United States Naval Academy
Class of 2015 Trident Scholar Presentations & Banquet April 23-25
FOREWORD
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he Naval Academy instituted the Trident Scholar Program in 1963 to provide an exciting opportunity for some of our most capable students to engage in extended independent study and research throughout their senior year.
Under the Trident Scholar Program, midshipmen in the top 10 percent of their class at the end of the first semester of their junior year are invited to submit research project proposals for evaluation by a committee composed of senior-level professors and officers who represent all academic departments. Based on their academic qualifications and the findings of this Trident Scholar Committee, the Academic Dean and Provost appoints new Trident Scholars for the next academic year. Each midshipman selected to participate in the Trident Scholar Program is afforded an unusually exciting and unique educational experience. A Trident Scholar’s research is carried out independently, but is also under the close watch of faculty advisors who are all well qualified in the subject field of study. Each scholar’s academic class load is adjusted to allow for the significant time that they will spend on their research project, while at the same time allowing them to complete the requirements of their regular academic major. Special funding provided by the Office of Naval Research (ONR) for the Trident Scholar Program helps to make certain that materials, instrumentation, and travel opportunities are available to each scholar. ONR’s generous help ensures that each student’s experience is as educationally complete and as rewarding as possible. Generous support for the Trident Scholar Program is also provided by members of the Naval Academy Class of 1979. Traditionally, at the end of each academic year each Trident Scholar presents the results of his or her research in a public lecture at the Academy, in a written archived report, and in a poster session prior to a formal dinner. The public lectures and dinner bring together the entire spectrum of Naval Academy research, including both graduating and newly designated scholars, their advisors and sponsors, members of the Trident Committee and other invited guests. From the work presented by the scholars each year, one is selected as the most outstanding research project. This midshipman is awarded the Class of 1979 Trident Scholar Prize (formerly known as the Office of Naval Intelligence Harry E. Ward Trident Scholar Prize). Many Trident Scholars are given the opportunity to undertake immediate graduate studies at other universities prior to reporting to their first duty assignment. Many also complete advanced degrees during their time on active duty and return later in their careers for teaching assignments at the Naval Academy. Let me use this opportunity to congratulate the Trident Scholars of the Class of 2015 for their great individual achievement, and pass along my wishes for their continued success throughout their naval careers and beyond. A.T. PHILLIPS Academic Dean and Provost
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TRIDENT SCHOLAR COMMITTEE Committee Chair Professor Maria J. Schroeder Associate Director of Midshipman Research Division of Engineering and Weapons Associate Professor Randy Broussard Associate Professor David Fredriksson Associate Professor Luksa Luznik Associate Professor David Miklosovic Division of Mathematics and Science Associate Professor Christopher Brown Associate Professor Clare Gutteridge Professor Deborah Konkowski Associate Professor Christopher Morgan Division of Humanities and Social Sciences Associate Professor Lori Bogle Associate Professor Thomas Burgess Lieutenant Commander Liam Corley, USN Professor Nancy Mace
We honor those former Trident Scholars who attained flag rank and served their Navy and their nation at the highest levels. ADM Donald Lee Pilling, USN (Ret.) Class of 1965 Vice Chief of Naval Operations
VADM Evan Martin Chanik, USN (Ret.) Class of 1973 Commander, Second Fleet Director, Combined Joint Operations from the Sea Center of Excellence
RADM Robert Michael Nutwell, USN (Ret.) Class of 1966 Deputy Director, Space, Information Warfare, Command and Control
RADM Paul John Ryan, USN (Ret.) Class of 1973 Commander, Mine Warfare Command
VADM John Scott Redd, USN (Ret.) Class of 1966 Director, Strategic Plans and Policy Office of the Joint Chiefs of Staff
VADM Joseph Ambrose Sestak, Jr., USN (Ret.) Class of 1974 Deputy Chief of Naval Operations, Warfare Requirements & Programs (N6/N7)
ADM Richard Willard Mies, USN (Ret.) Class of 1967 Commander in Chief, United States Strategic Command
RADM Samuel J. Cox, USN Class of 1980 Director, National Maritime Intelligence-Integration Office Commander, Office of Naval Intelligence
VADM George Peter Nanos, Jr., USN (Ret.) Class of 1967 Commander, Naval Sea Systems Command
VADM William Hunter Hilarides, USN Class of 1981 Commander, Naval Sea Systems Command
RADM Jay Martin Cohen, USN (Ret.) Class of 1968 Chief of Naval Research
ADM John Michael Richardson, USN Class of 1982 Director, Naval Nuclear Propulsion Program
RADM Jeffrey Alan Cook, USN (Ret.) Class of 1968 Vice Commander, Naval Air Systems Command 2
TRIDENT SCHOLAR PROGRAM 52 Years of Tradition
The U.S. Naval Academy instituted the Trident Scholar Program in 1963 to provide an opportunity for exceptionally capable midshipmen to engage in independent study and research during their senior year. Over its 52-year history, more than 500 midshipmen have participated in the program, contributing their talents, creativity, and enthusiasm to their field of study. Last year, the Class of 1979 committed to supporting the Trident Scholar Program. We are grateful to members of the Class of 1979 for their generous support. A few representatives from the Class of 1979 and their spouses are in attendance at the banquet.
Lieutenant Commander Sean T. Cate, USN (Ret.) 17th Company
Captain Charles B. Dixon, USN (Ret.) 19th Company
Commander Fredrick K. Gerheiser, USN, CEC (Ret.) 16th Company
Captain David M. Jackson, USN (Ret.) 17th Company
Mr. Jeffrey E. McFadden 36th Company Trident Scholar "Chivalry and the Military Officer: An Historical and Literary Inquiry" Advisor: Professor Wilson L. Heflin
Midshipman 1st Class Jeffrey E. McFadden with his advisor Professor Wilson L. Heflin in 1979.
