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Articles 91 - 120 of 228
Full-Text Articles in Systems Engineering
Improving Resource Management In The Afghan Air Force, Jonathan D. Ritschel, Tamiko L. Ritschel
Improving Resource Management In The Afghan Air Force, Jonathan D. Ritschel, Tamiko L. Ritschel
Faculty Publications
The nascent Afghan Air Force (AAF) is rapidly changing with new platforms programmed and existing platforms expanding. As US and coalition forces draw down, the transition of financial responsibility from American to Afghan processes is on the horizon.
Enhancing The Thermal Performance Of Temporary Fabric Shelters For The Advanced Energy Efficient Shelter System, Justin E. Eshleman
Enhancing The Thermal Performance Of Temporary Fabric Shelters For The Advanced Energy Efficient Shelter System, Justin E. Eshleman
Theses and Dissertations
Investment in the commercial space industry has grown significantly over the past decade. This investment has led to a tremendous leap in capability for small satellite systems and a greater demand for small launch vehicles. At the same time, space system affordability is a point of emphasis within the Department of Defense (DoD) which raises the question: Can the DoD lower space access costs through the exploitation of the growing small satellite and small launch marketplace? We perform a financial analysis of newly developed small launch vehicles delivering a small satellite constellation to low earth orbit (LEO) to perform wideband …
Reliability And Cost Impacts For Attritable Systems, Bryan R. Bentz
Reliability And Cost Impacts For Attritable Systems, Bryan R. Bentz
Theses and Dissertations
Attritable systems trade system attributes like reliability and reparability to achieve lower acquisition cost and decrease cost risk. Ultimately, it is hoped that by trading these attributes the amount of systems able to be acquired will be increased. However, the effect of trading these attributes on system-level reliability and cost risk is difficult to express complicated reparable systems like an air vehicle. Failure-time and cost data from a baseline limited-life air vehicle is analyzed for this reliability and reparability trade study. The appropriateness of various reliability and cost estimation techniques are examined for these data. This research employs the cumulative …
Identifying Partnership Opportunities At Air Force Installations: A Geographic Information Systems Approach, Corey R. Degroot
Identifying Partnership Opportunities At Air Force Installations: A Geographic Information Systems Approach, Corey R. Degroot
Theses and Dissertations
The excess capacity found in the Department of Defense real property portfolio creates challenges for leaders to provide resilient installations. Combining this fact with current funding trends makes decisions on how to properly maintain infrastructure even more challenging. The Air Force Partnership Initiative provides tools for installations to leverage community capabilities and resources to achieve savings and improve quality on Air Force installations and can reduce the real property footprint. This research proposes a method for assessing the viability of a partnership between Air Force installations and their nearby communities.
This research effort created a tool capable of investigating off-base …
A Portfolio Decision Analysis Study For Improving Consequence Of Facility Failure Indices, Michael J. Blaess
A Portfolio Decision Analysis Study For Improving Consequence Of Facility Failure Indices, Michael J. Blaess
Theses and Dissertations
The United States Air Force partially integrated the Mission Dependency Index (MDI) into its portfolio project selection model by assigning an MDI value to a facility type or real property category code (CATCODE) in lieu of assigning a unique MDI value to each facility through a structured interview process. This took an initial step to improve the Air Forces asset management practices; however, it failed to accurately capture the consequence of facility failure in some cases. Although a process to adjudicate the MDI value of individual facilities was created, it is still unknown how much the surveyed MDI value deviates …
Alternate Stimuli For The Elicitation Of Event-Related Potentials, Bryan V. Jackson
Alternate Stimuli For The Elicitation Of Event-Related Potentials, Bryan V. Jackson
Theses and Dissertations
Brain-Computer Interfaces (BCIs) are systems that leverage user-brain activity to identify and perform specific functions. In applications requiring overt visual attention, focusing on visual stimuli with known temporal variation can elicit measurable changes in brain activity. However, elements of BCI applications can be intrusive. This research was designed to determine if Event-Related Potentials (ERPs), to include Steady-State Visually-Evoked Potentials (SSVEPs), could be elicited and interpreted from less obtrusive stimuli. Specifically, this research explores the use of variable frequency and long-wavelength (infrared) stimuli for SSVEP interpretation to explore the application of less obtrusive stimuli for application in BCIs. It was determined …
