Systems Engineering Commons^™

Subsurface Analytics: Contribution Of Artificial Intelligence And Machine Learning To Reservoir Engineering, Reservoir Modeling, And Reservoir Management, Shahab D. Mohaghegh

Faculty & Staff Scholarship

Subsurface Analytics is a new technology that changes the way reservoir simulation and modeling is performed. Instead of starting with the construction of mathematical equations to model the physics of the fluid flow through porous media and then modification of the geological models in order to achieve history match, Subsurface Analytics that is a completely AI-based reservoir simulation and modeling technology takes a completely different approach. In AI-based reservoir modeling, field measurements form the foundation of the reservoir model. Using data-driven, pattern recognition technologies; the physics of the fluid flow through porous media is modeled through discovering the best, most …

Bootstrap Statistics, Greg Hutto

Operations Management Presentations

Bootstrap Statistics is an intuitive approach to learning statistics because of its simplicity, freedom from assumptions and wide applicability. This webinar will refresh your knowledge of statistics and give you intuitive tools to apply concepts. We will deduce robust methods to build point estimates, interval estimates and assert differences or similarities. If time permits, we’ll even evaluate statistical power! And we’ll do it all with only one major assumption and no curtain of math or normal theory clouding our procedures. The webinar will be accompanied by three papers, tool references, slides and a sample data set with solutions.

Engineering Management Competencies: A Framework For Present And Future Engineering Environments, Christopher Vaughn Barrett

Engineering Management & Systems Engineering Theses & Dissertations

Managing and directing engineering requires engineering management competencies. Although perspectives may differ concerning competencies for engineering management, identifying competencies can direct and improve management. The purpose of this research is to develop a framework of competencies for engineering managers using an inductive research design. Development of this engineering management competency framework involves an exploration of three primary research questions. The first question is ‘What are the current competencies for engineering managers?’ The response to this question provides a basis for the current state of competencies for engineering managers. The second research question, ‘What are future engineering management competencies based on …

Applying Control Abstraction To The Design Of Human–Agent Teams, Clifford D. Johnson, Michael E. Miller, Christina F. Rusnock, David R. Jacques

Faculty Publications

Levels of Automation (LOA) provide a method for describing authority granted to automated system elements to make individual decisions. However, these levels are technology-centric and provide little insight into overall system operation. The current research discusses an alternate classification scheme, referred to as the Level of Human Control Abstraction (LHCA). LHCA is an operator-centric framework that classifies a system’s state based on the required operator inputs. The framework consists of five levels, each requiring less granularity of human control: Direct, Augmented, Parametric, Goal-Oriented, and Mission-Capable. An analysis was conducted of several existing systems. This analysis illustrates the presence of each …

Dod Mission Engineering And Integration Explorative-Exploitative Architecture For Technology Innovation, Jose L. Bricio-Neto

Engineering Management & Systems Engineering Theses & Dissertations

The ability of U.S. Department of Defense to achieve timely innovation in support of U.S. National Defense and Military Strategies continues to increase in significance. The growing challenges in U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) technological innovation in a context of global security and rapid pace of global competitiveness continue to reveal many shortcomings in current weapon systems development and acquisition practice. As the pace of technological innovation is accelerating, the DoD faces the challenge that the same disruptive technological advances are also being made available to or developed by its adversaries. Based on literature review, no innovation system theory exists …

Preliminary Study Of Communication Network Characterization Towards Improved Organizational Behavior, Taylor F. Flaxington

Theses and Dissertations

Nearly one third of the Air Force acquisition system’s large programs are over cost and half are over budget; performance must improve. This research applies a systems perspective to this challenge and frames the acquisition system as a complex system of systems. It is a system composed of people in multiple organizations; organizations interacting with one another to develop, acquire and sustain weapon programs. The system’s performance is an emergent behavior of its components (people), structure and processes. Communication networks are a view of a system’s structure, revealing the flows and interactions between components (people) as the system accomplishes its …

Golng Off The Grid: Optimizing Solar Renewable Energy Systems At Remote Locations To Minimize Logistics Requirements, Increase Sustainability, And Strengthen Energy Assurance, Nathanael J. Thomsen