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TRIDENT SCHOLAR PRESENTATIONS Moderator Professor Maria J. Schroeder Associate Director of Midshipman Research Thursday, April 23, 2015 1255-1530 Rickover Hall, Room 103 1415 Midshipman 1st Class Eric A. Swanson Quantum Mechanics in Relativistic Spacetime
1255 Midshipman 1st Class Michael K. Johnson Probe-Independent EEG Assessment of Mental Workload in Pilots The goal of this project was to develop an algorithm to measure mental workload based on brain signals recorded noninvasively, and without the need for an externally introduced probe stimulus. Several signal processing and machine learning techniques were compared based on their performance in classifying behavioral challenges of varying complexity.
The thermodynamics of a black hole is at the interface of General Relativity (GR) and Quantum Mechanics (QM). This project constructs the quantum states of a free particle interacting with a black hole. This differs from the conventional method of calculating black hole entropy which uses quantum field theory.
1455 Midshipman 1st Class A. Eileen Dilks Towards a Personalized Prescription Tool for Diabetic Treatment
1335 Midshipman 1st Class David A. Stevens Computational Sensitivity Analysis for the Aerodynamic Design of Supersonic and Hypersonic Air Vehicles
This project combines a mathematical model of glucose digestion with models of the absorption of slow and fast acting insulin injections. A personalized prescription tool is created by applying an adaptive predictive control algorithm to determine the best insulin therapy routine for a patient based on past glucose readings.
The sensitivities of a hypersonic aircraft’s aerodynamics to changes in its geometry were calculated using a highly-automated geometry and computational fluid dynamics framework. This research will assist designers in avoiding vehicle redesigns later in the design process, thereby reducing project delays and costs.
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TRIDENT SCHOLAR PRESENTATIONS Moderator Professor Maria J. Schroeder Associate Director of Midshipman Research Friday, April 24, 2015 0810-1125 and 1255-1530 Rickover Hall, Room 103 Morning Session
Afternoon Session
0810 Midshipman 1st Class Brian R. He A Theoretical and Experimental Analysis of PostCompression Water Injection in a Rolls-Royce M250 Gas Turbine Engine
1255 Midshipman 1st Class Andrea R. Howard Measuring Oman's Food Security Outlook for Crisis Aversion
This project investigates the effects on performance and emissions caused by injecting water at different flow rates and temperatures into the compressor discharge of a Rolls-Royce M250 turboshaft gas turbine. Analysis of the results aims to improve the current understanding of water injection in low pressure-ratio gas turbines.
0850 Midshipman 1st Class Gabriel Tang Ying Kit Cooperative Control of Unmanned Surface Vessels and Unmanned Underwater Vessels for Asset Protection This research projects aims to develop an effective method for multimodal cooperation techniques for autonomous vehicles. Utilizing cooperative control through a novel capability function as well as a localization algorithm, this project develops a control system that allows USVs and UUVs to cooperate together effectively in carrying out asset protection.
0930 Midshipman 1st Class Benjamin C. Etringer A Modeling and Data Analysis of Laser Beam Propagation in the Maritime Domain
This project develops a model to measure the effects of crises that threaten Oman’s minimum threshold of food and water supplies. Using a Bayesian belief network, the model quantifies Oman’s sensitivity to changes in eighteen variables that affect food security.
1335 Midshipman 1st Class Zane A. Markel Machine Learning Based Malware Detection Machine learning based malware detection could considerably enhance antivirus software, yet existing methods suffer from flawed test procedures and poor performance. We identify promising file characteristics for malware detection, explore the difficulty of detecting malware amongst abundant benign software, and propose a more rigorous procedure for demonstrating expected realistic performance.
1415 Midshipman 1st Class Steven T. Hallgren An Exploration of Structures in the Transitional Odd-Odd Nucleus 160Lu We investigated the nuclear structure of 160Lu, a nucleus that is neither completely spherical nor completely deformed. We collected gamma rays emitted by rapidly-spinning 160Lu nuclei as they slow down to determine the nuclear shape. Our results suggest new structural features originating from the transitional nature of the nucleus.
This project investigates the impact of the maritime environment on the propagation of laser beams. Two distinct methods will be employed: 1) Data analysis is carried out by computing probability density functions using three approximation techniques; and 2) preliminary steps are taken to develop a stochastic partial differential equation model for laser beam propagation in a complex environment.
1455 Midshipman 1st Class Fletcher D. Rydalch A Characterization of the Ship-Effect in a Maritime Environment and Special Nuclear Material Detection
1010 Midshipman 1st Class Samuel S. Lacinski Multiple Sensor Discrimination of Closely-Spaced Objects on a Ballistic Trajectory Multiple sensor discrimination requires the integration of dissimilar sensor measurements to improve the likelihood of identifying an object of interest among closely-spaced objects on a ballistic trajectory. This project developed and tested via simulation the algorithms necessary for fusing the sensors’ data using a Target Object Map for correlation and Dempster-Shafer discrimination logic.
1050 Midshipman 1st Class Daniel R. Kuerbitz An Examination of a Pumping Rotor Blade Design for Brownout Mitigation Brownout poses a serious hazard to rotorcraft operations. A pumping rotor blade design was tested as a means to diffuse tip vortices, thereby mitigating the rotor’s brownout effects. The pumping designs effectively diffused tip vortices at lower thrust conditions. At higher thrust conditions, tip vortices persisted in the flow. 5
A spatial characterization of the radiation ship effect was completed in the vicinity of a Navy warship. Results show increasing background radiation levels approaching the ship, as expected. Modeling has shown this increased background to have a negative impact on the stand-off detection range of special nuclear material on board.
