Dissertations / Theses on the topic 'Engineering – United States'
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1
Ramirez, Julio C. "Vehicular CO2 Reduction in the United States." Digital Commons at Loyola Marymount University and Loyola Law School, 2014. https://digitalcommons.lmu.edu/etd/428.
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As a consequence of the Arab oil embargo in 1973, the United States enacted the first Corporate Average Fuel Consumption standards in 1975 through the Energy Policy Conservation Act enforced by the Environmental Protection Agency. These standards were to improve the fuel economy of passenger cars and light-trucks. Increasing the fuel efficiency of vehicles has not been the only goal of the Environmental Protection Agency. Along the way it has been responsible for many laws regulating the amount of harmful exhaust pipe emissions released into the environment from the combustion of petroleum fuels. This has been accomplished by (but not limited to) requiring catalytic converters on vehicle exhaust systems, the elimination of lead from gasoline, and putting limits on smog causing nitrous oxides (NOx), sulfur oxides (SOx) and tailpipe particulate matter. In the United States, it is estimated that as of 2011, when compared to the Commercial and Residential, Agricultural, Electricity, and other industries, the transportation sector accounts for 28% of GHG (primarily CO2) emissions. According to the National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), global CO2 concentrations in the environment have exceeded historic natural occurring levels. Since CO2 is a gas that naturally traps heat, it is believed to be the main cause of global warming. As a response to the threat of global warming, the United States once again has passed new CAFE standards for model year vehicles 2017 through 2025 to decrease the dependency on petroleum fuels and reducing CO2 in the environment. Enforced by the EPA and National Highway Transportation Safety Administration (NHTSA), the law aims to double the current combined fuel efficiency of passenger cars and light-trucks by 2025 to 54.5 miles per gallon while capping the limit of tailpipe CO2 emissions to 163 grams per mile.
As a responsible consumer, selecting a vehicle with high fuel efficiency and low CO2 emissions will play a key role in reduction of CO2 emissions in the automotive sector. The environment is something that the entire global population has in common, making us environmental stakeholders. As such, we must do our part to preserve the environment for future generations. (Picture on cover courtesy of www.car-emissions-explained.co.uk)
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Wang, Shih-Yu 1976. "Automating the United States payment system." Thesis, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 1999. http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/57963.
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Thesis (S.B. and M.Eng.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, 1999.Includes bibliographical references (p. 171-174).
Despite the advent of technology, the United States continues to write 66 billion checks each year while other GlO nations have successfully migrated to electronic payment. Although electronic alternatives promise future savings, the payment system is an evolutionary process, not a revolutionary process. Thus, a considerable cost savings can still be realized by improving the current check clearing process. This work discusses the evolution of the payment system, examines the costs, benefits, and the reasons behind check's enduring popularity. Electronic payment alternatives such as automated clearinghouses, credit/debit/smart cards, and home banking are scrutinized for their benefits and feasibility. Check collection improvement methods such as electronic check presentment and check truncation are also studied. One particular system offers end-to-end process efficiency improvement by combining technologies developed at MIT. This system proposes to capture check images using a high performance digital camera, recognize the courtesy amount using patented technology, and transfer the check images with the relevant account information for settlement with a proprietary secure transfer protocol. The cost savings are realized through reduction of encoding operators, elimination of paper check transportation, reduction of fraud, shortened settlement cycle, and improved customer service. This system shows significant promise as the banking solution of tomorrow, and has received a favorable response from both the Federal Reserve Bank and the private sector service providers.
by Shih-Yu Wang.
S.B.and M.Eng.
3
Aichele, Matthew D. (Matthew Donald) 1980. "United States and France : a regulatory perspective." Thesis, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 2004. http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/32724.
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Thesis (S.B.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Nuclear Engineering, 2004.Includes bibliographical references (leaves 83-85).
Nuclear materials and their uses are regulated differently in countries around the world. In the United States, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission regulates the different commercial and academic uses of nuclear technology, including nuclear power plants. In France, the Direction Generale de la Surete Nucleaire et de la Radioprotection (DGSNR) and the Electricite de France (EDF) control the nuclear industry, with the DGSNR controlling most of the regulation and the EDF presiding over the construction. In this thesis, the two systems of regulation will be reviewed and compared for efficiency and efficacy. Furthermore, those efficiencies will be examined for implications in the technical, social, and economic regimes. This thesis will review the histories and present-day structures of two different regulatory agencies, propose reasons for the difference, and argue the benefits and shortcomings of each. At first glance, the American regulatory system appears to be in the hands of the lawmakers and founded on a legal basis. The French system, however, emphasizes the scientists and engineers as the regulatory experts and is thus founded more on a scientific and technical foundation.
by Matthew D. Aichele.
S.B.
4
Bok, Michael J. "Addressing the United States Navy need for software engineering education." Thesis, Monterey, Calif. : Springfield, Va. : Naval Postgraduate School ; Available from National Technical Information Service, 1999. http://handle.dtic.mil/100.2/ADA374507.
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Rodriguez, Carlos Mario. "Minorities in science and engineering: Patterns for success." Diss., The University of Arizona, 1993. http://hdl.handle.net/10150/186478.
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The purpose of this study was to explore the bases of minority student persistence in Science and Engineering (S/E). Statistical and qualitative methods were employed. Undergraduate minority student graduation rates in S/E from 1981 to 1990 were analyzed at 1,492 public and private U.S. colleges and universities and a national field study component, which included surveys and interviews, was conducted. The results indicated that effective persistence strategies for African American, Hispanic and Native American students would involve assisting students to clarify goals, facilitating minority students as role models for each other, developing peer tutoring to maintain continuous study skills enhancement, engaging faculty in social interactions with students, and enhancing financial support. Explaining the sources and reasons for success in minority student persistence in S/E could impact national educational policy and collegiate level practices in order to increase retention.
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Arcidiacono, William J. "Performance-based service acquisition (PBSA) of TRIDENT strategic weapons systems (SWS) technical engineering support (TES) services." Thesis, Monterey, Calif. : Springfield, Va. : Naval Postgraduate School ; Available from National Technical Information Service, 2003. http://library.nps.navy.mil/uhtbin/hyperion-image/03sep%5FArcidiacono.pdf.
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Thesis (M.S. in Contract Management)--Naval Postgraduate School, September 2003.Thesis advisor(s): Jeffrey Cuskey, David Krueger. Includes bibliographical references (p. 89-91). Also available online.
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Chanyotha, Seree. "Flood frequencies in the southeastern United States." Diss., The University of Arizona, 1991. http://hdl.handle.net/10150/185509.
