Operations Research, Systems Engineering and Industrial Engineering Commons^™

Participatory Evaluation And Improvement Of Cassava Processing Machines For The Eastern Zone Of Tanzania, V Silayo

Tanzania Journal of Engineering and Technology (TJET)

Cassava processing machines previously introduced in Tanzania were chippers and graters of the International Institute Of Tropical Agriculture (IITA) design. Popularization of such machmes in Tanzania required thorough participatory testing with stakeholders. When tested with farmers in Muheza and Kibaha districts average throughputs were 11-18 kg/h, 752 kg/h and 270 kg/hfor the manual chipper, engine-powered chipper and the engine-powered grater, respectively. Despite their low throughputs the manual chipper and the grater were Veo difficult to operate, and therefore demanded improvement. Improvement on these machines included modifications on the design for increased throughput, ease of operation and safety. The improved machines …

Development Of Integrated Process Simulation System Model For Spent Fuel Treatment Facility (Sftf) Design: Quarterly Report October 1-December 31, 2004, Yitung Chen, Sean Hsieh

Separations Campaign (TRP)

The Advanced Fuel Cycle Initiative (AFCI) and Transmutation Research Program- University Participation Program (TRP-UPP) supported by Department of Energy of the United States have been developing many important technologies for the transmutation of nuclear waste to address long-term disposal issues. While successfully embedding AMUSE module into a dedicated System Engineering Model (TRPSEMPro), developed by the Nevada Center for Advanced Computational Methods (NCACM) at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas collaborating with Argonne National Laboratory (ANL), ANL is interested in further simulating the Light Water Reactor (LWR) Spent Fuel Treatment Facility (SFTF) combining commercial process simulation and analysis packages and core …

Comparative Study Of The Dynamics Of Circulating Fluidized Bed Riser And Downer Of Equal Diameters, Samwel V. Manyele

Tanzania Journal of Engineering and Technology (TJET)

The microscopic flow dynamics of the 100-mm internal diameter riser/downer circulating fluidized bed (CFB) unit were monitored using a solids concentration fiber optic probe. The comparison was conducted by comparing radial profiles Of the dynamic parameters derived from time-series analysis techniques (statistical and chaos analyses). The solids concentration signals used were recorded under similar operating conditions (gas velocity of 8.0 m/s and solids flux of 100 kg/m2s). Similar axial elevations were compared (entrance and fully developed sections of die reactors). A1 each loca!ion, the signals were sampled a! afrequency of 970 Hz for duration of 30 seconds. It was observed …

Aeration Efficiency Of A Three-Phase Fluidized Bed Bioreactor During Food Industry Wastewater Treatment, S Manyele

Tanzania Journal of Engineering and Technology (TJET)

The implementation Of a three-phase fluidized bed bioreaclor (TPFBB) in food- processing wastewater (FPW'W) treatment is reported. This study includes the modification Of the air distributor (plate design and gas-liquid mixing) for the bioreactor and resting of its aeration efficiency under different liquids. The aeration efficiency for wastewater samples collected from a soft drink processing industry and tannin processing industry (TANWA T) and tap water were compared. The aeration efficiency parameters studied include bed expansion, air holdup. volumetric oxygen mass transfer coefficient, and alpha factors. The variation of these parameters With air flow rates were studied at different liquid heights, …

Usefulness Of Technology Life Cycle In Tanzania: The Case Of The Ipl Developed Technologies, Abdallah Chungu

Tanzania Journal of Engineering and Technology (TJET)

This study sought to identify the adoption rate of technologv innovations developed by the Institute Of Production Innovation (IPI) at the University Of Dar-es-Salaam since 1984 to 1997 using a sigmoid shaped curve (S-shaped curves) to predict the life cycles of the respective technologies. Depending on the stimuli imparted to the specific technology, some of such technologies for instance, cinva ram and block making machines with hollow/spacer/louver exhibited longer life period as indicated by a series Of infer-connected S-curves. Other technologies including but nor limited to sunflower oil processing kit-winnowers, scorcher with one stove, seed roller, standard wheelbarrow, and manual …