TRIDENT SCHOLAR BANQUET
Trident Banquet and Induction Ceremony Saturday, April 25, 2015 Alumni Hall Poster Session and Social Hour 1800-1900 Master of Ceremonies Dr. Andrew T. Phillips Academic Dean and Provost Invocation Lieutenant Yonatan M. Warren, CHC, USN 4th Battalion Chaplain Guest Speaker Rear Admiral Mathias W. Winter, USN Chief of Naval Research Award of Trident Scholar Certificates to Class of 2015 Trident Scholars Induction of Class of 2016 Trident Scholars
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REAR ADMIRAL MATHIAS W. WINTER, USN Chief of Naval Research Director, Innovation Technology Requirements, and Test & Evaluation (N84)
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ear Admiral Mathias Winter, a 1984 graduate of the University of Notre Dame with a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering, received his commission through the Naval Reserve Officers Training Corps and was designated a naval flight officer in 1985. Winter served operational tours as an A-6E Intruder Bombardier/Navigator with Attack Squadrons 42, 85 and 34, making multiple deployments aboard aircraft carriers USS Saratoga (CV 60), USS America (CV 66), USS Dwight D. Eisenhower (CVN 69) and USS George Washington (CVN 73). Winter’s acquisition tours include assistant deputy program manager (DPM) for the Joint Standoff Weapon System; executive assistant to the Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) program director; chief engineer for JSF Integrated Flight and Propulsion Control; DPM for the Tactical Tomahawk AllUp-Round development program; chief of staff to the Program Executive Officer (PEO) for Tactical Aircraft Programs; and his major acquisition command tour as the Precision Strike Weapons (PMA201) program manager. Winter has served flag tours as the commander, Naval Air Warfare Center Weapons Division, China Lake/Point Mugu, California, assistant commander for Test and Evaluation, Naval Air Systems Command and PEO for Unmanned Aviation and Strike Weapons. In December 2014, he became the 25th Chief of Naval Research with concurrent flag responsibilities as Director, Innovation Technology Requirements, and Test & Evaluation. Winter holds a master's degree in computer science from the Naval Postgraduate School and another in national resource strategy from National Defense University’s Industrial College of the Armed Forces; and a Level III certification in Program Management and Test & Evaluation from the Defense System Management College. His personal awards include the Legion of Merit (3), Defense Meritorious Service Medal (2), Navy Meritorious Service Medal (2), Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal (4), Joint Service Achievement Medal (2), Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal, Air Force Acquisition Excellence Award, Southwest Asia Service Medal, Kuwait Liberation Medal, and various unit and sea service awards.
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A. Eileen Dilks Midshipman 1st Class Towards a Personalized Prescription Tool for Diabetic Treatment
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or diabetic patients, insulin is unable to effectively assist in transporting glucose into cells to be used for energy. Type I diabetes arises when the pancreas does not produce enough insulin, and type II diabetes develops when cell receptors become insensitive to insulin. Both conditions present the danger of causing unhealthy glucose levels in the blood stream and are treated with insulin injection therapy to trigger glucose uptake in the cells. A mathematical model of natural glucose and insulin control allows for a quantitative understanding of the internal glucose-insulin dynamics of healthy and diabetic patients. Cobelli et. al. presented a simulation model composed of glucose and insulin subsystems and four unit process models which use differential equations to describe the kinetics of glucose digestion and absorption that occur after a meal. This model has achieved the greatest physiological accuracy to date and was used as a basis for a computer simulator for type 1 diabetes that received FDA approval as a substitute to animal trials for preclinical testing. This model provides the means for developing a systematic approach to prescribing insulin injection therapy for diabetic patients in order to maintain healthy glucose levels.
photo by Gin Kai, USNA Photo Lab
This research extends the Cobelli model of glucose and insulin dynamics to include both long- and short-acting insulin inputs currently used to treat diabetic patients. The project will introduce a personalized approach to treatment by adapting the set of average diabetic Cobelli model parameters over time in response to observed patient feedback data. The personalized model will be combined with a nonlinear model predictive control strategy to determine the best insulin injection routine to achieve healthy glucose levels in diabetic patients. This work will contribute to the development of an individualized prescription tool which physicians can use to more effectively treat diabetic patients.
FACULTY ADVISOR Professor Richard T. O'Brien Weapons and Systems Engineering Department B.S., Brown University M.Sc., Ph.D., Johns Hopkins University External Collaborator: Dr. Ledys J. DiMarsico, M.D., Sinai Hospital of Baltimore
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Benjamin C. Etringer Midshipman 1st Class
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A Modeling and Data Analysis of Laser Beam Propagation in the Maritime Domain
n this project we will investigate the impact of the maritime environment on the propagation of laser beams. This study will primarily use data collected at the Naval Academy with the goal of quantifying the correlation between the statistics of the environmental parameters and the statistics of laser beam intensity at the target. The project will have two parts to it: 1) we present a computational analysis of different probability density function approximation techniques; and 2) we introduce preliminary steps towards developing a stochastic model for the maritime laser beam propagation. In the first part of this work, we will apply three mathematical methods to construct the probability density function of the data: i) the Kernel Density Estimator (KDE) method, ii) the Barakat Method using lower-order moments, and iii) the Bayesian Mixture Model. We will compare and contrast the features of the three approximation techniques, first in the context of a synthetic datum whose true pdf is known, and next in the context of the laser data.
photo by Gin Kai, USNA Photo Lab
In the second task, we will analyze how a complex medium causes the photons of the laser light to behave differently than if they were acting in freespace, by focusing on the stochastic behavior that our data exhibits. We will develop a stochastic paraxial wave equation in order to have a mathematical model capable of accepting statistical parameters from the atmosphere as input to allow us to investigate the statistical properties of light intensity at a specified target.
