Other Operations Research, Systems Engineering and Industrial Engineering Commons^™

Development Strategies For Grid-Connected Utility-Scale Solar Photovoltaic To Increase Renewable Energy Penetration, Surya Budi Ariyadi, Widodo W Purwanto

CSID Journal of Infrastructure Development

The government of Indonesia has launched programs to decarbonize its power systems by replacing fossil fuel-based plants with renewable energy. Solar photovoltaic (PV) deployment faces economic and technical barriers despite abundant solar irradiance. This study evaluates techno-economic strategies for 10 MW grid-connected solar PV systems, comparing two scenarios: without Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) and with BESS to reduce grid reliance. Key interventions were analyzed for their economic impacts, including tariff adjustments, carbon tax implementation, and competitive auction schemes. The results show that without BESS, the project achieves an Internal Rate of Return (IRR) of 21.30%, making it highly feasible. …

The Boris Experience: Evaluating Omnichannel Returns And Repurchase Intention, Jianliang Hao, Robert G. Richey Jr., Tyler R. Morgan, Ian M. Slazinik

Faculty Publications

Researchers have examined the influence of the factors on reducing return rates in retailing over the years. However, the returns experience is often an overlooked way to drive customer engagement and repeat sales in the now ubiquitous omnichannel setting. The focus on returns prevention in existing research overshadows management’s need to understand better the comprehensive mechanics linking the customer in-store return experience with their repurchase actions. Recognizing the need to bridge different stages of the returns management process, this research aims to explore the facilitators and barriers of in-store return activities.

Processing Cost Analysis For Great South Metals, Evan Briggs, Madisen Laskos, Jared Perrin

Senior Design Project For Engineers

Great south Metals (GSM), a steel processing company based in Acworth, GA, has partnered with the Kennesaw State University (KSU) Industrial and System Engineering (ISYE) department to optimize its costing model. Currently, GSM uses a flat pricing structure for GSM-owned materials and estimates costs for toll processing. However, this approach has led to inaccuracies in pricing and challenges in tracking profitability. GSM seeks to transition to a more systematic and data-driven costing model that will improve both internal and external quoting while ensuring competitiveness in the market.

To address these challenges, the project focused on developing separate costing matrices for …

Computational Representation, Analysis And Verification Of Requirements In Engineering Design And Systems Engineering, Chandan Kumar Sahu

All Dissertations

Systems are developed to satisfy a set of requirements derived from stakeholders’ needs, defining the problem space for which the system is created as a feasible solution. The system design process begins with eliciting these requirements and concludes with validating whether the created system meets them. Requirements engineering (RE) encompasses elicitation, representation, analysis, documentation, verification, and validation. However, challenges in RE, such as imprecision in natural language (NL), proprietary restrictions, and a lack of standardized quality metrics, hinder the creation of well-formed and comprehensive requirements. These challenges complicate formalization and analysis of requirements.

This dissertation addresses these challenges by proposing …

Data-Driven Quality Improvement For Sustainability In Automotive Packaging Systems, Tyler Mcknight

Morehead State Theses and Dissertations

A thesis presented to the faculty of the College of Science and Engineering at Morehead State University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Degree Master of Science by Tyler McKnight on November 25, 2024.

Motivating Sustainability Through The State Of Biologically Inspired Design, Bryan Watson

Sustainability Conference

There are multiple arguements for sustainability, but one that resonates with environmentalists and the public alike is the need for preservation to all us to discovery natural solutions to our problems. Common examples often given include medical discoveries, unique mechanisms, and new materials. This presentation focuses on two ideas to motivate sustainability. First, what is the current state of biologically inspired design? Is there more to learn from nature? To answer these questions, recent research is presented which examined 660 Biologically Inspired Design samples from three data sources: Google Scholar, Google News, and the Asknature.org “Innovations” database. The data were …

Strategies To Alleviate Flickering: Bayesian And Smoothing Methods For Deep Learning Classification In Video, Noah Miller, Glen Ryan Drumm, Lance Champagne, Bruce A. Cox, Trevor Bihl

Faculty Publications

Excerpt: Increasing reliance on autonomous systems requires confidence in the accuracies produced from computer vision classification algorithms. Computer vision (CV) for video classification provides phenomenal abilities, but it often suffers from “flickering” of results. Flickering occurs when the CV algorithm switches between declared classes over successive frames. Such behavior causes a loss of trust and confidence in their operations.