Methodology For Simulation And Analysis Of Complex Adaptive Supply Network Structure And Dynamics Using Information Theory, Joshua V. Rodewald, John M. Colombi, Kyle F. Oyama, Alan W. Johnson
Methodology For Simulation And Analysis Of Complex Adaptive Supply Network Structure And Dynamics Using Information Theory, Joshua V. Rodewald, John M. Colombi, Kyle F. Oyama, Alan W. Johnson
Faculty Publications
Supply networks existing today in many industries can behave as complex adaptive systems making them more difficult to analyze and assess. Being able to fully understand both the complex static and dynamic structures of a complex adaptive supply network (CASN) are key to being able to make more informed management decisions and prioritize resources and production throughout the network. Previous efforts to model and analyze CASN have been impeded by the complex, dynamic nature of the systems. However, drawing from other complex adaptive systems sciences, information theory provides a model-free methodology removing many of those barriers, especially concerning complex network …
Conceptual Architecture To Measure The Effects Of Subauroral Polarization Streams On Radar Operations, Shayla K. Redmond
Conceptual Architecture To Measure The Effects Of Subauroral Polarization Streams On Radar Operations, Shayla K. Redmond
Theses and Dissertations
This thesis provides the initial conceptual development of taking into account subauroral polarization streams when preparing for a radar operation. The DoDAF views created to portray the architecture consisted of operational, capabilities, data and information, and finally system views to ensure consistency and realistic outcomes. OV-2 was the significant view because it set the baseline for required actions necessary for the proposed results the Flow Integration of Ionospheric Activity and Radar Evaluation (FIIARE) system would produce. FIIARE is a computer based system concept that performs consolidations and produce predictions using algorithms from the International Reference Ionosphere (IRI). The data portrayed …
Application Of Executable Architecture In Early Concept Evaluation Using The Dod Architecture Framework, Zhongwang Chua
Application Of Executable Architecture In Early Concept Evaluation Using The Dod Architecture Framework, Zhongwang Chua
Theses and Dissertations
The increasing complexity in the development of today's modern warfighting systems demands a systematic evaluation approach in the assessment of the envisaged capability and estimating the cost effectiveness, especially in the early stages of Concept Development. This research focused on the development of early Concept evaluation methodology through the use of Executable Architecture (EA) through the System Architecting process. Particularly, the methodology was applied in the assessment of a proposed Multi-tiered Unmanned Aircraft System System-of-System that is designed provide target acquisition and conduct dynamic strike on Theater Ballistic Missile launchers. Through the implementation of the evaluation methodology using dynamic modeling …
Air Force Project Risk Management – The Impact Of Inconsistent Processes, Eric J. Perez
Air Force Project Risk Management – The Impact Of Inconsistent Processes, Eric J. Perez
Theses and Dissertations
On the surface, the majority of Air Force units appear to be executing some form of project risk management (PRM). Deeper investigation exposes many of the PRM practices currently in place to often be ad hoc, and as such, have the potential to poorly inform decisions when risk data is escalated to the enterprise levels of the Air Force. Resultantly, there is inconsistency between the PRM processes practiced by Air Force units. This inconsistency is an indication of risk mishandling at the project level and erroneous risk data provided at the enterprise levels of the Air Force. It may be …
Efficient Employment Of Large Format Sensor Data Transfer Architectures, Jeffrey R. Oltmanns
Efficient Employment Of Large Format Sensor Data Transfer Architectures, Jeffrey R. Oltmanns
Theses and Dissertations
Due to the increasing quantity of data collected by Air Force intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) assets and the focus on timely access to the data collected by these systems, operational data transfer network architectures have become a critical component of their employment in the intelligence production process. Efficient utilization of the provided long-haul communications component of the ISR system improves the value of the single asset to the warfighter and enables connectivity of additional assets via the data transfer network architecture. This research effort focused on the creation and implementation of a structured test design methodology based on the …
Short-Term Building Energy Model Recommendation System: A Meta-Learning Approach, Can Cui, Teresa Wu, Mengqi Hu, Jeffery D. Weir, Xiwang Li
Short-Term Building Energy Model Recommendation System: A Meta-Learning Approach, Can Cui, Teresa Wu, Mengqi Hu, Jeffery D. Weir, Xiwang Li
Faculty Publications
