Operations Research, Systems Engineering and Industrial Engineering Commons^™

Study Of The Effects Of Thermal Aging Coupled With Shot-Peening Treatment Of Carbonitrided Din 1.6587 Low Alloy Steel On Retained Austenite And Residual Stresses, Richard J. Katemi

Tanzania Journal of Engineering and Technology (TJET)

This work investigated the effects of thermal aging and shot-peening of carbonitrided 1.6587 steel grade on retained austenite and residual stresses. After carbonitriding samples contained maximum of 0.87% carbon, 0.34% nitrogen and 50 mass. -% retained austenite. Thermal aging conditions investigated were -30°C, 90°C and 150°C while the aging period were 14, 96 and 720 hours. After thermal aging, some of the samples were subjected to shot-peening treatment using standard cut wire shots StD – G3 - 0.6 mm VDFI 8001 with intensity in the range of 0.25 to 0.30 mmA and coverage of 1.00 to 1.24 x 98%. It …

An Optimization Tool For A Standalone Photovoltaic System, Johanes Kasilima

Tanzania Journal of Engineering and Technology (TJET)

Stand-alone photovoltaic systems (SAPV) are often used in remote areas where access to grid electricity is limited. This system depends on solar energy. However, Photovoltaic (PV) systems need a greater initial investment than conventional sources of energy, and their effectiveness is reliant on a number of environmental conditions such as the unpredictable solar radiation. One step in reducing the investment cost of a PV system is determining the optimal size of solar PV components that minimize costs. This paper presents a Particle Swarm based optimization tool for sizing Stand-alone PV systems. The optimization tool selects the optimal Levelized Cost of …

Causes And Consequences Of Inefficient Drilling And Blasting In Mine Development Headings: A Case Study Of Hard Rock Gold Mining Operations In Northern Tanzania, George Bennett

Tanzania Journal of Engineering and Technology (TJET)

Despite the introduction of the perimeter blasting technique at the Tulawaka Gold Mine, the mine continued to suffer from an overbreak of mine development headings, with an average overbreak of 24% every 22 m, which is approximately twice the acceptable 10% overbreak. The causes of this problem include ineffective drilling practices and uneven and excessive charging of explosives, resulting in a slightly high powder factor of 3.94 kg/m3 instead of 3.8 kg/m3, as per the design. The problem of overbreak resulted in ore dilution, a longer mine development cycle time and additional costs of approximately US$ 45 per cut, especially …

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, …

End-User Device Management In The Air And Space Forces, Joshua Bonvissuto

Theses and Dissertations

When achieving technical superiority is a matter a national security, it is critical that the Department of the Air Force (DAF) employs a robust Information Technology Asset Management (ITAM) strategy that maximizes mission effectiveness. Since 2022, the Office of the Chief Information Officer (SAF/CN) has been developing a plan to transform the Air Force’s ITAM strategy, primarily intending to centralize End User Device (EUD) procurement to the DAF level. For this study, a Delphi study was conducted to gather expert opinions on key aspects of SAF/CN’s new ITAM strategy to identify strengths, weaknesses, and implementation challenges. This research provides valuable …

Rotorcraft Assisted Aircraft Inspection System: Creation And Component Assessment, Adam J. Warren

Theses and Dissertations

Aircraft require frequent inspections to perform their missions safely. Current visual inspection methods are time-consuming and dangerous for inspection personnel, but they are necessary to spot flaws that could endanger the aircraft during flight. This research explores a set of methods for transforming a set of target inspection criteria into camera specifications that will allow a UAS aircraft inspection system to perform inspections on the top skin of an aircraft. Given the minimum distance for the UAS to fly above the aircraft, minimum flaw size to search for on the aircraft, minimum number of pixels to display that flaw size, …

Assessing Military Parking: A Deep Learning Approach To Evaluating Standards And Impacts, Ryan D. Lalonde

Theses and Dissertations

Current United States Department of Defense (DoD) standards require a minimum amount of parking for each building. This requirement defines how much off-street parking to construct. However, the impact of these requirements remains unclear. This study builds upon the emerging field of overhead imagery analytics by directly tying it to parking on military installations. Specifically, this study leverages a pretrained deep learning car detection model, Car Detection – USA, developed by Esri for use within ArcGIS, and couples it with open-access temporal imagery sourced from Google Earth Pro to assess selected parking lots across Area B, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, …

An Introduction Of Adaptive Training Aid Concepts And Its Application To Accelerated Training For Air Battle Managers, John C. Gillispie