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Regional flood frequency analysis is one of the most useful alternatives for determining the flood frequency relationship for an ungaged site or a site with a short record. In this study, a regionalized flood prediction technique, based on the concept of limited flood magnitude suggested by Malvick (1980), is modified and used in flood frequency analysis for the hurricane areas in the southeastern United States in order to study the characteristics of the maximum expected flood and flood magnitude of various return intervals in the region. The proposed method is suitable for making simple and reasonable estimates of the maximum expected flood and flood frequencies for a region and is usable for some engineering applications to hydraulic structure design, especially bridge hydraulic design. Goodness of fit of the proposed flood frequency distribution to observed flood frequency data was tested, and results indicate that flood frequencies of more than half the streamflow stations estimated using the suggested method adequately describe the observed flood frequency data. Simulation of flood data having the same record length as the observed data was made to test the possibility that deviation of the proposed flood frequency distribution from observed flood frequency data might be due to randomness. By examining the observed and simulated data, it is believable that the discrepancy between the observed and predicted flood frequency data is partly due to a chance of randomness. The maximum expected floods and flood frequencies for the sub-regions as a function of drainage basin area are compared. For the six states, Texas(eastern), Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia, and Florida, the maximum expected floods in eastern Texas are comparatively higher than the other states. Relatively, Florida has the lowest maximum expected floods. Maximum expected floods and flood frequencies of three 100-mile-wide strips parallel to the coast are found to be slightly different. The time of occurrence of the largest flood events and hurricanes is investigated and compared to see whether they are coincident. No apparent correlation of the largest floods and hurricanes was found.
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Hammond, Jennifer N. (Jennifer Nicole). "A student's guide to United States patent applications." Thesis, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 2012. http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/74437.
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Thesis (S.B.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Mechanical Engineering, 2012.Cataloged from PDF version of thesis.
Includes bibliographical references (p. 39).
This thesis presents a comprehensive guide to patent applications in the United States derived from the information provided by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO). This guide gives indepth instructions for completing and suggestions for filing a provisional, utility, design, or plant patent with the USPTO. Several statistical analyses were done on patent applications and grants in the United States over the last two decades. In addition, a case study is completed on an invention patented in the United States and the company that resulted from it. The case study provides an example of how the patent system creates the opportunity for continued economic progress. As new technologies are discovered, inventors will continue to patent their ideas and increase the scope for commerce.
by Jennifer N. Hammond.
S.B.
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Bornschein, Arthur W. Jernigan Michael. "Re-engineering the United States Marine Corps Special Education Program (SEP) /." Monterey, Calif. : Springfield, Va. : Naval Postgraduate School ; Available from National Technical Information Service, 1998. http://handle.dtic.mil/100.2/ADA345981.
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Thesis (M.S. in Information Technology Management) Naval Postgraduate School, March 1998."March 1998." Thesis advisor(s): Hemant Bhargava, Suresh Sridhar, Tim Phillips. Includes bibliographical references (p. 179-182). Also available online.
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Koch, Gary D. "Re-engineering the United States Marine Corp's Enlisted Assignment Model (EAM) /." Monterey, Calif. : Springfield, Va. : Naval Postgraduate School ; Available from National Technical Information Service, 1998. http://handle.dtic.mil/100.2/ADA350140.
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Thesis (M.S. in Information Technology Management) Naval Postgraduate School, June 1998.Thesis advisor(s): Hemant Bhargava, Suresh Sridhar. "June 1998." Includes bibliographical references (p. 129-130). Also available online.
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O'Reilly, Michael T. "An exploratory study of the United States Naval Academy engineering curriculum." Thesis, Monterey, Calif. : Naval Postgraduate School, 2007. http://bosun.nps.edu/uhtbin/hyperion-image.exe/07Jun%5FOReilly.pdf.
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Thesis (M.S. in Leadership and Human Resource Development)--Naval Postgraduate School, June 2007.Thesis Advisor(s): Susan P. Hocevar, Linda D. Mallory. "June 2007." Includes bibliographical references (p. 87-90). Also available in print.
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Koch, Gary D. Jr. "Re-engineering the United States Marine Corp's Enlisted Assignment Model (EAM)." Thesis, Monterey, California. Naval Postgraduate School, 1998. http://hdl.handle.net/10945/26723.
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Approved for public release, distribution is unlimitedIn a time of downsizing and budgetary constraints the Manpower division of Headquarters, United States Marine Corps, accomplishes its mission to put the right Marine in the right place at the right time with the right skills and quality of life" in a variety of ways. Currently, one of the processes that assist the Marine Enlisted Assignments branch is the Enlisted Assignment Model. The current system is not producing the results that are needed and the current managers do not tmst the output. This thesis proposes changes to the EAM user interface, data access, and data storage capabilities to enable the Marine Corps to use the latest information technology to more closely mirror the vision as stated above. With the use of Business Process Reengineering, Process Modeling, and Database Design a prototype is developed to address areas of the current system that can be changed. By using these methods to ensure an appropriate interface with optimization techniques, a complete Decision Support System for manpower assignments can be realized. These changes will empower managers to effectively and efficiently manage, not just monitor manpower readiness in order to meet the challenges of the 2l% century.
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Bornschein, Arthur W., and Michael Jernigan. "Re-engineering the United States Marine Corps Special Education Program (SEP)." Thesis, Monterey, California. Naval Postgraduate School, 1998. http://hdl.handle.net/10945/8898.
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Approved for public release; distribution unlimited.Within the United States Marine Corps, there exist billets (jobs) that require specialized graduate education. Department of Defense agencies submit requests to add billets to their organizational structure. Marine Corps Orders require for every billet added another must be removed elsewhere to balance manpower requirements. Additionally, continuing validation of the billets is required to ensure compliance with Secretary of Defense criteria. Problems in the key function, billet validation, include inflexible, inefficient, and ineffective processes, and nebulous validation criteria. We address these problems by developing a centralized decision support system to be used in a distributed collaborative setting. The objectives of the Special Education Program (SEP) Billet Validation System are to allow SEP billet holders and commands to evaluate and justify existing SEP billets, to assist Military Occupational Specialty Sponsors in identifying manpower reductions, and to validate the graduate education requirement for existing SEP billets. Methods from Multi-Criteria Decision Making (MCDM) (specifically Multi-Attribute Utility Theory (MAUT) and the Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP)) are used to formalize Secretary of Defense requirements and quantify relative ratings of billets. The system employs a Web Browser front-end application to allow the administrative review process to be performed in a parallel manner
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Ricker, Jennifer K. "From Social Engineering to Democracy Promotion: An Examination of 125 Years U.S. Political and Economic Policy." Bowling Green, Ohio : Bowling Green State University, 2007. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc%5Fnum=bgsu1182778761.
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Merriman, Lauren A. (Lauren Amanda). "Examination of the United States domestic fusion program." Thesis, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 2015. http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/97860.
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Thesis: S.B., Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Department of Nuclear Science and Engineering, February 2015.Cataloged from PDF version of thesis. "February 2015."
Includes bibliographical references (pages 46-47).
Fusion has been "forty years away", that is, forty years to implementation, ever since the idea of harnessing energy from a fusion reactor was conceived in the 1950s. In reality, however, it has yet to become a viable energy source. Fusion's promise and failure are both investigated by reviewing the history of the United States domestic fusion program and comparing technological forecasting by fusion scientists, fusion program budget plans, and fusion program budget history. It is evident that delays in progress were due to both technologic and economic setbacks. In order for the US to become a leader in fusion energy, it must continue supporting domestic fusion experiments while maintaining involvement in ITER.
by Lauren A. Merriman.
S.B.
16
Piatak, John Ronald. "An analysis of the United States window industry." Thesis, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 1991. http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/45705.