Theses and Dissertations

Grid-based electrical infrastructure is unavailable at many remote locations including developing nation communities, isolated construction sites, and military contingency bases. Powering these locations with diesel generators requires regular fuel resupply, resulting in increased costs, environmental impacts, and burdensome logistics—making generators an obstacle for energy resiliency and sustainability. This research examines using solar renewable energy systems to replace generators at remote locations and presents a multi-objective optimization model that minimizes logistics variables. Replacing a single deployed generator would save over 500,000 gal of fuel annually, eliminating the need for 100 fuel tanker deliveries.

Applications Of Unmanned Aerial Systems (Uas): A Delphi Study Projecting Future Uas Missions And Relevant Challenges, Alberto Sigala, Brent T. Langhals

Faculty Publications

Over recent decades, the world has experienced a growing demand for and reliance upon unmanned aerial systems (UAS) to perform a broad spectrum of applications to include military operations such as surveillance/reconnaissance and strike/attack. As UAS technology matures and capabilities expand, especially with respect to increased autonomy, acquisition professionals and operational decision makers must determine how best to incorporate advanced capabilities into existing and emerging mission areas. This research seeks to predict which autonomous UAS capabilities are most likely to emerge over the next 20 years as well as the key challenges for implementation for each capability. Employing the Delphi …

Investigating Lifecycle Costs Of Optimized Battery-Photovoltaic Systems On A Forward Operating Base, Neal S. Fennell

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this research was to investigate the total life-cycle cost of using utility-scale battery systems to increase the energy efficiency of forward operating bases, thereby reducing the burden of diesel fuel logistics. Specifically, this thesis answered three research questions addressing optimal sizing for various battery types connected with photovoltaic grids, logistical parameters directly impacting total cost, and the cost of increasing the energy resilience of the network. The research questions were answered through a review of literature, modeling, and data analysis. The model determines an optimal size and area for a Vanadium redox flow, Lithium-ion, or Lead-acid battery …

Human Performance Modeling: Analysis Of The Effects Of Manned-Unmanned Teaming On Pilot Workload And Mission Performance, Jinan M. Andrews

Theses and Dissertations

Due to the advent of autonomous technology coupled with the extreme expense of manned aircraft, the Department of Defense (DoD) has increased interest in developing affordable, expendable Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) to become autonomous wingmen for jet fighters in mosaic warfare. Like a mosaic that forms a whole picture out of smaller pieces, battlefield commanders can utilize disaggregated capabilities, such as Manned-Unmanned Teaming (MUM-T), to operate in contested environments. With a single pilot controlling both the UAVs and manned aircraft, it may be challenging for pilots to manage all systems should the system design not be conducive to a steady …

Evaluation Framework For Cislunar Space Domain Awareness (Sda) Systems, Simon R. Knister

Theses and Dissertations

Modern space missions are increasingly transiting cislunar space, requiring expansion of existing Space Traffic Management (STM) functions. Legacy Space Domain Awareness (SDA) systems were not purpose-built to detect and track cislunar objects, which could require acquisition of a new system of systems. There are numerous parameters that could be varied for each system, as well as the type and location of systems across the architecture. This research attempts to solve this problem by applying a model-based systems engineering (MBSE) approach to assess the performance and financial burden of a given system of systems. Fitness metrics are developed based upon the …

Vote Forecasting Using Multi-Objective Decision Analysis, Connor G. Crandall

Theses and Dissertations

In December 2018, the United States Federal Government began what would become the longest government shutdown in U.S. history. This was the 21st shutdown since the adoption of the current appropriations process and 4th of the last decade. These shutdowns occur after government departments and agencies submit budget requests to Congress and the legislature is unable to come to an agreement to pass an appropriations bill. There is no clear solution to this problem. But this study hypothesizes that government departments and agencies could benefit from considering the political viability of their own budget requests prior to submitting them to …

Understanding Rural Water Services As A Complex System: An Assessment Of Key Factors As Potential Leverage Points For Improved Service Sustainability, Nicholas Valcourt, Jeffrey P. Walters, Amy Javernick-Will, Karl Linden, Betelhem Hailegiorgis