Conversation Exchange Dynamics: A New Signal Primitive For Computer Network Intrusion Detection, John C. Mceachen, John M. Zachary, Junling Wang, Kah Wai Cheng

United States Navy: Publications

As distributed network intrusion detection systems expand to integrate hundreds and possibly thousands of sensors, managing and presenting the associated sensor data becomes an increasingly complex task. Methods of intelligent data reduction are needed to make sense of the wide dimensional variations. We present a new signal primitive we call conversation exchange dynamics (CED) that accentuates anomalies in traffic flow. This signal provides an aggregated primitive that may be used by intrusion detection systems to base detection strategies upon. Indications of the signal in a variety of simulated and actual anomalous network traffic from distributed sensor collections are presented. Specifically, …

Intelligent Simulation-Based Lot Scheduling Of Photolithography Toolsets In A Wafer Fabrication Facility, Amr Arisha, Paul Young

Conference papers

Scheduling of a semiconductor manufacturing facility is one of the most complex tasks encountered. Confronted with a high technology product market, semiconductor manufacturing is increasingly more dynamic and competitive in the introduction of new products in shorter time intervals. Photolithography, being one of the processes repeated often, is a fabrication bottleneck. Lot scheduling within photolithography is a challenging activity where substantial improvements in factory performance can be made. The proposed scheduling methodology integrates two common approaches, simulation and artificial intelligence. Using detailed simulation modeling within a structured modeling method, a comprehensive model to characterize the photolithography process was developed. An …

Academic Audit Of Afit Programs In Systems Engineering, United States Air Force Scientific Advisory Board

AFIT Documents

This report provides an assessment and recommendations for the systems engineering educational programs at the Air Force Institute of Technology (AFIT). The Air Force needs in systems engineering education are briefly summarized, followed by an analysis of the educational program at AFIT. Based on the assessment of AFIT's program, a set of recommendations are given for improving the programs and their utility to the Air Force. Appendices to the report contain additional information on the AFIT programs and an assessment of other graduate systems engineering programs in the US.

Comparison Of Sampling Methods For Flatness Evaluation Using Cmm, Ashish Singhal

All-Inclusive List of Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Efficient part feature verification using Coordinate Measuring Machine (CMM) requires efficient sample point selection as well as accurate zone fitting. This work deals with flatness tolerance evaluation and the Least- Square (LS) technique is used to compute tolerance zone. In regard to the sampling strategy there are several methods commonly employed in Coordinate Measuring Machine inspection literature. The appropriate method is selected according to the accuracy requirement, the geometry features of the work piece, and the condition of the machine producing the work piece. This research focuses on the five sampling methods: Hammersley sequence sampling, Halton-Zaremba sequence sampling, Random sampling, …

Using Simulation Techniques To Evaluate Group Technology Heuristics: A Recommended Methodology For Comparison And Optimization, Ashley Nolen Akerman

Masters Theses

Machine cell formation is an important issue in industrial and manufacturing engineering. Properly assigned machine cells can improve manufacturing system efficiencies and decrease unnecessary material movement. To address the need for proper cell formation techniques a myriad of heuristics have been created that attempt to optimize the grouping of machines. Further, much industrial engineering research has been conducted on the application of simulation technology to manufacturing system evaluation.

The purpose of this thesis is to investigate the combination of traditional machine grouping heuristics with simulation technology and to create a generalized meta-model based upon this evaluation. This investigation analyzes the …

Acuta Enews December 2004, Vol. 33, No. 12

ACUTA Newsletters

ln This lssue

From the President............................. Tamara J . Closs, ACUTA President, Georgetown University

Tech Talk: Pseudowire............................ Kevin Tanzillo, Dux Public Relations

Cell-Phone Directory to Be Published?

Web Tip: lnfo about and from ACUTA Events........................ Aaron Fuehrer, ACUTA Computer Svcs. Mgr.

Member Sites to See 5 Board Report.................. Cormine Piscopo, Providence College

DC Update................ Whitney Johnson, Retired, Northern Michigan Univ.

