Industrial Engineering Commons^™

Setpoint Tracking Predictive Control In Chemical Processes Based On System Identification, Sinchai Chinvorarat

Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering Theses & Dissertations

A Kraft recovery boiler in a pulp-paper mill provides a means for recovery of the heat energy in spent liquor and recovery of inorganic chemicals while controlling emissions. These processes are carried out in a combined chemical recovery unit and steam boiler that is fired with concentrated black liquor and which produces molten smelt. Since the recovery boiler is considered to be an essential part of the pulp-paper mill in terms of energy resources, the performance of the recovery boiler has to be controlled to achieve the highest efficiency under unexpected disturbances.

This dissertation presents a new approach for combining …

Meta-Ethnographic Development Of A Dialogue Methodology Applied To Organization Discourse, Shelley P. Gallup

Engineering Management & Systems Engineering Theses & Dissertations

A gap exists between theoretical stances that acknowledge the importance of dialogue as a dynamic within socially constructed structures, and "steersmanship" of those constructs--e.g., directing, intervening or transforming organizations. A "mechanism" which links theory with practice is missing, leaving practitioners with an acknowledgment of dialogue's central position, but without tools to enact this centrality in practice or research. This research constructs a conceptual model of dialogue, derived from the literature. Using this model as a base, the research seeks to generate a dialogue methodology bridging theory and practice with respect to organizational dialogue. The model, methodology, and research results are …

Study Of Human Factors Variables In Battle Outcome Prediction Models, David Andrew Glovier

Engineering Management & Systems Engineering Theses & Dissertations

Over time there have been many improvements in models that are used to predict the outcome of battles. Currently there is much supposition and speculation surrounding the use of human performance related factors as additional inputs to battle simulation models to improve their accuracy. However there is no conclusive scientific evidence which shows that these factors do make a significant difference. This study investigates the use of factors that may impact on the human performance directly or indirectly in battle prediction models. These factors consist of traditional human factors and external factors that may influence the human performance. The research …

Development Of A Method For Determining The Relative Manufacturing Complexity Of Advanced Engineering Materials, Shardul Y. Pandya

Engineering Management & Systems Engineering Theses & Dissertations

The immediate adaptation of newly developed materials--with unique and highly desirable properties--is hampered by several factors, including: (1) high material cost and limited availability, (2) lack of information on them, including prior experience in their design and manufacture, immature manufacturing processes and general uncertainty in their behavior patterns, (3) unique handling issues, such as excessive manual labor, high process temperatures, toxicity, disposal problems, limited working lives, and low damage tolerance

Therefore, in spite of their significant benefits, potential users tend to shy away from the widespread use of new materials, instead preferring conventional and tested materials forms.

This dissertation is …

The Effects Of Human-Computer Communication Mode, Task Complexity, And Desire For Control On Performance And Discourse Organization In An Adaptive Task, Cristina Bubb-Lewis

Psychology Theses & Dissertations

The present study examined how different communication patterns affected task performance with an adaptive interface. A Wizard-of-Oz simulation (Gould, Conti, & Hovanyecz, 1983) was used to create the impression of a talking and listening computer that acted as a teammate to help participants interact with a computer application.

Four levels of communication mode were used which differed in the level of restriction placed on human-computer communication. In addition, participants completed two sets of tasks (simple and complex). Further, a personality trait, Desire for Control (DC), was measured and participants were split into high and low groups for analysis. Dependent measures …

An Artificial Life Model Of Engineering Attrition Contemplation: Why Do Federally Employed Civilian Engineers Think Of Quitting?, John William Herweg

Engineering Management & Systems Engineering Theses & Dissertations

The research objective is, using engineer turnover, to develop an Artificial Life (A-Life) model and simulation methodology useful for studying behavioral variables of individuals in an organization.