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Cummiskey, Joseph W. "United States commercial shipbuilding productivity an international view /." Monterey, California : Naval Postgraduate School, 1990. http://handle.dtic.mil/100.2/ADA241702.
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Thesis (M.S. in Management)--Naval Postgraduate School, December 1990.Thesis Advisor(s): Boger, Dan C. Second Reader: Wadsworth, David B. "December 1990." Description based on title screen as viewed on March 29, 2010. DTIC Identifier(s): Shipbuilding, Productivity, Commercial, International, Wages, Steel, Overhead, Material, Labor, Theses. Author(s) subject terms: Shipbuilding, Commercial, International, Wages, Steel, Productivity, Overhead, Material, Labor. Includes bibliographical references (p. 107-112). Also available in print.
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Welch, David T. "Communicating reengineering at Naval Facilities Engineering Command, Southwest Division." Thesis, Monterey, Calif. : Springfield, Va. : Naval Postgraduate School ; Available from National Technical Information Service, 2002. http://library.nps.navy.mil/uhtbin/hyperion-image/02sep%5FWelch.pdf.
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Mousseau, Al. "An analysis of testing risks : a strategy for mitigation /." Monterey, Calif. : Springfield, Va. : Naval Postgraduate School ; Available from National Technical Information Service, 2004. http://library.nps.navy.mil/uhtbin/hyperion/04Sep%5FMousseau.pdf.
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Kilian, Jeffrey Joseph. "A forensic analysis of construction litigation, U.S. Naval Facilities Engineering Command." Thesis, Monterey, California. Naval Postgraduate School, 2003. http://hdl.handle.net/10945/1046.
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This thesis document was issued under the authority of another institution, not NPS. At the time it was written, a copy was added to the NPS Library Collection for reasons not now known. It has been included in the digital archive for its historical value to NPS. Not believed to be a CIVINS (Civilian Institutions) title.This thesis analyzes cases of construction litigation involving the U.S. Naval Facilities Engineering Command (NAVFAC) for the period 1982-2003. NAVFAC construction litagation cases were extracted from the historical trail decision record of the Armed Services Board of Contract Appeals (ASBCA). The thesis provides trend data for all "first time" construction litigation cases brought before the board over the last 21 years. A total of 666 cases involving NAVFAC construction contracts were identified over this 21 year period. The characterization of these cases was accomplished through a review and tabulation of ASBCA identified primary causes and a subjective analysis of "root" causes from a random sample extracted from the total population. The random sample data set totals 30 cases and was taken from cases litigated in the last 10 years. Recommendation based on the findings are given to NAVFAC.
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Hammond, Christopher D. (Christopher Daniel). "Economic analysis of shale gas wells in the United States." Thesis, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 2013. http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/83718.
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Thesis (S.B.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Department of Mechanical Engineering, 2013.Cataloged from PDF version of thesis.
Includes bibliographical references (pages 65-66).
Natural gas produced from shale formations has increased dramatically in the past decade and has altered the oil and gas industry greatly. The use of horizontal drilling and hydraulic fracturing has enabled the production of a natural gas resource that was previously unrecoverable. Estimates of the size of the resource indicate that shale gas has the potential to supply decades of domestically produced natural gas. Yet there are challenges surrounding the production of shale gas that have not yet been solved. The economic viability of the shale gas resources has recently come into question. This study uses a discounted cash flow economic model to evaluate the breakeven price of natural gas wells drilled in 7 major U.S. shale formations from 2005 to 2012. The breakeven price is the wellhead gas price that produces a 10% internal rate of return. The results of the economic analysis break down the breakeven gas price by year and shale play, along with P20 and P80 gas prices to illustrate the variability present. Derived vintage supply curves illustrate the volume of natural gas that was produced economically for a range of breakeven prices. Historic Natural Gas Futures Prices are used as a metric to determine the volumes and percentage of total yearly production that was produced at or below the Futures Price of each vintage year. From 2005 to 2008, the total production of shale gas resulted in a net profit for operators. A drop in price in 2009 resulted in a net loss for producers from 2009 to 2012. In 2012, only 26.5% of the total gas volume produced was produced at or below the 2012 Natural Gas Futures Price.
by Christopher D. Hammond.
S.B.
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Stahr, Jeremiah B. "A study on improving United States Air Force space systems engineering and acquisition." Thesis, Monterey, Calif. : Springfield, Va. : Naval Postgraduate School ; Available from National Technical Information Service, 2006. http://library.nps.navy.mil/uhtbin/hyperion/06Sep%5FStahr.pdf.
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Thesis (M.S. in Systems Engineering Management)--Naval Postgraduate School, September 2006.Thesis Advisor(s): Thomas V. Huynh, Christopher E. Forseth. "September 2006." Includes bibliographical references (p. 83-85). Also available in print.
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Pinney, Benjamin W. "Projects, management, and protean times : engineering enterprise in the United States, 1870-1960." Thesis, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 2001. http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/8801.
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Thesis (Ph. D.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Program in Science, Technology and Society, 2001.Includes bibliographical references (295-338).
In this dissertation, I trace methods for organizing skilled workers engaged in creative, limited-term projects in the United States between the nineteenth century and the 1950s. Examining eras of system building in technical fields-civil engineering in the nineteenth century, laboratory administration in the 1910s and 1920s, aircraft design in the 1930s, and electronics in the 1950s-I show that recent discourse on the management of innovation and change is a manifestation of a cyclically recurring conversation. This story complicates prevalent views of management theory and practice before World War II by recovering a thread obscured by emphasis on the organization of integrated, divisional companies and operative labor within them. Applying ideas from recent work in organization studies to distill common aspects of the management problems and labor processes individuals have confronted and theorized, I find common patterns: managers of construction firms, engineering departments, and research laboratories have again and again theorized the fast-moving, knowledge-intensive, relational organization, doing so long before these terms were available. Such thinking has been driven both by practical needs and because external pressures have forced explanation of seemingly uncontrolled, irrational work. Practically, the transferability of management techniques among settings such as construction and research has reflected kinships between labor and communication processes: each has involved skilled workers producing complex artifacts in uncertain physical, technical, and social environments.
(cont.) The need to explain such work, though, has been as much about external representation as internal control. From origins in government oversight of appropriations and military use of esprit de corps to cohere organizations under stress, tools used to manage project-based enterprises have been applied in response to the speed, scale, and complexity of the work itself. At the same time, engineers have explained the management of their work to deflect pressures to apply the logics of factory production and Taylorist scientific management to the organization of skilled labor. As explanations of the differences between building and operating and as delineations of points and terms of physical and cultural contact, representations of engineering work in schedules, budgets, organization charts, and narratives have both controlled and insulated work.
by Benjamin W. Pinney.
Ph.D.
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Jordan, Page C. "United States Environmental Protection Agency Technical Member of The Engineering Technical Support Center." Miami University / OhioLINK, 2018. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=miami1544382977066234.
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Cheslek, Heather A. (Heather Année) 1976. "Water reuse and conservation in the United States Virgin Islands." Thesis, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 2003. http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/29322.
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Thesis (M.Eng.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Civil and Environmental Engineering, 2003.Includes bibliographical references (leaves 80-84).
