Operations Research, Systems Engineering and Industrial Engineering Commons^™

Understanding Workforce Agility At Nasa Kennedy Space Center, Ledlyne H. Vazquez

Graduate Thesis and Dissertation 2023-2024

This study aims to define workforce agility via a literature review and a conducted research survey of the Kennedy Space Center (KSC) Engineering workforce. The survey results will help us determine the workforce agility of the KSC engineering team and understand what has allowed them to transition from the Space Shuttle Program to the new Exploration Ground System (EGS) program. Structural Equation Modeling was used to develop a model of relationships to test the hypotheses. The results show that organizational practices and psychological empowerment significantly support workforce agility. The implications of this study for understanding the characteristics of workforce agility …

Show-Me Resilience: Assessing And Reconciling Rural Leaders’ Perceptions Of Climate Resilience In Missouri, Zachary J. Miller, Caleb O'Brien, Casey I. Canfield, Lauren Sullivan

Engineering Management and Systems Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Rural areas of the United States play a vital role in coping with, adapting to and mitigating climate change, yet they often lag urban areas in climate planning and action. Rural leaders—e.g., policymakers, state/federal agency professionals, non-profit organization leadership, and scholars – are pivotal for driving the programs and policies that support resilient practices, but our understanding of their perspectives on climate resilience writ large is limited. We conducted semi-structured interviews with 23 rural leaders in Missouri to elucidate their conceptualizations of climate resilience and identify catalysts and constraints for climate adaptation planning and action across rural landscapes. We investigated …

Techno-Economic Analysis And Optimization Of Hydrogen And Mechanical Energy Storage Systems, Pavitra Senthamilselvan Sengalani

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The increasing significance of renewable energy sources is thrusting the load cycling of fossil-fueled power plants (FFPP), designed to operate under nominal-load conditions. Integration of energy storage systems (ESS) with the FFPPs such as hydrogen energy storage (HES) and mechanical energy storage facility such as compressed air energy storage (CAES) shows the potential to minimize the levelized cost of electricity during high demand scenarios and also minimize the negative impacts of off-design FFPP operation. The deployment of energy storage facilities at the FFPP level have considerable potential advantages as they can be exploited within the existing equipment items and facilities …

Energy Digital Twins In Smart Manufacturing Systems, Anna Billey

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

In this thesis, an Energy Digital Twin for smart manufacturing systems was developed and evaluated. In particular, the study focused on bidirectional parameter communication between the physical and the virtual part with the aim of optimizing the energy used in the manufacturing process. Rising costs and the environmental impacts related to energy consumption have grown in importance worldwide. There are elevated concerns in sectors like manufacturing, leading to an urgent quest to reduce energy consumption. A recent advancement in Industry 4.0 technology, the Digital Twin, represents a promising smart technology and tool that researchers are investigating to help reduce energy …

A Machine Learning Approach For Early Diagnosis Of Transthyretin Amyloid Cardiomyopathy Among Heart Failure Patients, Tanjim Ahmed

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Transthyretin Amyloid Cardiomyopathy (ATTR-CM) is a rare, progressive, and fatal disease. Prevalence of ATTR-CM ranges from 4 to 17 per 100000 cases where the mean survival time is less than 4 years. It has a history of being underdiagnosed and misdiagnosed. The diagnosis delay has a weighted mean of 6.1 years for wild-type ATTR-CM. Low awareness, the necessity of invasive procedures, and lack of treatment are the key reasons for delayed diagnosis. But, with the introduction of non-invasive tests like nuclear scintigraphy with ^99mTC-PYP and the disease modifying drug Tafamidis, the diagnosis delay signifies a missed opportunity to increase …

Accelerating Manufacturing Decisions Using Bayesian Optimization: An Optimization And Prediction Perspective, Taofeeq Olajire

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Manufacturing is a promising technique for producing complex and custom-made parts with a high degree of precision. It can also provide us with desired materials and products with specified properties. To achieve that, it is crucial to find out the optimum point of process parameters that have a significant impact on the properties and quality of the final product. Unfortunately, optimizing these parameters can be challenging due to the complex and nonlinear nature of the underlying process, which becomes more complicated when there are conflicting objectives, sometimes with multiple goals. Furthermore, experiments are usually costly, time-consuming, and require expensive materials, …

