Simulated Annealing and Threshold Accepting are two stochastic search algorithms that have been successfully used on a variety of complex and difficult problem sets. Due to their stochastic nature they are not guaranteed to produce the same result for each run. This means that these techniques actually produce a distribution...
The performance of transit networks must be measured on a regular basis to understand how well these complex systems fulfill their intended purpose and to identify potential opportunities for improvement. Measuring transit network performance is only achievable by defining a specific set of transit network performance indicators (TNPIs). Different schemes...
Qualitative data analysis (QDA) is a time consuming and, potentially unreliable research activity. In qualitative research, a number of tasks must be repeated for every new research case, even if each case is closely related or is in the same area of study.
Existing QDA applications provide users with a...
Since the introduction of lean manufacturing by Toyota and publication by Womack and Jones, organizations have realized sizeable gains through lean process improvement. The spread of lean practices across organizations and industries – from manufacturing to healthcare and construction – requires adjustments of the lean process and, in the case...
Much like wind energy in its early years, marine energy has vast potential, and wave energy converter (WEC) concepts are constantly in development. Consequently, wave energy faces many challenges for expansion and has a wide-ranging design space of WEC concepts. The large design space demands new methods for understanding the...
Chain saws are a common tool used by large logging corporations and family homesteads to manage forests, limb trees and buck lumber. A significant cost of operation is the continuous required supply of bar and chain oil. Consumers and logging corporations desire a lubricant with a high performance to cost...
Both researchers and practitioners in fields related to emergency management (EM) use a variety of frameworks for different purposes including analysis, learning, and operations. Despite existing approaches in EM, such as comprehensive emergency management (CEM), the research community has been urged to construct a general normative theory for emergency management...
In container terminals, the efficiency of loading operations in a container yard highly
depends on the productivity of yard cranes. In loading operation, yard cranes have to
pick-up the containers which are stacked in the yard-bays to satisfy the work schedule
requirement of quay crane, the equipment for loading and...
Quadrotors are unique among Micro Aerial Vehicles in providing excellent maneuverability (as opposed to winged flight),while maintaing a simple mechanical construction (as opposed to helicopters). This mechanical simplicity comes at a cost of increased controller complexity. Quadrotors are inherently unstable, in the sense that they are essentially unflyable by a...
Heating, ventilation, and air conditioning systems represent nearly half of building energy usage in the United States. Recent building regulations requiring increased air turnover within buildings will result in even greater air conditioning usage. To alleviate these concerns, membrane-based heat-and-moisture exchangers known as energy recovery ventilators have been developed to...