Rough-Cut Capacity Planning in Multimodal Freight Transportation Networks

A main challenge in transporting cargo for United States Transportation Command (USTRANSCOM) is in mode selection or integration. Demand for cargo is time sensitive and must be fulfilled by an established due date. Since these due dates are often inflexible, commercial carriers are used at an enormous expense, in order to fill the gap in organic transportation asset capacity. This dissertation develops a new methodology for transportation capacity assignment to routes based on the Resource Constrained Shortest Path Problem (RCSP). Routes can be single or multimodal depending on the characteristics of the network, delivery timeline, modal capacities, and costs. The difficulty of the RCSP requires use of metaheuristics to produce solutions. An Ant Colony System to solve the RCSP is developed in this dissertation. Finally, a method for generating near Pareto optimal solutions with respect to the objectives of cost and time is developed

Estimating the efficacy of mass rescue operations in ocean areas with vehicle routing models and heuristics

Tese de doutoramento, Estatística e Investigação Operacional (Optimização), Universidade de Lisboa, Faculdade de Ciências, 2018Mass rescue operations (MRO) in maritime areas, particularly in ocean areas, are a major concern for the authorities responsible for conducting search and rescue (SAR) activities. A mass rescue operation can be defined as a search and rescue activity characterized by the need for immediate assistance to a large number of persons in distress, such that the capabilities normally available to search and rescue are inadequate. In this dissertation we deal with a mass rescue operation within ocean areas and we consider the problem of rescuing a set of survivors following a maritime incident (cruise ship, oil platform, ditched airplane) that are drifting in time. The recovery of survivors is performed by nearby ships and helicopters. We also consider the possibility of ships capable of refuelling helicopters while hovering which can extend the range to which survivors can be rescued. A linear binary integer formulation is presented along with an application that allows users to build instances of the problem. The formulation considers a discretization of time within a certain time step in order to assess the possibility of travelling along different locations. The problem considered in this work can be perceived as an extension of the generalized vehicle routing problem (GVRP) with a profit stance since we may not be able to recover all of the survivors. We also present a look ahead approach, based on the pilot method, to the problem along with some optimal results using state of the art Mixed-integer linear programming solvers. Finally, the efficacy of the solution from the GVRP is estimated for a set of scenarios that combine incident severity, location, traffic density for nearby ships and SAR assets availability and location. Using traffic density maps and the estimated MRO efficacy, one can produce a combined vulnerability map to ascertain the quality of response to each scenario.Marinha Portuguesa, Plano de Atividades de Formação Nacional (PAFN

Breaking into BIM: Performing static and dynamic security analysis with the aid of BIM

The design and construction industry is moving towards Building Information Models (BIM) that provide all of the strengths of traditional 3D CAD with an added layer of data allowing new and powerful applications. We investigate the concept of using the data within BIM to better explore security design and considerations. We achieve this by first graphing the physical entities of BIM to capture their relational representation as nodes and links. This graph representation will facilitate the use of graph theory or agent-based simulation to assist in the analysis of the static and dynamic behaviour of the environment around the BIM. We also demonstrate an application of graphing by investigating the use of BIM to explore automated infrastructure security design and consideration via red-teaming. The intent is to make security analysis easier and a process that can be carried out during the design phase of a project, even by non-expert users

On-line lot-sizing with perceptrons

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Design prototyping methods

textProduct development is often modeled as a cycle between phases of designing, building, and testing. This work will explore early stage build efforts of product design, which is also known as prototyping. Prototyping is a critical determinant of product success. Research shows that different approaches to prototyping can greatly affect design outcome. This work provides an integrated overview, and expansion of the existing work on design prototyping methods. Following the introduction, an extensive literature review of design prototyping tools, techniques, and methods is provided. These sources are indexed and comparatively reviewed. The capabilities of a novel hybrid prototyping technique is explored through a design case study. Next, insights from the review are integrated in a context independent prototyping strategy method. The method is developed with heuristics extracted from the literature, and additional insights from experimental studies. The technique is then experimentally evaluated. Finally, results of an extensive study of an online design repository are provided. The results include five key principles for prototype design and fabrication. The presence of these principles in the repository is validated through a novel crowd-sourced online study. The outcome effects of deploying these principles to design teams is experimentally evaluated. Overall, this research provides a guide to prototyping which includes a systematically indexed review and comparison of the existing work, as well as a novel method, and principles for design and fabrication.Mechanical Engineerin

CBR and MBR techniques: review for an application in the emergencies domain

The purpose of this document is to provide an in-depth analysis of current reasoning engine practice and the integration strategies of Case Based Reasoning and Model Based Reasoning that will be used in the design and development of the RIMSAT system. RIMSAT (Remote Intelligent Management Support and Training) is a European Commission funded project designed to: a.. Provide an innovative, 'intelligent', knowledge based solution aimed at improving the quality of critical decisions b.. Enhance the competencies and responsiveness of individuals and organisations involved in highly complex, safety critical incidents - irrespective of their location. In other words, RIMSAT aims to design and implement a decision support system that using Case Base Reasoning as well as Model Base Reasoning technology is applied in the management of emergency situations. This document is part of a deliverable for RIMSAT project, and although it has been done in close contact with the requirements of the project, it provides an overview wide enough for providing a state of the art in integration strategies between CBR and MBR technologies.Postprint (published version

Air Force Institute of Technology Research Report 2003

This report summarizes the research activities of the Air Force Institute of Technology’s Graduate School of Engineering and Management. It describes research interests and faculty expertise; lists student theses/dissertations; identifies research sponsors and contributions; and outlines the procedures for contacting the school. Included in the report are: faculty publications, conference presentations, consultations, and funded research projects. Research was conducted in the areas of Aeronautical and Astronautical Engineering, Electrical Engineering and Electro-Optics, Computer Engineering and Computer Science, Systems and Engineering Management, Operational Sciences, and Engineering Physics