One consequence of work stress is burnout, and its extreme expression is quitting or turnover. Various models have been used to explain and predict this behavior. Behavior models are useful tools to explore the ability of organizational policies to reduce stress levels and turnover. Advancing the usefulness of models is a goal which assists all research on human behavior. A-Life offers a new and different methodology for this purpose. It provides an ability …

Dynamic Lot Sizing And Scheduling In A Multi-Item Production System, Padmanabhan Soundar

Engineering Management & Systems Engineering Theses & Dissertations

In this research, algorithms are developed to address the problem of dynamic lot sizing and scheduling in a single level (or single operation) production system. This research deviates from previous research in this area in that it does not have the kind of assumptions regarding the real world production system that normally were made to reduce the complexity of the problem. Specifically, this research explicitly considers finite capacity, multiple items, known deterministic dynamic demand, sequence dependent setup times and setup costs, setup carryover and variable backlogging. The objective is to simultaneously determine the lot size and the sequence of production …

Dynamic Scale Genetic Algorithm: An Enhanced Genetic Search For Discrete Optimization, Bela Dange Joshi

Engineering Management & Systems Engineering Theses & Dissertations

The minimization of operations and support resources of reusable launch vehicles is a complex task, involving discrete optimization and the simulation domain. Genetic algorithms, offering a robust search strategy suitable for integer variables and the simulation domain, can be applied to minimize these resources. This research developed an enhanced genetic algorithm for problems with a linear objective function, the most common class of discrete optimization problems. The dynamic scale genetic algorithm developed here incorporates concepts of implicit enumeration to enhance search. This is achieved by utilizing problem specific information to refine the solution space over successive generations. The utility of …

System Dynamic Modeling Of Activity And Flow Relationships In Plant Layout Problems, Gary Allen Weaver

Engineering Management & Systems Engineering Theses & Dissertations

The problem of determining an optimal plant layout involves the distribution of machinery, service areas, and storage spaces. The solution is usually determined for a specific period of time and static in nature. Planning for the plant layout is normally performed at the onset of new construction, or major refurbishment of an existing facility. In addition, plant layouts are renewed when a significant productivity decrease is experienced over long periods of time and linked to material flow problems, and when an expanding company plans for major capital expenditures in equipment and space. Due to the dynamic nature of business the …

Development Of A Knowledge-Based System For Generating Process Plans Using Group Technology: A Study For Norfolk Naval Shipyard, William P. Keene Jr.

Engineering Management & Systems Engineering Theses & Dissertations

The purpose of this research was to study and analyze the Norfolk Naval Shipyard's manufacturing methods of determining part families and generating part process plans for parts in the machine shop. A knowledge-based decision support system was designed based on knowledge acquired from machinist experts and documented sources of the Norfolk Naval Shipyard. The system interprets specific part information provided by the user, categorizes parts into part families and generates process plans to manufacture the parts. The system was evaluated and tested for parts provided by Norfolk Naval Shipyard.

Comparing Traditional Statistical Models With Neural Network Models: The Case Of The Relation Of Human Performance Factors To The Outcomes Of Military Combat, William Oliver Hedgepeth

Engineering Management & Systems Engineering Theses & Dissertations

Statistics and neural networks are analytical methods used to learn about observed experience. Both the statistician and neural network researcher develop and analyze data sets, draw relevant conclusions, and validate the conclusions. They also share in the challenge of creating accurate predictions of future events with noisy data.

Both analytical methods are investigated. This is accomplished by examining the veridicality of both with real system data. The real system used in this project is a database of 400 years of historical military combat. The relationships among the variables represented in this database are recognized as being hypercomplex and nonlinear.

The …

A Nonlinear Dynamic Method For Supporting Large-Scale Decision-Making In Uncertain Environments, Wayne Woodhams

Engineering Management & Systems Engineering Theses & Dissertations

This research developed a methodology for supporting decision making by reducing uncertainty in decision environments which are too large, dynamic and complex to be treated by traditional quantitative and simulation techniques. These environments are complex because of the free choice associated with human involvement, and the existence of a large number of interrelated factors which influence the outcomes of the decision process. They are dynamic because the ground rules affecting those interrelationships are constantly changing. Uncertainty cannot be treated probabilistically, since identification of a full set of outcomes and factors of influence is not possible.