Theses and Dissertations

Over the years, the integration of artificial intelligence (AI) to enable autonomous systems has undergone transformative shifts in the Department of Defense (DoD), revolutionizing capabilities and strategic approaches. To further optimize these advancements, varying levels of autonomy have been introduced across critical military applications, spanning intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance (ISR), air battle management, and offensive/defensive air operations. As the technological landscape expands, so do the opportunities for autonomy to augment operations through human-agent teaming. Within the Air Force, one notably cognitively demanding role that stands to benefit from these strides is that of the Air Battle Manager (ABM). In support of …

An Analysis Of Usaf Policy Implementation For Building Information Modeling, Evan J. Ward

Theses and Dissertations

The development of Building Information Modeling (BIM) has strongly influenced the architecture, engineering, and construction communities as a path towards effective and efficient asset management. Although BIM is a standard practice in the private sector, the United States Air Force (USAF) does not mirror its civilian counterparts when it comes to BIM use. USAF BIM is limited in its use and does not extend beyond the design and construction phases of the construction life cycle. This research used a detailed querying process to analyze foundational policy documents and determine specific USAF building information requirements. After categorizing the list of requirements …

Cloud One Migration Schedule Drivers And Schedule Growth, Ryan J. Jansen

Theses and Dissertations

Cloud One, chartered in 2017 under the guidance of Air Force Life Cycle Management Center (AFLCMC) leadership, continues to serve as the USAF’s leading cloud services and hosting platform by providing secure computing environments, application migration assistance, and data management. Prior research has yielded qualitative insights regarding Cloud One’s personnel requirements, application of technical performance, requirements fulfillment, security risks, and various other cost metrics, but schedule improvement recommendations based on the quantitative analysis of migration schedule data has yet to be provided. This research identifies trends within migration sprint schedules and completed schedule data for Cloud One’s completed application migrations. …

3- And 6-Degree-Of-Freedom Investigation Of Aerobraking To Support Cislunar And Planetary Operations, Erica C. Higginbotham

Theses and Dissertations

The first aerobraking experiment occurred in 1991 as part of the Hiten spacecraft’s cislunar survey mission, while the first non-Earth aerobraking experiment occurred in 1993 as part of the Magellan spacecraft’s mission to Venus. Although making only two trans-atmospheric passes to reduce its apogee altitude, the success of Hiten’s experiment led to the implementation of aerobraking by Magellan, reducing its orbit from elliptical to nearly circular over a span of 70 Earth days by leveraging aerodynamic drag to reduce its orbital energy via transiting the upper region of Venus’ atmosphere. The Magellan experiment helped prove the viability of aerobraking for …

A Framework For Dynamic Combat Support Exercises, Sean R. Mccarty

Theses and Dissertations

Future armed conflict will be characterized by the unknown as adversaries innovate and evolve—surprise is inevitable. Current exercises provide inadequate opportunities for combat support forces to develop improvisational skills. This research proposes an extensible framework for human-in-the-loop control of exercises using a graph network for modeling combined with topological analysis and the resource-constrained project scheduling problem. This framework is assessed using the United States Air Force Silver Flag exercise as a case study with promising results.

Root Cause Analysis For Troop Construction Schedule Delays And Cost Overruns, Richard H. Wilkens

Theses and Dissertations

Troop construction can be an effective tool when a project is simple enough to execute projects in a timely and cost effective manner. However, underlying variables plague these projects causing them to miss anticipated deadlines which in return could make them more costly. Significant variables that convey impact to cost and schedule are Equipment Operating Issues, Edits During Construction, Design Flaws, Lack of Communication, Poor User Coordination, Improper Documentation, Inaccurate Submittals, Low Quality Control, and Lack of Experience. Project engineers and project managers must provide effective continuity as well as improve their own competence and situational awareness to effectively mitigate …

Environmental Analysis Of Codfish Production And Consumption In Portugal, Ayla Frost, Joana Almeida, Joana Dionisio, Radu Godina, Cátia Magro

Journal of Critical Global Issues

Codfish, a typical dish consumed frequently in Portugal, is fished in the cold Northern Atlantic waters far from the Portuguese coast. Thus, regional tensions and the environmental impacts of Portuguese codfish importation and production are significant current issues. The present study uses a life cycle assessment methodology to evaluate the array of environmental impacts of the production of 1 kg of codfish, following a cradle to gate approach. The life cycle inventory was grouped into catch and preprocessing, transit, and curing stages. The data collection of products and processes in each stage was based on scientific peer reviewed documents, technical …

A Neural Network Model For Monitoring And Forecasting The Process Of Storing Oilseeds, N.A. Kabulov