FACULTY ADVISOR Professor Reza Malek-Madani Mathematics Department B.S., M.S., Southern Illinois University Ph.D., Brown University
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Steven T. Hallgren Midshipman 1st Class An Exploration of Structures in the Transitional Odd-Odd Nucleus 160Lu
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ontrary to popular belief, not all nuclei are spherical. Nuclei tend to be spherical when they have close to a “full shell” of nucleons. This concept is similar to the stability of noble gases caused by full shells of electrons. Past studies have determined that shells fill at certain “magic numbers” of nucleons when either the proton number (Z) or the neutron number (N) of the nucleus is, among other values, 82. The further away a nucleus’ Z or N is from these magic numbers, the more deformed it will be. Lutetium has 71 protons (Z=71). A wide variety of isotopes of lutetium exist, which have the same Z but different N. It is possible to watch how the nucleus deforms by observing isotopes with more and more neutrons. 157Lu is still nearly spherical even with 86 neutrons, 4 beyond the magic number of 82. However, at N = 90 (161Lu), the nucleus becomes well-deformed and exhibits very few properties of a spherical nucleus. As such, the transition between generally spherical lutetium nuclei and generally non-spherical nuclei occurs between N = 86 and N = 90, where 160Lu (N = 89) lies.
photo by Gin Kai, USNA Photo Lab
This project set out to investigate the structure of such a transitional nucleus and identify the predominant factors influencing its shape. The study required creating rapidly-spinning 160Lu nuclei by means of a particle accelerator at Argonne National Laboratory. Once excited, an instrument called Gammasphere was employed to capture information about the high-energy photons (gamma rays) that these excited states emit as they cool. Our results indicate the possibility that, at lower spins, 160Lu is asymmetric in shape, being deformed along all three dimensions. At higher spins, our data suggests that the nucleus returns to the one-dimensional deformation typically associated with such rare-earth nuclei. This phenomenon is not observed in neighboring nuclei (those with similar Z or N). We propose that the behavior observed in 160Lu is a result of increased malleability of transitional nuclei when compared to near-magic number nuclei and an extra unpairing of the nucleons that is not typically observed in nearby nuclei.
FACULTY ADVISOR Professor Daryl J. Hartley Physics Department B.S., Furman University Ph.D., Florida State University
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Brian R. He Midshipman 1st Class A Theoretical and Experimental Analysis of Post-Compression Water Injection in a Rolls-Royce M250 Gas Turbine Engine
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he gas turbine engine is one of the most common methods of energy generation and propulsion used by the military today. Its applications include surface ships, aircraft, and tanks, and it is highly regarded due to its high power-to-weight ratio and ability to operate using a wide variety of fuels. Spurred by ongoing concerns regarding air pollution from energy generation sources, researchers have explored numerous systems for reducing gas turbine emissions and improving efficiency. One of these systems involves a timehonored technique of spraying water into the gas turbine in order to improve power output and reduce nitrous oxide concentration. Water injection is typically implemented in one of two ways: direct water injection, which involves spraying at either the combustion chamber or compressor discharge; or compressor inlet fogging, which entails spraying water at the inlet of the engine. Previous research has examined the effects of the two water injection methods on high pressure-ratio gas turbines, such as the LM2500, as well as the effects of compressor inlet fogging on low pressure-ratio gas turbines, such as the Rolls-Royce M250. However, there are few conclusive results regarding the use of direct water injection on low pressure-ratio gas turbines. This project investigates the effects of injecting water at the compressor discharge of a Rolls-Royce M250 with regard to its power output, efficiency, operating conditions, and emissions.
photo by Gin Kai, USNA Photo Lab
Experiments will be conducted using an original spray assembly with one of USNA’s Rolls-Royce M250 gas turbine engines. The effects of varying the temperature and flow rate of the injected water will be examined based on measured brake horsepower, torque, operating temperatures and pressures, and emissions concentrations. The analysis involves comparing the experimental data with simulated direct water injection results as well as with data from a previous compressor inlet fogging project using the same gas turbine. The results will help yield a better understanding of the effects of using water injection systems with low pressure-ratio gas turbines for possible implementation in the future.
FACULTY ADVISOR Professor Martin R. Cerza Mechanical Engineering Department B.S., M.S., Ph.D., Rutgers University
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Andrea R. Howard Midshipman 1st Class Measuring Oman's Food Security Outlook for Crisis Aversion
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nsecurity of food and water supplies in the Arabian Gulf is an important concern for stability in the region, where national security policy and food security policy interrelate. Even with three wars in Libya, Yemen, and Syria and several government overthrows in 2011 – a year marked by doubled world grain prices – Arabian Gulf nations, other than Qatar, appear hesitant to publically declare the severity of impending food and water insecurity. In Oman, population growth at 4.98% between 2003 and 2013, an expatriate community comprising 44% of the total population, salinization issues and sinking groundwater tables, rising obesity, a culture of overindulgence, an overreliance on imported food, and instability in the international marketplace threaten the adequacy of the food and water supply. This project endeavors to quantify the sensitivity of Oman’s food security strategy to various shocks with a Bayesian belief network (BBN). A BBN is a model that estimates changes in conditional probability, given assumptions about the causal relationships between variables. In this present study, the probability that the daily energy supply (DES) exceeds a healthy lower bound, estimated at 2100 kilocalories/person/day, serves as the primary output of the BBN. The inputs to the BBN are eighteen variables organized into four categories: energy, trade, domestic agriculture, and human factors. Statistical analyses connect each of these input variables to historical effects on the output variable, DES.
photo by Gin Kai, USNA Photo Lab
The BBN is then used to test the sensitivity of DES in possible future scenarios. Example scenarios include (1) an international refusal to sell cereals to Oman, (2) a plummet in the price of oil, and (3) the mass emigration of the expatriate workforce from Oman. By focusing on DES, the model meets the standard international definition of a food secure nation and provides an indication of how possible future events could affect the food security of Oman. Beyond the specific model results, this effort also serves as a template and model for building future studies that could help identify—and avert—crises before they happen.