Effect Of Workload And Trust On Automation Levels In Human-Robot Collaboration, Abhiram Maddula

LSU Master's Theses

Automation is becoming increasingly common in manufacturing and assembly plants. The future lies in hybrid workspaces where the strengths of humans and robots complement each other, with robots excelling in precision, speed, and strength, and humans excelling in creativity, emotional intelligence, and complex decision-making. Collaborative robots can foster a more efficient and productive work environment by bridging the gap between human and machine capabilities. This study examines how semi-automated and automated modes impact human-robot collaboration, focusing on mental workload, trust, and task performance.

In this experiment, 58 participants performed a primary task alongside a collaborative robot assembling a miniature lamppost …

Investigating The Relationship Between History, Urbanization And Wealth Gap In Johannesburg, South Africa, Abdallah F. Kaamah

Tanzania Journal of Engineering and Technology (TJET)

The city of Johannesburg is the largest city in South Africa and named as one of the economic drivers of the country. However, the city has the widest wealth gap in the country. This article examines the relationship between historical occurrences, urbanization, and the resulted wealth disparity in Johannesburg and look at the mitigation measures. The findings point to the wealth disparity in the city as a multifaceted problem influenced by historical, urbanization, and political variables. Comprehensive and multifaceted policy initiatives are required to address the structural causes of inequality and the urgent needs of vulnerable populations to close the …

Urbanization And Urban Sprawl In The Post-Colonial Era Douala City, Cameroon, Sylvia Munisi

Tanzania Journal of Engineering and Technology (TJET)

The history of the port city of Douala spans pre-colonial period, colonial period of the Germans and French occupation, the post-colonial era and the contemporary situation with continuous occupancy of the coastal environment. This article looks at the relationship between the history of the city of Douala to the resulting urban situation focusing on governance structure as well as rapid urbanization. The findings show that governance structure allowing for a duality of modern political system and traditional cultural system of kingships and chiefdoms has an effect to the resulting urban sprawl. Moreover, rapid urbanization under this condition has an overall …

Transport Mobility Analysis For Informal Settlements In Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania, Fatma Kassim Mohamed

Tanzania Journal of Engineering and Technology (TJET)

Dar es Salaam is one of the world’s fastest growing cities and is expected to be the third largest by 2100 with a population of 76 million. Dar es Salaam city is made of multiple neighbourhoods that are very diverse in terms of socio-economic status, gender, age and prevalent activities. One of the biggest challenges facing the city of Dar es Salaam is urban sprawl due to informal settlements that in turn leads to very long travel time and hinders equal mobility and accessibility of labour and goods. This study found that the current mobility vision for Dar es Salaam …

The Use Of Locally Available Materials Towards Urban Planning For Sustainable Construction: The Case Of Gondar-Ethiopia, Kidist Dereje

Tanzania Journal of Engineering and Technology (TJET)

The city of Gondar in northern Ethiopia has a rich history that is connected to urban planning and construction. From the era of the Fasiledes that built masonry castles, Italian colonialism that zoned the city on racial boundaries and the post-colonial planning that wanted a more global standard, Gondar has been subjected to different planning and construction methods. This evolution however, has brought about challenges related to the sustainability of the construction industry and the communities within the city. This paper analyses the relationship between urban planning and use of local construction materials to attain sustainable development of the city. …

Relationship Between Historic Evolution, Urbanization And Mobility In Ibadan, Nigeria, Aisha Adams

Tanzania Journal of Engineering and Technology (TJET)

Ibadan is said to be the biggest indigenous city in Nigeria with a population of about 4.04 million, making it the third largest city in the country after Lagos and Kano. Since its founding in 1829, Ibadan has experienced urban evolution that is mostly unguided. With its high fertility rate, population growth and rural-to-urban migration, Ibadan has experienced significant urban sprawl that has resulted in challenges in urban mobility especially to the lower-income earners. This study looks at the relationship between urban planning, urbanization and mobility in the city of Ibadan. The study found that lack of integrated land use …