Faculty Publications - Biomedical, Mechanical, and Civil Engineering

Rural water supply services worldwide consistently fail to deliver full public health impacts as intended due to a low service sustainability. This failure is increasingly attributed to weak local systems composed of social, financial and environmental factors. Current approaches in the water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) sector for understanding and improving these systems typically focus on the strength and capacity of these factors, but not the interactions between them. We contend that these approaches overlook the inherent complexity and context-specific nature of each local system. To assess this complexity, we conducted four participatory factor mapping workshops with local stakeholders across …

Kinematic Analysis Of Forehand Drop Shot And Long Shot Services In Table Tennis, Ibrahim Norzuria

Student Works (2020-2029)

Table tennis is one of the most widely played sports in the world. A frequent hand movement is compulsory to execute stroke than other limbs, especially the projection of racket and ball speeds,which can help to improve players’ performance. Until now, research on table tennis serving is limited. Service was assumed important in table tennis because the effective serve may allow the serving player to have advantage and control over the game. The 3D dynamic analysis is the appropriate method to analyze a sport activity such as table tennis. Therefore, the aim of research was to determine the kinematic involved …

System Approaches To Water, Sanitation, And Hygiene: A Systematic Literature Review, Nicholas Valcourt, Amy Javernick-Will, Jeffrey P. Walters, Karl Linden

Faculty Publications - Biomedical, Mechanical, and Civil Engineering

Endemic issues of sustainability in the water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) sector have led to the rapid expansion of ‘system approaches’ for assessing the multitude of interconnected factors that affect WASH outcomes. However, the sector lacks a systematic analysis and characterization of the knowledge base for systems approaches, in particular how and where they are being implemented and what outcomes have resulted from their application. To address this need, we conducted a wide-ranging systematic literature review of systems approaches for WASH across peer-reviewed, grey, and organizational literature. Our results show a myriad of methods, scopes, and applications within the sector, …

A Review Of A Collaborative Online International Learning, Philip Appiah-Kubi, Ebenezer Annan

Engineering Management and Systems Faculty Publications

Globalization has exacerbated the need for engineers who are capable of working in a cross-cultural environment. Multinational companies continuously seek for engineers who are interculturally competent and capable of conducting business successfully in a cross-cultural environment. However, the skills required to be successful in a multicultural environment are difficult to be taught in the traditional classroom. One of the most effective approaches to acquiring intercultural competency skills is through experiential learning. It is, therefore, not surprising that most colleges all over the world are devoting resources towards the internationalization of their classrooms and the campus community. This ensures that students …

Toilet Alarms: A Novel Application Of Latrine Sensors And Machine Learning For Optimizing Sanitation Services In Informal Settlements, Phillip Nicholas Turman-Bryant, Taylor Sharpe, Corey L. Nagel, Lauren Stover, Evan A. Thomas

Systems Engineering Faculty Publications and Presentations

The cost-effectiveness and reliability of waste collection services in informal settlements can be difficult to optimize given the geospatial and temporal variability of latrine use. Daily servicing to avoid overflow events is inefficient, but dynamic scheduling of latrine servicing could reduce costs by providing just-in-time servicing for latrines. This study used cellular-connected motion sensors and machine learning to dynamically predict when daily latrine servicing could be skipped with a low risk of overflow. Sensors monitored daily latrine activity, and enumerators collected solid and liquid waste weight data. Given the complex relationship between latrine use and the need for servicing, an …

Systemic Risk Management Plan For Electronic Medical Records (Emr): Why And How?, Ziniya Zahedi, Faisal Mahmud, Cesar Pinto

Engineering Management & Systems Engineering Faculty Publications

Electronic patient data use and handling are critical issues in terms of privacy, confidentiality, security, and the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) regulations. The risks associated with electronic patient data are not limited to identity theft but rather include a person’s social, economic, and psychological well-being. However, there have not been many studies that have focused on the associated risk factors that could lead to these situations. This paper identifies those risks related to electronic patient data breaches by means of a grounded theory approach and develops a systemic risk management plan that enables engineering managers and risk …

