Operations Research, Systems Engineering and Industrial Engineering Commons^™

College Of Engineering Senior Design Competition Spring 2012, University Of Nevada, Las Vegas

Fred and Harriet Cox Senior Design Competition Projects

Senior Design Experience

Part of every UNLV engineering student’s academic experience, the Senior Design project stimulates engineering innovation and entrepreneurship. Each student in their senior year chooses, plans, designs and prototypes a product in this required element of the curriculum. Working in teams, the senior design project encourages students to use everything learned in the engineering and computer design programs to create a practical, real world solution to an engineering challenge.

Beyond the classroom...

Because of the requirement to work in teams, students also build good communication skills, presentation skills and even business writing skills. They also have to source …

Project-Risk Management And Decision Analysis In Maritime Maintenance And Repair, Michael C. Plumb, C. Ariel Pinto, Rafael Landaeta, Resit Unal, Thomas Murphy

Engineering Management & Systems Engineering Faculty Publications

The purpose of this paper is to provide insights regarding the implementation of using Project Risk Management (PRM) and Decision Analysis (DA) in managing projects for complex systems such as maritime vessels. The PRM approach apprehends many forms of risk both internal and external within a given project and assists the manager in determining the level of importance of each individual project phase and component to optimize project success. Ship Maintenance and Repair project decision-making requires that risk management and risk analysis techniques be applied in order to guide management in making better decisions to meet ship service life perspective. …

Identification And Implementation Of Patterns Towards A Model Of Environmental Sustainability, S. Jimmy Gandhi, Santiago Perez, Danial Rushton, Robert Cloutier, Ipek Bozkurt, C. Ariel Pinto

Engineering Management & Systems Engineering Faculty Publications

Much like the Quality Revolution did in the 1980's, corporate sustainability has the potential to drive significant changes in the processes and structure of various organizations in the coming decade. With a rapidly growing global population and an ever increasing global demand for resources (Population-Resource-Center, 2012). Sustainability has emerged as one of the primary challenges that organizations will have to deal with in the 21st century. An increasing realization among business executives that profitability by itself is not enough as a measure of success is also driving the increased adoption of sustainable practices in the corporate world (Lowitt and Grimsley, …

On Critical Infrastructure Interdependency, Polinpapilinho F. Katina, C. Ariel Pinto

Engineering Management & Systems Engineering Faculty Publications

Developing effective protection, mitigation, and recovery measures for critical infrastructure (CI) systems is paramount in the wake of increasing natural and manmade hazards, risks, and threats. Influencing protection, rescue, and recovery measures are interplays (i.e., interdependencies) among infrastructure systems. Understanding interdependencies plays an essential role in minimizing and reducing cascading failures among complex interdependent infrastructure systems. This paper asserts that deployment of protection, mitigation, and recovery solutions can have little effect on infrastructure management if infrastructure operators and policymakers have partial understanding of infrastructure interdependencies. Using narrative research, authors illustrate that effective coordination and response for protection, mitigation, and recovery …

Integrated Planning For Rural Rail Transportation, Jeffrey Cohan Gwaltney

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Population growth in rural areas has led to new interest in rail transportation. Planning a passenger rail system involves numerous difficult decisions, most representing a trade-off between customer service and cost. In this work, we attempt to integrate many of these planning decisions. We consider strategic decisions such as station location and vehicle procurement, as well as tactical issues that include vehicle scheduling. Our integrated model exploits the linear network structure that best suits many rural American communities, including Northwest Arkansas. Due to the intractability of the integrated rail planning problem, we have developed a customized heuristic approach to solve …

A Study On Facility Planning Using Discrete Event Simulation: Case Study Of A Grain Delivery Terminal, Sarah M. Asio

Department of Industrial and Management Systems Engineering: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

The application of traditional approaches to the design of efficient facilities can be tedious and time consuming when uncertainty and a number of constraints exist. Queuing models and mathematical programming techniques are not able to capture the complex interaction between resources, the environment and space constraints for dynamic stochastic processes. In the following study discrete event simulation is applied to the facility planning process for a grain delivery terminal. The discrete event simulation approach has been applied to studies such as capacity planning and facility layout for a gasoline station and evaluating the resource requirements for a manufacturing facility. To …

Towards A Unified Definition Of Supply Chain Management, Edward Sweeney

Articles

A wide range of definitions of supply chain management (SCM) have been developed over the last three decades. The philosophy of SCM is based firmly on a recognition that it is only by working in a more integrated manner that competitive advantage can be maximised. However, for this to become a reality the development of common definitions and understandings between supply chain partners is a critical success factor. The corollary of this is that a lack of definitional consistency and a common understanding is an inhibitor to the successful adoption of SCM thinking in practice. This paper reviews a number …