Simulating Energy Performance Of Buildings: A Study Using Equest And Energy Star® Portfolio Manager, Sabin Wagle

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The urgent need for improving building energy efficiency in response to global warming and environmental sustainability has highlighted the importance of practical techniques to optimize energy performance. The study utilizes the eQUEST simulation engine and Energy Star® Portfolio Manager to evaluate retrofit and design parameters and conduct a sensitivity analysis to explore the impact of different parameters on building energy performance. The study develops building energy models in eQUEST using data from two fully operational Distribution centers. It is calibrated using the Normalized Mean Bias Error (NMBE) and Coefficient of Variation of Root Mean Square Error (CV(RMSE)) method, meeting the …

Improving The Health And Safety Of Manufacturing Workers By Detecting And Addressing Personal Protective Equipment (Ppe) Violations In Real-Time With The Use Of Automated Ppe Detection Technology, Joseph Olufemi Fasinu

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) emphasized that Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) can significantly reduce the risk of occupational injuries and illnesses. However, improper use, failure to use, and other PPE-related violations can still result in injuries and fatalities. Eye and face protection violation has been one of the top 10 most frequently violated OSHA standards in fiscal years 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021 and 2022 consecutively. A common practice among safety professionals to ensure PPE compliance has been to physically inspect or monitor PPE usage among workers, which has been found to be unsustainable on a continuous real-time …

Pressure Induced By Roll-Down Foam-Earplugs On Earcanal, Ahmed Dalaq, Luiz Melo, Franck Sgard, Olivier Doutres, Éric Wagnac

Études primaires

Physical discomfort of earplug is a common complaint, so much so it jeopardizes the health and safety of workers, resulting in frequent noncompliance to proper wearing of earplugs. A pressing need thus arises to understand the underlying mechanics for the interaction of earplugs with earcanal walls. An idealized cylindrical geometry of earcanal is first treated with computational and analytical modeling to predict the pressure induced by roll-down cylindrical PVC foam earplugs. In order to predict representative pressure values and distribution, we estimated the hyperelastic properties of foam-based earplugs and characterized their behavior using a stent testing machine (J-Crimp^TM machine) …

Investigating Collaborative Explainable Ai (Cxai)/Social Forum As An Explainable Ai (Xai) Method In Autonomous Driving (Ad), Tauseef Ibne Mamun

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports

Explainable AI (XAI) systems primarily focus on algorithms, integrating additional information into AI decisions and classifications to enhance user or developer comprehension of the system's behavior. These systems often incorporate untested concepts of explainability, lacking grounding in the cognitive and educational psychology literature (S. T. Mueller et al., 2021). Consequently, their effectiveness may be limited, as they may address problems that real users don't encounter or provide information that users do not seek.

In contrast, an alternative approach called Collaborative XAI (CXAI), as proposed by S. Mueller et al (2021), emphasizes generating explanations without relying solely on algorithms. CXAI centers …

Part Design Geometry-Driven Toolpath Optimization For Additive Manufacturing Energy Sustainability Improvement, David Kolawole Somade

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

One of the most promising new manufacturing technologies in the past three decades isadditive manufacturing (AM), also commonly known as three-dimensional (3D) printing or rapid prototyping. The energy consumption problem in AM can be significant when it is adopted at the industrial scale or used under resource-restricted conditions. The energy consumption of an AM process is influenced by several factors including bed heating, filament extrusion, material infill, component cooling, etc. All these factors are further determined by the equipment and the toolpath for a specific printing task. Build orientation and tool-path direction are frequently used to optimize part and process …

Physics Infused Lstm Network For Track Association Based On Marine Vessel Automatic Identification System Data, Tasmiah Haque