An assessment of the current water conservation and reuse practices in the United States Virgin Islands was undertaken by administering surveys to Territory Permit Discharge Elimination System permit holders and performing interviews. Currently, many resorts and condominiums in the US Virgin Islands (USVI) reclaim wastewater in response to water scarcity for such things as irrigation and toilet flushing, but few practice water conservation. Unfortunately, the municipal wastewater treatment plants do not practice any form of reuse. Because of the need for reuse and conservation planning in the community, eight reuse alternatives were developed for the two large municipal wastewater treatment plants on St. Thomas and St. Croix. Those reuse alternatives include: (1) residential irrigation on St. Thomas, (2) habitat restoration utilizing wetlands on St. Thomas, (3) community-wide conservation and habitat restoration on St. Thomas, (4) airport irrigation on St. Croix, (5) commercial irrigation and industrial process/cooling water on St. Croix, (6) agricultural irrigation on St. Croix, (7) habitat restoration utilizing wetlands on St. Croix, and (8) community-wide conservation and habitat restoration on St. Croix. Out of these eight alternatives, habitat restoration on both St. Thomas and St. Croix, community-wide conservation and habitat restoration on both St. Thomas and St. Croix, and agricultural irrigation on St. Croix are the most economical based on the normalized cost per gallon of reclaimed and conserved water. However, agricultural irrigation on St. Croix and community-wide conservation and habitat restoration on both St. Thomas and St. Croix provide the most benefits to the community. Agricultural irrigation provides farmers a low-cost option to meet water demand and production requirements. Community-wide conservation and habitat restoration alternatives provide an educational environment and promote conservation practices thus reducing water consumption, water cost, and wastewater production. From the assessment it is apparent that promoting conservation and reclaiming wastewater effluent results in a reduction of effluent discharged to the ocean, conservation of fresh-water sources, reduction of energy and pollution due to lower production needed by USVI Water and Power Authority (WAPA), and avoidance or delay in USVI WAPA expansion to meet non-potable water needs. Before undertaking design of a reuse project incorporation of public information and participation, public health impact identification, and local and federal government participation is crucial to project success.
by Heather A. Cheslek.
M.Eng.
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Mahashabde, Vedangi. "Comparison of Lean Construction in India and United States of America." TopSCHOLAR®, 2016. http://digitalcommons.wku.edu/theses/1728.
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The concept of Lean Construction has been introduced successfully into the Construction Industry to increase efficiency and profit by elimination of non-value adding activities or ‘Waste’. Lean Construction is an adaptation of Lean manufacturing principles and is the future of the Construction Industry in developing as well as developed countries. There has been much study and documentation conducted on ‘Lean Construction’ in USA. Even though people have started practicing Lean in India, there is lack of documented information available about it. Professionals within the Industry could already be minimizing ‘Waste’ and/or following Lean principles without the knowledge of the term ‘Lean Construction’. This thesis has reviewed and compared Lean Construction practices and awareness in India and USA.
A questionnaire based study was used to examine practices and collect data about Construction for analysis. Descriptive statistics was primarily used to make inferences from the data. The Lean Construction characteristics of the construction professionals from both the countries were discussed and analyzed. It was inferred that the Construction Industry in both the countries could benefit further from the Lean practices and increase profitability by up to 25%. In general, personnel in the Construction Industry from both the countries need to receive regular knowledge and updates about Lean principles in order to optimize resources effectively.
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Gregor, Jeffrey Allen. "Real options for naval ship design and acquisition : a method for valuing flexibility under uncertainty." Thesis, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 2003. http://hdl.handle.net/10945/11049.
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The United States Navy is facing a need for a novel surface combatant capability. This new system of ships must be deigned to meet the uncertainty associated with constantly changing required mission capabilities, threats, and technological advances. Flexibility in design and management will enable these systems to maximize their performance under changing conditions. Real options involve the 'right but not the obligation' to take a course of action. Real options embody the flexibility that allows projects to be continually reshaped, as uncertainty becomes resolved. This thesis seeks to identify and analyze the real options available for the design and acquisition of naval ships. This thesis also seeks to determine the value of these options and determine the best types and amount of flexibility to design into naval systems in order to maximize the value of the system over time under uncertain conditions.
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Chang, Jui-Chen 1978. "Case studies of naturally ventilated commercial buildings in the United States." Thesis, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 2002. http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/89353.
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Brett, Bridget C. "Potential market for LNG-fueled marine vessels in the United States." Thesis, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 2008. http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/44920.
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Thesis (S.M. in Ocean Systems Management)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Mechanical Engineering, 2008.This electronic version was submitted by the student author. The certified thesis is available in the Institute Archives and Special Collections.
Includes bibliographical references (leaves 89-97).
The growing global concern over ship emissions in recent years has driven policy change at the international level toward more stringent vessel emissions standards. The policy change has also been an impetus for innovation and increased attention being paid to existing technologies in marine engineering that lessen ship emissions. It is estimated that the share of emissions from shipping to total global emissions is increasing, as world trade grows, and land-based emissions sources become cleaner. Shipping currently accounts for 2-4% of CO₂, 10-20% of NOx and 4-8% of SO₂ global emissions. Gas turbines and gas engines, hybrid diesel-gas systems, and dual fuel diesel electric engines are examples of the existing engine system technology that can burn natural gas as a fuel and lessen ship emissions. Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) fueled vessels in the gas burning mode result in the elimination of all SO₂ emissions, and reduced NOx, CO₂, and particulate matter emissions compared to the emissions from a typical vessel powered by marine diesel. While the capital costs for the LNG-fueled systems are higher than for a typical diesel system, cost savings are generated due to the fact that LNG is historically less expensive than the other relatively lower-emissions fossil fuels, and the engine life is longer than a typical diesel engine. This study determines the feasibility of an LNG-fueled passenger and/or commerce market in the United States by analyzing the success of the current LNG-fueled activity around the world, incorporating the complexities of promoting LNG facilities in the United States, and the current LNG successes, both land-based and shore-side, in the United States.
by Bridget C. Brett.
S.M.in Ocean Systems Management
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Preston, Richard 1956. "An analysis of United States environmental law within the maritime jurisdiction." Thesis, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 1998. http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/49632.
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Ahdab, Yvana D. (Yvana Daniella). "Desalination of brackish groundwater in the United States : minimum energy requirements." Thesis, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 2017. http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/111776.
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Thesis: S.M., Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Department of Mechanical Engineering, 2017.Cataloged from PDF version of thesis.
Includes bibliographical references (pages 119-122).