Welcome New Members

Integration Of Lean Manufacturing And Value Engineering Techniques To Improve The Internal Distribution System In A Manufacturing Company, Sripadjaraj Prahladaraj

Masters Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

The XYZ Corporation is located in Lafayette, Georgia. The company produces cooking ranges for the North American market. It has 1500 employees with a daily production capacity of 1000 to 1500 cooking ranges. The company is implementing lean manufacturing techniques to improve their performance. One of their projects is to develop a distribution system, which will help in streamlining the internal distribution of Very High Pressure (VHP) adhesive tapes. The aim of this research is to develop a lean distribution system by applying techniques of lean manufacturing systems. To understand the existing process of distribution, a flow diagram was created. …

A Template-Based Conceptual Modeling Infrastructure For Simulation Of Physical Security Systems, Ashu Guru, Paul Savory

Department of Industrial and Management Systems Engineering: Faculty Publications

Although simulation is one of the most innovative and cost-effective tools for modeling and analyzing a system, simulation studies often fail to provide any useful results. One reason is attributed to the fact that model formulation depends on the skills of the analyst. This paper describes a research to develop a conceptual modeling infrastructure to assist a simulation analyst in specifying components for studying physical security systems. The modeling framework has been programmed as an internet-based web application. Using the application, the successful development and implementation of a physical security simulation model will be aided by a defined scientific methodology …

Lead-Free Solder Joint Reliability – State Of The Art And Perspectives, Jianbiao Pan, Jyhwen Wang, David M. Shaddock

Industrial and Manufacturing Engineering

There is an increasing demand in replacing tin-lead (Sn/Pb) solders with lead-free solders in the electronics industry due to health and environmental concern. The European Union recently passed a law to ban the use of lead in electronic products. The ban will go into effect in July of 2006. The Japanese electronics industry has worked to eliminate lead from consumer electronic products for several years. Although currently there are no specific regulations banning lead in electronics devices in the United States, many companies and consortiums are working on lead-free solder initiatives including Intel, Motorola, Agilent Technologies, General Electric, Boeing, NEMI …

Acuta Enews November 2004, Vol. 33, No. 11

ACUTA Newsletters

ln This Issue

From ACUTA Headquarters....................... Jeri A. Semer, CAE, Executive Director

Tech Talk........................ Kevin Tanzillo, Dux Public Relations

Overheard on the Listserv: Revising Work-Flow Processes

Web Tip: Products and Services Search Available .... Aaron Fuehrer, ACUTA Computer Svcs. Mgr.

Providing Network and Voice Services to Remote Locations....................... Dave Barta, Univ. of Oregon

Board Report.......................... Carmine Piscopo, Providence College

DC Update.................. Whitney Johnson, Retired, Northern Michigan Univ.

Welcome New Members

Evaluation Of Bus And Truck Automation Operations Concepts, H.-S. Jacob Tsao, Lan Zhang, Lin Lin, Deepa Batni

Faculty Publications

Traffic congestion will continue to worsen and likely worsen at a faster rate than ever. People throughput and freight throughput have become critical issues for California and the rest of the nation. PATH has funded with approximately $125K a research project entitled “Evaluation of Bus and Truck Automation Scenarios” jointly proposed by Jan Botha (Principal Investigator) of Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering and Jacob Tsao (Co-PI) of Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering at San Jose State University. This report summarizes the major findings of the research conducted by Professor Tsao and his assistants with approximately $44K out of …

Corrective Maintenance Optimization In An Air Force, Hoong Chuin Lau, K. Y. Neo, W. C. Wan

Research Collection School Of Computing and Information Systems

Successful military mission planning and execution depend critically on equipment serviceability and resupply. Due to the stochastic nature of demands, the forecast of optimal spares and resources needed to guarantee the level of serviceability is a complex problem, especially in a multi-echelon setting. In this paper, we propose a decision-support concept and software tool known as Corrective Maintenance Optimizer (CMO) that helps to optimize system availability, through proper allocation of spare parts, both strategically and operationally.