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

In marine surveillance, a crucial task is distinguishing between normal and abnormal vessel movements to timely identify potential threats. Subsequently, the vessels need to be monitored and tracked until necessary action can be taken. To achieve this, a track association problem is formulated where multiple vessels' unlabeled geographic and motion parameters are associated with their true labels. These parameters are typically obtained from the Automatic Identification System (AIS) database, which enables real-time tracking of marine vessels equipped with AIS. The parameters are time-stamped and collected over a long period, and therefore, modeling the inherent temporal patterns in the data is …

Analysis Of The Psychological And Production Effects Of The Use Of Gamification For Manufacturing Assembly, Makenzie Dolly

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

In this dissertation, the applications of gamification for manufacturing with a focus on effects to workers and productivity were studied. Gamification is a relatively new research area, with the term being officially defined in 2010. Since then, several fields (education, health, and marketing) have benefitted from its application. Despite exhibiting strong potential, the application of gamification had remained rather unexplored in the manufacturing domain. To explore this further, by employing a comprehensive literature review, four research gaps were identified: the need for i) the use and acceptance of Deterding’s definition of gamification, ii) a clearer definition for various game element …

Study Protocol To Analyze The Effects Of Occupational Exoskeleton Use On Balance Control, Vishnu Sai Prabhakarababu

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

Work-related musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) represent a prevalent concern affecting a wide range of industries. Occupational exoskeletons have garnered attention as a potential solution to alleviate the risk of MSDs by reducing mechanical loads on susceptible body regions. A critical knowledge gap exists regarding the complex interactions between exoskeleton use and the human body, particularly in work environments prone to slips, trips and falls. This thesis work was part of a funded research aiming to determine the effects of exoskeleton use on balance control. The primary purpose of this thesis work was to determine a reliable maker placement protocol that will …

Second Victim Syndrome And Organizational Support For Healthcare Providers: A Scoping Review, K R. Petryszyn, J P. Young, E R. Neil, J E. Benedict, L E. Eberman

Clinical Practice in Athletic Training

Introduction: Healthcare providers may experience critical incident, medical error, or other adverse patient events in their clinical practice. Those that do encounter such events, may experience second victim syndrome (SVS), a condition in which providers feel psychological, cognitive, or physical reactions rendering care in these instances. Those with SVS may experience symptoms such as anxiety, depression, or burnout. Organizational support may mediate the impacts of SVS after an adverse patient event. We conducted a scoping review to explore and synthesize the literature on the support strategies implemented by healthcare organizations in the United States, for healthcare providers, after adverse patient …

Design And Development Of Smart Wardrobe Technology, Mikhail Filatov

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

The increasing demand for online shopping in the 21st century is causing rapid growth in technology and methods in marketing and sales fields. Present thesis work scrutinizes the process of design and development of the device that simplifies the process of trying on and buying clothes in online retail stores, the development of which is based on the known basics of operational, mechanical, and electrical designs for computational systems, with account for ergonomics and manufacturing sustainability. The following research represents the market analysis for competition identification, description of all operational modes of the system, list of mechanical and electrical components …

Simulating The Impact Of Emissions Control On Economic Productivity Using Particle Systems And Puff Dispersion Model, Najam Khan

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

A simulation platform is developed for quantifying the change in productivity of an economy under passive and active emission control mechanisms. The program uses object-oriented programming to code a collection of objects resembling typical stakeholders in an economy. These objects include firms, markets, transportation hubs, and boids which are distributed over a 2D surface. Firms are connected using a modified Prim’s Minimum spanning tree algorithm, followed by implementation of an all-pair shortest path Floyd Warshall algorithm for navigation purposes. Firms use a non-linear production function for transformation of land, labor, and capital inputs to finished product. A GA-Vehicle Routing Problem …

Strategies Aircraft Manufacturing Organizational Leaders Use For Proper Material Pricing, Chin Kuei Jen