Chemical Technology, Control and Management

The paper presents the results of research on the control, forecasting and management of the storage process of oilseeds. Vegetable oil production and energy consumption are two important factors of oilseed storage systems. The first ones should meet the needs of the population quantitatively and qualitatively. As a result, in order to properly control these two important aspects, it is necessary to maintain an appropriate microclimatic environment using a computational decision support system (DSS) that is able to adapt to changes in environmental characteristics. The multilayer perceptron neural network (MLP-NN) was developed to simulate the temperature and relative humidity profiles …

Operations Research In Civil And Environmental Engineering, Nicholas Lownes

Open Educational Resource

The purpose of this text is introduce fundamental operations research techniques to the civil and/or environmental engineering student, providing a broad background in linear programming, integer programming and network optimization. The material is presented in such a manner so that the student does not need an extensive background in operations research or or linear algebra. Applications include transportation engineering, project management and general civil and environmental engineering applications.

A Multimodal Physical Fatigue Assessment Method Using A Biomarker And Accelerometer-Embedded Wearable Wristband, Md Hadisur Rahman

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Physically demanding tasks pose significant challenges to worker health, safety, and productivity across various industrial sectors in the United States. The construction industry is particularly affected due to the labor-intensive nature of its tasks and harsh environmental conditions. The industry suffers from unsatisfactory occupational health and safety records, with physical fatigue being a major contributor. Physical fatigue not only affects individual well-being and workplace safety but also influences productivity and the United States’ economy. Given the high incidence of injuries and accidents in the construction industry, assessing physical fatigue has become critical for improving worker safety and productivity. To address …

Development Of Dynamic Mass-Energy-Thermodynamics Constrained Hybrid Neural Network Models For Process Systems Applications, Angan Mukherjee

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

First-principles models can provide very good predictions even for cases when there are no data at all, or data are limited in certain range of operating conditions, or for cases where data collection is infeasible. However, the development of accurate first-principles models for complex nonlinear dynamic systems can be time consuming, computationally expensive, and may be infeasible for certain systems due to lack of sufficient knowledge (information). It is also challenging to adapt first-principles models for time-varying systems. Furthermore, it can be difficult, if not impossible, to develop accurate models for some complex phenomena that are poorly understood. On the …

‘I Know It When I See It’– Developing Quality Schedules Considering Subjective Or Unspecified Criteria, Douglas L. Moody

Publications and Research

Most timetabling problems have a given objective function to measure the quality of a solution. However, users may have a “I know it when I see it” recognition of a quality schedule, without specifying the complete basis for their judgment. In this situation, the objective function cannot be exclusively used as a solution quality measurement. This work presents an AI based approach to aid in categorizing the solution’s quality when the users have not explicitly defined all factors used in their criteria.

Efficient Connectivity Management And Path Planning For Iot And Uav Networks, Amirahmad Chapnevis

Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation explores how to better manage resources in mobile networks, especially for enhancing the performance of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV)-supported IoT networks. We explored ways to set up a flexible communication architecture that can handle large IoT deployments by making good use of mobile core network resources like bearers and data paths. We developed strategies that meet the needs of IoT networks and enhance network performance. We also developed and tested a system that combines traffic from several mobile devices that use the same user identity and network resources within the core mobile network. We used everyday smartphones, SIM …

Automation Of Productive Machinery. Bases For An Innovative Business Model, Carlos Guillermo Hernández-Cenzano, Angel Contreras-Cruz, Eduardo Humada-Tello

Engineering and Technology Management Faculty Publications and Presentations

Nowadays, some laboratories perform elastic properties tests for concrete or rock cores using equipment manufactured 50 years ago. The original data collection procedure uses analog and manual recordings, which can cause inaccuracies in the measurements taken during these trials The process is tedious and updated since each trial's measurement data is recorded manually. In this context, this study systematizes the process and proposes an automated data acquisition and recording system for this type of equipment, followed by a case study presenting a rock compression test.

Milk Collection Problem: Integrating The Traveling Salesman And Set Covering Problem - A Case Study In West Virginia, Usa, Md Rabiul Hasan

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Route determination for perishable products is complex due to its unique characteristics, such as limited shelf-life regulatory requirements, or possibility of getting damaged. This research investigates a novel problem of collecting raw milk from a rural network of dairy farms. The research problem is grounded in a real scenario of milk collection in West Virginia, USA. The milk in this scenario is produced by small farms incapable of realizing transportation economies of density out in mostly rural areas throughout the state. Maximum coverage area and milk processing overhead costs are used to identify suitable locations for intermediate milk collection centers …

An Investigation Into Applications Of Canonical Polyadic Decomposition & Ensemble Learning In Forecasting Thermal Data Streams In Direct Laser Deposition Processes, Jonathan Storey

