Operations Research, Systems Engineering and Industrial Engineering Commons^™

Expert System For Team Facilitation Using Observational Learning, Ray Luechtefeld, R. K. Singh, Steve Eugene Watkins

Engineering Management and Systems Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

While ABET criteria require that engineering graduates be able to "function on multidisciplinary teams" and "communicate effectively", the need for effective team skills goes far deeper. One solution is the use of a computationally intelligent "virtual facilitator" that contains a subset of the expert knowledge of a skilled facilitator. The "virtual facilitator" models behaviors of an expert facilitator to engineering student teams as they are working together. Albert Bandura's theory of observational learning suggests that skills can be developed through observation of expert "others" engaged in practice. Preliminary research indicates that students can increase beneficial team behaviors (such as inquiry) …

Energy-Efficient Hybrid Key Management Protocol For Wireless Sensor Networks, Timothy J. Landstra, Maciej Jan Zawodniok, Jagannathan Sarangapani

Electrical and Computer Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

In this paper, we propose a subnetwork key management strategy in which the heterogeneous security requirements of a wireless sensor network are considered to provide differing levels of security with minimum communication overhead. Additionally, it allows the dynamic creation of high security subnetworks within the wireless sensor network and provides subnetworks with a mechanism for dynamically creating a secure key using a novel and dynamic group key management protocol. The proposed energy-efficient protocol utilizes a combination of pre-deployed group keys and initial trustworthiness of nodes to create a level of trust between neighbors in the network. This trust is later …

Comparisons Of An Adaptive Neural Network Based Controller And An Optimized Conventional Power System Stabilizer, Wenxin Liu, Ganesh K. Venayagamoorthy, Jagannathan Sarangapani, Donald C. Wunsch, Mariesa Crow, Li Liu, David A. Cartes

Electrical and Computer Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Power system stabilizers are widely used to damp out the low frequency oscillations in power systems. In power system control literature, there is a lack of stability analysis for proposed controller designs. This paper proposes a Neural Network (NN) based stabilizing controller design based on a sixth order single machine infinite bus power system model. The NN is used to compensate the complex nonlinear dynamics of power system. To speed up the learning process, an adaptive signal is introduced to the NN's weights updating rule. The NN can be directly used online without offline training process. Magnitude constraint of the …

Neural Network Based Decentralized Controls Of Large Scale Power Systems, Wenxin Liu, Jagannathan Sarangapani, Ganesh K. Venayagamoorthy, Donald C. Wunsch, Mariesa Crow, Li Liu, David A. Cartes

Electrical and Computer Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

This paper presents a suite of neural network (NN) based decentralized controller designs for large scale power systems' generators, one is for the excitation control and the other is for the steam valve control. Though the control inputs are calculated using local signals, the transient and overall system stability can be guaranteed. NNs are used to approximate the unknown and/or imprecise dynamics of the local power system dynamics and the inter-connection terms, thus the requirements for exact system parameters are relaxed. Simulation studies with a three-machine power system demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed controller designs.

Case Study: Applying A Regional Cge Model For Estimation Of Indirect Economic Losses Due To Damaged Highway Bridges, Chakkaphan Tirasirichai, David Lee Enke

Engineering Management and Systems Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Destruction from natural and man-made disasters can result in extensive damage to the affected area's infrastructure. While the destruction results in costs that are necessary to restore the physical destruction and repair of existing infrastructure, a wider economic impact is often indirectly measured and felt. Policymakers generally focus only on losses that are directly caused by the destruction, such as the replacement of roads and bridges, yet tend to overlook the consequences from indirect economic losses. This study proposes a framework to estimate the indirect economic loss due to damaged bridges within the highway system of a major metropolitan area. …

Radical Impact Of Change In Actions And Confidence Index On Reverse Decision Making An Application Based Study, Swatee Trimbak Paithankar

Engineering Management & Systems Engineering Theses & Dissertations

While making decisions under uncertainty, people are often unaware of the logical approach to form the decision process. It is assumed that collecting details, analyzing and evaluating data is enough to make 'proper' decisions. However, past research in the decision making arena has significantly validated that there exists a class of decision problems which is complex, ill-structured and not defined to the level where decision makers can draw logical conclusions based on existing traditional decision approaches. RDM (reverse decision making), one of the novel approaches of decision making under conditions of uncertainty, has shown potential towards addressing some of these …

Integrating Game Technology And Discrete Event Simulation To Analyze Mass Casualty Scenarios, Jason Loveland