FACULTY ADVISORS Associate Professor Deborah Wheeler Political Science Department B.A., University of California M.A., Ph.D., University of Chicago Professor Frederick L. Crabbe Computer Science Department B.A., Dartmouth College M.S., Ph.D., University of California, Los Angeles
Associate Professor Patrick A. Caton Mechanical Engineering Department B.A., B.S., M.S., Ph.D., Stanford University
Assistant Professor Michael R. Kellermann Political Science Department B.A., University of Michigan M.Sc., London School of Economics Ph.D., Harvard University
Assistant Professor Gina R. Henderson Oceanography Department B.A., University College of Dublin M.Sc., Ph.D., University of Delaware
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Michael K. Johnson Midshipman 1st Class Probe-Independent EEG Assessment of Mental Workload in Pilots
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ental workload can be described as a ratio between task-complexity and a person’s cognitive capacity to meet task demands. This description captures the intuitive idea that mental workload depends both on external factors such as the objective difficulty of required tasks, and internal factors such as a person’s past experiences and skill set. There is a growing body of research focused on developing quantitative methods to assess mental workload in order to improve the mental resiliency of people in high-stress environments. Various metrics derived from physiological signals such as heart rate, blood pressure, galvanic skin response, and eye-gaze have been investigated as biomarkers of mental workload. These signals have been used to distinguish mental workload levels with accuracies significantly better than chance, but there are still no widely accepted standards or commercial products for mental workload monitoring. With recent improvements in the ease-of-use, reliability, and costs of portable electroencephalography (EEG) systems, there has been increasing interest in using brain signals to measure mental workload. It is hypothesized that EEG offers a more direct assay of mental workload than other physiological biomarkers because of the proximity of EEG sensors to the neural substrates of cognitive stress.
photo by Gin Kai, USNA Photo Lab
Existing approaches for quantifying mental workload using electroencephalography often rely on probe stimuli to elicit stereotyped neural responses such as the P300 wave. The goal of this research was to develop an EEG-based algorithm to classify different levels of task complexity that does not rely upon an auditory probe. By choosing subjects with a similar level of taskexperience, we partially control for differences in the capacity to perform the experimental task and therefore use task-complexity as a surrogate for mental workload. As we were particularly interested in understanding the response of aircraft pilots to the cognitive demands imposed by their flight-missions, we used flight simulator tasks of varying challenge-level as our experimental paradigm. Furthermore, since pilots are typically in persistent radio or intercom communications via headset during flight, this also represents a scenario that would be particularly well-suited to a probe-independent index of cognitive workload.
FACULTY ADVISOR Assistant Professor Justin A. Blanco Electrical and Computer Engineering Department Sc.B., Brown University M.S., Stanford University Ph.D., University of Pennsylvania External Collaborators: Professor Bradley Hatfield, University of Maryland Assistant Professor Rodolphe Gentili, University of Maryland Hyuk Oh, University of Maryland Kyle Jaquess, University of Maryland
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Daniel R. Kuerbitz Midshipman 1st Class An Examination of a Pumping Rotor Blade Design for Brownout Mitigation
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rownout is a phenomenon encountered when a rotorcraft hovers over an unprepared surface and becomes engulfed in a cloud of sediment. The generated brownout cloud obscures a pilot’s vision, greatly increasing flight risks. Brownout also reduces the service life of mechanical components (i.e. rotor blades, engines, etc.), significantly increasing maintenance costs and reducing operational readiness. The problem of brownout therefore poses a significant hazard to naval rotorcraft operations. Brownout is caused by the interaction between the rotor wake and loose sediment on the surface. The trailed tip vortices are the primary means by which sediment is entrained into the airflow. Therefore, faster diffusing tip vortices would be expected to reduce brownout intensity. However, when a rotorcraft operates near the ground, the tip vortex filaments are stretched, thereby reintensifying their vorticity and arresting their diffusion rate. Rotor blade design can significantly affect tip vortices. A slotted tip design, with intakes on the leading edge near the tip, was shown to diffuse tip vortices. However, it also incurred a 2% power penalty due to increased profile drag on the slots. It was hypothesized that moving the intake slots to the hub, where dynamic pressure is lower, would reduce the profile power penalty while still effectively diffusing tip vortices. With this in mind, the present study investigated a pumping blade design with an intake slot at the hub and various upward orientations of the exit slot at the blade tip. Rotor performance measurements showed that at lower thrust conditions, where profile losses dominate, the baseline (i.e. nonpumping) blade required less power. However, at higher thrust conditions, where induced losses dominate, the power required for the baseline and pumping blade designs began to converge.
photo by Gin Kai, USNA Photo Lab
Flowfield measurements were taken using flow visualization and particle image velocimetry. It was found that the pumping blade designs initially produced more diffused tip vortices as compared to the baseline blade. However, at the higher thrust condition, this initial diffusion was not sufficient to overcome the reintensification process resulting from the ground. At the lower thrust condition, the pumping blade effectively diffused the tip vortices.