An Analysis Of Electrical Energy Resilience Technologies As Applied To Air Force Operations, Eric D. Danko

Theses and Dissertations

An analysis of 46 Resilient Energy Devices and Technology Concepts was conducted to determine their suitability for use in supporting Air Force Operations both at home station and abroad. The research consisted of two endeavors: an extensive literature review and a rank-ordering matrix. The dual nature of the efforts was designed to maximize usability and understanding for the End User, who may not be familiar with some principles of energy technologies, resilience, or design. The results showed the superiority of novel Solid (Metal) Fuels and Lead-Acid Batteries for Energy Storage and Thermoelectric Generators, Solar Photovoltaic Panels, Geothermal Extraction, Diesel Generators, …

Investigations Of Cell Tower Antennas Parameters On Reduction Of Radio Frequency Radiation Levels From Radio Base Stations, Florence U. Rashidi

Tanzania Journal of Engineering and Technology (TJET)

The widespread deployment of mobile cellular base stations in populated areas has raised public health concerns due to increased exposure to radio frequency (RF) radiation emissions. Exposure to high levels of RF radiation can have potential thermal and non-thermal biological effects. Optimizing the configuration of cell tower antenna parameters is crucial for mitigating these radiation levels. This study therefore aims at systematically investigating the influence of different cell tower antenna parameters on reducing the RF radiation levels from mobile base stations. Field measurements were conducted at two cell sites shared by multiple mobile operators. Electric field strengths were measured at …

Assessing The Importance Of Air-Decking Blasting In Controlling Bigv At An Open Pit Gold Mine In Tanzania Using Ann Model, Karim R. Baruti

Tanzania Journal of Engineering and Technology (TJET)

Air-decking blasting technique is used to control blast induced ground vibration (BIGV) in several mines including open-pit gold mines located in Tanzania. While the importance of air-deck to control BIGV is practically evident, theoretical models such as BIGV prediction models cannot be used to assess the importance of air-decking. The main objective of this study was to assess the importance of the air-decking blasting technique to control BIGV using the artificial neural network (ANN)Model. To achieve this objective, ANNs were modeled and trained to learn the pattern of data using Multilayer Perception with Back Propagation to predict BIGV. The main …

Modeling The Influence Of Internal Factors On Vehicular Mobility Performance, Aziz Mdimi

Tanzania Journal of Engineering and Technology (TJET)

Traffic mobility is significantly influenced by road conditions and the internal factors governing vehicular performance. Internal factors play a crucial role in vehicular mobility, influencing vehicles operate and performance. While existing vehicular mobility models primarily address external factors, external factors such as governor, engine, gear train and differential unit remain underexplored. This study formulates a comprehensive model to address this gap, focusing on the internal components that affect vehicular mobility. The proposed model employs both analytical and numerical methods to derive transfer functions for these subsystems using Matrix Laboratory (MATLAB), aiming to capture the dynamic behavior of vehicles under various …

Investigation Of Heavy Metal Composition And Associated Health Risks From Selected Groundwater Wells In Temeke, Dar-Es-Salaam, Justin M. Jeremiah

Tanzania Journal of Engineering and Technology (TJET)

Water quality continues to be the challenge to residents in Dar es Salaam due to various anthropogenic activities in the city. This study was conducted to assess groundwater quality by determining concentrations of heavy metals. Both probability and Nonprobability sampling techniques were used to collect samples from 40 groundwater wells in 24 wards of Temeke municipal and analysed using Microwave Plasma Atomic Emission Spectrometer (Agilent 4210 MP-AES) at the Geochemistry Laboratory of the University of Dar es Salaam. Results indicated varying heavy metal concentrations ranging from 0.71 ± 0.08 to 6.64 ± 0.21 mg/l for As, 0.02 ± 0.01 to …

Development And Testing Of Small-Scale Flash Dryer For Maize Bran, Eden Ngowi

Tanzania Journal of Engineering and Technology (TJET)