Computational Modeling & Simulation Engineering Theses & Dissertations

In the last 10 years, video games have become complex simulation environments with high resolution 3D graphics enabled by powerhouse rendering engines, multi-player client server networks, user friendly displays and graphical user interface , while remaining relatively inexpensive. There is a critical need for systems engineering analysis and rapid trade studies due to changes in operations caused by current events such as terrorist attacks, asymmetric threats, natural disasters, etc. Modem games provide a unique way to visualize and interact with these complex environments, scenarios, missions, and operations. A discrete event simulator (DES) provides an environment to model system architecture behavior, …

The Benefits Of Automatic Data Collection In The Fresh Produce Supply Chain, Ryan Charles Panos, Tali Freed

Industrial and Manufacturing Engineering

The potential for RFID based systems to improve the safety and efficiency of a supply chain with rapidly decaying products and strict health standards is creating pressure to adopt RFID in several agricultural industries. A handful of fresh produce industry leaders currently participate in mandated pilot projects, while the industry as a whole is still intimidated by the perceived cost of RFID. Therefore in this study we attempt to validate the correlation between performance and automated data collection, paving the way to economic justification of investment in data collection technologies, such as barcode and RFID.

The majority of product in …

Search Techniques For Multi-Objective Optimization Of Mixed Variable Systems Having Stochastic Responses, Jennifer G. Walston

Theses and Dissertations

A research approach is presented for solving stochastic, multi-objective optimization problems. First, the class of mesh adaptive direct search (MADS) algorithms for nonlinearly constrained optimization is extended to mixed variable problems. The resulting algorithm, MV-MADS, is then extended to stochastic problems (MVMADS-RS), via a ranking and selection procedure. Finally, a two-stage method is developed that combines the generalized pattern search/ranking and selection (MGPS-RS) algorithms for single-objective, mixed variable, stochastic problems with a multi-objective approach that makes use of interactive techniques for the specification of aspiration and reservation levels, scalarization functions, and multi-objective ranking and selection. A convergence analysis for the …

Acuta Enews September 2007, Vol.36, No. 9

ACUTA Newsletters

ln This lssue

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

lnfo Links.................. Randy Hayes, Univ. of Northern lowa

Tech Talk: Change May Be Constant, But at Least lt's Gradual.............. Kevin Tanzilto, Dux PR

DC Update................ Jeanne Jansenius, Sewanee, The University of the South

Board Report..................... Riny Ledgerwood, San Diego State Univ., ACUTA Sec./Treasurer

Telecommunications Enhancing School Safety............. Gerard Shallo, XTEND Communications

Check lt Out: RFls/RFPs, Job Postings, Press Releases

ACUTA Resources Make Membership a Great Value ................. Patty Benton, University of Alabama

FYI: Useful lnformation from the Campus Student Monitor

Treasure Chest Winners

Welcome New Members …

Unreliable Retrial Queues In A Random Environment, James D. Cordeiro Jr.

Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation investigates stability conditions and approximate steady-state performance measures for unreliable, single-server retrial queues operating in a randomly evolving environment. In such systems, arriving customers that find the server busy or failed join a retrial queue from which they attempt to regain access to the server at random intervals. Such models are useful for the performance evaluation of communications and computer networks which are characterized by time-varying arrival, service and failure rates. To model this time-varying behavior, we study systems whose parameters are modulated by a finite Markov process. Two distinct cases are analyzed. The first considers systems with …

Measurement And Analysis Of The Shocks Generated During Egg Production, Jay A. Singh, Chris Ferrier, Paul Singh

Industrial Technology and Packaging

In their journey from the laying cage to shipments out of an egg production operation, table eggs encounter multiple shock events. While all agricultural commodities run the possibility of damage during the course of production, shell eggs are particularly susceptible to being cracked or broken during the production operation. A typical egg production facility experiences 2% to 7% checks (a partial mechanical failure to the egg shell) during handling, packaging and transportation of shell eggs. It has been estimated that the total losses to the U.S. egg industry due to checks and breakage of eggs during production amounts to over …

Development Of Wholesale Packaging To Prevent Post-Harvest Damage To Rose Apples, Bundit Jarimopas, Siam Toomsaengtong, Sher Paul Singh, Jay Singh, Rangsinee Sothornvit

Industrial Technology and Packaging

The purpose of this research was to determine post-harvest damage to rose apples due to transportation hazards and to comparatively evaluate the performance of the current and proposed wholesale packaging for the fruit. The methodology comprised of sampling and conducting damage analysis of rose apples of two varieties (Thongsamsri and Toonklao) distributed using commercial packaging to various retailers and wholesalers selected at random around the Bangkok metropolitan areas. Three kinds of current wholesale packaging were packed with newly harvested, damage-free, and uniform sized Thongsamsri rose apples and tested using a vibration simulator. The same testing was performed for the two …

Comparison Of Package Cushioning Materials To Protect Post-Harvest Impact Damage To Apples, Bundit Jarimopas, Sher Paul Singh, S. Sayasoonthorn, Jay A. Singh