FACULTY ADVISORS Assistant Professor Joseph I. Milluzzo Aerospace Engineering Department B.S., Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University M.S., Ph.D., University of Maryland Associate Professor David Miklosovic Aerospace Engineering Department B.S., M.S., Ph.D., Ohio State University External Collaborator: Professor J. Gordon Leishman, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University 14
Samuel S. Lacinski Midshipman 1st Class Multiple Sensor Discrimination of Closely-Spaced Objects on a Ballistic Trajectory
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ne of the challenges associated with defending against ballistic missiles is to identify and track the object of interest among multiple closely-spaced objects (CSOs) that travel on a ballistic trajectory. One approach that will improve discrimination performance is to combine data from multiple sensors. Multiple sensor correlation and discrimination involves the integration of several sensor returns that are often collected by dissimilar sensors placed on the ground and on-orbit to improve the likelihood of identifying and tracking an object of interest within the CSOs. This project investigates the development of the algorithms necessary for fusing data obtained from multiple, dissimilar sensors. The algorithms employ a target object map (TOM) created using multiple sensor measurements for correlation. The object of interest is then selected using a probability-based Dempster-Shafer discrimination algorithm combined with the TOM correlation probability.
photo by Gin Kai, USNA Photo Lab
A simulation environment was developed to examine the performance of these algorithms. The environment includes relevant characteristics of the sensors in the discrimination algorithm, a modeling process for the ballistic trajectories of the CSOs, and a decision-making process for handling the multi-sensor data to correlate and discriminate the object of interest. This simulation environment was utilized to assess system performance characteristics using a Monte Carlo simulation by changing system parameters such as sensor measurement accuracy, sensor locations, Kalman filtering approaches, state propagation algorithms, TOM correlation approaches, probability distribution of characteristics and the number of CSOs.
FACULTY ADVISORS Assistant Professor Tracie A. Severson Weapons and Systems Engineering Department B.S., U.S. Naval Academy M.S., University of Michigan Ph.D., University of Maryland
Associate Professor Tae W. Lim Aerospace Engineering Department B.S., Yonsei University, South Korea M.S., Ph.D., University of Virginia
External Collaborator: Dr. Thierry B. Copie, MIT, Lincoln Laboratories
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Zane A. Markel Midshipman 1st Class Machine Learning Based Malware Detection
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urrent antivirus software is effective at detecting well known threats, but cannot keep up with the rate at which new malware is authored or modern antivirus avoidance techniques, such as using polymorphic code. Some studies have investigated augmenting current antivirus techniques with machine learning, which could potentially detect some previously unknown malware. However, previously proposed methods either do not detect malware with satisfactory performance, or they have only been tested on laboratory software databases that cannot suitably be projected into realistic performance. This work explores several aspects of machine learning based malware detection. First, we propose an approach to learn primarily from program metadata, particularly header data in the 32-bit Windows Portable Executable (PE32) file format. We identify learning methods that learn effectively from this metadata, explore which metadata features can be trivially modified and are not appropriate for malware detection, test it on approximately realistic datasets, and find that it performs favorably compared to Windows API imports, another category of file characteristic that shows promise for machine learning based malware detection. Additionally, we find and explore the drastic performance drop which occurs when using a realistically low proportion of malware in test datasets instead of datasets split evenly between malware and benign software.
photo by Gin Kai, USNA Photo Lab
Ensemble learning, which commonly alleviates this problem in other similar machine learning applications, does not appreciably help in this context. Training with datasets that have the same proportion of malware as the test datasets optimizes performance, yet the file characteristics that are informative for malware detection change with the proportion of malware in the training dataset. We conclude that file characteristics must be trained on and tested in approximately realistic settings in order to demonstrate their robustness in operational malware detection, and we propose a test procedure which meets these standards.
FACULTY ADVISOR Commander Michael B. Bilzor, USN Permanent Military Professor Computer Science Department B.S., U.S. Naval Academy M.S., Johns Hopkins University Ph.D., U.S. Naval Postgraduate School
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Fletcher D. Rydalch Midshipman 1st Class A Characterization of the Ship Effect in a Maritime Environment and Special Nuclear Material Detection
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he interdiction of nuclear and radiological materials out of regulatory control is of utmost importance in national security. In the maritime environment where such material may be moved on large vessels, detection is complicated due to the environment, the ship’s motion, time constraints, and the amount of potential shielding; either incidental or purposefully placed. Additionally, the level of the radiation background on and in the immediate vicinity of the ship (where an illicit source might be detected) is affected by the “ship effect.” The neutron and gamma radiation ship effect is a phenomenon involving high energy physics where cosmic radiation interacts preferentially with high atomic number materials to produce additional background radiation. A classic example (for which the effect is named) is that of a ship afloat. The objectives of this research project were to spatially characterize the ship effect in the vicinity of a naval warship and to gage the impact of the characterized environment on detection feasibility for onboard radioactive sources. The results of this characterization will inform the development of survey protocols and equipment, allowing improved identification of nuclear material aboard a maritime vessel by stand-off radiation detection. The project included completion of the following tasks: (1) integrating a suitable radiation detection system, (2) conducting measurements of the background neutron and gamma radiation both on land and surrounding a ship on the water, (3) simulation of a radiation signature emitted from nuclear material aboard a ship using radiation transport software, and (4) comparing the measured radiation signatures and modeled source signatures to show the impact on detection feasibility of nuclear material in a ship effect environment.
photo by Gin Kai, USNA Photo Lab
The objectives of this research project have been met. Results show an expected increase in radiation background while approaching a ship, with the greatest increase measured to be greater than 40% near the ship’s center of mass. The effect of this increased background radiation on detection feasibility has been estimated. For one configuration, a modeled detector’s response to a notional onboard source has been combined with the characterized background to show the decrease in detectable range due to the ship effect.