The venue for the investigation …

Development Of A Knowledge-Based System For Wastewater Pipeline Rehabilitation, David Allen Reaves

Engineering Management & Systems Engineering Theses & Dissertations

The purpose of this thesis is to study and develop a knowledge-based system to make decisions for the rehabilitation of wastewater pipelines. Development includes justification for the use of an expert system, data acquisition from knowledge experts, program model development, model testing, implementation and future considerations including expansion. The model is developed and implemented using an expert system shell called XIPlus ®.

This knowledge-based system is designed specifically for the Navy Public Works Center Utilities Department at Norfolk Naval Base in Norfolk, Virginia for making decisions for the rehabilitation of the 50-year-old wastewater collection system. Recent sewer collapses and a …

Teamwork In The Workplace: A Discovery Of The Work Processes One Team Used To Meet Its Goals, Thomas Andrew Hassler

Engineering Management & Systems Engineering Theses & Dissertations

A century-old disagreement in academia surrounds the question of whether individuals acting alone accomplish all work or whether workers can truly act in concert to meet management's production requirements. Total Quality Management (TQM) is a powerful force today in the industrial world, and the formation of teams to solve short-term problems is one of its fundamental techniques. This dissertation focuses on a particular TQM team with the purpose of understanding the processes it used to meet its goals. This ten-member team functioned for about one year and was assigned goals leading to improved accelerator reliability. The investigator was a member …

An Evaluation Of The Implementation Of Total Quality Management In A Service Organization, Charles Stanford Stevens

Engineering Management & Systems Engineering Theses & Dissertations

This research consists of a formative evaluation designed to identify the steps necessary to revitalize a formerly successful Total Quality Management (TQM) process at a U.S. Navy engineering and logistics support organization. The research also developed a methodology to account for the fact that the investigator is a well-informed insider who served as one of the principle change agents for the TQM implementation.

The research is based on the researcher's observation that the major cause for the waning implementation was due to senior management and leadership issues and the organization-wide processes with which they interface. The investigation consisted of an …

A Computer-Based Strategy To Facilitate Organizational Learning Process, Charles B. Keating

Engineering Management & Systems Engineering Theses & Dissertations

This research investigated the development of Organizational Learning Process (OLP) through the application of a computer-based strategy in an organizational setting. OLP is developed from the organizational learning literature as an integration of similar concepts of organizational processes of inquiry essential to organizational learning. These concepts included: organizational dialectic (Argyris and Schon 1978), surfacing and testing mental models (Senge 1990a,1990b), and interpretation process (Daft and Weick 1984). A qualitative research methodology was developed within a participatory action research framework (Whyte 1989). A six phase research project, designed as a computer-based strategy to generate OLP, was applied in an organizational setting. …

A Multivariate Quality Control Approach For Automated Manufacturing Systems, Hisham Naim Ashur

Engineering Management & Systems Engineering Theses & Dissertations

In today's competitive manufacturing environment, effective and practical statistical quality control approaches are essential. A successful process control approach needs to provide on line real time monitoring of quality related characteristics.

No longer acceptable is an approach that analyzes quality related data only after the product is produced. A statistical process control approach that monitors the process during production and that reports trouble spots before bad products are made is necessary in an automated manufacturing environment.