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The lack of proper material pricing strategies can challenge manufacturers’ profitability and growth. Aircraft manufacturing leaders are concerned because understanding and developing material pricing strategies are essential to increasing profitability. Grounded in price theory, the purpose of this qualitative single case study was to explore strategies aircraft manufacturing organizational leaders use for proper material pricing estimates. The participants were four aircraft manufacturing organizational leaders from a successful aircraft manufacturing business located in the state of Georgia. Data were gathered from semistructured interviews and document reviews and analyzed using Yin’s five step approach. The four themes that emerged were the impact …

Application Of Modeling Methodologies To Improve An Emergency Departments Workflow, Prachita Humane

Doctoral Dissertations

"The healthcare system in the United States is complex and challenging to understand, and the emergency department (ED) serves as a bridge between outpatient and inpatient care. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, over 130 million people visited emergency rooms in the United States in 2018. The ED is composed of multiple subunits and components that make it difficult to comprehend fully. In this study, a combination of engineering analysis methods was used to identify and understand the issues in the ED.

The first contribution of this research involved collecting data through job shadowing of human entities …

Sustainable Development: A Data Analysis Investigation For A New Conceptual Model, Case Study Comparison And Validation Techniques, Tiffanie Marie Toles

Doctoral Dissertations

"The three pillars model for sustainability, often represented with three intersecting circles described as economic, environmental, and social factors with sustainability being at the center is a complex and philosophically open model [1]. As society promotes efforts to reduce carbon impacts, there becomes a need to critically review the models employed for understanding. This research presents a validated methodology, an updated conceptual configuration of sustainability for overall use, as well as a sustainable development performance measurement system. Using the 2020 Sustainable Development Goals Index Data, 232 indicators from 193 countries were used to evaluate the efficacy of using more than …

Evaluating Electrification Of Fossil Fuel-Fired Boilers For Decarbonization Using Discrete Event Simulation, Nahian Ismail Chowdhury

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Decarbonizing fossil fuel usage is crucial in mitigating the impacts of climate change. CO2, which comprises the major portion of greenhouse gas, is emitted from burning fossil fuels. One of the significant sources of fossil fuel user is industrial process heating, and most of the heating in industrial processes is achieved through boilers. Electrification is a promising solution for decarbonizing these boilers, as it enables renewable energy sources to generate electricity, which can then be used to power the electric boilers. The electrification of boilers can reduce greenhouse gas emissions, improve air quality, and increase energy efficiency. However, it requires …

Dynamic Modeling, Data Reconciliation, Parameter Estimation, And Health Monitoring Of A Supercritical Power Plant, Katherine Grace Hedrick

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

With the introduction of a larger portion of renewable sources of power coming onto the U.S. power grid in recent decades, the operational strategy of coal-fired power plants has changed significantly to focus more on flexibility in response to the changing energy market. This has naturally led to different operational challenges. Many of these challenges are focused on the boilers within these plants, as they are producing more emissions and experiencing increased damage during load-following, which in turn leads to increased costs from penalties for not achieving emission standards or maintenance costs as boilers accumulate damage from the cycling behavior. …

Spatio-Temporal Deep Learning Approaches For Addressing Track Association Problem Using Automatic Identification System (Ais) Data, Md Asif Bin Syed

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

In the realm of marine surveillance, track association constitutes a pivotal yet challenging task, involving the identification and tracking of unlabelled vessel trajectories. The need for accurate data association algorithms stems from the urge to spot unusual vessel movements or threat detection. These algorithms link sequential observations containing location and motion information to specific moving objects, helping to build their real-time trajectories. These threat detection algorithms will be useful when a vessel attempts to conceal its identity. The algorithm can then identify and track the specific vessel from its incoming signal. The data for this study is sourced from the …

Framework For Data Acquisition And Fusion Of Camera And Radar For Autonomous Vehicle Systems, Clay Edward Vincent

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The primary contribution is the development of the data collection testing methodology for autonomous driving systems of a hybrid electric passenger vehicle. As automotive manufacturers begin to develop adaptive cruise control technology in vehicles, progress is being made toward the development of fully-autonomous vehicles. Adaptive cruise control capability is classified into five levels defined by the Society of Automotive Engineering. Some vehicles under development have attained higher levels of autonomy, but the focus of most commercial development is Level 2 autonomy. As the level of autonomy increases, the sensor technology becomes more advanced with a sensor suite which includes radar, …