Water scarcity around the globe has motivated rising interest in desalinating brackish groundwater to meet fresh water demand. Various organizations in the United States have collected more hydrological and chemical data from the growing number of wells. Yet, only one national assessment of groundwater resource distribution and availability has been conducted in the United States since the 1960s, and no national assessment has been conducted on the energy costs required to make brackish groundwater potable. Because the ionic composition of groundwater varies significantly from location to location, unlike seawater, conducting site-specific analyses of the resource across the U.S. is necessary. This thesis uses chemical and physical data from a U.S. Geological Survey dataset compiled in 2017, including samples from over 100,000 groundwater wells across the United States, to carry out a nationwide investigation of brackish groundwater composition and minimum desalination energy costs. Beginning with a full Pitzer-Kim mixed electrolyte model, we develop a thermodynamic analysis of the least work of separation in order to compute the site-specific least work of separation required for groundwater desalination. Least work of separation represents a baseline for specific energy consumption of real-world desalination systems. Then, we study the geographic distribution of least work of separation to determine areas with both low least work of separation and high water stress. These regions hold potential for desalination to decrease the disparity between high water demand and low water supply. We develop simplified equations for least work as a function of recovery ratio and the following parameters: total dissolved solids, specific conductance, ionic strength, and molality. Lastly, we examine the effects of groundwater composition on minimum energy costs, and the geographic distribution of total dissolved solids, well depth and major ions.
by Yvana D. Ahdab.
S.M.
32
Ahdab, Yvana D. (Yvana Daniella). "Desalination of brackish groundwater in the United States : minimum energy requirements." Thesis, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 2010. http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/111776.
Full textAbstract:
Thesis: S.M., Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Department of Mechanical Engineering, 2017.Cataloged from PDF version of thesis.
Includes bibliographical references (pages 119-122).
Water scarcity around the globe has motivated rising interest in desalinating brackish groundwater to meet fresh water demand. Various organizations in the United States have collected more hydrological and chemical data from the growing number of wells. Yet, only one national assessment of groundwater resource distribution and availability has been conducted in the United States since the 1960s, and no national assessment has been conducted on the energy costs required to make brackish groundwater potable. Because the ionic composition of groundwater varies significantly from location to location, unlike seawater, conducting site-specific analyses of the resource across the U.S. is necessary. This thesis uses chemical and physical data from a U.S. Geological Survey dataset compiled in 2017, including samples from over 100,000 groundwater wells across the United States, to carry out a nationwide investigation of brackish groundwater composition and minimum desalination energy costs. Beginning with a full Pitzer-Kim mixed electrolyte model, we develop a thermodynamic analysis of the least work of separation in order to compute the site-specific least work of separation required for groundwater desalination. Least work of separation represents a baseline for specific energy consumption of real-world desalination systems. Then, we study the geographic distribution of least work of separation to determine areas with both low least work of separation and high water stress. These regions hold potential for desalination to decrease the disparity between high water demand and low water supply. We develop simplified equations for least work as a function of recovery ratio and the following parameters: total dissolved solids, specific conductance, ionic strength, and molality. Lastly, we examine the effects of groundwater composition on minimum energy costs, and the geographic distribution of total dissolved solids, well depth and major ions.
by Yvana D. Ahdab.
S.M.
33
Irwin, Thomas C. "Risk quantification of systems engineering documents improves probability of DOD program success." Thesis, Monterey, California : Naval Postgraduate School, 2009. http://edocs.nps.edu/npspubs/scholarly/theses/2009/Sep/09Sep%5FIrwin.pdf.
Full textAbstract:
Thesis (M.S. in Systems Engineering Management)--Naval Postgraduate School, September 2009.Thesis Advisor(s): Owen, Walter. "September 2009." Description based on title screen as viewed on 6 November 2009. Author(s) subject terms: Risk Quantification, DoD Milestone Documentation, project planning, rational frame, political frame, CMMI Project Planning Process Area, CMMI Risk Management Process Area, Information Support Plan (ISP). Includes bibliographical references (p. 57-58). Also available in print.
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Mallakpour, Iman. "The tale of flooding over the central United States." Diss., University of Iowa, 2016. https://ir.uiowa.edu/etd/2115.
Full textAbstract:
The central United States is a region of the country plagued by frequent catastrophic flooding (e.g., flood events of 1993, 2008, 2011, 2013, and 2014). In the twentieth and twenty-first centuries, flooding has taken a devastating societal and economic toll on the central United States, contributing to dozens of fatalities and causing billions of dollars in damage. Moreover, previous studies have shown that flood damage has been increasing over the past century across this region, and seems to foreshadow a future increase in flood activity. Despite these large repercussions, the use of historical records to ascertain the changes over time in flooding has thus far proved inconclusive. It is therefore of paramount importance to examine whether the characters (i.e., magnitude and frequency) of recent flooding are different from the long-term averages over the central United States. The results of this thesis are based on long-term discharge records at 774 U.S. Geological Survey sites and show limited evidence suggesting increasing or decreasing trends in the magnitude of flood peaks over the study region. In contrast, there is much stronger evidence of increasing frequency of flood events. While the detection of changes in flood characteristics is essential, it is also of critical importance to start exploring what caused these changes. Therefore, in addition to the aforementioned investigation on the stream flow records, precipitation records were used to inspect whether possible changes in flood characteristics can be linked to the changes in heavy precipitation characteristics. The results indicate that there is a stronger signal of change in the frequency rather than in the magnitude of heavy precipitation events, similar to what found for the discharge records. Given that heavy precipitation is responsible for the observed changes in flooding, further analyses were performed to examine the climatic driving forces that are responsible for the observed changes in the frequency of precipitation, and consequently flooding at the seasonal scale; particular emphasis was paid to the role played by the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. The results of this dissertation indicate that changes in the climate system play a significant role in explaining the variations in the frequency of heavy precipitation and flooding over the central United States at both the seasonal and sub-seasonal scales. The Pacific North American (PNA) teleconnection pattern was found to play a particularly prominent role. Therefore, these results suggest that recent observed changes in the frequency of flood events over the central United States can be largely attributed to changes in the frequency of heavy precipitation events, which were in turn driven by changes in the climate system.
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Park, Aaron W. "U. S. Navy Seabees as a stability asset." Thesis, Monterey, California : Naval Postgraduate School, 2009. http://edocs.nps.edu/npspubs/scholarly/theses/2009/Sep/09Sep%5FPark.pdf.
Full textAbstract:
Thesis (M.A. in Security Studies (Stabilization and Reconstruction))--Naval Postgraduate School, September 2009.Thesis Advisor(s): Porch, Douglas. "September 2009." Description based on title screen as viewed on November 5, 2009. Author(s) subject terms: Naval Mobile Construction Battalion (NMCB), Seabees, Stabilization and Reconstruction, Four Pillars, Provincial Reconstruction Team (PRT), Iraq, Afghanistan, Civil Military Operations, Insurgency, Counter-insurgency (COIN), Seabee Stability Team (SST) Includes bibliographical references (p. 51-53). Also available in print.
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Bhatti, Babar Mahmood 1968. "Extreme rainfall, flood scaling and flood policy options in the United States." Thesis, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 2000. http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/9092.
Full textAbstract:
Thesis (S.M.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Civil and Environmental Engineering; and, (S.M.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Engineering Systems Division, 2000.Includes bibliographical references (leaves 220-227).