Industrial Technology and Packaging

Damage to fruits and vegetables continues to be a big challenge as global markets become a reality. Worldwide distribution of sensitive produce is faced with various levels of impacts from shipping and handling. Despite a variety of packaging options available today, bruising damage is commonplace for post-harvest apples throughout the supply chain. The major sources of bruising are compression, impact or vibration forces. Understanding where these forces occur can help reduce this type of mechanical damage to apples. The purpose of this study was to investigate the impact characteristics of foam net and corrugated board when applied as wrapping for …

Assessing Capacity Scalability Policies In Rms Using System Dynamics, Ahmed M. Deif, Hoda A. Elmaraghy

Industrial Technology and Packaging

This paper presents a model for assessing different capacity scalability policies in Reconfigurable Manufacturing System (RMS) for different changing demand scenarios. The novelty of this approach is two fold: (1) it is the first attempt to explore different capacity scalability policies in RMS based on multiple performance measures, mainly scaling rate, Work In Process level, inventory level and backlog level; and (2) the dynamic scalability process in RMS is modeled for the first time using System Dynamics. Different policies for capacity scalability for various demand scenarios were assessed. Numerical simulation results obtained using the developed capacity scalability model showed that …

Robust Local Search And Its Application To Generating Robust Schedules, Hoong Chuin Lau, Fei Xiao, Thomas Ou

Research Collection School Of Computing and Information Systems

In this paper, we propose an extended local search framework to solve combinatorial optimization problems with data uncertainty. Our approach represents a major departure from scenario-based or stochastic programming approaches often used to tackle uncertainty. Given a value 0 < ? 1, we are interested to know what the robust objective value is, i.e. the optimal value if we allow an chance of not meeting it, assuming that certain data values are defined on bounded random variables. We show how a standard local search or metaheuristic routine can be extended to efficiently construct a decision rule with such guarantee, albeit heuristically. We demonstrate its practical applicability on the Resource Constrained Project Scheduling Problem with minimal and maximal time lags (RCPSP/max) taking into consideration activity duration uncertainty. Experiments show that, partial order schedules can be constructed that are robust in our sense without the need for a large planned horizon (due date), which improves upon the work proposed by Policella et al. 2004.

Distributed Energy Resources: Issues And Challenges, Badrul H. Chowdhury, Chung-Li Tseng

Electrical and Computer Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

No abstract provided.

State-Of-The-Art And Evolution In Public Data Sets And Competitions For System Identification, Time Series Prediction And Pattern Recognition, Joos Vandewalle, Johan Suykens, Bart De Moor, Amaury Lendasse

Engineering Management and Systems Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

It is the Aim of Reproducible Research to Provide Mechanisms for Objective Comparison of Methods, Algorithms, Software and Procedures in Various Research Topics. in This Paper, We Discuss the Role of Data Sets, Benchmarks and Competitions in the Fields of System Identification, Time Series Prediction, Classification, and Pattern Recognition in View of Creating an Environment of Reproducible Research. Important Elements Are the Data Sets, their Origin, and the Comparison Measures that Will Be Used to Rank the Performance of the Methods. the Issues Are Discussed, a Comparison is Made and Recommendations Are Given. © 2007 IEEE.

Heuristics For Scheduling Reentrant Flexible Job Shops With Sequence-Dependent Setup Times And Limited Buffer Capacities, Jakrawarn Kunadilok

All Dissertations

This research addresses the problem of scheduling complex job shops with minimizing total weighted tardiness as the objective. The complex job shop is characterized by reentrant job flow through a number of different work centers that contain one or more identical parallel machines. The processing restrictions for the complex job shop include possible non-zero ready times and sequence-dependent setup times. We categorize the complex job shop into two classes: the complex job shop with infinite or finite buffer capacities. We propose three solution methodologies for scheduling the problem with infinite buffer capacities. The first method is the use of mixed …

Research On Logistics Operation Mode Of Shanghai 2010 Expo, Jiaying Chen

World Maritime University Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Choice And Optimization Of Forecasting Models For Container Port Throughput, Qingcheng Xue

World Maritime University Dissertations

No abstract provided.

The Study On The Empty Container Repositioning Of Container Leasing Company, Yi Zhao

World Maritime University Dissertations

No abstract provided.

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

World Maritime University Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Acuta Enews August 2007, Vol. 36, No. 8

ACUTA Newsletters

ln This lssue

From the President ............. Walt Magnussen, Ph,D., Texas A&M University

Tech Talk: ls This a Phone That You Want on Your Network? ............ Kevin Tanzillo, Dux PR 2 ACUTA Resources Make Membership a Great Value

DC Update ............... Jeanne Jansenius, Sewonee, The University of the South

Board Report............... Riny Ledgerwood, San Diego State Univ., ACUTA Sec./Treasurer

IPFIX Standard (NetFlow) and lT Staff |mpact.............. Gary Audin, Delphi lnc.