Two-Echelon Repairable Item Inventory System With Limited Repair Capacity Under Nonstationary Demands, Hoong Chuin Lau, Huawei Song

Research Collection School Of Computing and Information Systems

We study a repairable item inventory system under limited repair capacity and nonstationary Poisson demands, motivated by corrective maintenance of military equipment. Our goal is to minimize the cost of both spare and repair resource allocation. We propose an efficient analytical model that combines optimization modeling and queuing theory.

A Periodic-Review Inventory Model With Application To The Continuous-Review Obsolescence Problem, Yuyue Song, Hoong Chuin Lau

Research Collection School Of Computing and Information Systems

In this paper we consider a stochastic-demand periodic-review inventory model with sudden obsolescence. We characterize the structure of the optimal policy and propose a dynamic programming algorithm for computing its parameters. We then utilize this algorithm to approximate the solution to the continuous-review sudden obsolescence problem with general obsolescence distribution. We prove convergence of our approximation scheme, and demonstrate it numerically against known closed-form solutions of special cases.

Logistics Network Design With Differentiated Delivery Lead Time: A Chemical Industry Case Study, Michelle Lee Fong Cheong, Rohit Bhatnagar, Stephen C. Graves

Research Collection School Of Computing and Information Systems

Most logistics network design models assume exogenous customer demand that is independent of the service time or level. This paper examines the benefits of segmenting demand according to lead-time sensitivity of customers. To capture lead-time sensitivity in the network design model, we use a facility grouping method to ensure that the different demand classes are satisfied on time. In addition, we perform a series of computational experiments to develop a set of managerial insights for the network design decision making process.

Job Scheduling With Unfixed Availability Constraints, Hoong Chuin Lau, C. Zhang

Research Collection School Of Computing and Information Systems

Standard scheduling theory assumes that all machines are continuously available throughout the planning horizon. In many manufacturing and service management situations however, machines need to be maintained periodically to prevent malfunctions. During the maintenance period, a machine is not available for processing jobs. Hence, a more realistic scheduling model should take into account machine maintenance activities. In this paper, we study the problem of job scheduling with unfixed availability constraints on a single machine. We first propose a preliminary classification for the scheduling problem with unfixed availability constraints based on maintenance constraints, job characteristics and objective function. We divide our …

Decision Factors For Cooperative Multiple Warhead Uav Target Classification And Attack With Control Applications, Douglas D. Decker

Theses and Dissertations

Autonomous wide area search, classification and attack using Unmanned Combat Air Vehicles (UCAVs) is considered. The wide area search and attack scenario is modeled, capturing important problem parameters related to environment, seeker, and munitions. Probabilistic analysis is used to formulate and analytically solve for various probabilities, including the probability of mission success. Two methods are utilized. The first examines the sub-events required for various events to occur. The second utilizes a Markov chain approach. General expressions are first obtained that are applicable to any assumed a priori distributions of targets and false targets. These expressions are subsequently applied to a …

A Case Study Of Teaching A Quantitative Course Using Archived Streaming Video, Paul Savory

Department of Industrial and Management Systems Engineering: Faculty Publications

This case study highlights some of the issues and difficulties experienced in teaching a quantitative course using three methods of delivery: in-class to an audience of students, television broadcast over a satellite system to distance students, and archived streaming video accessible by students. The discussion is applicable to administrators and faculty exploring the option of teaching a course using multiple delivery approaches.

Acuta Enews October 2004, Vol. 33, No. 10

ACUTA Newsletters

ln This lssue

Streaming Video Patent lssue and Higher Ed........................... Doris Stock, Virginia Tech

ACUTA's Strategic Planning Process................................... Tamara Closs, ACUTA President, Georgetown Univ.

Tech Talk ................................. Kevin Tanzillo, Dux Public Relations

Junk Faxes: FCC and/or Congress Poised to Provide Relief?............................... John J. Smith, Attorney

DC Update............................ Whitney Johnson, Retired, Northern Michigan Univ.