High-fidelity and computationally efficient energy forecasting models for building systems are needed to ensure optimal automatic operation, reduce energy consumption, and improve the building’s resilience capability to power disturbances. Various models have been developed to forecast building energy consumption. However, given buildings have different characteristics and operating conditions, model performance varies. Existing research has mainly taken a trial-and-error approach by developing multiple models and identifying the best performer for a specific building, or presumed one universal model form which is applied on different building cases. To the best of our knowledge, there does not exist a generalized system framework which …
Application Of System Engineering Leading Indicators To Scrum Agile Projects, Eric M. Shirley
Application Of System Engineering Leading Indicators To Scrum Agile Projects, Eric M. Shirley
Theses and Dissertations
SCRUM Agile metrics and System Engineering Leading Indicators (SE LIs) are measures used to evaluate the effectiveness and performance of a project across its lifecycle. The application of metrics can provide information on both internal resources and external project stakeholder requirements and constraints, showing past changes, trends, and potential future impacts. Both SCRUM Agile and SE LIs are designed to give a systems engineer/project manager insight into development progress allowing for progress to be checked at regular intervals as well as early corrective actions to be taken if necessary. This research applied SE LIs to a SCRUM Agile project to …
Measuring The Effectiveness Of Us Military Humanitarian Construction Projects Through Geospatial Analysis Of Public Opinion In Belize, Arthur Z. Dietrich
Measuring The Effectiveness Of Us Military Humanitarian Construction Projects Through Geospatial Analysis Of Public Opinion In Belize, Arthur Z. Dietrich
Theses and Dissertations
As part of broader US foreign policy efforts the Department of Defense (DoD) increasingly conducts complex operations which focus on efforts to influence local populations. These \hearts and minds" operations often include humanitarian and development construction projects. The wider impact on US foreign policy effort from the US military's participation in projects traditionally conducted by civilian agencies is not well understood. This research examined the effects on local public opinion from two US Air Force led \Operation New Horizons" Humanitarian and Civic Assistance (HCA) missions conducted in the nation of Belize in 2013 and 2014. The study specifically looked for …
Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (Uav) Operators’ Workload Reduction: The Effect Of 3d Audio On Operators’ Workload And Performance During Multi-Aircraft Control, Sungbin Kim
Theses and Dissertations
The importance and number of Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) operations are rapidly growing in both military and civilian applications. This growth has produced significant manpower issues, producing a desire that multiple aircraft are controlled by a single operator as opposed to the current model where one aircraft may require multiple operators. A potential issue is the need for an operator to monitor radio traffic for the call signs of multi-aircraft. An investigation of the use of 3D sound was undertaken to investigate whether an automatic parser, which preselected the spatial location of relevant versus irrelevant call signs, could aid UAV …
Improving System Design Through The Integration Of Human Systems And Systems Engineering Models, Michael E. Watson
Improving System Design Through The Integration Of Human Systems And Systems Engineering Models, Michael E. Watson
Theses and Dissertations
The human is a critical aspect of many systems, but frequently there is a failure to properly account for human capabilities and involvement during system design. This inattention results in systems with higher lifecycle costs, decreased user compatibility, and the potential to produce disastrous consequences. This research presents an approach to integrating the human into system models by using two methods: static and dynamic modeling. The static method uses a user-centered design framework to create system- and human-centered models that deconstruct the system and user into their respective components. These models are integrated to create system models that include relevant …
Analysis Of Inpatient Hospital Staff Mental Workload By Means Of Discrete-Event Simulation, Erich W. Maxheimer
Analysis Of Inpatient Hospital Staff Mental Workload By Means Of Discrete-Event Simulation, Erich W. Maxheimer
Theses and Dissertations
Many process improvement tools have been applied to the healthcare industry to improve safety and efficiency. However, nearly all of these tools have neglected to explicitly quantify mental workload of healthcare providers despite the consensus that it is related to human performance. This research uses the Improved Performance Research Integration Tool (IMPRINT), a discrete-event simulation (DES), to quantify mental workload. Specifically, this research examines staff members in an inpatient unit at the Wright-Patterson Medical Center to detect workload differences between staff, identify trends which lead to high workload demands, evaluate the influence of patient load on mental workload, and test …