Analysis Of The Physical Discomfort Of Earplugs Experienced By A Group Of Workers In Canadian Companies And Identification Of The Influencing Variables, Bastien Poissenot-Arrigoni, Alessia Negrini, Djamal Berbiche, Franck Sgard, Olivier Doutres

Études primaires

Earplugs are widely used to prevent noise induced hearing loss. However, the discomforts they induce negatively impacts their effectiveness by influencing their consistent and correct use. The physical earplugs discomfort is related to the user perception resulting from biomechanical and thermal interactions between the earplug and the earcanal. Its main attributes are “physical annoyance”, “pain”, “pressure” and “irritation". The (dis)comfort results from the complex interactions between the wearer, his/her earplug, and his/her work environment, which form the concept of triad. This study aims at improving our understanding of the physical discomfort of earplugs by identifying the triad characteristics that have …

Prediction Models For Beauty Products Monthly Sales With Price Promotion, Nichakan Phupaichitkun

Chulalongkorn University Theses and Dissertations (Chula ETD)

Promotional pricing strategy is a major marketing tool for most retails. However, predicting sales when discount is offered can be difficult since there are other factors causing demand to be uncertain or highly fluctuating. The objective of this research is to identify the most suitable prediction models for beauty product unit sales in retail and capture the effects of factors impacting sales. The dataset provided by the case study retail company was available from January 2020 to December 2022 (36 months). The prediction models, including linear regression, random forest, XGBoost, artificial neural networks (ANN), and hybrid models, are constructed and …

Strategic Distribution Centres Location For Traffic Safety Products, Pakaporn Bunwit

Chulalongkorn University Theses and Dissertations (Chula ETD)

This research aims to determine suitable locations to build distribution centers for a specific company that distributes traffic safety products to highway offices across every province in Thailand using strategic methods. In this problem set, the predetermined location of customers and each corresponding demand were given. With customer locations spreading widely across Thailand, this research aims to find locations of distribution centers, which will result in the lowest cost to travel from the company's headquarter to the distribution centers and the cost of travelling to and from customers from those distribution centers by considering the transportation cost, vehicle cost and …

Aircraft Arrival Delay Prediction Using Machine Learning Method, Patara Charnvanichborikarn

Chulalongkorn University Theses and Dissertations (Chula ETD)

Flight delays pose a significant challenge to the growth and efficiency of the US airline industry, which is a central focus of our thesis that extends to the broader global airline sector. This study aims to predict aircraft arrival delays utilizing machine learning models. In addressing the substantial challenge of aircraft delays within the US airline industry, our research relied on Kaggle datasets. Following comprehensive data reorganization and cleanup processes, a crucial aspect of our approach involved integrating weather data from the arrival airport at the time of arrival into the model, thereby enhancing our dataset to bolster predictive accuracy. …

Improving Interbranch Information System For A Chain Of Gold Retail Shops By Computerised Inventory Management System, Punyavadee Srimongkol

Chulalongkorn University Theses and Dissertations (Chula ETD)

This research aimed to develop an inventory and logistics management system to improve the efficiency of the inventory and logistic process of the case study gold retail store chain by implementing computerised inventory management software for interbranch retail jewelry shops. One of the current problems experienced by the case study company which is gold retail shops is that the percentages of unsuccessful preorder transactions are relatively high due to the slow product shipping process. In this project, computerised inventory management was implemented to improve and solve the problem. The data used to set up the new computerised software includes SKUs …

การจัดลำดับความสำคัญของเกณฑ์สำหรับการจัดหาเครื่องจักรหนักในการก่อสร้างถนน โดยใช้การตัดสินใจแบบกลุ่มและการวิเคราะห์เชิงลำดับชั้น, กาญจนพัฒน์ ตั้งสิทธิโชค

Chulalongkorn University Theses and Dissertations (Chula ETD)