An automated manufacturing environment is characterized by high volume production runs and short production cycles. Traditional statistical process control approaches are not capable of …

A Sociotechnical Approach To The Study Of Semiautonomous Work Group Communication In Technical Organizations, Elizabeth B. Varnes

Engineering Management & Systems Engineering Theses & Dissertations

The sociotechnical aspects of group communication in semiautonomous technical work teams were investigated to understand how team members define "effective" group communication and what impact technical tools have on the group communication process. A team of workers with various technical backgrounds was selected for study. The study involved videotaped group sessions, a group training educational briefing and individual group member questionnaires. The results indicate that group members believed sharing information among group members was critical to successful communication and that certain technical tools could be effective during group meetings. The findings are congruent with the general theory that group communication …

Diffusion Of Total Quality Management: An Organizational Self-Production Perspective, Baizhong Zhao

Engineering Management & Systems Engineering Theses & Dissertations

American industries are in the process of a quality revolution. Most companies are busy implementing Total Quality Management (TQM) programs. However, the experience of both Japanese and American companies indicates that successful TQM implementation depends on an understanding of implementation processes, which itself relies on an understanding of organizational self-organizing, for it is through this process that TQM gets diffused and becomes a core component of an organization's culture. Self-organizing is a so-called process-oriented approach, based on theory from cybernetics (Ashby, 1962; Steier & Smith, 1985; von Foerster, 1960), dissipative structure theory (Prigogine & Stengers, 1984), and chaos theory (Gleick, …

The Use Of A Factory Simulation To Evaluate A Flexible Control Structure For Integrated Manufacturing, Ling Ling Pan

Engineering Management & Systems Engineering Theses & Dissertations

Once a control structure for an integrated manufacturing system is decided upon, manufacturing activities are limited by that structure. A flexible control structure is presented as an approach for accommodating a variety of manufacturing activities, without being limited to a single control structure. A flexible control structure is one that allows multiple types of control structure in the manufacturing process. For example, both hierarchical and non-hierarchical structures may be used in a flexible structure. The properties of a flexible control structure are discussed from the point of view of graph theory.

Control structures for automated manufacturing are difficult to evaluate …

Multidimensional Approach To Implementation Of Continuous Process Improvement Utilizing Small Run Analysis In A Shipyard Environment, Paul Ray Hollandsworth

Engineering Management & Systems Engineering Theses & Dissertations

Nationally, both public and private shipyards are experiencing a high rework rate (over 40%) in the fabrication of plug connectors used for electronic systems onboard Navy vessels. The shipyard's survival depends on acquiring the elements necessary to maintain a major industry in a position of continuous improvement that produces a better product than their competitors, at less cost, in a safe manner, and on schedule.

This research addresses the complex problem of how to introduce quality control methodologies within a job shop environment that assists in identifying variables that influence the rework rate of plug fabrication process over a four …

A Comparison Of Alphanumeric, Direct Manipulation Graphic, And Equivalent Interface Design For A Production Scheduling Task, Ann C. Fulop

Psychology Theses & Dissertations

Scheduling is an essential factor influencing the efficiency of any production system. The effectiveness of the scheduling system depends upon the interaction of the human and machine. Thus, to effectively design the interface between the human and the machine, the human factors professional must understand scheduling behavior and the information requirements of the scheduling task. The present study modeled human scheduling behavior and determined the information requirements of the scheduling task. The study also compared alphanumeric, direct manipulation graphic, and equivalent interfaces to determine which interface best supports scheduling. The results of the study show that schedulers monitor the current …

Dynamic Allocation Of Responsibility Between Operators With Different Models Of System Information Using Computer-Mediated Communication, Michele Terranova

Psychology Theses & Dissertations

This research focused on the effectiveness of two operator teams for dynamic control of a process simulation. The responsibility for system optimization and failure detection was shared by the operators through computer-mediated communication. System information was displayed to both operators by one of three mental models of the systems: an alphanumeric/separable representation, a graphic/integral system representation, or both representations. The following team-display configurations were used: primary operator with graphic display, support operator with alphanumeric (GRAL); primary operator with alphanumeric display, support operator with graphic (ALGR); both operators with alphanumeric displays (BOAL); both operators with graphic displays (BOGR); and both operators …