant amounts of money and effort to address runway incursions. Little empirical evidence has been collected on the effectiveness of such efforts. Moreover, the data that are available provide a confusing landscape of contradicting findings. Some FAA publications claim that runway incursions are decreasing while the evidence provided in …

Covid-19 And Public Transportation: Current Assessment, Prospects, And Research Needs, Alejandro Tirachini, Oded Cats

Journal of Public Transportation

The COVID-19 pandemic poses a great challenge for contemporary public transportation worldwide, resulting from an unprecedented decline in demand and revenue. In this paper, we synthesize the state-of-the-art, up to early June 2020, on key developments regarding public transportation and the COVID-19 pandemic, including the different responses adopted by governments and public transportation agencies around the world, and the research needs pertaining to critical issues that minimize contagion risk in public transportation in the so-called post-lockdown phase. While attempts at adherence to physical distancing (which challenges the very concept of mass public transportation) are looming in several countries, the latest …

Fatigue Identification And Management In Flight Training Among Collegiate Aviation Pilots, Flavio Mendonca Ph.D., Julius Keller Ph.D., Michael Robertson Ph.D., Matt Romero

Publications

Objective: The purpose of this study was fivefold: to investigate the symptoms that would prompt collegiate aviation pilots perceive they are fatigued; to investigate the time of the day they are most fatigued; to investigate their academic and personal schedules; to investigate the methods collegiate aviation pilots utilize to ensure they are fit to fly; and to investigate whether they have received any academic and/or flight fatigue identification and management training.

Background: Fatigue is a pervasive safety hazard in aviation affecting several aspects of flight crew members’ ability to perform their job. Fatigue in aviation and its consequences has been …

Pilot Selection Research Gaps: What We Do And Don't Know About "The Right Stuff", Thomas C. Scott, Meredith Carroll

Aeronautics Faculty Publications

Ever since the commencement of high-powered flight, pilot selection has been a crucial process within military, general, and commercial aviation. Through effective pilot selection, individuals with the necessary aptitudes, or "the right stuff" to get through a training program and successfully perform the job, can be chosen. There is a range of different aptitudes that have been shown through research to correlate with effective pilot performance. However, there is currently not a comprehensive understanding of the aptitudes, including both cognitive abilities and psychological attributes, necessary not only for effective pilot performance but also for a successful career as an aviator. …

Repairer Reporting System User Analysis For Sms Compliance In Aviation Maintenance, Mark D. Miller, Bettina Mrusek

Publications

To resolve the issue of human error in maintenance the REPAIRER reporting system is revisited as it has great potential by combining a human factors analysis with a risk management safety reporting mechanism. It is also timely as a human factors centered safety reporting method like the REPAIRER could now be feasibly implemented through the new mandatory FAA (Federal Aviation Administration) FAR 121 requirement to use SMS (Safety Management System) pillars and through the new FAA MxHF human factors training. With the current FAA support in place and the ever growing need to add human factors to combat human error …

A Preliminary Investigation Of Maintenance Contributions To Commercial Air Transport Accidents, Fatima Najeeb Khan, Ayiei Ayiei, John Murray, Glenn Baxter, Graham Wild

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

© 2020 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. Aircraft maintenance includes all the tasks needed to ensure an aircraft’s continuing airworthiness. Accidents that result from these maintenance activities can be used to assess safety. This research seeks to undertake a preliminary investigation of accidents that have maintenance contributions. An exploratory design was utilized, which commenced with a content analysis of the accidents with maintenance contributions (n = 35) in the official ICAO accident data set (N = 1277), followed by a quantitative ex-post facto study. Results showed that maintenance contributions are involved in 2.8 ± 0.9% of ICAO official …

Managing Safety Risks In Airline Maintenance Outsourcing, Rajee Olaganathan Dr., Mark Miller Dr., Bettina M. Mrusek Dr.