The Efficacy Of Implementing A Small, Low-Cost, Real Time Kinematic Gps System Into A Small Unmanned Aerial System Architecture, Kevin J. Hendricks
The Efficacy Of Implementing A Small, Low-Cost, Real Time Kinematic Gps System Into A Small Unmanned Aerial System Architecture, Kevin J. Hendricks
Theses and Dissertations
Along with the growing uses for small unmanned aerial systems (UAS) within the Department of Defense (DoD), is the utility of small UAS within the civilian market is also increasing. This has led to significant research and development on small UAS subsystems by the commercial market. The focus of this research is characterizing and investigating the application considerations of a small, low-cost real time kinematic (RTK) GPS receiver system. Work was also accomplished to characterize the accuracy and precision of the commonly used GPS receiver subsystem in small UAS to show the increased utility of the RTK GPS system. The …
Lifecycle Cost Evaluation Of Flexible Facility Designs, Trevor P. Ellis
Lifecycle Cost Evaluation Of Flexible Facility Designs, Trevor P. Ellis
Theses and Dissertations
The purpose of this research is to ascertain the type of facility design, standard, robust, or flexible, that yields the greatest lower lifecycle costs (LCC) savings to the USAF. To this aim, the researcher constructed a Monte Carlo simulation to determine the LCC for flexible, robust, and standard administrative facility designs for thousands of potential facility lifecycles. The simulation also illustrates the circumstances under which each type of design would result in the lowest LCC. The results of this research will show the USAF the importance of focusing on LCC and designing flexible facilities. Standard and robust designs are the …
A Time-Variant Value-Focused Methodology For Supporting Pre-Acquisition, Brian K. Scheller
A Time-Variant Value-Focused Methodology For Supporting Pre-Acquisition, Brian K. Scheller
Theses and Dissertations
Military operations are dynamic in nature, as time-dependent requirements or adversary actions can contribute to differing levels of mission performance among systems. Future military operations commonly use multi-criteria decision analysis techniques that rely on value-focused thinking (VFT) to analyze and ultimately rank alternatives during the Analysis of Alternatives phase of the acquisition process. Traditional VFT approaches are not typically employed with the intention of analyzing time-variant performance of alternatives. In this research, a holistic approach towards integrating fundamental practices such as VFT, systems architecture, and modeling and simulation is used to analyze time-dependent data outputs of an alternative’s performance within …
A Recommendation System For Meta-Modeling: A Meta-Learning Based Approach, Can Cui, Mengqi Hu, Jeffery D. Weir, Teresa Wu
A Recommendation System For Meta-Modeling: A Meta-Learning Based Approach, Can Cui, Mengqi Hu, Jeffery D. Weir, Teresa Wu
Faculty Publications
Various meta-modeling techniques have been developed to replace computationally expensive simulation models. The performance of these meta-modeling techniques on different models is varied which makes existing model selection/recommendation approaches (e.g., trial-and-error, ensemble) problematic. To address these research gaps, we propose a general meta-modeling recommendation system using meta-learning which can automate the meta-modeling recommendation process by intelligently adapting the learning bias to problem characterizations. The proposed intelligent recommendation system includes four modules: (1) problem module, (2) meta-feature module which includes a comprehensive set of meta-features to characterize the geometrical properties of problems, (3) meta-learner module which compares the performance of instance-based …
Integrated Systems Health Management As An Enabler For Condition Based Maintenance And Autonomic Logistics, Robert M. Vandawalker
Integrated Systems Health Management As An Enabler For Condition Based Maintenance And Autonomic Logistics, Robert M. Vandawalker
Theses and Dissertations
Health monitoring systems have demonstrated the ability to detect potential failures in components and predict how long until a critical failure is likely to occur. Implementing these systems on fielded structures, aircraft, or other vehicles is often a struggle to prove cost savings or operational improvements beyond improved safety. A system architecture to identify how the health monitoring systems are integrated into fielded aircraft is developed to assess cost, operations, maintenance, and logistics trade-spaces. The efficiency of a health monitoring system is examined for impacts to the operation of a squadron of cargo aircraft revealing sensitivity to and tolerance for …
An Assessment Of The Effectiveness Of Air Force Risk Management Practices In Program Acquisition Using Survey Instrument Analysis, Michael J. Maroney Jr.
An Assessment Of The Effectiveness Of Air Force Risk Management Practices In Program Acquisition Using Survey Instrument Analysis, Michael J. Maroney Jr.