River flood and rainfall have been shown to exhibit scale invariance behavior over a range of space and time scales. Although various approaches have been taken to investigate and model the various scaling aspects of rainfall and floods, little theoretical work has been done on the relation between the scaling of rainfall and flood. If available, such a theory would provide frequency estimate for extreme rainfall and floods outside the range of observations and could also be used to estimate floods at ungaged basins. The relationship between rainfall and flood scaling is the main focus of this thesis. We use a two step approach to investigate the relationship between exponent of peak flows and the scaling of rain. First, we use data analysis to verify existing theories that relate the multi scaling behavior of rainfall to the simple scaling behavior of the IDFs. Second, we use a model to relate the scaling of the IDFs to the scaling of peak flows with basin area. We find that, although temporal rainfall shows multiscaling, the IDFs exhibit simple scaling and peak floods show simple or mild multiscaling. We validate our findings by using U.S. peak annual flow data and rainfall from a few New England stations. Extreme floods damage mitigation requires sound and integrated policy making. We review the flood disaster mitigation situation in the U.S., carry out policy analysis and recommend options for a successful and sustainable flood disaster policy in the U.S.
by Babar Mahmood Bhatti.
S.M.
37
Bodmer, Gerald A. "Test and evaluation in the United States Navy, and how it must evolve to support future systems acquisition." Thesis, Monterey, Calif. : Springfield, Va. : Naval Postgraduate School ; Available from National Technical Information Service, 2003. http://library.nps.navy.mil/uhtbin/hyperion-image/03sep%5FBodmer.pdf.
Full textAbstract:
Thesis (M.S. in Systems Engineering Management)--Naval Postgraduate School, September 2003.Thesis advisor(s): Walter Owen, Mike McCune. Includes bibliographical references (p. 83-85). Also available online.
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Goodman, Brooke K. (Brooke Kowal). "Effectiveness of bridge design competitions in the United States (1989-1998)." Thesis, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 2012. http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/73785.
Full textAbstract:
Thesis (M. Eng.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Civil and Environmental Engineering, 2012.Cataloged from PDF version of thesis.
Includes bibliographical references (p. 150-152).
Surrounded by a constantly changing built environment, the design community is charged with the responsibility of constantly reacting and adapting, creating and innovating, and competing to make the best products. Design procurement methods serve as a vehicle for design professionals to enact change within their built environment and this thesis seeks to address and analyze one such method, bridge design competitions. Unlike Europe, the United States has held few bridge design competitions over the last 20 years, and this thesis focuses on three as case studies: the U.S. Naval Academy Bridge design competition (1989), the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge design process (1997), and the Woodrow Wilson Bridge design competition (1998). This study uses published literature, newspaper and journal articles, design competition literature, and personal interviews with key players in the bridge design community in the United States and Europe. Thorough histories and personal accounts were compiled for each case study, which included both facts and personal opinion from competition organizers and participants. Advantages and disadvantages of bridge design competitions are discussed, as well as recommendations for the future goals and ambitions of design in the United States. Discussion and conclusions address current design procurement methodologies while posing commentary on the future of bridge design. Bridge design in the United States must rise to the challenge and rival the best design communities around the world. We must break away from lowest cost designs and move toward an environment that fosters and encourages innovation, creativity, and professional debate.
by Brooke K. Goodman.
M.Eng.
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Wu, Di Ph D. Massachusetts Institute of Technology. "Spatiotemporal lifecycle assessment of the light-duty vehicle fleet of United States." Thesis, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 2018. http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/120265.
Full textAbstract:
Thesis: Ph. D., Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Department of Mechanical Engineering, 2018.Cataloged from PDF version of thesis.
Includes bibliographical references.
Greenhouse gas (GHG) emission generated by vehicular transportation is one of the most significant challenges facing the world. Automotive manufacturers are actively pursuing technological solutions, such as electrification and light-weighting, to mitigate the emission burdens. However, it remains challenging to understand the actual emission payoff of these technologies, since the real-world driving context and characteristics vary greatly. The recent rapid growth of a new mobility behavior, ride-hailing, has also raised important questions for urban transportation and sustainability, largely because the net environmental impact of ride-hailing services is similarly challenging to assess. In this dissertation, I develop techniques aimed at treating these complex, context-dependent assessment challenges and address two questions: 1) What is the cost optimal technology portfolio required to achieve the environmental targets for the light-duty vehicle fleets? 2) How do the emerging ride-hailing services influence the carbon footprints of light-duty vehicles? This thesis presents my work on the first regionally explicit (county-level) lifecycle assessment of two technologies directed at mitigating the GHG emissions of light-duty vehicles in the U.S. - lightweighting and electrification. Regional differences in climate, electric grid mix, and driving patterns compound to produce a significant regional heterogeneity in the GHG benefits of electrification. We show that lightweighting further accentuates these regional differences. I then expand the scope to incorporate the dynamic evolution of the light-duty vehicle fleets. Through evaluating the lifecycle emission and ownership cost, I identify the most cost-effective technology portfolios of the county-level vehicle fleets that meet specified environmental targets (as the fleet evolves over time/over the course of fleet evolution?). Finally, to tackle the second question of changing modes of vehicle use, I developed the first elaborate, systematic and data-centric study on the environmental sustainability of ride-hailing in major American cities. Through the use of increasingly available large datasets describing vehicle trips within urban areas, I demonstrated that, while ride-sharing leads to positive environmental impacts, the rebound arising from shifts away from mass transit toward ride-hailing engenders substantial negative impact. Results show that the environmental impacts of ride-hailing are strong functions of urban context and vehicle technology, and ride-hailing is unlikely to achieve net environmental benefits without regulatory intervention. These findings fill an important gap in people's understanding of the advanced automotive technologies and the emerging mobility behavior from sustainability perspective, and shed light on the recent upheaval that vehicular transportation has caused across the United States.
by Di Wu.
Ph. D.
40
Gandham, Tanvi. "The Need for Enhanced Physical Infrastructure in the United States." Scholarship @ Claremont, 2018. http://scholarship.claremont.edu/cmc_theses/1761.
Full text
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Palmer, Angela C. "An investigative study of value engineering in the United States of America and its relationship to United Kingdom cost control procedures." Thesis, Loughborough University, 1992. https://dspace.lboro.ac.uk/2134/7204.
Full textAbstract:
The aim of this thesis is to make an investigative study of value engineering (VE) in the United States. The purpose is to establish if current United Kingdom cost control procedures could benefit from value engineering. The study examined the system of value engineering that exists in the US, along with the design procedures within which it prevails. The examination was based on a survey, analysis of fifty-five completed VE studies and attendance at four VE workshops. A comparison of VE practice in the US was made with UK procedures to establish whether VE is supplementary to UK cost control. Any supplementary components were analysed for effective integration into UK systems. This analysis was based on examination of existing UK cost control, coupled with the opinions, obtained by interview, of twenty British professionals with VE experience either in the UK or USA. The study produced the following conclusions, 1) Value engineering originally developed in manufacturing as a broad philosophy based on the technique of function analysis. Adapting value engineering for the construction industry in the USA distorted the technique of function analysis from its original principles. 2) Despite this, value engineering in the United States is effective in reducing construction cost by approximately 10%. However, this saving cannot be attributed to function analysis and is the result of other, broader, factors. 3) The practice of value engineering in the US offers only two components which do not exist in the UK cost planning system. First, VE is an autonomous approach and second it is carried out by an external team. 4) This autonomous approach by an external team is fraught with difficulties in the US. It is likely that these difficulties would also occur in the UK. In addition, British design procedures are not conducive to the application of US value engineering practice. Possibly as a result of this the majority of UK companies involved in VE have developed alternative systems. These systems appear to be based on an adaptation of American practice. 5) Function analysis could possibly be of benefit in the UK. The technique of function analysis however is largely a design orientated process that has no direct relationship to cost. The technique is not independent and it's successful implementation is influenced by other factors.