Sun drying is the most common technique used to dry various food products due to its economic convenience. However, it is not effective owing to its unreliable nature leading to microbial deterioration and aflatoxin contamination of food. In Tanzania, about 1.3 million tonnes of maize bran are at risk of deterioration annually due to improper drying. The aim of this study was to design, fabricate and test an efficient small-scale flash dryer for maize bran. Using principles of material and energy balance, a small-scale flash dryer with a throughput of 500 kg of dry product per hour was designed resulting …

Necessity Of Education For Efficient And Sustainable Production And Consumption Of Energy In Tanzania, George Kahangwa

Tanzania Journal of Engineering and Technology (TJET)

This paper reports the findings of a study that was conducted in Tanzania to grasp how the policies, plans and curricula at different levels of education accommodate knowledge gathered on energy to support the fostering of energy education. The study interrogated what necessitates the inclusion of energy education into the curricula in Tanzania. Subscribing to a qualitative approach, the study employed a desk research method to review curricula and other documents guiding secondary and university level education in the country. The study found out that heightening people’s consumption of energy for domestic and industrial purposes constituted the main issue that …

Perona-Malik Diffusion-Driven Regularization For Image Resolution Enhancement In Electrical Capacitance Tomography, Nassor Ally

Tanzania Journal of Engineering and Technology (TJET)

Electrical Capacitance Tomography (ECT) is a non-invasive promising method for monitoring industrial processes, such as oil-gas flow in pipelines and solid-gas flow in pneumatic systems. Despite its potential benefits, ECT generates poor-quality images, often used only for qualitative analysis. A non-linear relationship between measured capacitances and permittivity distribution and the ill-posedness of the sensitivity matrix elements causes this limitation. This hinders the applicability of ECT in monitoring online industrial process applications. This work proposes a reconstruction method based on a nonlinear diffusion function to generate high-quality images from the measured capacitance data from the ECT system. The diffusion regularization functional …

Evaluation Of Business-Driven Reference Architecture For Big Data Analytics Implementation By Public Sector Organizations In Resource-Constrained Setting: A Case Study Of Uganda, Matendo Didas

Tanzania Journal of Engineering and Technology (TJET)

Big Data Analytics (BDA) is a new area at the nexus of agenda, public sector organizations, and government business. It may satisfy the growing need for trustworthy, cost-effective services in the public sector for better, more informed decision-making processes. BDA has been proposed on the planning schedules of several public sector organizations and the government. Therefore, from the previous work, using Uganda as a case study, specifically the Uganda Bureau of Statistics (UBOS), Ministry of Health (MoH), and Ministry of Education and Sports (MoES), this study aims to evaluate a designed Business-Driven Reference Architecture for Big Data Analytics Implementation (BRABDAI) …

Exploring The Transformation Of Sustainable Collective Spaces: A Study From Mlalakuwa Informal Settlement, Jacob Lutta

Tanzania Journal of Engineering and Technology (TJET)

A major challenge in collective space transformation is addressing the complexity of informal urbanisation in developing countries. Using a case study approach, this paper examines the concerns related to a particular informal settlement's sustainable collective space transformation. One of the key findings is that the absence of formal rules and regulations in the development of informal settlements in combination with land-grabbing leads to the absence of open spaces that could be used collectively. It is observed that sustainability in urban development is another body of critical thought that integrates several streams of current urban elements and embodies various conceptions of …

The Effects Of Corporate Culture On Firm Growth: Evidence From Tanzania’S Construction Firms, Fred P. Okangi

Tanzania Journal of Engineering and Technology (TJET)

Corporate culture is one of those important aspects that determine the growth of firms. This study investigates the effects of the different types of corporate culture on the growth of Tanzania’s local construction firms. A survey of 227 Tanzania’s construction firms was undertaken using semi-structured questionnaire. The data collected were quantitatively analysed using Stata 13.0 software. The study results indicate that only the hierarchy type of corporate culture positively and significantly impacts the growth of Tanzania’s construction firms. The other types of corporate culture, such as adhocracy, market, and clan had insignificant effects on the growth of the construction firms …

Safety And Risk Management Strategies For Achieving Regulatory Compliance In Construction Projects, Danny Rodriguez

Harrisburg University Dissertations and Theses

The architectural and construction business places great importance on safety and regulatory compliance because of its inherent high-risk nature and strict legal obligations. The prevalence of accidents and infractions at construction sites underscores the imperative for enhanced safety management systems and compliance with rules, notwithstanding substantial endeavors. The main objective of this study is to examine the many elements that impact the effectiveness of safety management, adherence to regulations, and the development of a safety culture, with the ultimate purpose of improving safety outcomes on construction sites.