A Framework Of International Competencies For Systems Engineers, Annlizé L. Marnewick, Holly A.H. Handley

Engineering Management & Systems Engineering Faculty Publications

In the course of their career, many systems engineers are likely to interact with engineers of other nationalities as they collaborate on large, complex projects and system of system problems. These partnerships are necessary to support international goals, such as those for sustainable development. System engineers may even work onsite in other countries where they must adapt to different styles of doing business. This requires a set of global skill sets for cooperating and decision making, as well as basic social skills for interacting with the local community. These global skills can be included in a graduate level system engineering …

Systemic Analysis Of The Use Of Artificial Intelligence (Ai) In Regulating Terrorist Content On Social Media Ecosystem Using Functional Dependency Network Analysis (Fdna), Alaina Roman, C. Ariel Pinto

OUR Journal: ODU Undergraduate Research Journal

This research is a systemic analysis of emerging risks to the use Artificial Intelligence (AI) in regulating terrorist content on social media ecosystems using Functional Dependency Network Analysis (FDNA), a proven system-design-and-analysis tool). The research has three phases: 1) framing the problem by identifying and describing AI ecosystem elements as intended, implied and explicit objectives, discernible attributes, and performance indictors; 2) describing the idealized problem-solved scenario, which includes detailing ‘success’ states of the ecosystem; and 3) systemic risk analysis including identifying failure scenarios for each element and establishing causalities among elemental attributes leading to failure scenarios. This research contributes toward …

Investigation In Engineering Leadership Using System Engineering And Virtual Reality, Charles Davis

Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2020-2023

System Engineering can help derive requirements and specifications to build virtual environments which are good to test behaviors and attitudes. Virtual simulations can have a strong impact because role-playing facilitates active learning, permits the acceptance of new concepts, and generates increased interest, enthusiasm, and motivation. Research over the last 50 years has shown that reasoning with and about context is an essential aspect of human cognition, permeating language, memory, and reasoning capabilities. This integral process is developed over a lifetime through experiential learning. In this research, we utilize systems engineering to capture guidelines from psychologist and concepts of technological leadership. …

Computational Model For Neural Architecture Search, Ram Deepak Gottapu

Doctoral Dissertations

"A long-standing goal in Deep Learning (DL) research is to design efficient architectures for a given dataset that are both accurate and computationally inexpensive. At present, designing deep learning architectures for a real-world application requires both human expertise and considerable effort as they are either handcrafted by careful experimentation or modified from a handful of existing models. This method is inefficient as the process of architecture design is highly time-consuming and computationally expensive.

The research presents an approach to automate the process of deep learning architecture design through a modeling procedure. In particular, it first introduces a framework that treats …

Cyber-Assets At Risk (Car): The Cost Of Personally Identifiable Information Data Breaches, Omer Ilker Poyraz, Sarah Bouazzaoui, Omer Keskin, Michael Mcshane, Ariel Pinto

Engineering Management & Systems Engineering Faculty Publications

Severe financial consequences of data breaches enforce organizations to reconsider their cybersecurity investment. Although attack frequency and trends seem similar per industry, the impact of a data breach may exponentially increase depending on the type of information and the amount of the stolen data. Also, governments develop and improve laws and regulations to protect the privacy of individuals. Therefore, a failure of data security may yield severe penalties and class-action lawsuits, which can significantly increase the expenses than before. The monetary impact of a data breach is a new field of study that requires more sophisticated research and analysis. There …

Queueing-Inventory Models For A Two-Vendor System With Positive Service Times, Srinivas Chakravarthy, Khizer Hayat

Industrial & Manufacturing Engineering Publications

Queueing-inventory systems wherein the demands are processed with random service times have been getting a lot of attention recently. In such systems, each demand needs one or more inventory items and needs positive processing times. The inventory is generally replenished using -type policy and the lead times are assumed to be random. In this paper we introduce the concept of multiple vendors who will be responsible for the replenishment of inventory. Under the assumptions of a two-vendor system wherein the demands occurring according to a Markovian arrival process, the service times to be of phase type, and the lead times …