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Krones, Jonathan Seth. "Accounting for non-hazardous industrial waste in the United States." Thesis, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 2016. http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/106591.
Full textAbstract:
Thesis: Ph. D. in Engineering Systems, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, School of Engineering, Institute for Data, Systems, and Society, 2016.This electronic version was submitted by the student author. The certified thesis is available in the Institute Archives and Special Collections.
Cataloged from student-submitted PDF version of thesis.
Includes bibliographical references (pages 291-309).
This dissertation presents a method for estimating the tonnage and composition of non-hazardous industrial waste (NHIW) flows in the United States. For thirty years, it has been an accepted fact that NHIW is generated at a rate of 6.9 billion Mg per year, making it the largest waste flow in the country by more than an order of magnitude. However, this value was generated in 1985, has not been updated since, and is thought to account largely for the weight of dilute process water disposed in surface impoundments rather than solid waste generated by industry. To address this data gap, and lacking the resources to collect new, national-scale information, I propose an approach by which three independent estimates of NHIW generation based on existing data are used to corroborate each other at the industry sector level. The individual estimates are compared in triangulation so as to control for the errors, uncertainties and other validity concerns unique to each. The methods are: forecasting from historical waste accounts, modeling industrial materials flows to calculate lost mass, and up-scaling state-level data reported to the Pennsylvania Residual Waste Program. I apply the triangulation method to three industrial sectors for the year 2010, yielding estimates of (all in million Mg) 9.7-14.9 from pulp and paper, 21.2-24.7 from iron and steel, and 0.96-1.24 from petroleum refining. These values suggest that the total quantity of NHIW is measured in the hundreds of millions of Mg, not the billions as claimed by the prevailing EPA account. It therefore appears that NHIW generation rates are comparable to those of municipal solid waste. Accurate waste accounting based on reliable, repeatable, and efficient methods is an important tool for characterizing current environmental challenges and understanding trends and the effects of key drivers. Waste accounts are also essential for developing and tracking progress on sustainability strategies like industrial symbiosis, in which wastes like NHIW are used as substitutes for raw materials throughout the economy. The method developed here satisfies these needs and answers what has been an open question for nearly three decades.
by Jonathan Seth Krones.
Ph. D. in Engineering Systems
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Chien, Michael P. (Michael Pang-Chieh). "Improving the innovation culture within the United States Coast Guard." Thesis, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 2018. http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/120919.
Full textAbstract:
Thesis: S.M. in Engineering and Management, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, System Design and Management Program, 2018.This electronic version was submitted by the student author. The certified thesis is available in the Institute Archives and Special Collections.
"September 2018." Cataloged from student-submitted PDF version of thesis.
Includes bibliographical references (pages 76-78).
It is increasingly difficult to maintain a technological edge within the United States Coast Guard. Technology continues to advance faster than it can be integrated into the organization. Unfortunately, Federal acquisition requirements and budgetary constraints also contribute to the lack of progress in technology adoption. This thesis explores the current state of innovation within the United States Department of Defense and the United States Coast Guard. In seeking to understand how to improve the culture of innovation within an organization, a review of literature was conducted and applicable key concepts presented. Principles of successful innovation were drawn from a sample of innovation centers within the DoD and Department of Homeland Security, and case studies used to scope innovation within the context of the Coast Guard. Finally, the author includes recommendations to increase innovation within the Coast Guard. This analysis provides a starting point to explore and map the ever-expanding innovation centers within the federal government, specifically in the Department of Defense and the Department of Homeland Security.
by Michael P. Chien.
S.M. in Engineering and Management
44
Lewis, Clayton S. "Evapotranspiration Estimation: A Study of Methods in the Western United States." DigitalCommons@USU, 2016. https://digitalcommons.usu.edu/etd/4683.
Full textAbstract:
This research focused on estimating evapotranspiration (i.e., the amount of water vaporizing into the atmosphere through processes of surface evaporation and plant transpiration) under both theoretical and actual conditions. There were two study areas involved: one, on a large scale where 704 agriculturally-representative, electronic weather stations were used to evaluate the drivers and calculated reference evapotranspiration of a NASA gridded weather forcing model in the 17 western states in the contiguous U.S.; and two, transpiration of invasive saltcedar (Tamarix sp.) in the floodplain of the lower Colorado River, California, with Bowen ratio, eddy covariance, and groundwater fluxes. In this study, a fire destroyed the saltcedar forest, which allowed comparison of evapotranspiration before and after\ this event
Comparison of the input weather parameters showed some variance between the electronic weather stations and the gridded model, but calculated reference evapotranspiration performed well by relying on the better input and more highly weighed variables of air temperature and downward shortwave radiation. Only in the southern portions of California, Arizona, and New Mexico were the evapotranspiration estimates using the gridded dataset not well correlated with the electronic weather stations and not recommended for prediction. Saltcedar evapotranspiration was found to match more recent and conservative estimates for the phreatophyte than what was historically portrayed in the literature. Horizontal advection from the surrounding desert was also observed to affect the riparian energy balance. Annual average total evapotranspiration before a fire varied from 0.60-1.44 meters/year to 0.25-1.00 meters/year post fire.
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Laderman, Sarah (Sarah Jane). "Minimal nuclear deterrence : a nuclear arsenal reduction plan for the United States." Thesis, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 2012. http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/76953.
Full textAbstract:
Thesis (S.B.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Nuclear Science and Engineering, 2012."June 2012." Cataloged from PDF version of thesis.
Includes bibliographical references (p. 39-40).
The global political climate has called for reductions to nuclear arsenals around the world. This thesis researches how potential deep cuts to the United States' large strategic nuclear arsenal would affect its current nuclear deterrence goals. First, case studies on pre-1960 United States, 1964-2012 France, and 1964-2012 China are conducted to understand how a small nuclear arsenal should be constructed in order to prevent nuclear attack from countries with large nuclear arsenals. The lessons learned from these case studies, the current United States deterrence requirements, and the destructive effects from different warheads are then used to propose a potential composition of a small nuclear arsenal for the United States. The proposal consists of only around 500 warheads (in comparison to the current 2,000 the US has on deployment) and achieves United States deterrence goals through its vast destructive capability, variability, and survivability if targeted against in a first nuclear strike.
by Sarah Laderman.
S.B.
46
Connor, Peter H. (Peter Harold). "The development of short sea shipping in the United States : a dynamic alternative." Thesis, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 2004. http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/33427.
Full textAbstract:
Thesis (S.M.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Ocean Engineering, 2004.Includes bibliographical references (p. 122-128).