Public Transit Accessibility And Need Indices: Approaches For Measuring Service Gap, Sha Mamun

Master's Theses

The integration of transit needs into transit accessibility indexing is important for the evaluation of existing transportation systems and, service gaps, and for the identification of priority areas for future investments in transportation infrastructure. This thesis details an accessibility-based transit need indexing model that focuses on the necessity of evaluating transit needs and transit accessibility simultaneously. A need index is developed to identify areas in high need of public transit services using economic and socio-demographic information and a composite accessibility index is developed to identify levels of access to transit services and shortcomings in service provision. The need for transit …

Postearthquake Recovery Of A Water Distribution System: Discrete Event Simulation Using Colored Petri Nets, Ronaldo Luna, Nandini Balakrishnan, Cihan H. Dagli

Civil, Architectural and Environmental Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Planning and preparedness is essential for any resilient infrastructure system. Modeling and simulation give engineers and planners a better understanding of the system and help them make better decisions. the objective of this study is to demonstrate an improved model for the disaster restoration process by using a discrete event simulation approach. the study also aims to help improve the post-earthquake restoration process by simulating restoration curves. in this paper, colored Petri nets are used to model the system and to simulate its behavior. the resource allocation after a rare event such as an earthquake differs from the resource allocation …

A Microsimulation Of Traffic, Parking, And Emissions At California Polytechnic State University – San Luis Obispo, Steven Michael Kilbert

Master's Theses

Traffic and parking congestion are significant issues at many universities nationwide. The delays experienced result in wasted time, money, and fuel for students, faculty and staff, not to mention the negative contributions to the environment. This paper quantifies the amount of vehicle emissions generated during an average morning peak hour in the university environment. Using VISSIM and CMEM microsimulation packages, a model is created for California Polytechnic State University- San Luis Obispo to aggregate the collective transportation behaviors and practices of the campus and recognize the implications these behaviors pose on the transportation network as a whole. Reasonable estimates are …

Expanding Horizons With Chameleon: Team Missouri's Innovative Home Automation System, Bryan Glass, Ben Brannon, Katie Grantham, Stuart Werner Baur

Engineering Management and Systems Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Team Missouri's 2009 Solar Decathlon entry featured a revolutionary home automation system, Chameleon, promoting both convenience and energy savings. This was accomplished using the typical controls of a convenience based automation system, while maintaining user set points, such as a home's ambient temperature, in the most energy efficient manner. Environmental features of the system include controls for home heating, ventilation and air conditioning, lighting, windows, shades, appliances, indoor air quality, as well as indoor and outdoor irrigation. Further analysis and refinement to the prototype system displayed at the competition is also presented in this paper.

Residential Energy Performance Metrics, Christopher Wright, Stuart Werner Baur, Katie Grantham, Robert B. Stone, Scott Erwin Grasman

Engineering Management and Systems Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Techniques for residential energy monitoring are an emerging field that is currently drawing significant attention. This paper is a description of the current efforts to monitor and compare the performance of three solar powered homes built at Missouri University of Science and Technology. The homes are outfitted with an array of sensors and a data logger system to measure and record electricity production, system energy use, internal home temperature and humidity, hot water production, and exterior ambient conditions the houses are experiencing. Data is being collected to measure the performance of the houses, compare to energy modeling programs, design and …

Simulation Prototyping Of An Experimental Solar House, Anna Osborne, Stuart Baur, Katie Grantham

Civil, Architectural and Environmental Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

This paper presents a comparative analysis between an energy simulation model and an actual solar home. the case study used was the Team Missouri's 2009 Solar Decathlon entry. the home was evaluated using the predicted data developed with the use of Energy-10 Version 1.8. the software simulates the energy use performance of building strategies ranging from building envelope and system efficiency options. the performance data used was collected during the 2009 Solar Decathlon competition. Results comparing energy efficient strategies, consumption and generation are explored with future implications discussed. © 2010 by the authors.

Renewable Energy Integration: An Approach For Micro-Grid Optimization., Nicolas Lopez

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

This thesis explores the Renewable Energy Integration Problem beginning with a literature review on the different sources of electrical energy classified as Non-Renewable and Renewable, stating that the integration of renewable sources within the pre-existing Power-Grids is a current worldwide problem that is being addressed with different approaches.