FACULTY ADVISORS Assistant Professor Marshall Millett Mechanical Engineering Department B.S., U.S. Naval Academy M.S., Ph.D., University of Maryland Vice Admiral Joe Leidig, USN (Ret.) Professor Martin E. Nelson Corbin A. McNeill Endowed Chair in Engineering Mechanical Engineering Department Mechanical Engineering Department B.S., University of Wisconsin B.S., U.S. Naval Academy M.S., Ph.D., University of Virginia M.A., U.S. Naval War College External Collaborators: Commander Raoul J. Bustamante, U.S. Naval Academy Waterfront Readiness Division Captain Monte L. Ulmer, Commanding Officer, Naval Support Activity Washington Major Andrew W. Decker, Deputy Director, J9-NTW (NSERC), Defense Threat Reduction Agency 17
David A. Stevens Midshipman 1st Class Computational Sensitivity Analysis for the Aerodynamic Design of Supersonic and Hypersonic Air Vehicles
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he conceptual design of hypersonic vehicles relies on computational methods to produce estimates of aerodynamic, structural, thermal protection, and propulsion design requirements. Additionally, conceptual vehicle designs must begin to solve the multidisciplinary optimization problem presented by these competing factors. Solving the design optimization problem is not possible using traditional low-fidelity vehicle models and flow simulations because these models represent the underlying physics of the combined disciplines too poorly to be dependable. Moreover, it may not even be possible to solve the design optimization problem because these methods may preclude unconventional vehicle designs that do not fall within historical design paradigms. Additionally, designs based on these undependable methods may suffer from unanticipated phenomena during testing that lead to costly vehicle redesigns and program delays. The sensitivities of a hypersonic air vehicle’s aerodynamics to geometric variations were calculated using a computational framework developed for this project. This framework automates the process of design space sampling, vehicle model generation, flow solution, response surface generation, and global sensitivity analysis. It is unique in its integration of modern design tools such as parametric vehicle models, automated volumetric mesh generation and refinement, Eulerian flow simulations, Kriging response surface generation, and global sensitivity analysis. As a stepping stone to solving the multidisciplinary design optimization problem, this work focuses on quantifying the sensitivity of the vehicle’s lift-to-drag ratio and aerodynamic moments to changes in the planform of the vehicle’s lifting surfaces. The analysis of these aerodynamic forces and moments provides insight into the vehicle’s range and provides a baseline for future structural and control design analyses.
photo by Shannon O'Connor, USNA Photo Lab
The framework was verified by computing the sensitivity of the vehicle’s lift-to-drag ratio to changes in the wing’s dihedral angle and span. This study demonstrated that the hypersonic vehicle’s lift-to-drag ratio was approximately three times more sensitive to variations in the wing’s span compared to variations in the wing’s dihedral. Future work will expand the framework to include a higher dimensional design space and additional aerodynamic forces and moments.
FACULTY ADVISOR Associate Professor Chris L. Pettit Aerospace Engineering Department B.S., M.S., University of California, Los Angeles Ph.D., Johns Hopkins University External Collaborator: Philip S. Beran, Principal Research Aerospace Engineer, Air Force Research Laboratory
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Eric A. Swanson Midshipman 1st Class Black Hole Entropy: Quantum Mechanics in Relativistic Spacetime
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he thermodynamic properties of any system can be calculated from knowing the quantum states of that system. The connection between thermal physics and quantum mechanics is well understood. Near a black hole, the effects of gravity, understood through general relativity, affect the particle states. In general, quantum mechanics and general relativity are not compatible in describing a system, but the extreme environment of a black hole demands the use of both theories. The starting point for this project is calculating the thermodynamics of a system in a Minkowski spacetime. This is the general “flat� spacetime geometry that we experience in our day to day lives. This should reproduce the same thermodynamic properties that we are familiar with in classical physics. The benefit is that we have a framework to introduce the effects of the black hole. The Minkowski spacetime is a relativistically correct spacetime in the absence of gravity. The form of the equation allows for the effect of the black hole to be input directly and calculated as a perturbation of the flat spacetime solution. The black hole spacetime introduces mathematical difficulties that are absent in the more simple case. In taking a limiting case of a particle constrained to move in a radial motion (not orbiting), the Hawking Temperature of a black hole can be reproduced. Allowing for general motion of the particle introduces angular momentum to the problem. The challenges of this extra term can be dealt with using the group theory of representation.
photo by Shannon O'Connor, USNA Photo Lab
After calculating the wave-function of a particle on the black hole spacetime, thermodynamic quantities such as temperature and entropy can be calculated trivially.
FACULTY ADVISORS Assistant Professor Eyo E. Ita Physics Department B.S., U.S. Naval Academy M.S., Johns Hopkins University Ph.D., University of Cambridge Associate Professor Carl E. Mungan Physics Department B.Sc., Queen's University, Canada M.S., Ph.D., Cornell University
Commander Richard H. Downey, USN Permanent Military Professor Physics Department B.S., Massachusetts Institute of Technology M.S., University of Illinois Ph.D., U.S. Naval Postgraduate School
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Gabriel Tang Ying Kit Midshipman 1st Class Cooperative Control of Unmanned Surface Vessels and Unmanned Underwater Vessels for Asset Protection
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he field of cooperative autonomous control has traditionally focused on a swarm of homogeneous vehicles working together to fulfill a task. However, heterogeneous swarms working cooperatively in a multi-modal manner have the potential to synergize the disparate functional capabilities in order to better fulfill mission requirements. This project focuses on the development of a cooperative control system for a heterogeneous swarm of unmanned surface vessels (USVs) and unmanned underwater vessels (UUVs) specifically utilized for the task of asset protection. Relying on a hybrid control scheme that combines both behavior-based and systems-theoretic concepts, the swarm provides better adaptability, robustness and overall performance than traditional control methods. Instead of simply defining the unit positions or the shape of the unit distribution desired for the swarm state, a novel capability function is used as the driver for the swarm. This capability function uses real time data in order to define the actual mission parameters – for example, the probability of detection of a patrol vessel. Based on the capability desired, the swarm then maneuvers itself to generate the required capability. A well-recognized difficulty with UUVs is the persistent localization problem. Typical methods for localization underwater suffer from buildup of uncertainty over time, reducing the efficacy of the UUV units due to positioning errors. Surfacing in order to get a GPS fix causes a temporary reduction in the quality of sensing by moving the underwater units to the same plane as the surface vessels, and may also reduce stealth for the UUVs and jeopardize mission fulfillment. As such, long baseline techniques were implemented in a secondary controller in order to incorporate cooperation between the USV and UUV units as a tool for improving localization. Using the USVs as navigation beacons, the UUVs were able to ascertain their position, mitigating the localization uncertainty while still ensuring that the full heterogeneous swarm provides the desired asset protection capability.
photo by Gin Kai, USNA Photo Lab
Overall, this model of a hybrid cooperative control has proven itself to be effective, robust and easily manipulated to suit different secondary objectives – setting the foundation for future models of control systems for multi-modal swarms.