Degrader Analysis For Diagnostic And Predictive Capabilities: A Demonstration Of Progress In Dod Cbm+ Initiatives, William Baker, Steven Nixon, Jeffrey Banks, Karl Reichard, Kaitlynn Castelle

Engineering Management & Systems Engineering Faculty Publications

This paper presents a modified reliability centered maintenance (RCM) methodology developed by The Applied Research Laboratory at The Pennsylvania State University (ARL Penn State) to meet challenges in decreasing life cycle sustainment costs for critical Naval assets. The focus of this paper is on the requirements for the development of the on-board Prognostics and Health Management (PHM) system with a discussion on the implementation progress for two systems: the high pressure air compressor (HPAC), and the advanced carbon dioxide removal unit (ACRU). Recent Department of Defense (DoD) guidance calls for implementing Condition Based Maintenance (CBM) as an alternative to traditional …

Internet Of Things For Sustainable Mining, Abdul Salam

Faculty Publications

The sustainable mining Internet of Things deals with the applications of IoT technology to the coupled needs of sustainable recovery of metals and a healthy environment for a thriving planet. In this chapter, the IoT architecture and technology is presented to support development of a digital mining platform emphasizing the exploration of rock–fluid–environment interactions to develop extraction methods with maximum economic benefit, while maintaining and preserving both water quantity and quality, soil, and, ultimately, human health. New perspectives are provided for IoT applications in developing new mineral resources, improved management of tailings, monitoring and mitigating contamination from mining. Moreover, tools …

Internet Of Things In Sustainable Energy Systems, Abdul Salam

Faculty Publications

Our planet has abundant renewable and conventional energy resources but technological capability and capacity gaps coupled with water-energy needs limit the benefits of these resources to citizens. Through IoT technology solutions and state-of-the-art IoT sensing and communications approaches, the sustainable energy-related research and innovation can bring a revolution in this area. Moreover, by the leveraging current infrastructure, including renewable energy technologies, microgrids, and power-to-gas (P2G) hydrogen systems, the Internet of Things in sustainable energy systems can address challenges in energy security to the community, with a minimal trade-off to environment and culture. In this chapter, the IoT in sustainable energy …

Predicting Complex System Behavior Using Hybrid Modeling And Computational Intelligence, Vinayaka Gude

Doctoral Dissertations

“Modeling and prediction of complex systems is a challenging problem due to the sub-system interactions and dependencies. This research examines combining various computational intelligence algorithms and modeling techniques to provide insights into these complex processes and allow for better decision making. This hybrid methodology provided additional capabilities to analyze and predict the overall system behavior where a single model cannot be used to understand the complex problem. The systems analyzed here are flooding events and fetal health care. The impact of floods on road infrastructure is investigated using graph theory, agent-based traffic simulation, and Long Short-Term Memory deep learning to …

Development Of A System Architecture For The Prediction Of Student Success Using Machine Learning Techniques, Tatiana A. Cardona

Doctoral Dissertations

“ The goals of higher education have evolved through time based on the impact that technology development and industry have on productivity. Nowadays, jobs demand increased technical skills, and the supply of prepared personnel to assume those jobs is insufficient. The system of higher education needs to evaluate their practices to realize the potential of cultivating an educated and technically skilled workforce. Currently, completion rates at universities are too low to accomplish the aim of closing the workforce gap. Recent reports indicate that 40 percent of freshman at four-year public colleges will not graduate, and rates of completion are even …

An Approach To System Of Systems Resiliency Using Architecture And Agent-Based Behavioral Modeling, Paulette Bootz Acheson

Doctoral Dissertations

”In today’s world it is no longer a question of whether a system will be compromised but when the system will be compromised. Consider the recent compromise of the Democratic National Committee (DNC) and Hillary Clinton emails as well as the multiple Yahoo breaches and the break into the Target customer database. The list of exploited vulnerabilities and successful cyber-attacks goes on and on. Because of the amount and frequency of the cyber-attacks, resiliency has taken on a whole new meaning. There is a new perspective within defense to consider resiliency in terms of Mission Success.

This research develops a …