นโยบายการจัดหาเครื่องจักรหนักมีผลต่อความสำเร็จของผู้รับเหมาก่อสร้างถนนระดับท้องถิ่น การกำหนดนโยบายที่เหมาะสมสามารถช่วยลดความเสี่ยงที่เครื่องจักรหนักไม่พร้อมใช้งาน งานไม่เสร็จตามกำหนด และป้องกันปัญหาต้นทุนสูงที่กว่าแผนงานก่อสร้างลงได้ งานวิจัยนี้จึงมีวัตถุประสงค์เพื่อเลือกเกณฑ์ที่มีผลต่อการตัดสินใจต่อนโยบายการจัดหาเครื่องจักรหนัก เครื่องมือที่ใช้ในงานวิจัยได้แก่ การวิเคราะห์เชิงลำดับชั้นและการตัดสินใจของกลุ่มผู้รับเหมาระดับท้องถิ่น ขั้นตอนการดำเนินงานเริ่มจาก (1) แบ่งกลุ่มผู้รับเหมาระดับท้องถิ่นเป็นสองกลุ่ม ตามขนาดทุนจดทะเบียนและตามศักยภาพในการซ่อมบำรุงเครื่องจักรหนัก (2) สำรวจปัจจัยต่าง ๆ เพื่อกำหนดเป็นเกณฑ์ที่สัมพันธ์กับนโยบายของการจัดหาเครื่องจักร (3) สร้างผังโครงสร้างเชิงลำดับชั้นประกอบด้วยเกณฑ์หลัก 6 เกณฑ์ และนโยบาย 3 ทางเลือก ในงานวิจัยนี้ได้ใช้เครื่องจักรหนักกรณีศึกษา ได้แก่ รถเกลี่ยดิน รถตัก รถบรรทุกน้ำ และรถโม่คอนกรีตที่มีอายุงานสูง (4) ทำการวิเคราะห์เชิงลำดับชั้นและทำการประเมินความเสี่ยงของโครงการควบคู่กัน ผลการวิจัยพบว่ากรณีรถเกลี่ยดิน รถตักและรถโม่คอนกรีต กลุ่มผู้รับเหมาขนาดกลางให้ความสำคัญมากต่อเกณฑ์หลักได้แก่ "ค่าใช้จ่ายทั้งหมดของโครงการ" (0.309, 0.297, 0.322) และเกณฑ์รองได้แก่ "ค่าใช้จ่ายจากการส่งงานล่าช้า" (0.405, 0.368, 0.371) ในขณะที่กลุ่มผู้รับเหมาขนาดเล็กให้ความสำคัญมากต่อเกณฑ์หลัก "ประสิทธิภาพของทีมซ่อมบำรุง" (0.419, 0.402, 0.376) และเกณฑ์รอง "ค่าใช้จ่ายในการจัดหา" (0.226, 0.203, 0.311) ส่วนกรณีรถบรรทุกน้ำกลุ่มผู้รับเหมาขนาดกลางให้ความสำคัญมากต่อเกณฑ์หลักได้แก่ "ประสิทธิภาพทีมซ่อมบำรุง" (0.313) และเกณฑ์รองได้แก่ "ค่าใช้จ่ายจากการส่งงานล่าช้า" (0.335) ในขณะที่กลุ่มผู้รับเหมาขนาดเล็กให้ความสำคัญมากต่อเกณฑ์หลัก "ประสิทธิภาพของทีมซ่อมบำรุง" (0.404) และเกณฑ์รอง "ค่าใช้จ่ายในการจัดหา" (0.273) ทั้งนี้ผู้รับเหมาขนาดกลางเลือกนโยบายที่เกี่ยวข้องกับการซื้อเครื่องจักรใหม่เมื่อมีความเสี่ยงสูงต่อการเสียค่าปรับงานไม่เสร็จตามกำหนด ส่วนผู้รับเหมาขนาดเล็กเลือกนโยบายที่เน้นการซ่อมแซมเครื่องจักรที่มีอยู่เดิมเนื่องจากความกังวลกับค่าใช้จ่ายในการจัดหาเครื่องจักรสูง