ACUTA Web Tip.................... Aaron Fuehrer, ACUTA Computer Services Manager

Welcome New Members

Lean Energy Analysis: Identifying, Discovering And Tracking Energy Savings Potential, J. Kelly Kissock, John Seryak

Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Faculty Publications

Energy in manufacturing facilities is used for direct production of goods, space conditioning, and general facility support such as lighting. This paper presents a methodology, called lean energy analysis, LEA, for graphically and statistically analyzing plant energy use in terms of these major end uses.

The LEA methodology uses as few as 60 easily obtainable data points. Multivariable change-point models of electricity and natural gas use as functions of outdoor air temperature and production data are developed. The statistical models are used to subdivide plant energy use into facility, space-conditioning and production-related components.

These breakdowns suggest the savings potential from …

Work Flow Policy And Within-Worker And Between-Workers Variability In Performance, Kenneth Howard Doerr, Tali Freed, Terence R. Mitchell, Chester A. Schriesheim, Xiaohua Zhou

Industrial and Manufacturing Engineering

Work flow policies are shown to induce a change in average between-workers variability (worker heterogeneity) and within-worker variability in performance times. In a laboratory experiment, the authors measured the levels of worker heterogeneity and within-worker variability under an individual performance condition, a work sharing condition, and a fixed assignment condition. The work sharing policy increased the levels of worker heterogeneity and worker variability, whereas the fixed assignment policy decreased them. These effects, along with work flow policy main effects on mean performance times and variability are examined. This article represents an initial step in understanding effects that may be important …

Peer Review Of Teaching Project: Tiaa-Cref Hesburgh Award Application, Paul Savory, Amy M. Goodburn, Amy Nelson Burnett

Department of Industrial and Management Systems Engineering: Reports

The TIAA-CREF Hesburgh Award recognizes exceptional faculty development programs designed to enhance undergraduate teaching and learning. This award is given each year to a program judged to have best met the three award criteria: significance of the program to higher education; appropriate program rationale; and successful results and impact on undergraduate teaching and student learning. in 2005, the Peer Review of Teaching Project at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln was awarded a TIAA-CREF Theodore M. Hesburgh Award Certificate of Excellence in recognition of it being an exceptional faculty development program designed to enhance undergraduate student achievement.

A Template-Based Conceptual Modeling Infrastructure For Simulation Of Physical Security Systems, Paul Savory

Department of Industrial and Management Systems Engineering: Faculty Publications

Although simulation is one of the most innovative and cost-effective tools for modeling and analyzing a system, simulation studies often fail to provide any useful results. One reason is attributed to the fact that model formulation depends on the skills of the analyst. This paper describes a research to develop a conceptual modeling infrastructure to assist a simulation analyst in specifying components for studying physical security systems. The modeling framework has been programmed as an internet-based web application. Using the application, the successful development and implementation of a physical security simulation model will be aided by a defined scientific methodology …

Application Of Queuing Theory And Procedure Time Estimation In A Local Healthcare System, Galina Tsoy

Engineering Management & Systems Engineering Theses & Dissertations

People in the United States pay more for their basic healthcare needs than do people in any other nation in the world. When we consider that the United States is the wealthiest nation in the world, controlling the majority of the world's resources, it seems only reasonable to ask: Why should it be this way?

In an effort to address this problem, this thesis examines two possible methods of improving health care efficiency in hospitals. The thesis is thus in two parts: the first part examines resource allocation in medical units using Queuing Theory, and the second part examines a …

Development Of A Systems Engineering Model Of The Chemical Separations Process: Final Report, Yitung Chen, Sean Hsieh

Separations Campaign (TRP)

The whole chemical separation process is complex to the point that definitely requires certain level of systematic coordination. To perform smoothly and meet the target extraction rates among those processes, this research proposed a general-purpose systems engineering model.

A general purposed systems engineering model, Transmutation Research Program System Engineering Model Project (TRPSEMPro), was developed based on the above design concept. The system model includes four main parts: System Manager, Model Integration, Study Plan, and Solution Viewer. TRPSEMPro can apply not only to chemical separation process, but also a general system model.

Software engineering and Object Oriented Analysis and Design (OOA&D) …