International Journal of Aviation, Aeronautics, and Aerospace

The U.S aviation industry faced severe financial losses after the 9/11 incident. The financial loss that occurred between 2000 and 2009 in the U.S. alone was $54 billion dollars. One of the operational strategies adopted by air carriers to overcome this hurdle was to outsource aircraft maintenance. Initially, this was accomplished in both home and off-shore locations. Unionized labor relations in the US ultimately forced these organizations to outsource to non-unionized labor sources in foreign countries. However, due to the upsurge in accidents and incidents that resulting from maintenance failures, the concept of outsourcing maintenance became a subject of debate …

Risk - A Multi-Layered Approach, Peter S. Neff

International Journal of Aviation, Aeronautics, and Aerospace

This article discusses the relationship between the mandates to achieve increased operational safety and the application of risk management strategies. That commercial airlines must operate at the highest level of safety is mandated by statute. FAA regulation, 14 CFR part 5, outlines the FAA response to the requirements of ICAO Annex 19, Safety Management, by establishing requirements for certificate holders to develop a Safety Management System with 4 components: (a) Safety Policy; (b) Safety Risk Management; (c) Safety Assurance; and (d) Safety Promotion. Safety is a tangible and intangible element foundational to the successful commercial airline sector. A structured multi-layered …

Performance Enhancement And Prediction Of Composite Materials With Embedded Electrospun Piezoelectric Sensors, Rahman Jani Mazed, Muthu Ram Prabhu Elenchezhian, Vamsee Vadlamudi, Md Riaz Uddin Ahmed, Rassel Raihan, Kenneth Reifsnider

Institute of Predictive Performance Methodologies (IPPM-UTARI)-Archive

In today’s world, continuous fiber reinforced composite materials are extensively used in the aerospace, automotive and other structural industries. Since the applications of such fibers demand for a high safety rating, it is of utmost importance for engineers who design such materials to analyze its safety. When cracks are developed in such materials, the mechanical, electrical, and thermal properties also get altered as a function of the cracks. Previous studies have shown that changes in electrical properties can be directly correlated with the development of cracks in the material which can then be used to predict the remaining life of …

Vehicle Operator Attention Monitor, Matthew Krispinsky, Matt Marsek, Matthew Mayfield, Brian Call

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

Motor vehicle operators’ attention levels can be monitored to improve driver safety. By recording and analyzing the drivers eye gaze, hand position, vehicle speed and engine rpm the driver’s attention can be determined. A Raspberry Pi will be the main processing unit. Data will be pulled and analyzed from the OBD-II port on vehicle speed and engine rpm. The system will be powered from a 12V, 4A pin on the OBD-II port connected to the car battery. A webcam will be used to track the pupil location and determine when the driver is looking at the road. A battery powered …

Integrated Dentistry Face Shield, Noah Glass

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

Currently, the United States and the entire world is experiencing a global pandemic that has drastically changed the way we go about our everyday lives. Dr. Pavlik, a local dentist is one such person who has had to alter his normal dentistry routine to one of extreme caution while working on patients. His day to day job puts him at a high risk of being exposed to Covid-19 by actively working in patients’ mouths at proximity. Dr. Pavlik’s current dentistry equipment is lackluster in its compatibility with his safety equipment. To help minimize exposure to Covid-19 for Dr. Pavlik and …

Impact Of Increased Precipitation On Midwestern Construction, Monica Feltman

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

This paper presents the current impact of increased precipitation in the Midwest on the construction industry. Mainly, the impact on jobsite safety, increasing insurance rates, and the resulting changes in design codes, or lack thereof. The goal of this independent research is to gather a better understanding of the influence of these changes, because only then can one accurately seek to combat their harmful effects. As a vital element of the global economy, the construction industry must be conscious of their changing relationship with the environment around them. Therefore, understanding the affects of harmful climate change, will increase awareness of …

A Multi-Constraint Predictive Control System With Auxiliary Emergency Controllerfor Autonomous Vehicles, Farhad Partovi Ebrahimpour

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

In the last few years, several research groups and companies have worked on developing autonomous vehicles. Among the first automation layers, the safety layer plays a significant role in this field. However, considering safety should not diminish the importance of the efficiency of the vehicle in terms of path tracking with the desired speed. This thesis introduces a multi-constraint predictive control algorithm along with a safety layer to guarantee object avoidance in emergency situations. First, there is a quick review of autonomous cars and their functionalities. In the following, a controller switching mechanism is proposed and designed. It switches the …