FACULTY ADVISOR Professor Bradley E. Bishop Weapons and Systems Engineering Department B.S., Michigan State University M.S., Ph.D., University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign
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We are proud to announce the United States Naval Academy Class of 2016 Trident Scholars. MIDSHIPMAN 2/C ALVIN A. ABES Systems Engineering Major Modeling and Control of the Cobelli Model as a Personalized Prescriptive Tool for Diabetes Treatment Advisor: Professor Richard O’Brien, Weapons and Systems Engineering Department
MIDSHIPMAN 2/C IAN E. SHAW Mathematics Honors Major Construction of Rational Maps on the Projective Line with Given Dynamical Structure Advisors: Associate Professor Amy E. Ksir, Mathematics Department; LT Brian J. Stout, USN, Mathematics Department
External Collaborator: Dr. Ledys J. DiMarsico, M.D., Sinai Hospital of Baltimore
MIDSHIPMAN 2/C AARON M. SIMS System Engineering Honors Major Control of Multi-Vehicle Formations with Coordinated Inter-Vehicle Communication Advisors: Associate Professor Levi D. DeVries, Systems and Weapons Engineering Department; VADM Joe Leidig, USN (Ret.), Mechanical Engineering Department
MIDSHIPMAN 2/C BENJAMIN I. BRANSON Aerospace Engineering Major An Examination of a Centrifugal Pumping Blade Design as a Means of Vortex Mitigation Advisor: Assistant Professor Joseph I. Milluzzo, Aerospace Engineering Department MIDSHIPMAN 2/C RYAN J. BURMEISTER Computer Science Major Fast, Distributed Algorithms for Training of Deep Networks Advisor: Assistant Professor Gavin W. Taylor, Computer Science Department
MIDSHIPMAN 2/C TIMOTHY E. TRACEY Mechanical Engineering Major Measurement and Modeling of High Energy Laser (HEL)Droplet Interactions Advisors: Associate Professor Cody J. Brownell, Mechanical Engineering Department; CDR Stuart R. Blair, USN, Mechanical Engineering Department
External Collaborator: Assistant Professor Thomas Goldstein, University of Maryland
MIDSHIPMAN 2/C THOMAS J. WESTER Applied Mathematics Honors Major Mathematical Modeling: Immune System Dynamics in the Presence of Cancer and Immunodeficiency In Vivo Advisors: Associate Professor Sonia M. Garcia, Mathematics Department; Assistant Professor Daniel D. Isaac, Chemistry Department
MIDSHIPMAN 2/C JAMES F. COOKE Systems Engineering Honors Major Uncalibrated Three-Dimensional Microrobot Control Advisors: Associate Professor Jenelle A. Piepmeier, Weapons and Systems Engineering Department; Professor Samara L. Firebaugh, Electrical and Computer Engineering Department; Assistant Professor Hatem Elbidweihy, Electrical and Computer Engineering Department
MIDSHIPMAN 2/C MICHAEL A. WOULFE Physics Major Towards a Theory of a Nearly Two-Dimensional Dipolar Bose Gas Advisor: Assistant Professor Ryan M. Wilson, Physics Department
MIDSHIPMAN 2/C MIGUEL A. NIEVES II Operations Research Major Markov Decision Process Model of the Accept/Decline Decision in Liver Transplantation Advisor: Associate Professor Sommer E. Gentry, Mathematics Department External Collaborator: Associate Professor Dorry Segev, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine MIDSHIPMAN 2/C SPENCER C. SHABSHAB Electrical Engineering Major Nonlinear Control Method for Synchronization of Converter-Interfaced Generators Advisors: Assistant Professor Daniel F. Opila, Electrical and Computer Engineering Department; CDR John D. Stevens, USN, Electrical and Computer Engineering Department External Collaborators: Assistant Professor Sairaj Dhople, University of Minnesota; Dr. Brian Johnson, Ph.D., Power Systems Engineering Center, National Renewable Energy Laboratory 21
Midshipman 1/C Daniel R. Kuerbitz Aerospace Engineering Major Highland Heights, Ohio
Midshipman 1/C A. Eileen Dilks Systems Engineering Major Lawrenceville, Georgia
Midshipman 1/C Benjamin C. Etringer Applied Mathematics (Honors) Major Mayodan, North Carolina
Midshipman 1/C Brian R. He Mechanical Engineering Major Danville, California
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Midshipman 1/C David A. Stevens Aerospace Engineering Major Tucson, Arizona
Midshipman 1/C Fletcher D. Rydalch Mechanical Engineering Major Rexburg, Idaho
Midshipman 1/C Zane A. Markel Computer Science Major Bismarck, North Dakota
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Midshipman 1/C Eric A. Swanson Physics Major Shoreview, Minnesota
Midshipman 1/C Michael K. Johnson Electrical Engineering Major Euless, Texas
Midshipman 1/C Gabriel Tang Ying Kit Systems Engineering (Honors) Major Singapore, Republic of Singapore
Midshipman 1/C Steven T. Hallgren Physics Major Coeur d'Alene, Idaho
Midshipman 1/C Samuel S. Lacinski Aerospace Engineering Major North Royalton, Ohio
Midshipman 1/C Andrea R. Howard Political Science Major Norcross, Georgia
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