The impossibility to exactly model the different equations relating the electric output of the renewable energy sources as they relate with meteorological factors, makes the renewable sector a stochastic component of the overall mathematical model, where it can be concluded that most of the problem is in the area of the forecast. …

Calibration Of Hdm-4 For Use In Pavement Management Systems (Pms), Nurdin Mushule

Tanzania Journal of Engineering and Technology (TJET)

One of major problems of road management in developing countries is the lack of decision making tools for preparing road maintenance programmes. This results in poor resource allocation and poor utilisation of existing assets. Pavement management systems (PMS) have been developed around the world in order to assist with the pavement management process in a co-ordinated and systematic manner. Some developed countries have derived pavement performance models that are suited to local conditions by setting up long term pavement performance studies. Conversely, most developing countries do not have the resources required to set up similar large-scale field experiments. However, validation …

Improving The Design Of Low Volume Sealed Roads In Tanzania, Mfinanga A

Tanzania Journal of Engineering and Technology (TJET)

The main objective of the study was to identify appropriate road designs for Low Volume Sealed Roads (LVSRs) with the aim of improving the design of such roads in Tanzania. The study was conducted in Dar es Salaam and Morogoro regions in Tanzania where data for LVSRs were collected from primary and secondary sources in the two regions. The study found that by using an improved pavement design method specifically meant for LVSRs results in cost savings for LVSRs of up to 51% compared with the conventional method of pavement design in Tanzania. The study recommends that the pavement design …

Potential Use Of Waterguard As A Disinfectant For Domestic Water Use, Yohana L

Tanzania Journal of Engineering and Technology (TJET)

been identified as an alternative method for treatment of domestic drinking water. The aim of this study was to investigate the effectiveness of Water Guard in disinfecting drinking water from different sources drawn from Kinondoni district, Dar es Salaam as well as to establish appropriate dosage that can be used during the treatment. Results showed that, a dose of 4.0mL per 20 litrer of water guard is sufficient for disinfection of urban water sources. The above prescribed doses provide 100% disinfection efficiency with residue chlorine of less than 0.3mg/l. Water with turbidity values of 30-35 NTU, chlorine dosage of 8mL/20 …

Application Of Non-Destructive Testing In Evaluating Reinforced Concrete Structural Elements In Buildings, I Rubaratuka

Tanzania Journal of Engineering and Technology (TJET)

Of recent a large number of existing reinforced concrete buildings have required reconstruction, renovation and improvement. This tendency poses a number of problems that have to be solved, the main one being to determine the actual strength condition of the structural components/elements of the building. It includes determination of the quality of materials used, specification of the types and description of apparent faults and damages and extent of wear of the building. To undertake this evaluation, non – destructive testing methods are used. In this paper, applications of non – destructive testing methods to determine the strength state of reinforced …

Quality Control In The Construction Of Reinforced Concrete Buildings In Dar Es Salaam, I Rubaratuka

Tanzania Journal of Engineering and Technology (TJET)

Quality Control in the construction industry is very important to ensure that what is being done conforms to the applicable standards or good practice and the contract documents. In this article, results of investigations conducted at different construction sites for reinforced concrete buildings in Dar es Salaam to check if quality control measures are being implemented are discussed. It has been established that generally quality control is not properly carried out. Finally, measures to enhance quality control on sites are outlined.

Strategies For Promoting The Use Of Concrete Pavements In Tanzania: Technical And Institutional Considerations, Mfinanga A

Tanzania Journal of Engineering and Technology (TJET)

High-type roads in Tanzania have been predominantly of asphaltic concrete construction. This ever enlarging and ageing asphaltic road network represents increasing resource requirements on the road agency in the form of maintenance. Limited resources coupled with the ever sky-rocketing costs of petroleum products and the competing demands of social economic developments, presupposes the need to look for alternative road construction technology that is more cost-effective and resource optimising. Experience gained from developed and some developing countries where concrete pavements have been widely used suggests the potential of this type of pavement in many developing countries. This paper discusses the technical …

The Study On Inland Container Terminal Logistics System Simulation, Jun Wu

World Maritime University Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Preliminary Estimates Of Building Cost And The Lowest Evaluated Tender, Harriet Eliufoo

Tanzania Journal of Engineering and Technology (TJET)

The paper has investigated and established to what extent are preliminary estimates of building costs close to the lowest evaluated tender and how geographical proximity influences the variance between preliminary estimate and the lowest evaluated tender. A multiple case study constituting 43 building projects in Tanzania were statistically analysed covering a period from 1995- 1999. Findings reveal a significant variance exists between the quantity surveyor’s preliminary estimate figure and the lowest evaluated tender; and that the variance between the quantity surveyor’s figure and the bidder is small when the proposed building project is geographically closer to the quantity surveyor’s base. …

Civil And Mechanical Engineering Students Learning Mechanics In A Multidisciplinary Engineering Foundation Spiral, Jean Nocito-Gobel, Gregory Broderick, Samuel Bogan Daniels, Michael Collura, Richard Stanley