Theses and Dissertations
Air Force acquisition programs invest a large amount of resources to develop and field systems. Many of these resources go to risk management in order to help ensure those programs finish successfully with respect to cost, schedule, and technical performance goals. The question arises as to whether this is a sound investment. Although risk management has been shown to be effective in industry, scant empirical evidence exists for its effectiveness within the Air Force. Correlation and regression analysis of survey data show that a positive relationship does exist between specific risk practices and project success. Furthermore, the analysis suggests that …
Analysis Of The Effectiveness Of The F-15e Risk Management During Peacetime Operations, Elliot B. Vasquez
Analysis Of The Effectiveness Of The F-15e Risk Management During Peacetime Operations, Elliot B. Vasquez
Theses and Dissertations
Human factors are causal or contributory in 80% of Class A mishaps in the Air Force. Risk management tools are used throughout the service in every aircraft to help mitigate the risk of those human factors occurring. The F-15E Strike Eagle community was selected for analysis on the effectiveness of its risk management program but the data was comprised on Class A mishaps from Accident Investigation Boards since 2000 between the F-15 (all models), F-16 (all models), and F-22. Cases were selected if there were human factors root causes or contributory. A fault tree analysis coupled with the Department of …
Army Information Technology Procurement: A Business Process Analysis, Alexander M. Vukcevic
Army Information Technology Procurement: A Business Process Analysis, Alexander M. Vukcevic
Theses and Dissertations
This thesis presents a business process analysis of the Army's ICT procurement system. The research identified several inefficiencies and proposes several potential solutions. the contributions of this research include a unified taxonomy, a method to prioritize requests, and system architecture products for development of an automated and sustainable collaboration interface for the CIO/G6 to streamline their IT acquisition process. Development of a centralized system would reduce waste in the request process from submission to formal accounting, hasten the movement of requests between stakeholders, maintain a digital signature authorization for each approval authority, provide a reporting database to recognize reprogramming thresholds, …
Modeling, Simulation, And Analysis Of A Decoy State Enabled Quantum Key Distribution System, Ryan D. Engle
Modeling, Simulation, And Analysis Of A Decoy State Enabled Quantum Key Distribution System, Ryan D. Engle
Theses and Dissertations
Quantum Key Distribution (QKD) is an emerging technology which uses the principles of quantum mechanics to provide unconditionally secure key distribution. QKD systems are unique in their ability to detect an eavesdropper's presence and are being marketed for applications where high levels of secrecy are required such as banking, government, and military environments. QKD systems are composed of electrical, optical, and electrooptical components. Their design requires expertise across multiple disciplines including computer science, computer engineering, electrical engineering, information theory, optical physics, and quantum physics. This multidisciplinary nature makes QKD an ideal candidate for study using Model Based Systems Engineering (MBSE) …
Functionality, Complexity, And Approaches To Assessment Of Resilience Under Constrained Energy And Information, Jason B. Clark
Functionality, Complexity, And Approaches To Assessment Of Resilience Under Constrained Energy And Information, Jason B. Clark
Theses and Dissertations
While system functions, functionality, and complexity are widely used concepts in systems engineering, there is significant diversity in their definitions and no unified approach to measurement. This research establishes a method for measuring impacts to functionality in dynamic engineered systems based on changes in kinetic energy. This metric is applied at particular levels of abstraction and system scales, consistent with the established multiscale nature of systems. By measuring system behavior in context with expected scenarios, it is possible to estimate expected functionality or set bounds on a system's maximum functionality. Functionality and system effectiveness is heavily influenced by the amount …
Using Earned Value Data To Forecast The Duration Of Department Of Defense (Dod) Space Acquisition Programs, Shedrick M. Bridgeforth
Using Earned Value Data To Forecast The Duration Of Department Of Defense (Dod) Space Acquisition Programs, Shedrick M. Bridgeforth
Theses and Dissertations
The accuracy of cost estimates is vital during this era of budget constraints. A key component of this accuracy is regularly updating the cost estimate at completion (EAC). A 2014 study by the Air Force Cost Analysis Agency (AFCAA) improved the accuracy of the cost estimate at completion (EAC) for space system contracts. The study found schedule duration to be a cost driver, but assumed the underlying duration estimate was accurate. This research attempts to improve the accuracy of the duration estimate from the AFCAA study; accuracy is evaluated with the Mean Absolute Percent Error (MAPE). The methods researched here …
A Comparative Study Of Learning Curve Models In Defense Airframe Cost Estimating, Justin R. Moore
A Comparative Study Of Learning Curve Models In Defense Airframe Cost Estimating, Justin R. Moore
Theses and Dissertations
The goal of this research was to identify which learning curve model is most accurate when applied to Defense acquisition programs. Wright's original learning curve model is widely accepted and used within Defense acquisitions, but the 75+ year old model may be outdated. This study compares Wright's model against three alternative learning curve models using total lot costs for the F-15 C/D & E programs: the Stanford-B model, the DeJong learning formula, and the S-Curve model. However, the results of the study are inconclusive. Two of the three alternative models, the DeJong and S-Curve, rely on the use of an …
Approximate Dynamic Programming For Military Resource Allocation, Carl R. Parson
Approximate Dynamic Programming For Military Resource Allocation, Carl R. Parson
Theses and Dissertations
This research considers the optimal allocation of weapons to a collection of targets with the objective of maximizing the value of destroyed targets. The weapon-target assignment (WTA) problem is a classic non-linear combinatorial optimization problem with an extensive history in operations research literature. The dynamic weapon target assignment (DWTA) problem aims to assign weapons optimally over time using the information gained to improve the outcome of their engagements. This research investigates various formulations of the DWTA problem and develops algorithms for their solution. Finally, an embedded optimization problem is introduced in which optimization of the multi-stage DWTA is used to …