Current projections show that U.S. international trade is expected to reach nearly two billion tons by 2020, approximately double today's level. With such a large forecasted growth in trade coming through the United States and growing problems associated with highway congestion, air pollution, and national security, building short sea shipping networks will be difficult, but possible, and potentially of great benefit to the nation. By bringing together shipping providers, customers, and with support from the federal government, short sea shipping can become a reality. This paper outlines the need for a change in our maritime transportation system. It takes a look at the current uses of short sea shipping in the United States as well as the system used in Europe. The technology associated with this concept is described and high-speed vessel design is investigated. Issues relating to the integration of short sea shipping are brought to light, including customer requirements, capital financing, and government policy. A computer-based simulation model calculates a total cost analysis for two modes of transporting goods, trucking and short sea shipping. The model is applied to a group of products of different size, weight, and value.
(cont.) The quantitative results of the model show that in most cases, for lower value products, the savings in transportation costs from short sea shipping offset the increase in inventory costs. These results are then used to look at other commodities listed on the 2002 commodity flow survey to show the potential for short sea shipping use.
by Peter H. Connor.
S.M.
47
Glinatsis, Timothy W. (Timothy William) 1979. "The effective United States controlled shipping fleet : causes of decline and proposed remedies." Thesis, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 2002. http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/91908.
Full textAbstract:
Thesis (S.M. in Ocean Systems Management)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Ocean Engineering, 2002.Includes bibliographical references (leaves 114-115).
by Timothy W. Glinatsis.
S.M.in Ocean Systems Management
48
Kwok, Peter Jordan. "Electricity transmission investment in the United States : an investigation of adequacy." Thesis, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 2010. http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/62058.
Full textAbstract:
Thesis (S.M. in Technology and Policy)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Engineering Systems Division, Technology and Policy Program, 2010.Cataloged from PDF version of thesis.
Includes bibliographical references (p. 89-91).
There is a prevailing sentiment that the United States is underinvested in its electric transmission infrastructure. The standard claim is that poor regulation has caused insufficient levels of capital to be devoted to the transmission system and resulted in a network that is economically inefficient and potentially unreliable. Furthermore, it has been postulated that if policy changes are not made to increase investment in the near future, the US will face a crisis within its electricity grid. This investigation assesses these claims and, where regulation or investment is found to be wanting, policy recommendations to remedy the situation are made. Adequacy is defined here in the context of the major goals for transmission in the United States - generator interconnection, economics, reliability, and policy support - and whether the current system is achieving these goals. Adequacy is neither static nor a binary outcome, and at any point in time the system exists along some continuum between perfectly adequate and completely inadequate. This state may be affected by policies in place, the economy, the fuel prices that underlie the economics of the power system, or by other factors, and thus adequacy must be regularly revisited, as is done here. This study begins by finding that many of the indicators traditionally used to assess adequacy of transmission investment do not actually have much utility when it comes to drawing a definitive conclusion. Additionally, data that could potentially indicate adequacy are either insufficient to support any findings on the matter or are inconclusive. As such, other avenues of research are required. Two approaches are settled on as possible ways of addressing adequacy. The first, a "regulatory rationale" approach, seeks to apply logic and experience to deduce what outcomes might result from current regulatory structures. The second, a set of interviews with professional transmission planners, serves to validate the theoretical findings of the regulatory rationale and gain insight into the actual state of the system. The interview responses are analyzed using grounded theory, a structured method for interpreting qualitative data. Based on the two pronged qualitative assessment of system adequacy, the transmission network is found to be more adequate than is commonly claimed. Specifically, the system is quite adequate to serve the goals of generator interconnection and reliability. The conclusions for whether the system is economically efficient are the least clear, but to the extent that is possible within the current planning process, it appears that there is not cause to be concerned about underinvestment. Any major economic opportunities that are being missed are likely a result of the lack of an inter-regional planning process, which in turn means that opportunities for strengthening of economic linkages between regional jurisdictions are probably overlooked. The most concerning category where adequacy may become an issue is policy lines. While a motivating national policy is not yet in place, the type of transmission regulation that would result in transmission expansion to serve policy needs is not in place. Regulatory change is required to ensure that the system does not end up with a regulatory framework that cannot support legislative goals. Based on these findings, a limited number of policy recommendations are forwarded. First, it is suggested that any decisions based on the conventional wisdom be reexamined based on a more rigorous assessment of more complete data on the current state of the system. Next, it is recommended that the economic criteria and planning process be revisited with a focus on ensuring that inter-regional opportunities are not overlooked. Finally, there is a need to create policy certainty about what the future goals are for the power system, which should be supported by improved regulation that will allow for the incorporation of large quantities of renewable power sources.
by Peter Jordan Kwok.
S.M.in Technology and Policy
49
Ippolito, Andrea K. (Andrea Katherine). "Architecting the future telebehavioral health system of care in the United States Army." Thesis, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 2012. http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/79523.
Full textAbstract:
Thesis (S.M.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Engineering Systems Division, 2012.Cataloged from PDF version of thesis.
Includes bibliographical references (p. 151-159).
Charged by the Chairman of the Joints Chief of Staff, the authors were members of a study to develop innovative recommendations for transforming the military enterprise to better manage post-traumatic stress and related conditions in support of service members and their families. The authors first began their study by performing a stakeholder analysis to understand the unmet needs of stakeholders across the enterprise. By assessing stakeholder values across the life cycle, we found that there was a strong need to improve the continuity of care and accessibility of services for service members and their families, in particular for the Reserve Component and National Guard population. Therefore, the authors investigated the role of technology to serve as a force extender to improve access and timeliness of care to psychological health care services. Specifically, they utilized a systems approach to evaluate the current state of telehealth within the Military Health System. By utilizing the enterprise lenses of strategy, policy, organization, services, processes, infrastructure, and knowledge to analyze the current state of telebehavioral health, they proposed a future state architecture for telehealth delivery. They highlight seven enterprise requirements for developing this future state architecture: 1. MEDCOM shall establish a core funding stream as a line item to support TH service line. 2. MEDCOM Telehealth Service line shall develop standard TBH metrics for deployment across the enterprise 3. MEDCOM Telehealth Service line shall identify eligible populations across the enterprise that could benefit from the expanded access that TBH services provide. 4. MEDCOM Telehealth Service line shall develop an enterprise solution that supports seamless flow of operational information and the electronic health record. 5. MEDCOM Telehealth Service line shall revisit specific policies that are presenting barriers to telehealth growth and sustainability. 6. MEDCOM Telehealth Service line shall encourage learning and best practice sharing across the Army TH enterprise. 7. MEDCOM Telehealth Service line shall collaborate with other Army governance organizations to develop a mobile health strategy and pilot projects for the Army enterprise.
by Andrea K. Ippolito.
S.M.
50
Germakian, David G. Jaskowiak Derek C. "Model of the US CENTCOM joint targeting architecture develop targets /." Monterey, Calif. : Springfield, Va. : Naval Postgraduate School ; Available from National Technical Information Service, 2004. http://handle.dtic.mil/100.2/ADA424953.
Full textAbstract:
Thesis (M.S. in Systems Technology (Joint Command, Control and Communications (C3)))--Naval Postgraduate School, June 2004.Thesis advisor(s): Osmundson, John. Includes bibliographical references (p. 89-91). Also available online.