The issue statement pertains to the difficulties associated with safety management and compliance …

Organizational Reliability And Resilience As A Dynamic System: Knowledge Modeling With Fuzzy Cognitive Maps, Antonie J. Jetter, Ahmed A. Alibage, Nan Peter Liang

Engineering and Technology Management Faculty Publications and Presentations

Safety research in complex environments recommends that high-hazard industries improve reliability and increase their capacity for resilience by enacting principles for high-reliability organizing (HRO). This view has been highly influential in many industries, ranging from aviation to hospitals, and is at the core of many safety culture programs. However, even though HRO principles originated in business practice and were observed in diverse organizations, practitioners frequently struggle to enact them in the contexts of their work. This is likely caused by two limitations of current research: principles are insufficiently specified and the interdependencies between them, such as mutually reinforcing vs. tradeoff …

Quantifying Relationships In Fuzzy Cognitive Maps Based On Content Analysis Of Unstructured Research Texts, Ahmed Alibage, Antonie J. Jetter, Elpiniki Papageorgiou

Engineering and Technology Management Faculty Publications and Presentations

FCM projects often rely on knowledge-based approaches, such as expert interviews, which can be challenging to conduct because they require extensive expert participation. We propose a novel alternative to create FCM models based on expert knowledge that is already codified in research texts and other publications. In this approach, thematic network analysis identifies FCM concepts and signed causal connections, while computation of t-coefficient is used to determine the weights of the identified edges. We introduce and evaluate the approach in the context of a real-world system modeling project that is based on 47 carefully selected, peer reviewed research publications on …

Virtual Engagement: Can Law Enforcement Benefit From Utilizing Extended Reality In Their Training Systems?, Jacob Maxwell Read

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Introduction: Extended reality (XR) technologies offer innovative training solutions for various industries, including healthcare, manufacturing, aviation, sports, military, and law enforcement. XR can provide a solution for training where job tasks are difficult or near impossible to train in real-life. A human factors research and design approach could provide an effective, low-risk, and cost and time-efficient option for integrating the use of XR technology into training for many industries. To advance this goal, this research answered two main research questions: (1) What training needs/challenges are best suited for an XR training system designed for law enforcement officers (LEOs)? (2) …

Smart Grid Cybersecurity In The Age Of Artificial Intelligence, Chip Corbett, Charles M. Weber, Timothy R. Anderson

Engineering and Technology Management Faculty Publications and Presentations

The security of the power grid is essential for the proper function of a democratic society, yet it is constantly under threat. The internet of things (loT) will make a bad situation much worse. Misinformation, disinformation, and malinformation (MDM) have been identified as serious threats to our democratic institutions, and that same acronym applies to mobile device management (MDM), and these devices have become ubiquitous. People are notoriously bad at doing basic cybersecurity. With trillions of devices and remote access everywhere, what could possibly go wrong? Now add in the engaging opportunity of distributed energy resources (DERs) and life gets …

Enterprise Systems: Installing And Configuring Erpnext On Macos, Yazan Abbasi

Senior Honors Theses

Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) systems integrate business processes across organizations onto unified digital platforms through data and workflow consolidation. However, high licensing costs of proprietary ERP solutions like SAP and Oracle limit adoption for small and medium enterprises. This led to the emergence of open-source ERP alternatives like ERPNext which provide sophisticated capabilities at much lower total cost of ownership. However, ERPNext faces documentation gaps that hamper onboarding, customization, and widespread adoption. Accelerating ERPNext implementation by developing a comprehensive installation and configuration guide tailored for developers using Mac environments will be examined furthermore.

The background on ERP systems explores critical …