Theses and Dissertations

Additive manufacturing (AM) is a process of creating objects from 3D model data by adding layers of material. AM technologies present several advantages compared to traditional manufacturing technologies, such as producing less material waste and being capable of producing parts with greater geometric complexity. However, deficiencies in the printing process due to high process uncertainty can affect the microstructural properties of a fabricated part leading to defects. In metal AM, previous studies have linked defects in parts with melt pool temperature fluctuations, with the size of the melt pool and the scan pattern being key factors associated with part defects. …

Imerys: Tube Mill Optimization Project, Ryan Waltman, Dalton Beasley, Dyson Beasley, Tristan Mcmichael

Senior Design Project For Engineers

The Tube Mill Optimization Project is in partnership with Imerys for Tube Mill 81 at their Marble Hill site in Georgia. Tube Mill 81 is a dry ball mill that operates 24/7 and makes an intermediary product for Plant 3. Tube Mill 81 needs quality improvement and a production rate increase to meet demand. Imerys’s quality specification is between a particle size of 12-18 microns and an acceptable production rate of 5 tons per hour. This project focuses on the development and implementation of three solutions: increase the amps on the separator to increase production, replace missing classifier blades in …

Ethical Implications Of Ai-Based Algorithms In Recruiting Processes: A Study Of Civil Rights Violations Under Title Vii And The Americans With Disabilities Act, Vanessa Rodriguez

Cyber Operations and Resilience Program Graduate Projects

This research paper analyzes the ethical implications of utilizing artificial intelligence, specifically AI-based algorithms in business selection and recruiting processes, with a focus on potential violations under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and Title 1 of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). Amazon’s attempt at launching AI recruiting tools is examined. This paper will assess the fairness of AI recruiting practices, considering data collection, potential biases, and accuracy concerns in its implementation process. Additionally, the paper will provide an overview of federal civil rights statutes enforced by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) and recent …

An Improved Saliency Map With Trustworthiness For Localizing Abnormalities In Medical Imaging, Nolan C. Skelly

Theses and Dissertations

Saliency maps are a widely used methodology to make deep learning models more interpretable. They provide post-hoc explanations through identification of the most pertinent areas of an input medical image. These techniques have been assessed based on 1) localization utility, 2) sensitivity to model weight randomization, 3) repeatability, and 4) reproducibility. Ten saliency map techniques will be tested, Grad, Smooth Grad, Integrated Gradients, Smooth Integrated Gradients, XRAI, Grad-CAM, Guided Backpropagation, Guided GradCAM, GradCAM++, and ScoreCAM. The neural networks used to predict and read medical information require a reliable solution to provide medical practitioners intelligible results. Using the information of two, …

Ambient Air Emission Profiles Of Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons Around A Typical University Power House In Nigeria, Oyetunji Okedere

Tanzania Journal of Engineering and Technology (TJET)

The level of electricity generation in Nigeria is presently grossly inadequate. Consequently, the productive sectors of the economy do not presently enjoy an uninterrupted supply of electrical energy from the country’s national grid and the downtime is in most cases too much. Using diesel-fueled electric power generators has become an attractive alternative to meet the shortfall in the energy supply gap. In this study, the levels of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in the vicinity of the diesel-fueled electric power generators operated by Osun State University, Osogbo, Nigeria were investigated with a view to ascertain the priority levels and carcinogenic PAHs. Since …

A Behavioral Epidemic Model: A Simulation And Empirical Analysis, Ann Osi, Navid Ghaffarzadegan

Annual Symposium on Biomathematics and Ecology Education and Research

No abstract provided.

Software Maintenance: Planning A Server Upgrade - A Library Perspective, Wilhelmina Randtke, Melissa Jackson

University Libraries: Faculty Presentations

Like many libraries, the Georgia Southern University Libraries (GS Libraries) rely on tools to support library services which are run on in-house servers. The servers are run by main campus Information Technology Services (ITS), and ITS is not familiar with how each piece of software is used and how it is supposed to work. ITS monitors the basic high level server architecture but does not work with the actual applications installed on these servers.

Tools like EZProxy and ILLiad are mission critical and are run in-house. Over the past year, the GS Libraries have formalized an upgrade process for the …

Advances In Quaternion-Valued Neural Networks, Jeremiah P. Bill

Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation investigates the construction, optimization, and application of quaternion neural networks (QNNs) to Department of Defense (DoD) related problem sets. QNNs are a type of neural network wherein the weights, biases, and input values are all represented as quaternion numbers. This work provides a critical evaluation of the myriad different quaternion backpropagation derivations that exist in the literature, testing the performance of each on a range of regression problem sets. The optimization dynamics of QNNs are explored, presenting visualizations of QNN loss surfaces and a novel method for assessing the “smoothness” of these loss surfaces. Finally, this dissertation presents …