Check lt Out: RFls/RFPs, Job Postings, Press Releases

FYI: Useful lnformation from the Campus................. Student Monitor

Web Tip: Address Change for ACUTA Listservs ..... Aaron Fuehrer, ACUTA lnformation Technology Mgr. …

Case Studies On Usage Of Axiomatic Design Methodology In The U.S. Industries, Alireza Alavizadeh

All-Inclusive List of Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Axiomatic Design, originally developed by Nam Suh, is a design methodology that attempts to systematize the design practices and to provide a basis on which design can be carried out and optimized according to two main axioms, namely, Independence and Information axioms. Although various scholars in both academia and industry have studied the applicability and effectiveness of this methodology, the extent to which Axiomatic Design has been implemented in industry, particularly in the U.S., is unknown. l1l This study was conducted to identify the extent to which Axiomatic Design is known to the U.S. industries. Other purposes of this study …

Detection Of Aortic Calcification During Vertebral Fracture Assessment (Vfa) Compared To Digital Radiography, John T. Schousboe, Kevin E. Wilson, Thomas N. Hangartner

Biomedical, Industrial & Human Factors Engineering Faculty Publications

Background: Cardiovascular disease is the most common cause of mortality among post-menopausal women. Our objective was to determine whether or not lateral spine images obtained on a bone densitometer to detect prevalent vertebral fracture can also accurately detect radiographic abdominal aortic calcification (AAC), an important risk factor for cardiovascular disease independent of clinical risk factors.

Methodology/Principal Findings: One hundred seventy four postmenopausal women had bone densitometry, lateral spine densitometry imaging (called vertebral fracture assessment, or VFA), and lateral spine digital radiographs. Radiographs and VFA images were scored for AAC using a previously validated 24 point scale and a simplified, …

System And Method For The Pooling Of Sterile Product, David A. Edelen

Industrial, Manufacturing, and Systems Engineering Dissertations - Archive

This dissertation defines an automated system and method for removing the tops from individual sealed bottles and pooling the small volumes of liquid contained in each bottle together in a collection container while maintaining the sterility of the product. This research further applied system development and process improvement methodology. More particularly, this research solved a previously unsolved problem through the unique research and development, and application of ultrasonic technology, to mitigate both product and personnel risk, and provide process improvement, as associated with the aseptic process for the pooling of sterile product.

Leanness And Agility In Job Shops: A Framework For A Survey Instrument Developed Using The Delphi Method, Zaki Kuruppalil

All-Inclusive List of Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Manufacturers are facing new challenges as competition has become global. Manufacturing companies arc looking for strategies which would help them gain an edge over their competitors. In the United States, lean manufacturing and agile manufacturing have been gaining importance among industries. Agile manufacturing was developed when the United States Department of Defense (DOD) requested Iacocca Institute at Lehigh University to develop a manufacturing framework that could give US companies an edge over their worldwide competitors whereas lean manufacturing has its roots tied to the Toyota Production System (TPS). This raises the questions: what is the clear difference between the two …

Using Reconstructability Analysis For Input Variable Reduction: A Business Example, Stephen Shervais, Martin Zwick

Complex Systems Faculty Publications and Presentations

We demonstrate the use of reconstructability analysis (RA) on the UCI Australian Credit dataset to reduce the number of input variables for two different analysis tools. Using 14 variables, an artificial neural net (NN) is able to predict whether or not credit was granted, with a 79.1% success rate. RA preprocessing allows us to reduce the number of independent variables from 14 to two different sets of three, which have success rates of 77.2% and 76.9% respectively. The difference between these rates and that of the 14-variable NN is not statistically significant. The three-variable rulesets given by RA achieve success …

A Robust Cooperative Localization System For A Heterogeneous Team Of Small Unmanned Ground Vehicles, Veera Jawahar Vibeeshanan

Industrial, Manufacturing, and Systems Engineering Dissertations - Archive

This dissertation presents an organic approach to the cooperative localization problem by sequentially solving the problems of sensor calibration, multi-sensor fusion filtering, and cooperative localization. Successful navigation of unmanned ground vehicles requires accurate localization. Localization refers to the determination of the pose (position and orientation) of an unmanned ground vehicle with respect to a local or a global frame of reference. Cooperative localization is suited to multi-vehicle systems where vehicles with better accuracy in localization can assist those with poor accuracy through communication and relative pose sensing. A parametric modeling approach is presented for sensor calibration. Designed experiments are conducted …