Engineering and Applied Science Education Faculty Publications

This paper describes how mechanical and civil engineering students are introduced to and develop an understanding of mechanics concepts through a sequence of integrated courses as part of a new curriculum taken during the freshman and sophomore years. The Multi- Disciplinary Engineering Foundation Spiral is a four-semester sequence of engineering courses, matched closely with the development of students’ mathematical sophistication and analytical capabilities and integrated with course work in the sciences. Students develop a conceptual understanding of engineering basics in this series of courses, which stress practical applications of these principles. Mechanics concepts are introduced in a pair of first …

An Analysis Of The Potential Of Hydroelectric Power In Kentucky, Terry White

Morehead State Theses and Dissertations

A thesis presented to the faculty of the College of Science and Technology at Morehead State University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Degree of Master of Science at Morehead State University by Terry White on June 15, 2007.

Investigation On Distribution Of Cast Properties On Aluminum Plates Poured By Side Gating Technique, Joseph Runyoro

Tanzania Journal of Engineering and Technology (TJET)

Casting technologies wllich improve casting yield and intenzal sOllndness of thin wall cast components are of particular interest to industry especially for critical applications. The main aim of fOll1ldries is to achieve castings free from defects at low cost. It hils been thought that pouring casting by side ingate technique improve directional solidification as the metal stays hot for long time in the feeder cum ingate. Experiments were carried alit IIsing a side gating technique to cast a number of 300 mm x 300 mm LMO and LM 25 plates in furall and pepset sand moulds. The thickness used was …

Sampling Procedure For Pavement Condition Evaluation Of Local Collectors And Access Roads, David Mfinanga

Tanzania Journal of Engineering and Technology (TJET)

Road surface condition evaluation involves the collection Of a lof Of data on different types of distresses. •lie exercise consumes a lot Of resources if the whole road section length is sureeyed and may be prone to errors as a result Of surveyors' fatigue. It is therefore important Io develop n reprevntative sample to be used When road condition manually. This study aimed nt determining sample size for condition evaluation of local collector access roads in urban areas in Tanzania. Two such roads namely l.ufungira and Kilimahewn roads respectively were selected for the study. It is recommended that a section …

The Reflective Mariner An Approach For Ecdis Training And Operational Usage, Scott W. Muller

Computational Modeling & Simulation Engineering Theses & Dissertations

The emergence of the Electronic Chart Display and Information System (ECDIS) on the bridge of modem vessels offers the possibility of improving the safety and efficiency of maritime operations. Despite its benefits, improper use of ECDIS relegates the watch officer to passive monitoring, which in tum places the mariner "out of the control loop" in the assessment of vessel control functions and equipment malfunctions. It is therefore vital to train mariners to be active in their ECDIS monitoring. This thesis presents a training strategy aimed at developing the "Reflective Mariner": an approach to help mariners maintain their active use of …

Suitability Of Crusher-Dust As Masonry Construction Material, John Makunza

Tanzania Journal of Engineering and Technology (TJET)

Crusher dust generated at Kunduchi quarries in Dar es Salaam during aggregate crushing is counted as a waste material, and some times it .is disposed away or sold at a cheap price of not more than a quarter of that of sand. A study on the use of the crusher dust as a building material has been carried out in which samples were collected and analyzed for grading (sieve analysis). In additional to that, other samples were stabilized with a small amount of cement, from which bricks were produced and tested for compressive strength. Other bricks were bonded together using …

Socio-Economic Impacts Of Computer Viruses In Tanzania, M Victor

Tanzania Journal of Engineering and Technology (TJET)

This paper reports on a research project conducted with an objective of identifying and assessing various approaches used by different computer users (Management, System Administrators and end users) in Tanzania to combat computer viruses (CVs), and to assess users' awareness level on CVs. Specifically, the study aimed at assessing the awareness level on CVs to the Tanzanian business community; analyze the socio -economic impact caused by CVs in Tanzania and; assess existing methods, capacity and limitations on controlling CVs in Tanzania. Data was collected using both questionnaires and interview from financial institutions such as NBC and BOT, and telecommunications sector …

Environmental Impact Of Wetland Resources Utilization In Simuyu Basin, Tanzania, Shadrack Mwakalila

Tanzania Journal of Engineering and Technology (TJET)

There is a growing appreciation of the natural functions of wetlands, and the values and different forms of uses that humans attach to them. Wise use and special conservation strategies are therefore needed in order to sustain their productivity. Wetlands are one of the most fruitful areas of archaeological research, and they are the ideal setting in which to study the interactions between physical processes and human actions that encapsulate and exemplify many of the themes of man's impact on his environment. But all these beneficial functions of wetlands seem to be in danger of being lost to draining and …